WOW. 'Kay, I finally got around to checking up on BotCon and how it all works...

And I'm TOTALLY confused.

I'm trying to find out a base price of what I'm gonna spend (and I know that's not quite possible yet) on registration and the box souvenir package, but now I find out that there are different packages that can be purchased!

So, I have some questions...

What's the difference between...
Iacon Package?
Primus Package?

Are these what the souvenir boxes are called, or is this a hotel/registration thing?

Difference between a regular pass and a Primus Pass?

Do I have to be a member of the Club to get the full weekend pass/package deal? Or do I have to be a Club member to attend period? Or do I have to find a Club member and register under them?

What's the Photo Contest?

Thanks for answering my questions; I'm new to BotCon, so pardon me a little! ^^;

The Primus package is the most expensive one but it's the one that gives you full access to all the events and you get the souvenir toy set. Last year it ran 360? I wanna say. The benefit of joining the club is you get the Primus package for like 10 bucks cheaper because it's 40 bucks for the membership and knocks the price for the primus package off 50 bucks. Thus the ten dollar discount. Cool thing about the membership club is they sent out a mounthly newsletter an a freebie toy.

Iacon package has full access but it doesn't come with the toys. I wanna say it's like 125? Dunno, I went with the Primus package last year

You can be a mini-con to a Primus package and you'll get full access but I don't think it comes with toys either. But it's only like 70 bucks. So get a friend together and one of you get the Primus package and one person get a MiniCon package and if you split the cost, it's pretty cheap.

The cool thing about getting the passes is the first day (or is it two?) of con is private. So you get first pick of the dealer's room. The con is open to the public the last two days I wanna say. But hey, it's only like 15 bucks at the door for a day pass? But you don't have the access the Primus and Iacon people get.

Last year, paying was a pain. You filled out the membership form, then faxed over your form with your payment info and hoped the fax line was clear. ]

Dunno what the photo contest is. Does that help?

[Edit] Okay, just checked out the botcon website. Weird. I could have sworn the attending members but no toys people were called Iacon. Meh

The Iacon package this year is non-attending members who get the toys shipped to 'em. It was 225 or something last year. But you didn't get the chance at the extra toys or the attendee toy. Since you're planning on going, obviously that's not really the one you want to go for. The toys go for around 400 to 600 bucks on ebay after the con. It's sick.

frag, that's an expensive convention. 8\

-thinks hard about how to go about doin dis-

Oh gods yes. BotCon is hands down the most expensive con I've ever been to! But like I said, people pay that much for the toys. A lot of people hold onto them but the individual toys alone go for 50 bucks a pop? And like I said, the whole set goes for around 300 to 500 on ebay post Con. *shrug*

Saturday and Sunday are open to the general public and like I said, it's only like 15 or 20 bucks for a walk-up badge. I can't remember but I think you can get into the panels for that day. I know the banquet and casino nights are only for the people who paid the full admission.

Seriously though, I recommend getting together with a friend and doing the Primus Package and mini-con package and just splitting the cost. I can't for the life of me remember if the mini-cons get toys too. And the prices might be different this year. I can't fragging BELIEVE it's taken them this long to put up the brochure! And this year is earlier than last year!

So the one that I want to buy is the Primus package for the weekend, and that'll get me full access and toys?

I want to get the full deal (at least as much as possible) so that the weekend is fun. I wouldn't mind selling the toys afterwards of I had to just to offset my cost.

Part of me wants to get the Mini-Con part of it though; I dunno if I'm gonna want to sell all the toys once I have them... XD

Yeah, I ended up buying WAY too much last year and sold my set at the con. I regreted it though and I've spent about 150 bucks buying back the toys I wanted from the set. I can't recall if the mini-bots get toys is the problem. If they do then it would be the best of both worlds. I suppose we'll have to wait till they put the brochure up though. *shrugs* I recommend getting the full package because lasy year, they'd sold out of the extra toys by day two. So the public didn't get access to Rodimus, Megatron, Sideswipe or Blurr. So those were hard to get afterwards.

Personally, I'll wait to see what toys they offer. Out of last years set, the only toys I wanted were Jazz, Starscrem and Sideswipe. So you could break up the set if you want. If the toys aren't anything I'm interested in, I'm so selling them. XP

That was my thought; selling the toys that I don't want from the set is something I'm willing to do, but I dunno how much they are when they're broken up.

*whimpers* That's so expensive. *starts hoarding change* I'm probably going to go for the Primus package, cuz I'll want the toys, I'm sure. Must control spending habit now.

I know what you mean. BotCon's my first big thing this year, but I still wanna invest craploads into Jazz before then.

I hope I get enough money.. ;__;

I might be wrong, the mini-con package might come with toys. I can't recall. If that were the case then you could go in with a friend and the price would only be something like 200 a piece. But yes, BotCon is ridiculously expensive. *grimace* Thus why I've set my budget for like 1600 bucks. -_- Soooo not making that right now. *sag*

Well, I am looking to get a small table for like an artist table. The last time it was in Padadena, there was something like that.

And it may look like my tax refund may go to just that....

I hope there is an official posting for something like this soon. I need to get my budget in place.

An online acquaintance of mine, Wayward, does the dealer's tables a lot. I wanna say it's like 300 bucks but it includes the whole convention access? Can't recall off the top of my head. Some friends of mine wanted to get one to sell TF-centric jewelry but I think that idea fell through.

The question is though; if the mini-con deal with the Primus Package comes with the toys and costs less, does the mini-con come with the same toys as the Primus does?

OH, and another thing: Is there a Masquerade as well, and what day/time is it?

Would there be a way of requesting information about it from their website?

To my knowledge, there is no official Masqurade. BotCon isn't like an anime convention where a lot of people dressup. Last year I saw maybe 6-10 people cosplaying so there isn't a big call for it. Their main 'night' events last year was the script reading and the Casino night.

As for contacting them. Eh, who knows. I don't even know if they have a contact link on their website.

Well, damn. Oh well.

What about the Mini-Con toys? If it does come with toys when coupled with the Primus Package, does it come with the same toys, or other, lesser toys?

They only have the set group of toys, if I recall. Last year there were like...5 toys in the Primus Package set. Maybe 4 or 6 extra toys that were like 90 bucks a pop and there was the 'attendee' only toy which came with the Primus Package which you can only get if you attend the con.

I know dealers tables are expensive, mainly because of space and they do sell a lot. But artist tables are usually cheaper, and smaller. But, this being a small con, it probably won't be cheap....

Ah, I understand. Well, I hope the Mini-Con package does come with the same set of toys, at least; that way I could get in cheaper with someone else by my side.

I know I want all of the exclusive toys, so that's why I want a Primus, but I don't know if I'll be able to afford the thing...