Your first comic con will be overwhelming and that's by design. It's a convention center full of comics, artists, cosplayers, exclusives, panels, signings, celebrities, and about six thousand other things competing for your attention all at once. Not to mention, your wallet! It's also one of the best days this hobby offers for that exact reason.
Before you go
- Buy tickets early. Bigger cons sell out and gate prices are higher when they don't. If you can only do one day: Saturday has the most programming but the worst crowds and typically the highest prices. Sundays are calmer, shorter, and some dealers discount rather than pack unsold stock. Friday is somewhere in the middle depending on the con.
- Look at the guest list and map beforehand. Cons publish exhibitor maps and guest lists. Pick your three must-dos before you walk in (but feel free to break away from your schedule). Trying to "see everything" can be stressful and overwhelming.
- Set a budget. Decide your number before you're short on next month's rent. Getting swept up in the romance of a con leads to very real spending. Some people bring cash to make the limit physical. Many booths take cards, but cash still smooths small purchases and haggling, sometimes even yielding an extra discount.
- Make a want list. If you collect, write down the issues you're hunting and roughly what they're worth (a price app or a chat with us beforehand works). You'll need it when the adrenaline hits because you found one of your grails.
What to bring (and wear)
Comfortable shoes. This is the single most repeated piece of con advice in history because it's the most correct. You will walk miles on concrete. Water and a snack: convention food is expensive and the lines are long. A backpack or sturdy tote for your haul, plus a rigid board or a toploader if you're buying anything you care about (a flimsy tote folds your new book in half; see why boards matter, and con-day armor is in our supplies collection). Phone battery pack because you'll be either capturing moments or looking up prices/collections.
Artist alley: the best part
Artist alley, the section where working artists and writers sell at their own tables, is where the magic happens. (If discovering creators there is your thing, our indie comics section scratches the same itch year-round.) The etiquette is simple and worth knowing:
- Buying something is the best compliment, but browsing politely is fine. Don't photograph an artist's work without asking.
- Commissions cost money and time. If an artist offers con sketches, ask their rate and get in early; lists fill by mid-morning Saturday. Don't be shocked by their prices either, they're there because people are signing up left and right.
- Talk to them! Creators are overwhelmingly kind to people who love their work. "Your book meant a lot to me" is always welcome. Twenty-minute monologues while a line forms behind you are not, and neither is shoving your camera in their face for your livestream. The golden rule: Treat others how you'd like to be treated.
Signatures
Many creators sign for free (often with a limit per person), some charge, and big-name signings may need a separate ticket so check the con's signing schedule. Bring the actual books you want signed. If you're thinking about getting a signature authenticated or the book graded afterward, grading companies run witness programs at larger cons (that's its own rabbit hole, covered in our grading guide.) Consider picking up a "blank" at your LCS for remarks or sketches.
Haggling: yes, but like a human
At dealer booths, polite negotiation is a normal part of con culture, with norms. Multi-book bundles ("would you do $40 for these three?") work better than grinding on a single price. Sunday afternoon is the softest market of the weekend because everyone wants to make that last bit of cash before they leave. Cash-money helps keep things... affordable for both buyers and sellers. Do not: badger someone after a "no," lowball something clearly marked firm, or negotiating in artist alley. Artists' prices are their wages, not something to be bartered around.
Cosplay and general floor etiquette
Cosplay is a spectator sport you're allowed to enjoy, with two rules. Always ask before photographing someone, and remember cosplay is not consent: a costume is not an invitation to touch, follow, or harass anyone. Beyond that: mind your backpack in crowds, don't block aisles for photos, and please shower. (Every con guide says it. There's a reason.)
Pace yourself
Eat lunch. Sit down occasionally. Step outside for air. Con fatigue is real and it makes people buy badly and enjoy less. You will not see everything and that's fine. The goal of your first con isn't completion, instead think of it as discovering which parts you love. Panels? Artist alley? Bin-diving? Cosplay photography? Those answers plan your second con!
Warm up before the con: practice your bin-diving in our back issues, build your want list against our comics wall, and grab bags, boards, and toploaders to protect your haul. Want to know which cons are worth the drive from Moreno Valley this year? Just walk in and ask us. Con recommendations are a house specialty.
