5 tips for going to your first Supernatural con

Supernatural cons happen around the world, but make sure you don’t fall into the money trap they can be. Here’s how to make the most of your very first Supernatural con and more!

Supernatural cons are amazing experiences. Unfortunately, they can also be money pits if you’re not careful. In fact, this is the case for any comic con and event. If you don’t go in with a plan, your first con can lead you into masses of debt before you even realize how much money you’ve actually spent!

You want your first Supernatural con to be the best experience ever; something that makes you want to go back again in the future. Here are my top five tips to do that (and these tips are worth following on future cons, whatever fandom or event).

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#5. Always set a budget

Before going to the convention set your own budget. There’s no wrong or right answer, as long as it’s a budget that you can afford.

Some people will make sure all their essential outgoings are paid for and then spend the rest of their paycheck. Others will want to add some savings into that and then use the rest as disposable income. Whatever you choose to do, make sure you set your budget and then stick to it.

Don’t forget to set a budget on how you’re going to spend your money. I like to have a set budget for food, a budget for autographs/photo ops, and then a budget for shopping. If you’ve got the passes that include autographs, you can spend extra on shopping and photo ops!

Sticking to it is going to be the hardest part, which brings me onto the next tip.

#4. Decide what you want to buy

There will be a lot of stalls. Regardless of city, you’ll find stalls offering Supernatural POP figures, journals, jewelry, artwork and so much more. This is where a lot of the money pits can be if you don’t think carefully before you go in.

Think about the items you want to buy before you go. I went to C2E2 and there was one POP figure I wanted–a figure I’ve been looking for over the last two years. I finally added it to the collection, but that was the only POP figure I bought. Sure, there were others I’d have liked (and I need one more now to complete the full collection) but I made a promise to buy just the one.

If you want a piece of artwork, remember that you only want the one and set your budget for it. Throughout the weekend, you can then decide which item you’ll end up buying. This weekend I bought one piece of Supernatural artwork with the Winchesters, Cass, Crowley, and Bobby, so Mark Sheppard could sign it. My aim now for a Supernatural con is to have the others sign the rest of the artwork.

Once you know what you want to buy, you can spend the weekend shopping for the best price. I leave most of my shopping to the final day for various reasons, unless I know there’s going to be something that goes fast.

#3. Connect with other fans

One of the great things about Supernatural cons is you’re surrounded by other like-minded fans. You know they love the same show as you. Some will be veteran fans (watching from the very beginning) and others will be new.

Remember that the Supernatural fandom is named the SPN Family and that’s because the majority of us are like family. We support one another and we’re all open to chat. Conventions as a whole are excellent times to meet new people. While you may not want to make best buddies with new people, there’s the chance to at least chat to others.

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Many of the cons will have spaces for fans to connect and chat. There’s also the karaoke and panels to meet others who love the same characters or storylines as you.

This is the part that will really make your experience unique. You’ll meet people who you’ve followed on Twitter or meet others in Facebook groups. There’s a chance to put faces to the websites you follow or the writers you’ve seen pop up online. This is a chance to build your own group!

#2. Make a note of all the panels you want to do

Your first Supernatural con is definitely one you’ll want to spend doing more of the panels. The great thing about Creation Ents cons is they’re not overfull, so you will always get a space. However, make sure you plan ahead to fit all the cons and experiences you want to do.

The first day I’ll pick up a program and find a spot to leaf through it. This is my chance to see what’s coming up throughout the weekend and decide what I want to do and who I want to see. I circle everything I want to do–literally everything, even if it clashes with something else.

After circling everything, I take another look through panels and autograph/photo opportunities. This is my chance to decide what’s more important.

If this is the only Supernatural con you’ll do (never say never!) then you may want to fit in as much as possible. However, remember there are other cons and a chance to do the events again another time. Don’t force yourself to fit it all in. I have panels circled that I’d like to do, but don’t mind missing if I can’t.

You don’t want to leave the day regretting something. If you know a panel is going to be something you regret missing, it’s important to you and you want to make time to fit it in.

#1. Pick autographs and photos carefully

This is where a lot of people can go over budget. The autographs and photo ops aren’t going to be cheap. If you’ve got a ticket that opens all the autographs to you, that’s awesome! You only have the photos to think about. However, if you have one that doesn’t open anything, you’ll have to think carefully.

For your first Supernatural con, think about who you really want to see. Do you want to see Jared and Jensen? Maybe Misha is your hero? You may feel more connected to Kim Rhodes and Briana Buckmaster. There’s no wrong or right answer here. It’s whoever means the most to you. This is your con experience.

Make a list in order of the people you want to see the most. Then you can go through the budget and the prices, getting as many as you possibly can. The next con, you can work on those you haven’t seen yet.

Please don’t go over budget on this. There will always be other cons and always other chances. While J2 and Misha only do Creation Ents cons, the other actors can and sometimes do appear at others. I’ve seen Ruth Connell at Montreal Comic Con and Kim Rhodes was recently at Wellygeddon. Don’t break the bank just to see people when you can do it another time.

Next: 27 signs you're a total Supernatural addict and proud

Are you going to your first Supernatural con? Have you been to one before? If so, what did you do the first time? Share your experiences and lessons learned in the comments below.

Take a look at the full Supernatural con list to experience as many as possible this year.