As collectors we are always on the hunt for the next Crown Jewel of our collection. We all love the rush of endorphins that comes with uncovering that diamond in the rough. Possibly posting a pic to make fellow collectible hunters green with envy. But, maybe this is your first time attending a large convention. Fear not for In Brightest Day and most crowded convention floor, Broke Skull Collectibles has got your back! 
First and foremost I believe the most important thing any of us can do is remember to hydrate and eat. Every convention whether it is comic, music, quilting, or whatever. There are always people rushed out by medical services due to heat exhaustion, dehydration, low blood sugar from lack of food, or the holy trinity of them all. Please be safe and remember to drink plenty of water and eat daily. (Dad rant over)
The sheer size of the convention floor may seem intimidating if you look at it all at once to try and map your course. Luckily, most large convention expos have entered the digital age and created mobile apps for the show. FanExpo conventions have great apps for each expo (like Dallas) to help navigate, plan, and sometimes discover an activity that no one in your group even knew about! Downloading the app before the convection is highly suggested due to limited cell service at most centers. Another benefit to using the convention app is if there is a major change or update you’ll receive an alert directly in the app. The app will be your go to tool for the con.
Now that we have our compass let us move onto an even bigger survival guide tip, signature and exclusive hunting. From a comic collector standpoint this is possibly the most infuriating part of the convention. I myself have walked up to Clayton Crain’s booth like Tiny Tim asking “Please sir, do you have some more” of those surprise drop ashcans. Let me save you some heartache…
Exclusives at the convention move lightning fast. We’re talking Barry Allen through an all you can eat cupcake challenge. Like Dr. Connors said “Better do your research Parker”. Make sure you are following your favorite comic book artist, creator, or retailer on all of their social media accounts. It is not uncommon for an update to not get shared to a platform, for whatever reason. When you see something that catches your eye I suggest writing it down in some format be it a stone tablet, pen/paper, or simply a note in your phone. Having a clear list will help curve the vibrant chaos of commercial saturation. As a side benefit to the social media following, a lot of convention drops come in the form of a “Secret Drop”. The only possible way to catch one of these drops is to “Like & Follow”.
Signature hunting is a beast in its own respect. If it is a popular artist or creator be prepared and schedule yourself enough time between activities to wait in line. There are a lot of collectors, and let’s be honest… flippers, in attendance hoping to get their collectible signed. The FanExpo app has the signing, photo, and meet & greet times of all of the Celebrity guests. For comic artists, most booth signing times are posted to their social media accounts before the convention. If you missed an update nearly all booths will have signing times posted somewhere. Don’t be afraid to ask booth workers.
Now that we have touched on the fun of lines, let us start planning for panels. The FanExpo app has all of the panels neatly sorted and easily searchable in the app. For panels it is always a good idea to assume that it is going to be pretty full so show up early. If we are talking about a McFarlane level panel you are going to want to shoot for +44 or more. This can double as your chance to make any quick updates to your plan due to a “Surprise Drop” or a cancellation.
The fun doesn’t stop once the expo floor closes. From late night anime showings to Live Art showdowns, night time is full of exciting events to tickle your fan-cy. Late night events hosted by the expo will be listed in the nightly schedule on the app. But there is no shortage of adult themed bar crawls or raves in the surrounding night scene. Do a quick online search on your favorite platform or search engine to fill in any awake hours before the well known exhaustion quicks in.
We wanted to make the most basic of advisory guides to help the new con-goer survive the weekend. Is this the level of “An Idiot’s Guide To” quality? Absolutely not! But, a little Trial By Fire is good for the soul. So for now we will say “Stay Classy San Diego” and we will see you at Dallas FanExpo booth #1008! (We had to throw in at least one shameless plug!)