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Well I finally made it to my first Convention. And I must say it was the most Diecast related fun that I've ever had. I participated in nearly all the events just so I can say that I did it. But this little article isn't about those events. It's about the people. Now please don't read this as a gripe article. It's far from that. I just wanted to present a side of the mass gathering that you normally don't see. All the pictures in the world don't show the people side. And I'll bet that the folks who have been to a Convention can relate to most of this. Out of the four days that I spent in Irvine, I must have spent about ¾ of every day just walking around observing people. And talking to people. But mostly listening. And I really did learn a lot of things. Let me share a few of them with you. First and foremost, The Strauss' really do have a handful with these things. I was flabbergasted by the sheer amount of people that attended. All my experience with mass gatherings of Hot Wheels folks has been limited to local club meetings. Those meetings consist of less than 100 people in most cases. Multiply that 25 and you get an idea about how many people there really are in attendance. Mike and Diane did what I think is a great job managing the whole affair. But with that many folks, there is going to be complaints. For the most part, the complaints were only about two areas. Long event lines and perceived lack of organization. I say perceived because I thought the organization was about as good as it could be. With over 2000 people participating, lines are a given. Ever go to a ball game or concert and decide you want a beer or hot dog during an intermission? These lines weren't much different. Patience is the key, but some folks seemed determined to moan for the entire duration of the wait. Seemed to me that a lot of that energy could have been used to engage in some stimulating conversation with a fellow collector. It worked for me...... And then there were people who continually cried about a lack of organization. When you have all the events in one ballroom, time to reset and reconfigure between events is a necessary evil. I suppose the Hot Wheels Newsletter folks could have contracted more rooms so every event could be ready and waiting for people, but do folks really believe that it could be done for the same ticket price? There was one other funny little thing I noticed about folks. Cliques. Weird too, because I had two complete strangers come up to me and mention that it seemed a little like being in High School again. Not that it was unexpected, because in any large group you are going to have smaller groups of friends. That's a natural thing. But to have folks I never knew prior to the event mention something that I was thinking kind of made me chuckle. And of course, there were folks there who used the occasion to brown nose a little more than I thought was necessary. A little face time is good for the soul. But a lot is just plain funny. At times it was comical seeing the same folks standing in essentially the same places, hoping to further discuss their cause or raise their status in another's eyes. I sort of felt sorry for them since it looked as if they missed out on some events because they were too busy "visiting". I had a genuine blast at the convention!! Meeting Mike Strauss and seeing how much work these things are was an eye opener. Meeting designers, graphic artists, and celebrities is always cool. Meeting the entire HWC Crew, who really do care about collectors was an added bonus. But the real thrill was meeting all the other people. Folks like you and me who have a passion for toy cars. Folks who understood what a huge undertaking the Convention is. Folks who knew how to hold a conversation without griping and moaning. A Convention isn't exclusive cars, it's not schmoozing for your own ego, it's not about selling as much as you can to finance the trip. It's about the people. --Joe |
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