Manchester Collectomania 18/11/06

[Guest]

[pinksamstar]

Is anyone going to next weekends Collectomania in Manchester at the Gmex?? we're going for the first time and cant wait! sounds way better than memorabilia and the Phelps twins are there so its definitly worth going anyone been before? 

[Bogleg]

Anyone here going? Only 6 days to make up your mind  I'm staying on the Friday night, ready for the early-bird entry.

[Roz]

Hey Sam. There's already a topic on this that Boggy's set up, so I'll merge them in the 'events' section rather than the Leaky Cauldron

[Roz]

Oh you are an early bird

I hope so, if I can throw off this stupid flu

[pinksamstar]

oh i didnt realise lol! thanks roz

[Roz]

Are you guys going by car or train? Odd question I know but I'm still working out the best way to get there... flying's even an option if I offset my carbon

[Bogleg]

I'm going by Megabus. Return from London, Victoria is coating me the princely sum of £4.50  Still waiting to hear if the Rozmobile is going to make an appearance 

[HPfamily]

Still waiting to hear if the Rozmobile is going to make an appearance 

 

[pinksamstar]

its tomorrow! wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooop

slightly slightly excited!!!!!!!!!!! 

[Geek Boy]

I'll be there - most likely between 10.30 and 1.00.  Can't stay any longer, prior engagement!

[pinksamstar]

what did you guys think? i was in complete shock at the size- or lack of!! i expected something like memorabilia at the NEC and im pretty sure there wasnt 400 stalls there it says on the website all in all it was a good day met the Phelps twins and the stars of Spaced/Shaun of the dead/Hot fuzz and we met roz! (thanks for your advice  )

[Geek Boy]

It was a big improvement on the February show but Memo is bigger.  It only took me about a half hour or so to go up and down all the aisles.  A lot of people weren't there.  Cards Inc for example, Star Toys, MPM Costumes.  I'm a huge Thunderbirds fan and I eventually plucked up enough courage to say hello to Gerry Anderson.  Shook his hand, had a little chat, got his autograph, it made my day    Toyah Wilcox was sat next to him and she was quite lively and talkative.  I only wish I'd taken my camera to get a photo or two.

Good line up of guests but the queues were quiet compared to February.  Some of the actors seemed quite miserable just sat there!  The photo sessions were new though, they didn't have those earlier this year.  I think Collectormania is more about the guests whereas Memorabilia seems to focus more on the dealers.  There was a guy selling replica guns which seemed a bit odd - not sure what that has to do with sci-fi and fantasy.

I'm going to Memo as well, there's a nice man selling cheap Nintendo DS games!  I picked up Elite Beat Agents but he had a couple of others I'd like.

[Bogleg]

Well, this was a big contrast to the last show here. I suspect that Memorabilia this weekend has a lot to do with the lack of attendance.
I had looong chats with Roz who had been press-ganged into servitude by Richard  I only really went to see three guests - Miranda Otto, Julie Benz and Kavan Smith, plus the owner of Inkworks cards, Allan Caplan.
First off, Miranda. A lot more petite than I imagined. Very nice, but quite. I had to wait for Julie Benz to come back from lunch. Well worth the wait. There was a lady in front of me with her babe-in-arms that Julie took to straight away, and posed for photos with the tot. I had no such attraction bar my witty banter to offer. Suffice to say, after a few words, I wanted to take her home with me  A great "Bite Me" message was added to the auto    Next up was Kavan Smith. He is the type of actor that seems to pop up everywhere on TV at once. At the moment, he's in Stargate:Atlantis and The 4400. I spent an age talking with him, mainly about The Time Tunnel and how good the pilot was. It turns out it was mainly cost for the reason it wasn't picked up  He seemed really enthused that I asked about it. Great bloke.
I then bumped in to Allen Caplan and his lovely wife Arlene. He very graciously answered questions about up coming releases, offered something really special for me when I go to San Diego next year and best of all, gave me an envelope which had  sell sheets from Buffy:Memories, Family Guy Season 2, Supernatural, Smallville season 5 and Lost Season 2 plus promos for Supernatural (SN-SD2006), Hellboy (HA1) and Lost (L2-1 and L2-UK). The Lost items had to be shown to Roz at a distance to avoid grasping hands 
I bought an absolute shedload of Doctor Who:Battles in Time for a friend of mine off Richard who gave a really good deal  The children whom I gently nudged out of the way while I hogged the binder weren't so pleased  I also got a box of LOTR:Masterpieces, opened with the help of my lovely assistant, Her Rozship (scarey person when confronted with unopened packs  ).
I had a good time but would have liked to see more card dealers there. Since the Camden card show stopped, a lot of them seem to be dealing exclusively on Ebay.
See you at Memorabilia next week 

[Roz]

I had looong chats with Roz who had been press-ganged into servitude by Richard 

Don't worry, he gladly gave me 16 of his best Kayanan sketch cards for the privilidge

I must say we had a very good time, were brilliantly looked after, and I met some fantastic people... some ...erm... more interesting people too

First off, Miranda. A lot more petite than I imagined. Very nice, but quite.

We went to see her last thing on Sunday, I'd nipped that morning and got ticket number 42 to meet her (Hitchikers Guide!) but by the time it was quiet enough to go there was an 'open queue' (no ticket required). We got our fab litho signed (pic to follow). So this can go into the vault of signed lithos Mark and I have been working on - the list is long but so far we have Frodo, Sam, Gimli, Gollum and Smeagol (2 diff lithos with interlinking quotes), the WitchKing, Theoden... and I'm sure I've forgotten some, so it's a set that's coming together nicely

Miranda Otto was indeed lovely, I think that she looked rather thinner than she did in the LOTR, I know they say that the camera adds a few pounds, but honestly I didn't think she could be thinner . Anyway, she was stunning, and really sweet. She liked the litho, and said that doing the show was an education to her in the "eowyn stuff" that was out there. She said she didn't know about most of it. We decided it was probably a good thing or she'd end up too big headed She was heading back  home that very night because she's got a show to do.... the show must go on

I then bumped in to Allen Caplan and his lovely wife Arlene.

This chap I missed! I've met him before a few times and he's always been helpful and accommodating. I didn't catch him to nab a promo or two but Wheaty kindly made sure I didn't miss out I'm annoyed to have missed him as I had a probing question about the packaging of LOST revelations

I bought an absolute shedload of Doctor Who:Battles in Time for a friend of mine off Richard who gave a really good deal  The children whom I gently nudged out of the way while I hogged the binder weren't so pleased 

Ha! Honestly that Battles in time is crazy! 90% of the time there was someone looking through the binder and buying and the other 10% of the time people were forming an orderly queue to browse the binder

I haven't collected it but I do have some I don't think I'd best start on it either, now I've worked out how rare the gold rose is

I also got a box of LOTR:Masterpieces, opened with the help of my lovely assistant, Her Rozship (scarey person when confronted with unopened packs  ).

Ahh yes, so you did. But you chose the box unwisely... sorry (no offense)! The next box to be sold HAD A REFRACTOR CARD IN IT!!!!

That's a 1:45,000 pack pull!

I was really glad the guy who pulled it came back and showed me. So I've now seen a Kayanan 1/1 and a refractor 1/1. I have been opening my packs carefully and checking each foil on the back to see whether it was a refractor card (looking for a holo on the back), but it turns out that you don't need to. In the lights at the GMEX centre I was blinded by the refracting light from the card.... it was the Sam card. So that's 2 found that we know of ... 7 to go.

[Rich With Cards]

Sounds well interesting this collectormania show does, i nearly went to it and had a table for my stuff until I found out it was a week before memorabilia which is the main and only fair i go to. How ever the prospect of some of the signers sounded good and I would have to have got some commisions done my mark dos santos, thank god he is at memorabilia next week. 
Glad everyone had a good time hopefully I will get to meet acouple of you all next week at memorabilia.

Rich

[wolfie]

Well, this was a big contrast to the last show here. I suspect that Memorabilia this weekend has a lot to do with the lack of attendance.
I had a good time but would have liked to see more card dealers there. Since the Camden card show stopped, a lot of them seem to be dealing exclusively on Ebay.
See you at Memorabilia next week 

Bogleg i've read this show report allready.

Be afraid, i know who you are. 

[Sharon]

Yes cutting and pasting will give you away every time 

[Bogleg]

Ahh yes, so you did. But you chose the box unwisely... sorry (no offense)! The next box to be sold HAD A REFRACTOR CARD IN IT!!!!

That's a 1:45,000 pack pull!

I was really glad the guy who pulled it came back and showed me. So I've now seen a Kayanan 1/1 and a refractor 1/1. I have been opening my packs carefully and checking each foil on the back to see whether it was a refractor card (looking for a holo on the back), but it turns out that you don't need to. In the lights at the GMEX centre I was blinded by the refracting light from the card.... it was the Sam card. So that's 2 found that we know of ... 7 to go.

Oh Bugger 

[pinksamstar]

i hope tomrrows good, the last one of the year tends to be the best wonder if the promo poster for OOTP will be there, they had the GOF the year before last

see you there guys