Preparation and Questions about London MCM in May

frostythebudgie

Brigade Leader
Hello!

This is my first big con and I'm really excited.
I get £5 pocket money per week, is it worth saving up now so I have tons of money for the expo?

How many doujinshi stalls are there, what genres are there and how much do they cost?

Is that yaoi man still there?

Will I need an over 18 accompanying to buy doujinshi?

Do they have anime DVDs there?

Do dental extractions hurt?

Thank you!
 
frostythebudgie said:
I get £5 pocket money per week, is it worth saving up now so I have tons of money for the expo?
Caution is advised: whilst saving up is a necessity, you need not part with a great wealth unless there are many things you have your mind set upon. The most I ever spent there was fifty pounds, though others can be somewhat more liberal.

How many doujinshi stalls are there, what genres are there and how much do they cost?
There are three or four, typically set aside from the manga publishers and the artists' alley. Their content, judging by the number of warnings present on their item boxes, is presumably quite salacious.

Prices are reasonable.

Is that yaoi man still there?
I do not believe he ever left. Soundbites remain resplendent.

Will I need an over 18 accompanying to buy doujinshi?
That would be advised.

Do they have anime DVDs there?
All titles currently stocked by domestic distributors, along with a number of pre-release specials, will be on offer. They are often notably cheap, given that no shipping charges are required.
A small number of R1 releases are usually available over-the-counter, though their prices reflect the additional taxes paid by importers.

Do dental extractions hurt?
Only financially. NHS dentistry is hard to come by.
 
I've never been to MCM London (only the Glasgow one) but I'd advise going with a shopping list and sticking to it, unless you see something really cool you didn't know existed. Otherwise, it's very easy to burn lots of money. I'm guessing by the fact you're 12 you most likely won't have a debit card, which is probably a very good thing. My biggest weakness at cons is finding stalls which take cards (coughUP1cough) and just totally blowing a load of money.

Take a bottle of water or 2 with you. Cons are hot sweaty places, especially if you're cosplaying, and the food stalls are usually ridiculously expensive.

As for dental extractions, the 3 I've had were relatively painless, more uncomfortable than anything else. Be prepared to look lopsided for a while afterwards, and drink through a straw. Mine also started bleeding randomly a few days afterwards, but that's not normal.
 
I made the bad mistake of not going into MCM Comic Con with a mindset of wanting to buy specific things and ended up, I kid you not, spending over £500 (including accommodation and transport, although admittedly that did involve tube and DLR costs of going from Queen Victoria Dock to Chalk Falm 3 nights in a row).

If you plan on only attending a single day it should be fine, but if you're looking to spend multiple days and use a hotel, it can get very expensive and it's best to book as early as possible (I was staying with 6 friends over 2 rooms and my cut was £90 iirc). To further st_owly's comment, it's probably better to buy food and drink on your journey in and carry it around - finding a place that sells such stuff without a long queue can be quite a challenge. I personally resorted to eating melon bread I bought at a stand in the main convention xD
 
Right, for the expo, stick to what you want, not what sparkles. That's the hard part, but i advise you stick to it. Secondly, ask about to make sure you know which stalls carry legitimate goods so you can avoid fake stuff(there is a lot). Once you clear that out, you can easily spot the best stalls to go to, and you can probably get yourself a good deal on everything(in terms of cons at least). They aren't as strict as they once where, but they are known to ask for ID on occasion, so you may want to come prepared in advance.

Dental extractions. Errrrr, pass? I'm well known for having a fear of needles, so both times i ever had to get teeth removed, i had to be put to sleep via gas. I did however get a root canal with no anesthetic and was called a demon for doing so(i felt nothing at all). But generally, i would imagine it's only the needle that would cause any pain. I will never know, i don't go near dentists, and keep even further away from needles.
 
I think it's hard to actually manage that with the crowds from what i've seen so i think that's a bit off. If they spot someone who looks underage they might maybe ask them to present ID? i dunno. It depends on how strict they are i guess.
 
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