For the first time in ages, the weekend of 24th - 27th May sees two cons - Collectormania, Milton Keynes and MCM London Comic Con. On the whole, both of these shows cater for the same audience. Card dealers are thin on the ground as it is, and now there's a good chance of hitting the wrong show and seeing none! When I say 'wrong show', there isn't a wrong for me as there are guests at both that I would like to meet. It's wrong that a choice has to be made. I should imagine that there are a lot of people in my boat that can't afford both. Does this happen often in the US?

It's starting to happen more and more often that conventions in the same area are happening either on the same weekend or within a week of each other. In some cases, it's just a matter of poor scheduling but sometimes it's an attempt by one covention organizer to undermine the others.

Yeah. . . that's starting to happen here more and more too. . . on the one hand it's great that there are so many cons, on the other it makes you be a lot more choosy with which cons to attend. . .

In March and April I have 7 cons on my calendar -- all different weekends, and only 1 is out of town (barely out of town). I certainly won't make it to all of those, and those aren't all card/comic cons, but there is some overlap across a lot of those shows. . .

Yeah, there's a bit of predatory scheduling going on in the convention business here.

If Wizard can't buy a show they want, they'll do one in the weeks before.

Great news for con goers in some respects, but honestly you have to let people recharge their disposable income between shows.

This September in Cincinnati there is a new show the first weekend, a 4th year show the second weekend, and a Wizard show in Columbus (less than 100 miles away) on the third weekend. I chose to go with the new show because I think that the majority of people will come and spend their money there. But, we'll see what happens. It's unfortunate because Cincinnati is big enough to have 2 great shows if they just played nice.

Ed

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but sometimes it's an attempt by one covention organizer to undermine the others.

which is the case with the UK clash.

Here in Vegas, there are 2 shows on the same weekend in June. An Anime expo and a comic show. I'm sure both will be card dealer absent but they still conflict. A number of friends are debating about trying to hit both (neither convention space is very large) in 1 day or which they're going to go to.

Of course, the comic show (amazing las vegas comic-con) has ZERO info available other than 8 guests so far. No reg fees or anything else. That doesn't help people decide either lol

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Originally posted by Obi Wan Chrisobi:
It's starting to happen more and more often that conventions in the same area are happening either on the same weekend or within a week of each other. In some cases, it's just a matter of poor scheduling but sometimes it's an attempt by one covention organizer to undermine the others.

A sure sign that the hobby business is picking up is when show promoters start to try to cut each other's throats, just like in the good old days.

Here in the UK, the Milton Keynes 'Collectormania' show which used to be on the first weekend of May when it was held at the shopping centre, is now held in a football ground, which can't host the show before the season ends. Last year because of the Olympics they didn't clash. As a dealer I've had to follow my wallet and I'll be at the MCM Expo.