I hope they bring it back to Burbank next year, I had so much fun at the TFcon LA this year 

 

Aw man hopefully they come on back to Illinois soon. 

 

MATRIX!!!!!    
This is amazing news!!!  

Having missed L.A., I will make all efforts to attend D.C. !

Late Welcome, I hope you yourself enjoy some of the more TF aspects.  

TFcon is great for kids, as the Voice guests enjoy meeting the young ones, and the atmosphere is very friendly.
Plus there are some cool panels and events to participate in.
I'm sure your son will enjoy many aspects there, more than just the toys!

 

Well I won't be going. I only go to Transformer Conventions when they're local to me on the west coast. I had a lot of fun at my first TFCon this past weekend though and would definitely go again if it's in my neck of the woods.

 

TF Conventions are a great excuse to leave home and explore another part of the country.

I always have more fun going to an out-of-State con than visiting one a few miles away. Just do a quick online search of the area and plan some other activities while you're there. After you visit, you can notch off one more place you've seen and decide if you'd go back.

For example, I would have ZERO reason to visit Kansas if not for a TF convention. And after visiting that place... wow... I mean, you'll have a fresh new appreciation for trees and breathing clearly!   (Also, while driving from CO to Kansas, I almost got hit by a PLANE. Yes, a PLANE!   I wouldn't have that crazy story if not for TF conventions!  )

 

more than likely, I don't think I would be able to afford going to Washington DC this time around, after being heavy spent on Vegas ToyCon and TFCon in L.A., that's why it would be very epic and at the same time, very sad, disappointing if Bud Davis or Corey Burton attended this next one, because very likely, I won't be able to afford to go this time.

 

I don't do panels cause I have younger kids (so I can't speak of that), but the main room (where all the toys are!) is fantastic. Great bunch of folks who are very friendly and appreciative of the kids who come. No joke, someone will stop you and comment on how good it is that you brought your kid - it happens to me at EVERY TF convention. It's cause TF fans understand the importance of passing the torch along. At TF Con 2018, without me asking, a vendor offered me a discount when he saw I was buying the toys for the kids. Pretty nice, right?  

My favorite thing to see, specifically at TF Con, is the 3P display panels. They'll have a ton of gray prototypes of upcoming figures that are in development. You'll also see an awesome display by Chosen Prime with a huge assortment of current 3P figures on sale - and seeing some of these toys up close is an experience all in itself (especially if you don't have $1000s to spend on them!).

Another cool thing for kids: costumed fans who walk around and will take pics with your kids. During TF Con 2018 (in Chicago), I was with my son looking at some stuff on a table. He goes, "Look, Papa, it's Shockwave!" I'm all, "Great, another Shockwave toy... whatever. Let me look at the toys on this table for a second..." And he's all, "But Papa... Shockwave!" And after a second, I look up to see a fan dressed in a Shockwave costume that was walking by!   He got to literally meet one of his favorite TFs!  

A 3.5 hr drive is definitely worth it, imo. It's a mini-vacation. Go online and plan some sights to see while you're there (if you're looking to add some extra culture to the trip!).

 

I’m moving to that area the first week of November. Hopefully I can move that up a week. 

 

Is that you Jim?

Thank you - you've convinced me.

Thank you - I do enjoy the site quite a bit. I love digging through the BST to find good deals for my son. Guys are really cool and address the packages to my son so he gets mail. Some of the camaraderie reminds me of the GI Joe 25th heyday.

Good to see you around here too Zap.

Again, thank you all for the responses. Talked with my wife and shared your feedback - definitely taking my older boys (my 6 year old isn't as into Transformers, but it wouldn't be right not to take him - if nothing else he'll just love staying in a hotel room).

 

You never know, it might light a spark and he may take an interest.

 

California was too far one way for me, and DC is too far the other way (9-10 hr drive for me, but I really don't have extra time to take off work for travel days).

A few years ago I had enough superfluous collectibles to get a dealer table at Joecon/Joelanta/Toylanta for 2 straight years. Other posters have covered pretty much all the important points, but be aware that having your own table can really limit the time you have to actually enjoy the con yourself. One year I had no-one to watch my table for me, so I had to quickly run to go check out the other tables or visit the guests. You might want to bring another person who can cover for you.

Also, post-its/price stickers are your friend, unless you want to be asked "how much is this?" 1000 times.

 

TWO U.S. TFCons in one year?? I doubt many fans that went to LA will also be going to DC.

I wonder if this will be up against Hascon, which hasn't updated their new 2019 convention dates yet...

 

Does TFCon have a better plan for vendor parking? Last time, the only option was in the attached garage, which is shared with the local business park. There were lots of issues with dealers finding spaces, especially when towing trailers.

 

Wasn't Hascon a total flop though?

 

YESSSS. Going. Bring your TCG decks too, ladies and non-ladies, and get rekt  

 

Not at all. It made TFCon look like a garage sale.

Hascon highlights:

- Preview new Hasbro figures
- TF Guests: Cullen, Welker, Wahlberg, girl from TLK
- Concerts by Flo Rida and Daya
- Kids auditioned for a commercial
- Met Stan Lee, Maddie Ziegler, Dude Perfect, and other Youtube stars
- Hasbro exclusives from across their brands
- Massive D&D and Magic events
- Giant props and photo ops everywhere, like the TF cars, R2-D2, 30-ft. Hulkbuster, etc.
- Gorgeous Star Wars diorama
- Panels with Hasbro toy developers, previews
- Panels with Earth Wars developers
- Stations to try stuff everywhere
- Tons of signage and other marketing stuff to make you feel like you're at a very big event. We even took home free postcards from the event, there were many to choose from stating that you're at Hascon, with all different characters.

TFcon advantage:

- No intermingling with other fandoms
- Has a dealer room!
- More fan-centric
- 3rd-party allowed
- More TF voice actors and comic guests

If you have kids, they're going to enjoy Hascon way more. Way, way more.

 

What are you talking about

 

If his 6 year gets immersed in the atmosphere he may get more engrossed in the genre and may become more interested than he is now. Plus I thought the pun on words was clever.

 

Hascon was a flop. Their ticket sales were so bad that they had to put them on Groupon. If the show was that great why was it only a one-year Wonder
I know three dealers that set up at that show that said actual dealers room was in the back room and most people didn't even know where was until Sunday.

 

I've considered it but when you attend Anime Expo and San Diego Comic-con and have a lot of other life responsibilities it's rough to make those plans. I've certainly done it for some other conventions where I already planned to head out there but yeah, cost unfortunately starts to play a factor.