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Torpedo con 2022??
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Started by rabidwolf,

86 posts in this topic

Robot Man

Robot Man

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I’m pretty sure that SDCC will be pretty dim dealer wise. Last I looked their vendors wern’t posted. Torpedo has been a great predessor to SD. Dealers hit it first the week before. Other than a few exceptions, a lot of the big dealers probably won’t be at SD. Just too expensive.

For the past 8 years or so, big dealers were splitting their booths. Other than the “big boy books”, lessor inventory has been drying up there for years. 

With the crazy cost of hotels, food, parking and tickets along with the high price of gas right now, just isn’t worth it for an average collector to go any more. (If just buying comics is your reason for going).

Torpedo was a great alternative…

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Robot Man

Robot Man

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On 6/14/2022 at 4:48 PM, Silver said:

For a show that’s postponed they didn't waste any time refunding my ticket purchase. 

John is a straight up guy. He is a fan of the medium and a collector himself. Last thing he would ever do is burn fellow collectors.

I think the show was a sign of the times. He was having a hard time attracting dealers and this affected his ticket sales. He was probably looking at a big financial bath so he cut his losses.

The future of major comic buying shows is a big question. SDDC will be a good indicator. Sure, there will be the fan boys and those that love the buzz of the show. But the vintage comic buying part has been diminishing for years. There might not be another Torpedo show as we have known it. I also suspect that Terry ‘0 Neil’s fine Feb show is a goner as well. There isn’t much left for us SO CA collectors to look forward to…

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Silver

Silver

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On 6/15/2022 at 7:55 AM, Robot Man said:

John is a straight up guy. He is a fan of the medium and a collector himself. Last thing he would ever do is burn fellow collectors.

I think the show was a sign of the times. He was having a hard time attracting dealers and this affected his ticket sales. He was probably looking at a big financial bath so he cut his losses.

The future of major comic buying shows is a big question. SDDC will be a good indicator. Sure, there will be the fan boys and those that love the buzz of the show. But the vintage comic buying part has been diminishing for years. There might not be another Torpedo show as we have known it. I also suspect that Terry ‘0 Neil’s fine Feb show is a goner as well. There isn’t much left for us SO CA collectors to look forward to…

I don't disagree with anything you're saying, but that is not what Torpedo Comics has said, they played this off as if there was a conflict with the venue schedule. 

 

I also think they grew too big too fast. There was nothing wrong with a one day show that didn't have a ton of ticket price options, I think the first one I went to was $10 and it was a great show. They didn't need to grow it to a three day show. 

Edited by Silver
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fatlab123

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On 6/15/2022 at 11:42 AM, Silver said:

I don't disagree with anything you're saying, but that is not what Torpedo Comics has said, they played this off as if there was a conflict with the venue schedule. 

 

I also think they grew too big too fast. There was nothing wrong with a one day show that didn't have a ton of ticket price options, I think the first one I went to was $10 and it was a great show. They didn't need to grow it to a three day show. 

Correct about the reason given. John has been doing this along time . I’m sure there was an out clause with a small financial loss but had to used by a certain day. 
 

As far as a 2 day shows during non Covid years maybe. What I saw at Wondercon and Phoenix con the west coast big shows are in trouble until things clear up.  One day local shows in small venues will be the way to go for everyone 

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Robot Man

Robot Man

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On 6/15/2022 at 8:42 AM, Silver said:

I don't disagree with anything you're saying, but that is not what Torpedo Comics has said, they played this off as if there was a conflict with the venue schedule. 

 

I also think they grew too big too fast. There was nothing wrong with a one day show that didn't have a ton of ticket price options, I think the first one I went to was $10 and it was a great show. They didn't need to grow it to a three day show. 

Come on. What they said was a smoke screen to save face. No one wants to admit they couldn’t secure enough dealers to fill the room. And the “guests” were a ploy to sell more tickets.

I went to the first one too. It was epic and he knocked it out of the park with perfect timing. Expanding to a 2 then 3 day show and adding guests was a mistake. He lost his way and diluted his original intent. It was strictly and vintage comic buying and selling show for those such as myself who were tired of all the crowds, expense and non comic centric activities at SDCC.

I went one day last time. I spent a boatload of money, socialized with buddies I rarely get to see and did it all in one day easily.

I think he was a victim of his own success. 

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fatlab123

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On 6/15/2022 at 12:03 PM, Robot Man said:

Come on. What they said was a smoke screen to save face. No one wants to admit they couldn’t secure enough dealers to fill the room. And the “guests” were a ploy to sell more tickets.

I went to the first one too. It was epic and he knocked it out of the park with perfect timing. Expanding to a 2 then 3 day show and adding guests was a mistake. He lost his way and diluted his original intent. It was strictly and vintage comic buying and selling show for those such as myself who were tired of all the crowds, expense and non comic centric activities at SDCC.

I went one day last time. I spent a boatload of money, socialized with buddies I rarely get to see and did it all in one day easily.

I think he was a victim of his own success. 

Yes just like terry shows ..perfect 1 day shows. He just missed on this which happens in business . I know he and his team are smart enough to comeback strong when the time is right

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Robot Man

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On 6/15/2022 at 9:16 AM, fatlab123 said:

Yes just like terry shows ..perfect 1 day shows. He just missed on this which happens in business . I know he and his team are smart enough to comeback strong when the time is right

Terry has moved to WA. The odds of him doing his show down here as opposed to  up there are pretty good. Although, there are probably a lot more deep pocketed collectors here than there. That and the timing as well as the great weather in SO CA in Feb might convince him to do it again. Hope so…

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Cobbledclam

Cobbledclam

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I just got an update from Terry and he is planning on doing his show again at the Westin in Costa Mesa where the last one occurred before Covid hit. IF things work out with restrictions or other potential snafus  of course.  

B5C2D710-6029-4EA6-B424-49766F71FE07.jpeg

Edited by Cobbledclam
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Robot Man

Robot Man

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On 6/15/2022 at 12:32 PM, Dale Roberts said:

Honestly, just about all the dealers that did it last year were doing it again this year. It's unfortunate it's not happening. Everyone I talked to did great at the show. 

Maybe if he added you and the others to the dealer list, he would have sold a lot more tickets. Will miss picking your stuff Dale…:sorry:

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alexgross.com

alexgross.com

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On 6/15/2022 at 12:32 PM, Dale Roberts said:

Honestly, just about all the dealers that did it last year were doing it again this year. It's unfortunate it's not happening. Everyone I talked to did great at the show. 

since many of you dealers will in fact be in town, and from torpedo's instagram i know that many people are already stuck with plane tickets to LA for this, it would be amazing if someone found a spot to hold a one day show on that saturday, july 16th. best would be for torpedo to do it so they dont really burn so many customers, but at this point anyone local with organizational skills or a large garage should do it. 

as for the alleged double booking, the palladium's site does show that sat july 16 is a concert by DISPATCH AND O.A.R. whoever that is. i'm baffled by the concept that a major concert venue might actually double book. that seems ludicrous. "sorry kanye, we forgot we have a stamp show that day!'

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JWKyle

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I would have been there with 3 other people if it hadn't got cancelled. I quit buying advanced tickets because a few years again for an Ontario show I wasn't sure if we were going to get over the grapevine. During the summer you never know if they're going to shut it down from wildfires. For this Ontario show as we were on the 5 the flames were very visialible from the freeway but I had bought advanced tickets the freeway wasn't closed so we pushed through. Hopefully this and Terry's show come back. I have shows I like to hit in the LA basin and those are 2 of my groups favorites'

 

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