Checked out Crunchyroll Expo in San Jose last weekend and the merch prices made me walk out

I drove down to the convention center on Saturday and saw a standard anime hoodie going for $85. That same hoodie is probably $30 online after the show. One booth was selling a single keychain for $18. I get that there's a markup for being there in person, but that's almost double what I'd pay anywhere else. Did anyone else feel like the prices were way off this year, or is it just me being cheap after sitting in my truck all week?

3 comments

3 Comments

owens.anthony1mo ago

$85 for a hoodie is steep, but I feel like people forget that vendors are paying for booth space, travel, and hotel rooms. That markup is how they keep the lights on (and afford next year's spot). You're not wrong to pass on it, but I don't think it's "way off" compared to other cons I've been to.

felix4141mo ago

Yeah @owens.anthony, but doesn't the markup just get passed to the next sucker in line?

blake7921mo ago

My buddy dropped $120 on a hoodie at a comic con last year and the zipper broke after two washes. He went back the next day and the vendor was like "sorry man, I already packed my booth up, nothing I can do." Feels like you're buying the experience more than the product sometimes.