2022 Badge Sale

[chocolateshake]

I've been coming to Comic Con since 2015.  I've heard they stopped those sales since 2013/2014.  They didn't get enough cancellations to justify having another sale.

Even if only 5-10% of people canceled, that's a lot of badges.  I thought CCI said that one of the reasons they held Turkeycon was because they needed money.  5,000 - 10,000 badges is a lot of money to forego.  Even a 1,000 badges is a lot of money.  Especially since the vast majority of costs will stay the same whether 10,000 more people attend or not.  It's pure profit.  Leaving that money on the table doesn't seem like a good idea.  Selling badges isn't that much of a hardship.  Selling stuff on ebay is easy.  Much smaller parties, even someone working solo out of their kitchen, sell stuff all the time.  Making a listing and then having people pickup badges onsite is not a lot of effort.  Or they could do what they did at Turkeycon, have onsite badge sales.  I think it would be better to sell badges in advance.  There's a much bigger audience for that than relying on foot traffic.

[sessionka]

Even if only 5-10% of people canceled, that's a lot of badges.  I thought CCI said that one of the reasons they held Turkeycon was because they needed money.  5,000 - 10,000 badges is a lot of money to forego.  Even a 1,000 badges is a lot of money.  Especially since the vast majority of costs will stay the same whether 10,000 more people attend or not.  It's pure profit.  Leaving that money on the table doesn't seem like a good idea.  Selling badges isn't that much of a hardship.  Selling stuff on ebay is easy.  Much smaller parties, even someone working solo out of their kitchen, sell stuff all the time.  Making a listing and then having people pickup badges onsite is not a lot of effort.  Or they could do what they did at Turkeycon, have onsite badge sales.  I think it would be better to sell badges in advance.  There's a much bigger audience for that than relying on foot traffic.

Could things change?  Absolutely. CCI can do whatever they want.

But,...

1.  Over the past 2 years, they have repeatedly said they are not going to have another sale.

2.   I attended the talk back at CCSE, and they were pretty emphatic that the July show was sold out.

[alyssa]

Could things change?  Absolutely. CCI can do whatever they want.

But,...

1.  Over the past 2 years, they have repeatedly said they are not going to have another sale.

2.   I attended the talk back at CCSE, and they were pretty emphatic that the July show was sold out.

here's a link to a voice recording for the talkback at SE
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[perc2100]

Just wondering what everyone's thoughts are on the likelihood that they will have an additional badge sale for SDCC. We have badges but some in our group did not get all days. I keep hoping.

HIGHLY doubt it.  Not only have CCI (I think?) said there would be no additional sales for 2022 (due to the likely vast majority of folks who just rolled-over their badges from 2020), but I suspect that the few refunds they've issues for badges will likely just mean slightly less people on the floor: not necessarily a bad thing, IMO since we're in a pandemic (or 'endemic' as some folks are saying)

[sessionka]

First 2022 Badge 'Contest'?

CCI giving away 4 sets of badges if you're going to Wondercon and booking hotel thru on-peak

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If you read all the terms and conditions, you can actually enter the contest by mail

"Participants may also enter the giveaway pool without meeting the above automatic entry criteria by sending a letter via US Mail to CCI WonderCon Hotel Incentive, PO Box 128458, San Diego, CA 92112, including your name, address, telephone number, email address, and SDCC Member ID.  All mailed entries must be received by April 10, 2022. Only one submission per person. Incomplete submissions will be discarded and cannot be considered for or entered into the giveaway pool.  Winners must be 18 or older.  Void where prohibited."

[sefton42]

I've been coming to Comic Con since 2015.  I've heard they stopped those sales since 2013/2014.  They didn't get enough cancellations to justify having another sale.

It was 2012.  That was my first year going, I only got Thurs/Sun in the general sake, added all of the other days in the refund sale (which was on a weekday, not a weekend like their usual sales).  And that was the last time they did the refund sale.

[sessionka]

It was 2012.  That was my first year going, I only got Thurs/Sun in the general sake, added all of the other days in the refund sale (which was on a weekday, not a weekend like their usual sales).  And that was the last time they did the refund sale.

so i'm curious...

How was the refund sale organized.  Did they have the blue circle.  Were there restrictions around who could participate.  How long did it last?

[sefton42]

so i'm curious...

How was the refund sale organized.  Did they have the blue circle.  Were there restrictions around who could participate.  How long did it last?

They didn’t have the blue circle back then, at that point it was still first in first out.

[Transmute Jun]

Yeah, I remember one year the badge resale was in June. I had a friend who didn't have a badge, and she was working the day they held it. And CCI didn't announce the time, only said that it would be sometime that day. I think they announced on FB with less than 1 hour's notice. So I monitored FB all day, and when it went live, I mashed the button and got in there and managed to grab her a PN badge. I was so proud of myself!

Ahhh.... the good old days...

[jeffa]

Eventually they stabilized at just above regular price for 4 days+PN per badge, with proceeds to charity. If it's like other cons, I expect they're trying to reduce attendance a bit, and almost everybody rolled over their 2020 badges. Some people might not attend if studios and other content providers bypass "you gotta be there in Hall H" to promote their own events. If virus concerns are low as we get closer, I wouldn't be surprised if we see some late auctions.

[chocolateshake]

Some people might not attend if studios and other content providers bypass "you gotta be there in Hall H" to promote their own events. If virus concerns are low as we get closer, I wouldn't be surprised if we see some late auctions.

That's the chicken and the egg problem.  Without a lot of attendees, then studios won't come like they used to.  Without studios coming, then there won't be a lot of attendees like there used to.  That's why Turkeycon didn't sell out.  Late badge sales won't effect that since by then it'll be too late for studios to come.  Let's see how many studios come this year.  I do think there will be auctions or on site badge sales.  At this point, I don't see why there won't be considering they had auctions in 2019.  While many people rolled over, there can only be more cancellations now than there were in 2019.

[jeffa]

It's only partly chicken and egg. Even before 2020, studios and networks sometimes bypassed SDCC to promote their own events, and during Covid they worked on their publicity "networks". The Hall H Saturday schedule even was missing traditional pieces. There's a nice lead article in this month's Entertainment Weekly magazine: "Why should we go to San Diego when people will come to us?" Disney would like to make Marvel and Star Wars audiences even more captive. DC established FanDome and NBCUniversal has worked on their own focused Con. Of course, one of the beauties of Comic Con was that they had to face the competition. And even if SDCC is missing a panel or two, the big companies usually have something special in the Exhibit Hall. Most of the "medium" companies show up and sometimes steal the show. I'm partial to Artist Alley, writers, and vendors; popular culture is more than media and San Diego's strengths include diversity. You can't beat the gathering of fans!

[chocolateshake]

Could things change?  Absolutely. CCI can do whatever they want.

But,...

1.  Over the past 2 years, they have repeatedly said they are not going to have another sale.

2.   I attended the talk back at CCSE, and they were pretty emphatic that the July show was sold out.

Right before Wondercon, David Glanzer gave an interview and discussed this.  He said it is something they were going to look into.

"Of course 2020 came with the worldwide pandemic so we had to cancel the show so those tickets rolled over to 2021 and then we had to cancel 2021. Those tickets rolled over to 2022. So right now the show is technically sold out. As we wrap, WonderCon will look more fully into Comic-Con and decide if there's something that we can do."

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[sessionka]

Right before Wondercon, David Glanzer gave an interview and discussed this.  He said it is something they were going to look into.

"Of course 2020 came with the worldwide pandemic so we had to cancel the show so those tickets rolled over to 2021 and then we had to cancel 2021. Those tickets rolled over to 2022. So right now the show is technically sold out. As we wrap, WonderCon will look more fully into Comic-Con and decide if there's something that we can do."

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At the Wondercon Talk Back David Glanzer cracked open the door of a possible sale of 2022 tickets.  The President, Robin Dolan, sort of corrected him to say there wouldn't be a sale.  It was almost as if he 'forgot' that they've said there won't be a sale for 2022.  Yes, technically the show is sold out.  This is pure speculation on my part, but I think the only way they have another sale for 2022 is if they offer another refund option.  Just my speculation.

[lowgun]

What do you mean another refund option. The site says you can still do a refund until May 1 2022