Are you ready for Returning Registration?

 16 SEPTEMBER 2024

One of those most stressful days of the year is almost here: SDCC Returning Registration! For you 2024 first-timers - and there were a lot of you - this day probably seems like the bonus of all bonuses. An extra bite at the apple! And it does double your chances (mostly) but it's not a guarantee.

For instance. Behold last year. It was for me, and many others, a jumbled, error-prone badge sale. I let out a mighty scream at one point when it kept wiping out people I was trying to buy for and eventually, cost me Preview Night badges entirely. (Which was made up for in Open Reg - but still.) Nothing, and I mean nothing, amps my blood pressure like an SDCC badge sale.

People also observed - and I have zero data, math, or stats to prove this - that it seemed fewer than usual Preview Night badges were sold during Ret Reg and more sold than usual during Open Reg. That was my experience as well. I also met an incredible number of first-timers this summer, more than I've met in many years. 

Given that CCI and their processes are (again mostly) a black box - who can say how it will go this year? Not I. The advice remains the same:

~ If you're comfortable doing so, enter your payment method in your Member ID account now to make your buying group experience easier. I know not everyone is thrilled by the idea of their credit card sitting in CCI land. But it does make things easier.

~ Make sure your buying group comrades understand how a badge sale works and that they've verified their information. If you have a first-timer, second-timer, or even third-timer who's not bought a badge before, walk them through the process. It's so frustrating when they are the one who gets picked right away and then flail around, not understanding what to do.

~ Make sure you have the cash or credit to buy badges. Again, if everyone else in your group has entered their payment information, you shouldn't have to pony up for 3 badges - but it's good to be prepared.

~ Be careful who you trust. I've seen a lot of random people announcing the formation of new buying groups online and inviting strangers to join; a random Discord channel I'm in suddenly announced it was now a buying group and requested everyone to submit their last names and Member IDs. I get that this kind of invitation can feel comforting to solo travelers but it's important to work with people you know at least somewhat. 

~ I'm going to ruffle a few feathers here and ask you to consider if you really need a full badge. Because in recent years, I've noticed more and more people who are skipping Con programming in favor of offsites and maybe 1-2 runs through the Exhibit Hall. And yet they feel they must pursue a Preview Night or 4-day badge simply because, well, that's the "best" badge. If this is you, please remember there are many people dying to attend panels and portfolio reviews and comic creator connection who get shut out every year. If you really only need Thursday and Sunday, or could happily skip Preview Night, save yourself some $$$$$ and let someone else grab that day.

Talk to you Saturday.

It's badge sale season. Yes, already.

 7 SEPTEMBER 2023

If you've settled into CCI-email complacency, thinking you can safely ignore their pleas for donations and mentions of junior badges - it's time to wake up! They casually mentioned in today's email that registration is "right around the corner" and advised us to check our Member ID passwords and credit card information. They referred to this as being "reg ready" which I guess is like when fitness magazines ask you if you're "bikini ready" every spring. God knows it's more stressful.

So! It looks like an early badge sale is coming - any time after the Fall Equinox, really. Did I say "stressful?" It's time to get our money in order, organize our buying groups, coach/threaten that one person who always gets confused as soon as they're picked to buy badges, and generally steel ourselves to spin the wheel of Comic-Con fate.

I don't hate it, honestly. As long as it's not October 14, when I am pre-Halloweening in Salem and other friends are at NYCC. (CCI wouldn't be that evil, right? Right?) If anything, it sounds like it might be sooner - Returning Registration, that is. 

So are you reg ready? 

CCI offers badge sale advice

 11 OCTOBER 2022

CCI offered up some badge sale advice today - and unlike yesteryear badge sales, when you pretty much knew what they would say, some of it is worth studying.

The main two points I'd emphasize:

Check your password. Definitely do this. It's not just a precaution - my password didn't work last year and I had to get it reset.

Put in your credit card information now. I also rank this as a "definitely," even if you're worried about cybercriminals. It's worth having one less thing to worry about and slow you down during the badge sale.  Yes, you have 15 minutes to complete it but you can easily lose some of those minutes if someone's Member ID is wrong on your spreadsheet or if you have a question about which days someone wants.

Everything else - testing browsers, not refreshing - is as you'd expect.

Almost here!

Returning Registration is October 15

 OCTOBER 4

As predicted, the winds of autumn have carried in Returning Registration. I know there's been a lot of chatter on what an upheaval system changes will cause, but I don't think there's any reason to be anxious. Let's review.

• Returning Registration badge sale is October 15. Saturday morning, same time, same bat channel.

• Or rather, not the same channel. This year, as CCI charmingly put it, "the badge sale will take place in your Member ID account." I would reword that to say that you will access the badge sale from your Member ID account. 

• You'll still join a waiting room between 8-9 am PST and wait for the badge sale to begin at 9.

• If this aligns with the Special Edition badge sale, you won't have a spinning blue circle, you will have an ETA, and the sale will move a little slower than previous sales. Those last 2 are important. Don't reach for the hemlock if your ETA looks bleak - and don't try to predict sell-out times based on when Preview Night and Saturday badges used to sell out. Just hang in there and see it through.

• Don't worry about the sale crashing. I'm not saying it won't. But approaching this like we're all walking into a teetering ruin in a tornado just intensifies an already stressful day. Let's give some CCI some credit; they've had years to upgrade systems since our last badge sale. (They've definitely hired some skilled staff in other areas.) So let's just hope for the best - and it crashes, well, it will feel like old times.

• Test out your tech as they recommend. Again, it's been years (unless you did Special Edition) so just run through and make sure your computer is friends with their systems.

• Note that you still aren't supposed to use tablets and phones, and you still can't Paypal, GPay, etc. Just good ole Visa, Mastercard, and Amex.

• I can't remember what the last full badge price was, but it's now $330. So if you buy for 3 people, be prepared to sell out $1K up front.

CCI promised to provide "visual step-by-step instructions," the study of which I think is advisable for everyone. So keep an eye out for their next update - and in the meantime, lock down your buying group details.

Think positive!

Returning Reg is happening

12 OCTOBER 2019

9:54 am

Well. That was one of the smoothest badge sales ever. I worked with a small local group this year and we did quite well. My ancient (but badge sale-lucky) laptop that wheezes like an old man died at 8:53 a.m.. Ominous, but I was able to adapt and I got a Preview Night badge faster than I could believe. Then it seemed like nothing happened for a while. People were saying badges must be going slowly... but ultimately it didn't seem radically off from previous years. Someone in my group was able to buy all 4 days at 9:40 am, right before Saturday sold out, apparently. If you remember the horror show days where people regularly got booted out of the system or the whole shebang would crash, you have to admit CCI is running a decent operation now.

Most everyone I spoke to online/texted got badges but there were a few sad nerds today. If that's you, buck up and do what you have to do to prevail in Open Reg - which probably isn't far away.

How did your morning go?




8:24 am

The day we've been waiting for is here! Hope you are not sleep deprived and over caffeinated like I am, and you're approaching this with some semblance of calm and perspective. But probably you're just as anxious as everyone else.

Problems so far: nothing terrible that I've heard, other than a resolved issue with getting kicked out of the waiting room. I'll keep posting what I hear. Share what's happening to you!

Are you ready, steady?

SDCC badge sale refresher

9 OCTOBER 2019

San Diego Comic-Con Returning Registration is just 2 days away. Are you ready? Are you nervous? Have you already practiced all the steps several times in your mind?

You probably don't need to; SDCC badge sales have been pretty consistent for years now. But if somehow other people have bought your badges for you and this is your first time at the wheel - let's review.

How it works

1) On Saturday morning, you'll click the link you got in your email from CCI today (which is also in your Member ID account) and input the code that was also in that email/your Member ID account. You want to do this before 9 am PST. A minute late and you won't get into the sale.

2) Once you're in the waiting room, you'll probably nervously text your friends, check Twitter, worry about the flakiest person in your buying group/circle of friends. If you're working with enough people, inevitably someone will experience a dead laptop, hangover or personal crisis that prevents them from participating in the sale. OR you'll have the opposite happen in a bit of luck - someone will send you their code to use since they've decided not to go to SDCC next year.

3) Finally it will be zero hour and the sale will start at 9 a.m. PST. And... not much will happen at first. There will be a spinning blue circle and a yellow bar of CCI's nerd jokes. They'll assure you that people are being moved into random groups. You'll wonder if people are finally buying badges yet. Then you'll see someone crow about getting a Preview Night badge - and at the moment, your real anxiety will begin as you wait to be chosen.

4) Once you're picked for a session, your waiting room will automatically convert to a very intuitive interface that asks your member ID and last name and how many people you're buying for. Do not screw that up. In fact, don't rush at any point through this process. You've got time. Slow down and make sure you input the correct information. The last thing you want is to give up a spot or only get your friend a Sunday badge when Preview Night was available.

5) You'll do the same for the other people you're buying for, inputting their last names and Member IDs and then choosing the days you all want - and doing all of it very carefully. Note: just because it's your code that got you into the waiting room (or someone else's code), that doesn't mean you have to enter the Member ID and last name associated with that code. In fact, if someone else already got you a badge, you can buy for 3 other people when you get picked.

6) At this point, you will advance (after double checking everything) and pay with a credit card. Again, slow down and make sure you enter everything correctly. It's not uncommon for hearts to pound and hands to shake through a badge sale, so try to be calm and focus on being accurate. Errors are common and I know attendees who are carrying grudges to this day because of a friend accidentally costing them a badge years ago.

7) Once you pay, you're done - there's no next stage of booking a hotel like there is with some other Con ticket sales.
 

Advice

• Screenshot everything you can. I always send a picture of my final screen with all the names and days on it to whoever I bought for - it's a little piece of reassurance for them until their email confirmation comes in. And screenshots can save you if something doesn't go through.

• Double check last name and Member ID spellings before the sale - but if you still can't get someone's to validate, check with them and then move on to someone else if they don't respond.  Don't waste a spot because someone flubbed their own information.

• Even if you're disappointed because you couldn't get Saturday/the whole show, take what you can get. This is Returning Registration; you can try to upgrade in Open Reg. And even if you get "only" a Sunday or Thursday/Sunday, it's still worth it.

• Test your technology and lock down your funds ahead of time. If you're the first one picked in your buying group, can you afford to buy 3 Preview Night badges on your credit limit? If not, borrow someone else's card.

• Follow good buying group etiquette - be organized and stay in real time communication to troubleshoot any difficulties and understand everyone's badge status. Pay promptly. Share screenshots. And remember CCI's threat to cancel all badges bought in the same session if 1 of them is sold on the black market. You want to make sure you're working with people you trust.

• Take your whole weekend into account, especially if you're emotionally invested in this badge sale. (And who isn't?) Don't descend into some chemical-fueled wormhole Friday night and then crawl hungover to your laptop on Saturday morning (or wake up hours after Ret Reg is over.) And think about how you'll feel if you don't get a badge. That's always a possibility so carve out some Saturday space where you can afford to marinate in self-pity.

Finally - I know many of us are being orbited by first-timers ready for Open Registration. Make sure they make a Member ID account now. Do not wait. CCI will shut that down without warning. And it's quite likely that Open Reg will be in November, though that's not certain.

I'll be live-blogging the sale like always. Good luck.

SDCC Returning Registration is 12 October

30 SEPTEMBER 2019

Consistency feels nice, doesn't it? Many of us speculated that Returning Registration would fall on 12 October since it lined up with the schedule of other emails and announcements - and CCI provided us with that very announcement today. It was comforting.

The basic annual caveat: Returning Registration is only for those of us who went to SDCC this past summer as an attendee. If that's you, you can buy a badge for yourself and two other people - but they also must be 2019 attendees. You can't sneak in another friend who wasn't there. You have to wait for Open Registration for that.

Speaking of - while we can't be certain that will also follow last year's schedule (10 November) - we can and should play it safe by realizing that Open Reg could happen soon. That means prepping all your first-timer friends by having them make a Member ID account and generally impressing upon them the life-or-death nature of an SDCC badge sale. No flakes allowed.

I'll post a refresher course on Ret Reg - but for now, clear that Saturday and the Friday night before (no hangovers allowed also) and get your money and buying group in order. SDCC fortune favors the prepared.

SDCC & Emerald City badge sales are nigh

22 SEPTEMBER 2019

Happy Autumn Equinox. The past week brought welcome nerd news. The Emerald City Comic Con ticket sale is 23 October and the San Diego Comic-Con Returning Registration sale is... soon.


Emerald City
Let's start with ECCC. I advise making 2020 your first year at ECCC if you've never been and you like comic books. You can read why here. 

As for the ticket sale - it's a fairly simple process. When tickets go live on noon PST 23 October, you will join the queue and buy the tickets of your choice. While 4-day tickets will probably sell out in real time, you should be able to buy all four days separately if you're there in the mix. You can also book your hotel right then, which I highly advise.

For now, subscribe to their newsletter. And think big picture about your Con destinations in 2020 - because unless you have unlimited leisure time and unlimited funds at your disposal, you'll need to pick which Cons to prioritize. Don't be afraid to mix it up.

San Diego Comic-Con

Onto SDCC. Returning Registration is approaching - a day that rivals an ancient Pagan celebration in its capacity to inspire dread and jubilation. This sale is only for attendees who swiped their badge at SDCC 2019 - also known as SDCC50. (I don't feel that ever really took off, but that's how CCI wants us to think of it.) Since you've already been through a badge sale, you know the drill. Just remember to get your money in order and communicate clearly with your buying group. Last year's RR was the worst I have ever experienced in terms of collecting $$$ from the people whose badges I bought, and it almost turned me off from ever participating in a buying group again. Don't be that person.

Dates: Because this year's junior badge validation emails aligned with last year's, it's tempting to think that Returning Reg this year will also align and take place on Saturday, 12 October.  (Last year was the 13th.) But CCI is a saucy minx, so don't bet the farm on that date. As someone who needed to pick an October weekend for Disneyland, I did choose October 18-20 as safe dates to have the sale over with. I'd guess the 5th at the earliest and say the 12th is the most likely. I'd definitely keep your Saturdays on those 2 dates open. (Hard to do if you're NYCC-bound.) But anything is possible.

For you first-timer hopefuls who want to go to SDCC next year but were not an attendee this summer, you'll need to wait for Open Registration. That's also likely going to happen this fall, so make sure you've created a Member ID for yourself and your companions. 

Taking a Gap Year
I want to address those of you who are in the middle - you think you want to go to SDCC 2020 but you're not sure but you don't want to miss out, but but but. There seem to be quite a few attendees contemplating a Comic-Con gap year. Was it because this year was a bit contentious? Are we restless for new lands to conquer? I guess the reason doesn't matter - only that a healthy number of people have mentioned it to me, and they're worried that once they step off the SDCC train they'll never be allowed back on. It's a reasonable fear.

So if you're currently vacillating, remember this:
1) You can always turn your badge in for a refund.
2) If you do jump off the SDCC wheel of fate and can't catch it again - there are other Cons you can go to and fan fests like D23. Also, I feel that we've reached Peak Con in terms of SDCC demand. I could be wildly wrong about this, and obviously it's still very difficult to get a badge. But I do think that even if you flunk a few badge sales, you'll eventually be able to claw your way back in by working with the right people.

Back to what matters. It's officially badge sale season! Prepare for the worst, hope for the best and stay tuned.

So we're probably getting a fall SDCC badge sale

6 AUGUST 2019

It is way too soon to think about Returning Registration for SDCC - for me, at least, but not for CCI. Because here we are: they've sent out their usual email about converting your child's status to "junior badge" eligibility if they were 13 or older on 31 July 2019. The deadline is 5 September.

So why do we care? This obviously applies to a small number of attendees who were 12 at Comic-Con a few weeks ago but now are the magic age of 13. I'm guessing most of us aren't/don't have a kid in those parameters. However, this email does line up nicely with last year's email - which went out on 8 August and had a deadline of 6 September. So that points to a possible alignment with last year's Returning Registration, which fell on 13 October.

An October badge sale isn't guaranteed, but it's worth keeping in mind as you make your fall travel plans and scheme with your buying group. Every year there are people complaining about not being financially prepared for the badge sale - if this is you, start a badge fund now.

And if you do have a youngster who just turned 13? Create a Member ID just like you did for yourself, but choose "Junior" and be sure to have their 2019 badge handy.

Last minute Returning Reg prep

12 OCTOBER 2018

Do you feel lucky? Fortune favors the prepared, as they say - so make sure you're ready for tomorrow in these specific ways:

• You have your money locked down. If your bank account or card limit is a fragile thing, you might want to check funds tonight. Should your card fail, CCI will circle back to you to get it sorted. But it's best to have everything smoothed out now.

• Your friends are clear on everyone's Member ID, last name spelling and badge preferences. I have seen people fail to get badges because someone had someone's last name spelled wrong. I once bought someone more days than they asked for. Another time someone sent me their Member ID with a hyphen in it and I figured it out with seconds to go. If your info is on a spreadsheet, check and make sure it's correct.

• You understand the proper time zone translation. Maybe you're traveling, maybe you still think of badge sales as not happening in Daylight Savings Time; just make sure you know what 9 am PST looks like in your land.

• Your tech is ready. You've tested your browsers, ensured you have a device that won't hang, have a system so you can talk to your buying group while still keeping an eye on your waiting room.

Last year Returning Reg went quite smoothly; of course not, everyone got a badge and that could be you tomorrow. If so, don't spiral. You still have Open Registration. And even if you get partial badges, you'll be fine. All of the 50th SDCC hoopla means there will be plenty of activities going on outside the Con.

Good luck. I'll live blog the sale as much as I can tomorrow but it should go pretty quickly.

Tips and answers about Returning Registration

8 OCTOBER 2018

We're just days away from one of the most gut-wrenching mornings of the year. And while Returning Registration is only open to people who attended San Diego Comic-Con this past July, apparently some of you are still headed into your first badge sale. I guess that's not surprising, since many first-timers probably got their badges through a friend who handled the 2018 sale.


Below are answers to the questions I've gotten about Returning Reg.


You can only buy for people who attended 2018.
If you were a first-timer this year, you might be eager to open the door to your friends who haven't gone yet - but that will have to wait for Open Registration. This Saturday, you're only allowed to buy for people who swiped their badges this past summer.


They have to be official attendees, not press, pros or anything else.
The various categories of SDCC citizens can involve a fair amount of crossover. People quit their blog/outlet job and lose their press credentials but want to keep going to the Con; or they decide to embrace the freedom of an attendee and leave vendor life behind. However, only people with a 2018 attendee badge can participate in Ret Reg. If you or your friends are transitioning from one category to another, you'll have to wait for Open Reg.


You can't Paypal, Zelle, etc - this is credit card only.
 I know - some of you have dodgy credit or certain card limits or some other barrier to slapping 3 Preview Night badges on a Visa. The only answer here is to transfer funds to a debit card, make some arrangement with your bank for a temporary card or borrow someone's. Or find someone kind enough to cover you while you make installments.



There's no payment plan. You need to pony up on the spot.

I got an angry email this weekend from someone who informed me there was no way they could pay almost a thousand dollars this weekend. I don't make the prices. But they have a point everyone should consider - if you're working in a buying group and get picked while Preview Night badges are live, that's 3 badges at almost $300 a pop you'll need to pay for.

Now imagine you're covering your own session and someone else's and they both get picked for Preview Night for 3 badges - that's $1800 you'll fork over. Ideally your comrades will pay you immediately but it's still something you're responsible for covering during the transaction.


If someone buys you a badge, your waiting room session is still active - but you'll need to use other member IDs and names.
Several people asked me this. Let's say a friend gets picked and buys your badge. You're taken care of - but you're still live in the waiting room. Should you drop out? Will your session be cancelled? No and no. Once you're picked, you can buy other people badges by inputting their last names and Member IDs. The system doesn't know or care that the person (you) who started that waiting room session already has a badge.

And if you input someone's last name and Member ID who already has a badge - which can happen in the fast pace of a badge sale - the system will tell you that. Just move on to the next person who needs one.


They don't release the exact percentage of badges sold, but it's a good amount.  
You're competing against a smaller number of people in this sale - so don't skip it. That said, if you don't do as well as you hope, you'll get a second chance in Open Registration. Let's say you only get Thursday and Sunday this weekend. In Open Reg, you can try again for Saturday, Friday and Preview Night.


If this is your first badge sale, follow all of CCI's recommendations to test your system.
Don't take a laissez-faire approach to this sale. Weird tech glitches and browser incompatibilities and other issues can crop up, so make sure you're in good shape ahead of time.



If this is your first buying group, be respectful of other people's information and generosity.
People will share quite a bit of personal information with their buying group - email addresses, last names, Paypal data, Facebook and Twitter info. Some people even swap credit card information. Be discreet. And don't be the person who "joins" multiple buying groups to better their chances. People will be able to tell that you're not actually participating and you'll just end up alienating potential friends and helpers.


Yes, it's probably too late to join a buying group. But it doesn't hurt to ask.
Just realize that most groups are formed by people who trust each other because they belong to the same forum or have interacted extensively online. If you're a complete stranger, people may not be ready to put their financial trust - or Comic-Con future - in your hands. It's not just a question of money and privacy, but also reliability. Can you be counted on to smoothly complete the sale? Will you try to sell your badge online six months from now, making CCI cancel all the badges in that transaction? People want to make sure nothing jeopardizes their SDCC badge, so expect some vetting. It's not personal.


And one final tip - try to keep your calendar loose on Saturday. If you do fail to get a badge, you won't want to spend the afternoon or evening with people in a glum mood. But for now, think positive!

Returning Registration is 13 October

2 OCTOBER 2018

Lucky 13! That's the day your next San Diego Comic-Con badge jumps into your life, assuring you a spot in the convention center next summer. (Or maybe not, but let's think positive.)

Returning Registration will take place on 13 October, Saturday morning, and it looks to be business as usual: an emailed link and reg code, a waiting room, your accelerating heartbeat. What is new: CCI's #SDCC50 hashtag, which they are very excited about, so please use it often.

If you need to refresh your badge sale memory, all the rules are here.

2018 first-timers: this will be your first Returning Registration. It functions just like the Open Reg you got your badge in. The good news is that your odds are slightly better, because you're only competing with 2018 attendees instead of the general public. So don't skip this. Even if you're on the fence about going (yes, there are people like this) or think you might have a summer conflict, try for a badge anyhow. You can always get a refund.

Pricing

Here's what you'll be paying:
Preview Night: $48
Thursday: $66
Friday: $66
Saturday: $66
Sunday: $45

The handling fee is $7.50. So should you get it all, you'll be paying just under $300.

(Polite reminder for you multi-Con nerds: ECCC registration is 17 October and you'll book your hotel the same day. So that may be an expensive few days for you.)

So we're off to the races. Make sure you've got a viable credit card at hand and are clear on sale arrangements with friends and buying comrades. If someone can't cover anyone financially, or may have to work, get that sorted now.

Returning Reg is here!

Yes, it's already time to get nervous and excited about Returning Registration

8 AUGUST 2018

Admit it, you were slightly confused when you got your email about SDCC Child-to-Junior Validation today. The very first line reads, "If your child attended Comic-Con 2018 with a paid adult attendee they may be eligible to participate in our Comic-Con 2019 Returning Registration badge sale!"

Badge sale. Returning Registration. It seems a little soon to hear those words, doesn't it? But it isn't, really - we had Pre-Reg in August in other years, and of course we all remember that we had both Returning Reg and Open Reg last year before the holidays. There's no telling when CCI is going to spring the next badge sale on us, though we do know it will be after 6 September. That's the deadline for validating your children for the sale.

You may still have a stack of unread comics from this year's Con, but you might also be only weeks away from buying next year's badge. Of course, it's Returning Reg so there isn't much to prepare for - you already know the drill.

2018 first-timers, this will follow the same process you went through in Open Registration. (Unless they change it.) The good news is that you'll be competing only with your fellow attendees and not the public at large. Getting a badge is not guaranteed but you also can try again in Open Reg. On the whole, it pays to be a returning attendee.

And if you do need to validate your kid, you'll need their physical badge from this year. This should help.

Stay tuned.

Dealing with your post-Ret Reg grief

31 OCTOBER 2017

Happy Halloween! In addition to being the season of candy and inappropriate costumes, it's also the season of darkness and grief - so it's fitting that some of you are currently reeling from a loss in Saturday's badge sale.

Initially the mood was one of jubilation on Saturday - it seemed like everyone was getting in super quick, people were surprised by getting picked for Preview Night or 4 days for the first time in years, and the smoothness of the sale itself was a welcome change for those of us who remember the days of crashed sites and constant error messages.

But not everyone got in. Not everyone got a badge. Some wound up staring at a receipt for Sunday only. So it's to you I'm speaking today. Just two things to remember:

• Open Registration is brutal, but it is still another chance to upgrade. Work with a group if you're not already. Reach out to online Con communities and ask for help. Even if you don't wind up with the badge of your dreams, you'll still have more Con friends who might be able to help in other ways. Don't forget Volunteer Reg as well.

• Don't dismiss your Thursday/Sunday badge. I know a lot of attendees were disappointed when Nerd HQ pulled out last summer, but everyone can admit there's still plenty to do outside the Con. I can't even count the number of people who insisted they had to have a full 4-day badge and then by Saturday they were too tired to get out of bed. Do the offsites, sleep in, round up your pals for a long eating and drinking extravaganza. If there's a panel you absolutely cannot miss on Friday or Saturday, see if someone will loan you a badge for a few hours.

And if you're reading this because you've never even been to San Diego Comic-Con, let alone participated in a badge sale - fear not, because I'm going to post on how you can squirm your way into the Con next summer. For now, read these basic steps and create your Member ID.

Till then, have some Halloween fun and try not to feel too gloomy over your dismal luck on Saturday. You'll find a way to triumph.

Returning Registration is here

28 OCTOBER 2017

10:39 am

So we lived through the 3rd SDCC badge sale of 2017. And it seemed oddly benevolent. Most - not all - people I know were pretty lucky. My ex-boyfriend's group of 4 people got picked for Preview Night and all 4 days. My own group did incredibly well. A group of 2017 first-timers picked up their first Preview Night badges. And so on.

I have heard from people who weren't so lucky, of course. But overall, this Returning Registration was downright cozy. I have a feeling that:

• CCI slowed the sale down slightly. Maybe it was better for their processors, maybe there was some other reason.  It took Preview Night slightly longer than normal to sell out, but it really took Saturday a while to go, and then Friday vanished almost immediately. I think this was less stressful for people - it can feel a bit demoralizing when everything is selling out right away.
• CCI converted more single days badges into 4-day badges.

One odd thing: I got in when Thursday and Sunday were live to buy a friend's badge. It showed there were 3 Thursday badges and 3 Sunday badges. The numbers dropped to 2 and 1 while I was typing. I freaked out and assumed someone else would grab them before I could finish, but it all went smoothly .... and then someone else in my group bought additional badges. Lesson learned: between inventory being held for people while they complete their purchase and other systems, don't stress too hard over whatever quantity messages you see. Just complete your session and assume CCI will honor it.

9:53 am

So Saturday and Friday sold out almost on top of each other. I'm guessing that CCI made more 4-day badges available and fewer single days. Just a theory.

9:43 am

This has been a rather peculiar badge sale. It started almost immediately after 9, yet Preview Night took slightly longer to sell out than last year. By now I would have thought we'd seen more "sold out" notices. Are they processing people more slowly? Not a bad idea.

9:09 am

Well, that was fast. Hello, Preview Night badge.


 8:36 am

One of the most important days of the year is here - for the 3rd time in 2017. Today is your best chance to go to San Diego Comic-Con 2018, which means you're probably already logged into the waiting room, watching the spinning circle and practicing yogic breathing.

You know the drill - don't refresh, screenshot everything, don't crowd half a dozen browsers onto one device.

And let me say something about Preview Night. I know that's the Holy Grail of badges. But don't be too disappointed if you don't get one. The pilots shown that night are screened a second time; while some exclusives are only gettable then, they're few in number. Most booths now offer pre-sales, daily allotments, or rig the whole system so Preview Night isn't enough anyhow.

I used to feel like I HAD to have Preview Night or I was a failure, but I no longer feel that way. I'm actually perfectly fine this year with anything from 3 days on up. That's probably me being a jaded old veteran whose grip on SDCC is starting to fade, but I would advise you to try to keep a similar perspective. These days a partial badge experience isn't much different from a Preview Night badge experience if you're doing offsites, staying out late or focused on hanging out with friends. So whatever you get today - as long as you get something, you're doing pretty well.

And let's be honest, it's the hotel situation that's the bigger panic zone these days.

Good luck. I'll live blog the sale as much as I can.

Prepping for Returning Registration

25 OCTOBER 2017

It's almost here - our next rollercoaster ride through hell. Are you ready for Saturday?

By now you know the drill - you'll get an email with your unique registration code, you'll log into the waiting room and begin your agonizing wait. You'll be taunted by a blue spinning circle and tepid dad jokes from CCI. You'll keep checking Twitter to see who's getting badges. Your heart will drop when you see the message "Preview Night badges are almost gone."

Or maybe not! Maybe your screen will suddenly transform into a door to Comic-Con heaven, and you will be ushered into that transformative screen where you type with shaking hands your Member IDs and last names and pick the badges you want.

It can go so many ways - all four days, three days, Thursday-Sunday, nothing at all. And if you've been around these parts for a while, you know that the second chance offered by Open Registration is a slim one indeed. To illustrate: last year in Returning Reg, out of the 8 sessions I handled for people, 2 got picked for Preview Night. In Open Reg, my group had 30 sessions - and only 1 got picked for Preview Night.

So yes, this Saturday is pretty important. I can't pretend it's not.

How You Can Prepare

• Get your finances in order. If your credit cards can't accommodate you and whoever you're buying for, borrow someone else's. Transfer money in your accounts around. Ask your richest relative for an early Christmas present.

• Finalize arrangements with your friends. Who has to work and who doesn't Saturday morning? Who wants which days? Which days will they settle for if they can't get that?

• Don't party too hard Friday night. Sorry to sound like your mom, but I know most of us are planning on some kind of occult costumed decadence this weekend. Save your Halloween all-night shenanigans for Saturday/Sunday - to celebrate your new badge, of course.

• A word of advice for non-West Coasters: remember your time zone. Usually badge sales don't happen in Daylight Saving Time. This one does. So make sure you understand what 9 am PST translates to in Cleveland, Amsterdam, Tel Aviv or wherever you are.

I was going to post on buying groups, but decided it was more necessary for Open Reg than Ret Reg. Anyone in the running for Saturday is probably already working with people, after all. But I will post after Returning Reg to help people looking to connect with others for Open Reg.
 

Three more days. Stay positive and try not to let your anxiety ruin the rest of your week. I'll talk to you Saturday.

Returning Registration is October 28

18 OCTOBER 2017

In the ultimate trick or treat, CCI is springing Returning Registration on us on Saturday, 28 October. Happy Halloween!

Why is it so early? Because CCI wants us to celebrate the season of loss and death and the beyond in a very visceral way, I guess. No haunted house will scare the crap out of you quite like those critical minutes of an SDCC badge sale, when everyone else is getting a Preview Night badge and you're not. But really, I view this as good news - those attendees who get badges will have more time to settle their airfare and hotel details, where last year's late sale was a bit of a nail-biter in that regard.

And if you don't get lucky in Ret Reg, you have all winter (probably) to come to terms with the possibility of missing San Diego Comic-Con. The 2017 sales were so close together that losing out in both was like a kick in the teeth. You'll also have a more realistic sense of whether or not you should invest in a back-up Con next year. (The answer to that is YES if you don't score in Ret Reg, because Open Reg gets worse every year.)

So get your buying group together and your finances in order. If you just blew all your cash at NYCC, if you just blew even more on the ECCC badge sale, your wallet may feel the pinch - but that's only if you get lucky, so the additional spending shouldn't be that painful. Nothing feels as good as locking down a Preview Night or 4-day badge before the holidays.




The only downside is letting any bad badge sale luck ruin your Halloween parties that night - so try to remember this is just round 1. Also remember that there are other Cons, remember all the grumpy hours you spent in line this summer, and any other mind-tricks you need to convince yourself that Oct. 28 isn't really that important. Though of course it is.

Personally I'm happy about this, as I'm going to be out of the country in early November and was dreading the lack of control. Hopefully you can see the upside in an early Returning Registration too. (Though this isn't the earliest by any means, as you old-timers know.)

I'll post more about buying groups and Ret Reg rules later - though by now, you know the deal. Good luck, stay confident and don't lose your Samhain / Dia De Los Muertos / Hallow's Eve spirit. No matter what happens a week from Saturday, you'll find a way to have a beautiful Comic-Con next year.

October Comic-Con thoughts

1 OCTOBER 2017

It's Halloween month! Maybe you're going to Hollywood Horror nights, maybe an Edgar Allen Poe seance, or maybe an occult-themed cosplay party. But you're also probably beginning to feel the trepidation that sets in when SDCC Returning Registration is nigh.

There hasn't been any formal announcement yet - and many attendees are not sure if Returning Reg will be in November, as it used to be, or if we'll have to wait until March again. My guess would be an earlier Ret Reg since presumably CCI isn't doing any major overhauls to the system this year. (But as with anything CCI - who knows.) In any case, it's time to think about that and a few other things.


Emerald City Comicon

Tickets go on sale on 11 October. I've noticed people who only attend SDCC or NYCC assume getting a badge to another Con is a sure thing; that isn't the case here as these tickets will go very quickly. Participate in the sale when it goes live if you want to go. If you've never considered going, think about it because this Con has a lot to offer. You can read my ramblings about it here.


New York Comic Con

It's right around the corner. If you've never been, I recommend watching the coverage to see if this Con appeals to you. It's slightly easier to get into than SDCC and it's something to consider for 2018 if you don't get a San Diego badge. While it's been a big and boisterous Comic Con for years now, it's recently picked up more and more of the Hollywood side of SDCC. People used to say, "I like New York Comic Con but it's not San Diego." These days, some still say that - but there are fewer and fewer of them.


SDCC Returning Registration

It's time to gird your loins for a possible November badge sale. That means talking to (or creating) your buying group. A lot of attendees swore they weren't coming back to San Diego Comic-Con in 2018, or are only popping in for a day, so your group may need to be pruned, grown or shuffled around by priority.

If you were a 2017 first-timer - or just a lucky attendee - you may not have a buying group. You will find a variety of options here. You can join one of the huge groups out there in the community, you can pull together some friends for a smaller group, or just ask around to join up with strangers. The third option is actually pretty common in our world, which is why you will want to get that started now so you can build trust and get an idea of who you're dealing with. I'll post more details for people who are new to this in the next few weeks.


Go ahead and spook it up this October. But be ready for an SDCC badge sale as soon as a month from now - and start making Plans A, B and C for your 2018 Con life. As with all things Comic Con, fortune favors the prepared.

Welcome to Returning Registration

11 MARCH 2017

10:25 AM

Well, that was fast. What did you think?

My thoughts: overall, the sale went very smoothly. Hats off to CCI; I know there were a few glitches for some people but nothing crashed and burned as far as I've heard. My team had 1 snafu with someone who first came up as already bought for (she wasn't) and then when someone else tried to buy for her, the session "expired." Hopefully CCI will make that right.

In terms of stats - who got what - I'll be collecting the numbers. For what it's worth, I oversaw 8 sessions and this is how it shook out: 2 got picked immediately, then there was a long inertia, and someone else got picked for Thursday-Sunday, and then someone else got picked for Sunday. So: half the sessions got in, and varying points of access. Sounds about statistically right.

One of the Preview Night sessions was mine - and it was the first time I've been picked in several years. (Still got a badge those years, but through the kindness of strangers and one ex.) Apparently the Comic-Con hex on my head has dissipated. Overall it shows this really is a lottery. Sometimes you win and sometimes you... beg people to win for you.

Not all of my friends were as lucky as I hoped, so yes, I will be back in the Open Registration mix.

Did you wash out completely? "Only" get Thursday and Sunday, or just Sunday? Don't feel too sorry for yourselves; you're still going to Comic-Con and you're still going to have a banquet of event and entertainment options open to you, in and out of the Con.

I'll post more on that later. Until then - celebrate if you can, and plot your Open Reg strategy if you need to.


9:22 AM

For the first time in a few years, I got picked right away. So did a friend who normally does not get picked. Now, though, a certain lull has set in. How are the rest of you doing?

9:06 AM

Okay, we got the patience message. It's on.

9:04 AM

.... And they're a little bit late. I haven't even seen the "Be patient while we sort you in deserving and undeserving categories." Hmmm.

8:47 AM

Some people have gotten booted; others have gotten odd messages to stop refreshing. Remember to:

1) Screenshot any glitch or weirdness in case you need later proof
2) Have your code at hand so you can log right back in


7:31 AM PST

It's finally here! Are you ready? Nervous? Hands shaking, stomach in a knot?

Me too. But we'll get through this together. Remember that this is only Round 1 and you have a very good chance of getting some kind of badge in at least one of the two sales. And even if it's a partial badge, you've got plenty to do at the Con on your off days. So try to stay positive.

Today's sale should go reasonably fast, but make sure your camp is stocked with drinks and snacks so you don't have to break your vigil even for a second. Hit the loo now. Have your credit cards ready. Do some yogic breathing. And remember that no matter what, you will have some kind of magnificent Comic Con experience this year.

Test your browser, don't use a phone & other badge sale lessons to remember

10 MARCH 2017




It's almost here: your and my date with destiny. Assuming the new system works smoothly (new on the back end; from our eyes, it shouldn't look too different), by tomorrow noon PST some of us will know if we're going to San Diego Comic-Con 2017.

Just a few things to note. CCI published a small tutorial on their Toucan blog with useful tips. I know, I know; you're an old hand at this and you already know not to refresh, etc. It's still worth reviewing. Especially if you cycle through devices quickly like I do, or share them with other users, it's good to check your power save settings, JavaScript, and generally make sure they're ready for the task at hand.

The post also offered up their annual browser test, which brings me to my next point. People who took the test on their iPhone were mostly getting "passed" results but with a special message warning them not to use their phone. I really, really, wouldn't use your phone tomorrow. If you're at work, on a train, or somewhere you can't access your laptop, get someone you trust to cover you. I know people have gotten through on iPads and phones before, but the system is different this year. Do you really want to gamble your badge on this?

And now I'm going to sound like your mom: take it easy tonight so you're well rested tomorrow. Be hydrated, take some vitamin B12, meditate - do whatever you need to be in peak condition. From your blood pressure to your adrenals, badge sales can wreak havoc on your emotional and physical health.

Good luck. I'll be with you tomorrow on Twitter and here, live-blogging the sale.