San Diego Comic-Con 2010 four-day passes sold out
OH DEAR GOD.
When we woke up this morning we had saved THIS graphic from the SDCC website:
with the intention of staging a contest to see who could guess the sellout date, which we, foolishly, thought might be in December.
Obviously the info was updated this morning and…all gone. According to the web site, “Stay tuned for info on One-Day Memberships.”
We expect those to be gone by Thanksgiving. And we still have a bag of books from this year’s show we haven’t even unpacked!
This raises a few questions: as far as we know, pro, press and exhibitor badges have yet to be even REGISTERED. With tickets for the general public mostly likely unavailable in 2010, the potential for shenanigans — and extreme begging and pleading — with, say, pro badges will be even greater, and con organizers will need to be even more vigilant. Given their long stated — and very real — pledge to keep the show open to teen-aged fans as well as celebrities, the show runners will undoubtedly step up to the plate.
I’ll say this — the carefree ease with which I used to promise pals “Oh, I’ll get you a badge!” is dead forever.
11/6/09 at 1:10 pm
Eegah.
11/6/09 at 1:18 pm
Egad!
11/6/09 at 1:22 pm
This is just way too early for the 4-day pass sellout. I know they try to put controls on this, but I wonder how many of these 4-day badges have been bought with intentions of scalping (and apologies for thinking this if the answer is none)?
11/6/09 at 1:25 pm
I felt a great disturbance in the Force…
11/6/09 at 1:30 pm
This is no surprise. When Comic news sites and blogs have been updating the progress every week it creates a sense of urgency to BUY NOW. Simple marketing.
the Tiki
11/6/09 at 1:54 pm
As Tiki pointed out, there’s nothing like fear of a shortage to cause people to run out and buy it now…and create a shortage.
That said, I’d been holding off on buying the membership due to the combined price hike and economy, and I’m really glad I decided to bite the bullet and get the tickets on Monday.
11/6/09 at 2:34 pm
I’ve stopped going to San Diego starting last year (I do hope to return for the 50th anniversay in 2019 though!) because I was getting way overwhelmed (and way too complicated coordinating meeting up with friends). It’s still a pros / cons kind of convention and I guess it’s good for the industry, but I find myself enjoying WonderCon in San Francisco much more. It’s put on by the same people, basically it’s like a little sister convention to the San Diego one with “only” 20 - 25 thousand people instead of 125 ish thousand people and it’s in the wonderful city of San Francisco. Next year’s WonderCon is being held the first week in April (usually it’s at the end of February).
11/6/09 at 2:41 pm
[…] Conventions | Also thought I should let you know, 4-Day passes to San Diego Comic-Con 2010 are sold out. [PW Beat] […]
11/6/09 at 2:52 pm
If it wasn’t for the Beat’s 11/2/09 alert about 4-Day Memberships being 70% sold out, I would have missed out on this. Thank you again.
11/6/09 at 3:17 pm
They really need to move the pro/press badges to the same time
11/6/09 at 3:23 pm
Freaky, you’re saying…I’M THE MURDERER????
11/6/09 at 3:41 pm
LOL. I wouldn’t say “murderer” at all. Maybe “Hype provider”?
…and I must say, I am not saying that that title is good nor bad. It just is.
the Tiki
11/6/09 at 3:44 pm
…I should also add, the non profit CCI should pay for your airline tickets for the help.
the Tiki
11/6/09 at 5:10 pm
@ Ralph -
I fear before too long Wonder Con will start going the same route and start selling out memberships.
I mean, for APE, I was put on a waiting list to get a half table - and they sold out of space way back last May.
It’s getting ridiculous. With a bad economy being hyped and unemployment up 10.2 percent across the country (and that’s me included - unless the mouse hires me next week)- where the f%@k are people getting the money to pay for all this?
And with all these people who pre-paid for a four day membership - how can they predict what their financial future holds for them? What if these people get laid off and can’t afford to go? Do they ask for refunds?
~
Coat
11/6/09 at 5:34 pm
The display doesn’t say how many four-day passes were sold, nor does the CCI site.
As a certified cynic, I’m tempted to think that many of the passes were purchased, perhaps in multiple quantities, by media companies wanting to make sure that their employees (and families) could attend the show throughout. There’s no reason for comics fans, who can satisfy their desires to buy things at other conventions, to buy passes so hurriedly. Perhaps people who have attended consumer electronics trade shows, which were giant events in the past, can address how tickets are sold.
SRS
11/6/09 at 6:09 pm
While media companies might be buying up some blocks, I’m sure this is an old-fashioned run on a scarce commodity. You can have a suite at the Marriott, first class airfare, and a budget to buy up a cart-load of books and collectibles, but if you don’t have that pass, all the rest is moot. So while people’s budgets might be slimmer, and their lives might be more unpredictable, I can see spending $100 to get a pass now, just in case the money is there in the spring for the rest of it.
11/6/09 at 6:30 pm
@cary: Yes, people can cancel for a full refund up through June. That cuts the risk down considerably.
11/6/09 at 7:05 pm
Perhaps we’ll see more radio contest giveaways and ticket events using the passes like a commodity? I still vote for all the above. It very well could just be a perfect storm for this year.
11/6/09 at 8:24 pm
I’m DELIGHTED! Hopefully they sold fewer memberships! I have been going to CC for decades and it is NOTHING like it used to be. Now, you can’t even move, and you have to camp all day to see one of the popular panels.
Sell FEWER tickets at HIGHER cost. This stopped being about “teenagers” getting comics, etc exposure YEARS ago. This has become a public-accessible ShoWest, pure and simple. ShoWest is several hundred dollars to get into, so should this be.
Anyway, solution is simple: You’ll have to pay more, but buy a series of single-day tickets. Ya snooze ya lose! I’m sure glad I’m a pro…and no I don’t have any extra badge options available, my minions have spoken for them!
11/6/09 at 8:34 pm
I’m inclined to believe the block-buy theory.
I got my pass at the Show, and the thing is- I may not even be going.
Don’t be too surprised if a large number of passes become available around June 2010.
11/6/09 at 9:32 pm
HOLEY SHINUZNAH&$^*$*$*&(&(!!!!!!!!!!!! O.O
I hope this is not due to ticket hunters buying in bulk though.
11/6/09 at 9:34 pm
NO MORE PREVIEW NIGHTS!!! THE Whole thing should just run, full schedule, the whole way, selling more tix, making less crowded people happy and potentially lessening the costs for small artists to get tables!
11/9/09 at 1:53 am
I wonder if this early sell-out will lead to tightening the restrictions on pro badges.
(I’m pretty sure I’m not going next year, but I’m due for pro renewal next year and would hate to get demoted.)
11/9/09 at 11:29 am
Well no SDCC for. It just sounds too huge and toomuch of a headache. I’ve never been and I doubt if I ever will. I think I’ll aim for Long Beach or another smaller con for my first.
11/9/09 at 8:27 pm
Good thing that them 4-Day ‘10 passes were available for purchase during the ‘09 Con for anyone interested to avoid all this “Sold Out” nonsense…
Considering SDCC’s been selling out of the 4-Days the last three years, this is one certain way to avoid being locked out by all these Con joiners/newbies/TWIFANS who’ve swelled the attendee count.
Just sayin’.
11/11/09 at 11:41 pm
[…] Comic-Con 2010 4 days passes have sold out in record time. I bet the day hotels come avaiable you’ll see geeks all over the world screaming at their computer screens. […]
11/15/09 at 11:44 pm
Holy molly I thought this would be sold until next year!!! O.o
11/17/09 at 6:13 pm
I see on the Comic Con website that one day passes will be available on Dec. 15th. Since I missed buying the 4 day pass, is it possible to but several one day passes? Can I do that online at the same time for different days? If so, does anyone know how much they are?
11/20/09 at 12:10 pm
F*CK!