I\'m thinking about making the trip up from NC.

 

Save up make budget for your self, bring your own food sandwich, candy bar something food is expensive I bought drink Canada comic con four dollars for drink if you see water fountain take advantage of it, it’s free

If there is something you want to take video and pictures of bring camera, cellphones batteries suck with all useless crap cellphone companies put on there phones you don’t need it drain battery fast, regular cameras you can replace batteries with new fully charge one

Haggle prices you can do that I know it’s tfcon but haggle prices is what people do at garage sales and flea markets,

Wow really glad I never bring my credit card to first tfcon years ago I have yet see someone like that at comic con as of yet I always bring cash make budget for my self celebrities first then buy other stuff

 

I\'ll wait a year, see if it comes a bit closer to NY without going through the Canadian border.
I'm also already committed to a Colorado vacation so, next year.

 

I'm "psyched" for this! I went to the last one in 2017 and 400$ worth of 3rd Party MP bargains later, I was one happy boy!!!

 

Is Washington DC that far from NY?

 

What part of NC you coming from? I live in Lexington and we are driving up that Thursday before it starts.

 

This will be my first Transformers con... I\'m pretty excited. Coming down from NJ. 

 

Garner

 

That's near Raleigh isn't it? Going to the toy show this weekend at the fair grounds?

 

Don't know if this is considered news - just spotted this while waiting for them to go live:

Admission / Registration / Ticket Information

Did not see anything else today mentioning it.

 

Anyone that has attened before, can you describe to me what the dealer's room is like? Is it more a collection of current items, older items etc? I traditionally attend large anime conventions so Just curious if it is worth the visit with a want list...

 

just wish they were not in the middle of no where VA where your only option to get there is Dulles...on the mercy of the airlines...

 

Welcome Back TFCon to the Commonwealth. May I suggest to all watching “Joker” at the Udvar Hazy Air and Space Museum IMAX. I recently watched Godzilla King of Monsters there, and it was worth every penny! Expect a chill event, and if your looking to see the sites in DC, Uber to Metro and take the train into the heart of the city. If you’re looking to take in the DMV (DC, MD, VA) in October, May I suggest also Great Falls National Park, The Black Cat (google it), and the Octoberfest festivities in the area (scheduling might line up). Our October’s can be hit or miss, but the fall leaves always seem to light up around late Oct, so for the photographers out there, bring the good stuff. It’s really a small town vibe out here, but we have the monuments, we have the natural beauty, and we have the modern distractions. Nothing beats a freshly made warm pillowy Krispy Kreme doughnut at Ft. Belvoir. My youth was spent at Crystal City Restaurant for a lap dance or four. Nowadays I’m frequenting Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant for the local brew and burger. Check them out, pretty posh stuff. For those with kids... Tyson’s has an outdoor play area with ping pong tables, and xtra large chess tournaments, and I believe their VR Entertainment Center should be operational by the time TFCon rolls around. If not, there’s always AMC IMAX. There’s a lot more the area has to offer, and I’ll let the other locals fill you in. They say Virginia is for lovers. I’ve been here since ‘97. There’s no place like the DC metro area. Welcome and enjoy.

 

It is truly a complete mashup of everything from Diaclone to the current retail/3P. Make a list and check it thrice. The big thing on Saturday morning right when the dealer's room opens is the mad dash to the vendors with the con exclusives(last time it was Toy Dojo and Ages3andUP). The lines will be long and they use the poles and ropes to keep it organized. Not everyone will get them but they will generally have a large supply; unfortunately supply usually does not meet demand. At least last time the vendors were set up in concentric circles with the smaller vendors around the outside and the larger vendors setup in two rows down the middle with the sponsor dead center. It will be crowded and you will get bumped around so personal space is sort of thrown out the window; keep a good attitude and everything will be fine. You will also find vendors that have comics, posters, art with and w/o signatures, other toy lines like GI Joe and Mask but it is kept to a minimum and usually on the back shelves away from the TF stuff, clothing, and some other random stuff along the way. It is a fun time and SO worth attending. You also meet a lot of cool people along the way as conversations get started up as you wait your turn at vendors. The celebrity attendees are also setup in the vendor's room. But, hopefully they put them in another convention room this year; for one they can give that space over to other vendors and two they can setup a more organised queuing system so it is not so crammed; last time the lines for signatures was all over the place and really intruded into the vendor's space.

As a side note:

There will be private sellers that are not in the vendor's room that will setup in their hotel rooms. You can really find some good deals. If they do the same thing as last time there will be a bulletin board at the top of the stairs next to the concession window (where you get your passes and shirts on Friday) where they will post contact info. There was also a thread started here last time where board members could list what they had for sale and the room number. The towne center also has a lot of restaurants and bars so groups of fans can get out of the hotel and get to know one another in a more social environment. You will meet some of the more social special guests outside the hotel than you can get access to in the CON.

You can also fly in to Reagan National and BWI Airport if you choose. You are really taking your chances with National as they are far worse than Dulles. BWI is better than both of the others but it is 2 hours from Reston and you have to use some of the worst and most congested highways in the area. I have been a NoVA native for 38 years and IAD is my suggestion for airports. Reston is literally a 15 minute drive from Dulles. And Reston is hardly in the middle of nowhere; it is part of the Washington DC Commerce Belt. They have the Toll Road that takes you directly into DC, they also have the Silver Line Metro that is the most direct way into DC and you avoid the "PAIN and HORROR" of driving into DC as weekend traffic and parking are the things nightmares are made of. If you are driving to Reston, it is easily accessible from all of the major highways in the area; no need to take the back roads unless you are adventurous or want to see some of the historical scenery of the area. If you are a beer drinker than you will love NoVA as we have craft breweries at this point almost everywhere; I can easily count up 15 of them within a 10-45 minute drive of the CON. We have shopping in spades all within easy travelling distance either by car or local mass transit. If you have never been to a LEGO store than you are in luck as we have two locally. We also just recently got a Dave and Buster's in Fairfax (about 15-20 mins from Reston).

Dave & Buster's | Sports Bar - Fairfax - Restaurants - check it out if you have never been to one.

 

Yes it is. I'm thinking about going to the toy show.

 

What toy show?!!?!?

 

The big one by Fever Pitch, same people that do the Greensboro one. Here is the link Raleigh, NC Shows

 

Neeral36 already covered a lot of the sightseeing activities but just wanted to add that the dinosaur exhibit at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum just re-opened after five years of renovations. Also, many of the museums in DC are free.

 

Maybe we can get Bud Davis for this show, since he couldn't appear last year at TFCON Chicago?