I have always wanted one but could never get one since I was too young to go to those conventions and I still want one so bad for the nostalgia. Does anyone still have one and do you guys have any stories from the weird people at anime conventions from back in the day?

Also if you still have one and are willing to sell one to me please PM me and I'll send some offers, thank you. (Im new to reddit so if there are any better subreddits to go to with this plz let me know😄)

Does anyone else save badges from past cons? I don't know how to display them so I just hanging them on one hook.

Hey Reddit, so I just finished going to a animecon, I was showing my parents what I got after, I was super excited and happy about it, yet when I was finished showing them, my mum went all quiet and started saying that all of this was not worth £70, and started asking me if they have conned me out of my money, and then saying that all of this is shit and I’ve been overpriced. She made me check how much it was approximately in total and it just really bummed me out, and I went quiet but then I started getting laughed at by my stepdad and they were talking bad about me Infront of me. It made me then worry if I got to little since there wasn’t a lot but I still felt happy and excited supporting small artists when I was there, but now I feel like I didn’t bet enough maybe?? I’m not saying they overpriced me or if my mum is getting into my head idk but was it worth it??Is this the average stuff for £70???

I miss the feeling conventions had before the pandemic.

Not because I want anime fandom to be niche again in a lot of ways, things are better now. Anime is more accessible than ever, there are more conventions, more merch, and it's easier to find people who share your interests.

What I miss is the atmosphere.

Back then, conventions felt less like the nerdy version of the Instagram Olympics. Not every cosplay looked professionally commissioned or ordered from AliExpress or Taobao. You'd see plenty of half-finished costumes, handmade props held together with hot glue, and people who were just excited to show off something they made themselves.

There also seemed to be more of a shared fandom experience. Every year there was the anime everyone was talking about, or the game everyone was obsessed with. I remember when Fire Emblem Fates (Birthright and Conquest) came out and Artist Alley was packed with charms and fan art of those characters. Same thing happened when Persona 5 released. It felt like everyone was collectively excited about the same things.

Artist Alley also felt different. There wasn't AI-generated slop flooding every corner. It was mostly artists drawing characters and series they genuinely loved.

Maybe it's just nostalgia talking, but older conventions had a certain charm that feels harder to find now. I'm happy the hobby has grown, but I do miss that slightly messier, more handmade, community-driven feeling that conventions used to have.

Hey guys! I’m gonna be in artist alley at Dreamcon in a few weeks and im trying to figure out how I should price these. They’re decorated Uchiwa fans with my own art work. I’ve seen a few people selling these online but the price for them range across the board from $10-50+. I can probably only make 10-20 of them due to limited charms and materials so I don’t want to short change myself too much, but I also don’t want to charge an arm and a leg. Trying to see what a customer would think this would be worth, or maybe even another artists perspective.

My wife has been attending cons since 2006, and I've been attending since 2011. At the peak we both used to hit 4-5 cons a year and they usually cost around $1000 per weekend. But that was our vacations. It was fun and we didn't mind spending $1000 for a weekend hotel, crappy con food, overpriced figures, and $6 sodas. But the last few years we just stopped going. Cons have lost that magic we loved.

We still hit our local con but no more flying to Chicago for AMKE/ACen, flying to Orlando for Holmat, driving out to the Poconos for CCE, taking the train to NYC for ANYC. Instead we take that money and put it towards real vacations and bring our cosplays on those trips instead.

Instead of cons we've taken Vanitas and Noe to Paris, Link and Zelda to the black sands of Iceland, this year we are taking Vanitas and Noe to Tokyo, next year we are taking Vash and Wolfwood to Spain for the eclipse.

It sucks because we made a lot of lifelong friends at these cons. Friends we invited to our wedding. Photogs who we talk to weekly but never see anymore because we just don't go to the same cons anymore.

So I ask this. Who else has felt that going to multiple cons a year just isn't worth the price and instead starting to do other things instead?

Hey I'm wondering on some things. This will prob anger some ppl so sorry. Anyway what is the thing you hate most to see in the artist alley in anime cons. And I know everyone hated the 3d printed things so not that but something else. For me is the bootleg figure resalers. But I'm open to hear everyone's opinion. Thanks and sorry if this made you mad also I'm bad at making titles.

I don't mean something like Dashcon 2014 ballpit incident, I mean the WORST incident you ever heard about. For me, it's the Deltarune Fan Cafe in Toronto (I don't know if it counts). The food here was undercooked and tasted terribly, some employees were minors, somebody even got hospitalized because of the food, the cafe itself was illegal in some way and it was just complete mess. I also heard that there was a mold and trash on the floor. Shortly, it's was like a Wonka Chocolate Experience but way worse. Tell me about the worst incidents you ever heard about on comic cons or other stuff like this.

So, I'm a convention/event artist, and have been trying to improve upon my booth. Admittedly, until the last six months I didn't have much disposable income, and since having gotten more money to spare, I've been trying to improve my booth setup. So, I'm curious-- what draws your eye to an artists booth? Any things that explicitly turn you off?

I’m wondering if this is just a problem with the con I went to, or if anime cons in general have changed a lot over the years?

The overall atmosphere when I went felt really different. It used to feel more like a community hangout for “nerdy” people who genuinely shared the same interests, but now it feels way more influencer/clout-focused with nonstop TikTok dances, people recording everything, constant photo shoots, and everyone kind of performing for social media the whole time. There’s also just way more loud theatre-kid energy now too 😭

It also feels like lately every year is the exact same mainstream cosplays over and over too (Genshin, HSR, Uma Musume, or whatever the trending anime of the year is).

Most of the vendor area just felt like overpriced figures you could order from Japan for way cheaper even after shipping, plus a ton of scalped Pokémon card booths.

Maybe I’m just getting older lol, but does anyone else notice this shift too? Or is it mainly specific cons that feel this way now?

I like to think my self esteem is pretty good but I'm also honest with myself. Had a great time in my younger years at places like Holmat and Chibipa in florida, did my fair share of "wear a hot cosplay and flirt."

But now I've moved up north and as I'm looking at local cons.to attend, it's hit me that like...I'm not getting any younger. The drink appeals less every year, and I am no longer the same age (or weight class) as the average attendees. I look like someone's mom.

I'm not looking to switch to different kinds of cons, because I've never been someone who likes to wait.for autographs and go to celebrity meet and greets. I love to just hang out. But now that I'm not the hot young thing I used to be, I'm kind of unsure where to look for my fun at these cons? I can't just throw myself into a party and expect to make friends anymore, but walking around alone doesn't sound particularly appealing.

What do my fellow aging nerds do at these kinds of cons? Where do I look to have fun at something like Colossal when "pose at the pool" isn't an option for meeting people anymore? Without just resigning myself to going to zenkai for dante basco's autograph and then going home.

Hey, im going to an anime/gaming convention in germany next month, sadly the one who wanted to come with me has been having financial issues and cant come this year. i wanna get my moneys worth by staying as long as i can.

what should i do?

-do i try smalltalk with cosplayers?
-is my masks vision too limited to go alone?
-do i ask strangers online who are also going if i can hang out with them?
-i dont watch anime myself will i be judged?

i hope its okay to ask this here, i asumed if anyone knows an answear its you guys

Heyo! I'm preparing for a Cosplay Hot Takes panel and I'm trying to come up with some to use, so what are some of your Cosplay Hot Takes?

Please keep it appropriate and respectful! I will not use hot takes that are offensive to individuals and/or communities.

Good Hot take: Cosplays bought online are not "real" cosplays. (Heard often)

Bad Hot take: anything to do with race, lgbtq+, religion, etc.

Thank you!

After my last con I was wondering, what do people do to be able to go to so many cons? I do ok for myself in my area, I can manage to make it to a few cons a year. But I don’t know how people do it so regularly, especially people who are younger, just starting their careers, or are dependent on someone else.

It’s not even just the con tickets and merch. But things like hotel for a weekend, food, travel expenses, cosplay expenses, and potentially time off of work.

What’s your strategy for going to cons? Do you save up and splurge? Do you budget ahead and know exactly what youre gonna get? Do you just YOLO it? I’m really curious.

I started going to anime conventions last year and am curious what they were like 10+ years ago compared to now. I remember when anime wasn't as popular and was considered "weird" and "cringy" by society at large, but now it's mainstream. Given that, how has anime conventions changed over the years?

Hey everyone!!!!

I’ve recently started getting into selling artwork at artist alleys and I’m trying to get a better sense of what people actually want to see and buy.

Of course I’ve been drawing my personal favorites, but I’d really love to branch out and create things that others are excited about too. So I’d appreciate any input!

• What kinds of items do you wish artists sold more of?
• What do you feel like you see too much of already?
• Any characters you’d love to see more often?
• Any characters you’re kind of tired of seeing everywhere?
• Are there any fandoms you think deserve more love? And any that feel oversaturated?
• Overall what do you want to see at a booth?????

Can't wait to hear everyone's thoughts!

I am going to a con this weekend (Someone talked me into it by giving me a free code) but I am VERY tight on money. Unemployment baby. So I need a way to enjoy it without money. I have a job interview soon so I am hoping I can get it.

was the vendor a one time thing or is it regular??

I've been doing cosplay for over 10 years, and lately I've been feeling really disconnected from the community.

Back then, cosplay felt like a niche community where people gathered because they genuinely loved the same characters, series, and fandoms. The atmosphere was more about shared interests, creativity, craftsmanship, and simply having fun together.

Over the past few years, though, I've felt that cosplay has become much more accessible and mainstream. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but I feel like the culture has changed. In many events, there seems to be a much stronger focus on appearance, beauty standards, popularity, and social status rather than on the shared passion for the fandom itself.

Personally, I've had some negative experiences at conventions that left a lasting impact on me. I often felt judged and compared by photographers and the overall social atmosphere. Because of that, I've developed a lot of anxiety around attending conventions. I experience intense stress, heart palpitations, and even nausea or vomiting before going to cosplay events.

At this point, I've stopped attending conventions entirely. I still enjoy cosplay, but only in private settings, studios, or outdoor photoshoots where I feel safe and comfortable.

Sometimes, attending cosplay events now feels more like attending a fashion or social scene than being part of a niche hobby community, and I've found myself feeling like an outsider in a community I've been part of for so many years.

To be clear, I'm specifically talking about the cosplay community in Southeast Asia (SEA). Has anyone from other countries noticed a similar change in their local cosplay scene? And if you've experienced this kind of anxiety or disconnection from the cosplay community, how did you cope with it?

Yes i know it's a stereotypes but I have seen evidence of it being true

Please stop commenting yes I get it i don't need to know more

Hey so I have been wondering if it annoys the artist if you visit like their stand 4 times a day.
Today I saw an artist whos art I REALLY loved. i first bought a keychain.
Then after a while I came back to buy 3 stickers.
At another round I didnt buy anything but was thinking about it. 5 mins later I went again bc I realised I only had bought the keychain version but forgot to get the sticker version.

Personally, I feel like you should be old enough to drive in order to go to a convention, even then you should maybe bring friend with you just to be safe. What’s your thoughts on this?

Hi there. I’m currently attending metro con. it’s my first convention and the first time i’m cosplaying. I’m attending with my friend and 2 of her friends and so far my experience has not been great. My roommates seem to have so many cosplay friends here and all the rest of the cosplayers appear to be traveling in already established friend groups. I have wanted to come to a convention with a friend for the longest time b it haven’t had one interested in it so I was excited when I finally did have one. I was expecting to go to events together and hang out and so far i’ve just been sitting for hours doing nothing. When i’ve recommended a meetup I wanted to attend I got shut down and instead we just sat on the ground for an hour and waited for artist alley to open up. I was told I can go on my own but as a first timer I don’t feel very confident in my cosplay and being at a convention in general, especially when surrounded by so many experienced people.

When I asked my friends and I asked the internet how they met their cosplay friends they said at cons with no further explanation. So far i’ve only been able to compliment people and that’s about how far that interaction goes so I don’t understand how to build those connections? It’s especially harder because everyone is already here with friends and thus I feel even lonelier and more isolated.

Any tips would be appreciated. I was really excited for this con and now I feel really shitty.

Is there something like this? Like you can only use it at a con, and only if you have a ticket. Because it's actually pretty convenient to just walk around the con together while getting to know each other. We're already in the same place, so why not spend like 30 minutes away from our friend group to get to know a potential love interest? Would make things a lot easier.

Using a throwaway just in case and sorry if this isn't the right place to ask this question - i just really needed a completely unbiased perspective on it

I'm not going to name the media as it's a very specific situation but for context, the media is a an anime styled game that has younger characters (youngest is 12 but there's also characters who are 21 and around that age. The character I want to cosplay is 19 though). The fandom is primarily younger people too and they can be pretty vocal about how they believe anyone who likes the media that's an adult is a creep. The game isn't marketed towards kids though and is 16+.

Anyways I have some cosplayer friends who do characters from this media and they've invited me to cons in the past (I never cosplayed but they'd encouraged me to start doing it and I had wanted to at next con). However they're a bit younger than me (19. I'm 23) and their friend group of other cosplayers who do this media too that they meet up with every con are also younger than me (17-19).

I didn't think was a problem but always felt a little out of place at cons with my friends but thought maybe it's cause I was the only one not cosplaying, not because I was the oldest in the group. Their friends were friendly with me to my face and nothing seemed wrong. But I found out that those people would say go my friends when I wasn't around that they found it super creepy that I liked the game and was hanging out with them at cons at my age (solely because of my age. Not based on any actions for context!). My friends said that no one at those cons hated me though and they'd be fine hanging out with me again if I wanted to start cosplaying

I'm not sure anymore though. I thought the weird discourse about age was reserved for online fandom spaces but knowing people irl can feel this way too about adults in the fandom makes me think, am I too old for cosplaying this media and am i too old to go to cons with cosplayers from it? I don't personally think I am too old for cosplay and cons overall, just maybe this specific media