I think we ought to try a Texas Mini-Meet!

[Fire Marshal Bill]

There's got to be enough of us around these parts to put something together. We probably cover a pretty good area but maybe we could shoot for a central location, possibly a weekend thing as to accomodate folks who want to come from surrounding states. I know we have Arkansas and Oklahoma folks that might like to join us. Just looking to see if there would be any interest and if so, let's throw out some suggestions.

[rche]

I vote for Czech Stop in West!! :smiley1::hokay:

The Czech Stop of West, Texas (http://www.czechstop.net/home.php)

[Megospidey]

I would definitely travel to Texas for a mini-meet. The Dallas area would be perfect.

[LordMudd]

Definitely Houston. Possibly San An or Austin. That would be the max distance my budget would allow.

CCC.

[chunky B]

I'm for Austin, there are few comic and toy shops rche was telling us about I want to go check out :smile:

[rche]

toy shops are almost extinct in Austin now. I can think of one vintagey place and a couple of pretty cool book shops, but that is all anymore. It's a done dried up land out there.

[beartex2000]

Count me in! I'm in the fort worth area but willing to drive. Any upcoming toy shows or comic book shows in texas that we could piggyback on to get started?

[cricketts99]

I am in the Houston area and I would definitely be interested depending on where and how my budget is!

The shows that I am aware of are:

The ScifiExpo/Comic Expos in Irving

I think San Antonio now has a Texas ComicCon

Houston has Comicpalooza

[megojim]

HEY!! I just saw this. You guys know I'm in for this! There is that Toy Museum up in Paul's Valley, Oklahoma. The museum isn't anything to write home about but could be a central location. I would be happy to get with Bill and we can look for something in and around our area. LMK

[WannabeMego]

Hey Guys...I just did a quick search through the Members List and there are about 50 members that list Texas as their Location.

If this gains any legs, you may want to send them an Invitation via PM or a PM linking this thread so they participate in the discussions.

Just a thought.

Hope it Happens

~ Tom

[Fire Marshal Bill]

:cool_y: Glad to see this thread take off. Sounds like there is definitely enough interest to make this happen. If someone would like to volunteer to search the member's list and PM the folks living in or near Texas and point them to this thread, that would be great!

Here are some upcoming shows that i plan to attend:

The Great Texas G.I. Joe & Action Figure Expo VII- Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 3-4, at the Arlington Convention Center. This one is too soon to organize any kind of museum member gathering, but it should be a good show to check out for those interested.

Fan Days- October 8-9, at the Irving Convention Center.

Wizard World Austin Comic Con- November 11-13, Austin Convention Center. This one could work for us! Gives us a central location and time to plan for it.

Sci-Fi Expo- February 11-12, 2012, Irving Converntion Center.

Dallas Comic Con- May 18-20, Irving Convention Center.

Let's keep the discussion going on this and make it happen!

[madmarva]

I'd be in for something in Dallas area, Austin, Tulsa, Oklahoma City.

Is Wizard World Austin a decent show? Are the Longhorns in town that weekend?

[chunky B]

toy shops are almost extinct in Austin now. I can think of one vintagey place and a couple of pretty cool book shops, but that is all anymore. It's a done dried up land out there.

Ah man that is sad news, when we last went back and forth there were more, the times they are a changing huh? Please tell me Toy Joy is still there.

[chunky B]

:cool_y: Glad to see this thread take off. Sounds like there is definitely enough interest to make this happen. If someone would like to volunteer to search the member's list and PM the folks living in or near Texas and point them to this thread, that would be great!

Here are some upcoming shows that i plan to attend:

The Great Texas G.I. Joe & Action Figure Expo VII- Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 3-4, at the Arlington Convention Center. This one is too soon to organize any kind of museum member gathering, but it should be a good show to check out for those interested.

Fan Days- October 8-9, at the Irving Convention Center.

Wizard World Austin Comic Con- November 11-13, Austin Convention Center. This one could work for us! Gives us a central location and time to plan for it.

Sci-Fi Expo- February 11-12, 2012, Irving Converntion Center.

Dallas Comic Con- May 18-20, Irving Convention Center.

Let's keep the discussion going on this and make it happen!

I had no idea there was a Wizard World Con in Austin. Is this it's first year? And if not, man I need to get out more.

[rche]

Ah man that is sad news, when we last went back and forth there were more, the times they are a changing huh? Please tell me Toy Joy is still there.

Toy Joy is still here. It is a fun place, but you are not going to find vintage there. That is more the place to find the current wacky Godzilla windup toy.

Anna's Toy Depot is pretty fun as well. She is a reseller of kid toys and mostly shies away from vintage action figure type things. But she does usually have a table of loose toys that are $2-3 a pop and can be anything from a McDonalds premium to a vintage Kenner figure. She also likes Fisher Price Little People and Legos, so if you are into those, she usually has a bunch of it.

This person has a slot in one of those antique mall things. I've been meaning to make a stop by, but havn't really gotten the chance.
Star Wars Toy Figures, no Jar Jar - he sucks! (http://austin.craigslist.org/clt/2501512370.html)

Austin Books is THE place to pick up DC Direct stuff. Plus they tend to order from the non-book pages of Diamond, so there are lots of modern statuary there.

There is a guy in a store called Out of the Past. If you can actually find a path thru the store (the place is a wreck and JAM packed with junk), you can find toys. Sometimes there is cool stuff in there, but I always wonder if I am up on my Tetanus shot when I go in there. :smiley1:

So, I suppose it is not totally dried up. But there used to be a handful of vintage shops that dealt with toys as well. That is all gone now.

[rche]

I had no idea there was a Wizard World Con in Austin. Is this it's first year? And if not, man I need to get out more.

The Wizard world Con is in its second year (I think). I seem to recall reading good things about it, tho the pricetag was a bit steep for me to go sightseeing. Might be a fun time to have a get-together. Not sure what the hotel situation would be like, but I am sure they do not completely fill up. Tables might be a bit pricey.

There is a fellow who's goes by JMV who hosts toy and card events in the area. His table prices are a bit steep, but maybe we could get a group discount from him. The last time I set up with him, he basically gave me 2 free tables and let me fill up the end of the hall they were using.

[Fire Marshal Bill]

Yup, the Wizard World Comic Con in Austin is in it's second year. It used to be in Arlington before they pulled out of Texas for a while. I went last year and had a pretty good time. There were a bunch of popular guest stars there. I think table prices are pretty steep...... like $1500 dollars! If we could block off a few rooms at a hotel close by, I think we could make a fun weekend out of it. Arrive sometime Friday and gather for some sort of social. Enjoy the day at the Con Saturday, have dinner together, then have a Texas version of the Mego Suite that night. Head our separate ways on Sunday. It would totally rock :yes:.

[beartex2000]

HEY!! I just saw this. You guys know I'm in for this! There is that Toy Museum up in Paul's Valley, Oklahoma. The museum isn't anything to write home about but could be a central location. I would be happy to get with Bill and we can look for something in and around our area. LMK

That would be cool, then we could follow the same tradition like the regular Mego Meet AND we could get our OKie buddies involved too!!

[rche]

The action figure museum in Paul's Valley is OK fun. But they don't have the space to host any sort of event if you were wanting to do any sort of swapish thing. If anyone wanted to do a swap meet or display of something, we would probably have to host that in a hotel room.

[WannabeMego]

If someone would like to volunteer to search the member's list and PM the folks living in or near Texas and point them to this thread, that would be great!

Done

Good Luck Guys...Hope it pans out :grin:

[Megospidey]

The November 11-13 dates for the Wizard World Comic Con would work great for me. I don't think I could make it to any of the other ones.

[weswood]

Depends on where it is, my disposable income budget is dang near non existant these days. I'm close to Houston.

[TheDoLittle]

I know for a fact that Comicpalooza Houston is looking to expand it's fanbase, so a Mego Minimeet would be ideal. This past year the 501 Legion were having the cosplay people taking pictures in front of a big "Star Wars" peg card... we could do the same with a giant Mego blister.

[mightyquinn]

Hey guys, thanks for contacting me. The Wizard World Austin Comic Con would work for me also. I am off work and Austin is a fun town. I am about 4 hours away and about 1 hour from Houston. A Houston meet up for sure.

[megojim]

I old probably make the nov dates

[Fire Marshal Bill]

It's looking like we could make a go for the WW Austin Comic Con in November :yes:.

rche, would you be able to be our "Austin" guy to help with planning?

Jim, you want to get together and start hashing out some plans?

Let's do this thing! :cool_y:

[gman]

I pretty open to anything... I like the Comicpalooza though.... don't forget our neighbors in LA.... we're only a few hours up I-10.

[Fire Marshal Bill]

Done

Good Luck Guys...Hope it pans out :grin:

Thanks for doing that!

[Fire Marshal Bill]

Yes, we definitely need to get the word out to our neighbors in LA, AR, and OK. Of course anyone and everyone is more than welcome to join us!

[megojim]

Sure thing bil, anything I can do to help.
Are you going to that show this weekend? I could possibly o on Sunday.

[TheDoLittle]

I pretty open to anything... I like the Comicpalooza though.... don't forget our neighbors in LA.... we're only a few hours up I-10.

I've driven to LA... takes three days... had to stop in Vegas and put $20 on 18 red...

Oh, wait... you're talking EAST LA!!! 8-)


Anyway, I had plans on making Austin Comicon, but my school schedule changed at the last minute so I won't be able to make it. If any of the Houston lot want to meet and try to hash out a plan on a Mego Meet, shoot me a PM. My schedule brings me out to Alief, Galleria, and the Museum District at varying times of the week, and my Fridays are pretty open.

[TEXASFETT]

Wow great to see something like this try to happen. I would love for something to happen in Austin if possible.......its okay here in town but find it boring. I'm down for what ever.

[Fire Marshal Bill]

There are a bunch of hotels within walking distance of the Convention Center. I'll make some calls and see if we can block off some rooms at a discount somewhere. Everyone mark your calendars for November 11-13!

[rche]

I'm in the Austin area and can do some legwork if y'all want.

I have some questions tho. Appreciate it if folks could post up some poll type answers.

What would most folks want to get out of this regional meetup?
- Centralized meeting facility like a hotel room or the like.
- How many folks want to go to the con?
- Foodie or local culture kind of tour?
- swap meet?
- guest of honor/ speaker/ panel sort of thing?
- customs/ kitbash exhibition?
- anything else I have not thought of

thanks - rche

[Megospidey]

I would definitely want to do a swap meet, custom exhibition of some sort, go to the con, and have some place to meet together to shoot the bull...

[AusTex]

This sounds great. I live just a few blocks from the Austin convention center. Let me know if you need any help with anything.

[Fire Marshal Bill]

Thanks rche! Sounds like you could call on AusTex to help out too if needed. I hope everyone will take the time to answer your questions.

A centralized meeting facility at a hotel would be great..... ala Mego Suite.
I'd like to attend the Con at least one day.
Maybe everyone get together for dinner Saturday night.... 6th St. maybe?
I think a swap meet, speaker, and custom display would all be cool but I don't know how we'd fit everything in time wise unless we went to the Con on Friday and did our thing on Saturday...... which now that I think about it, may not be a bad idea.

[rche]

another question:

what would the dream budget for a hotel room be for those traveling?

Places next to the convention center are not going to be inexpensive. What do you folks want to spend for a room if you are coming down for the con?

[rche]

I was thinking the Austin Motel might be a good choice.

Austin Motel Rooms and Rates (http://www.austinmotel.com/rooms_pages/rooms_frames.html)

pretty much the ultimate in retro vibe temporary living quarters. :)
rooms go from 80ish to 120ish if you are not being fancy. If we had enough interest and time/leeway, we could probably even get a bit of a group discount. I used to work with a music club that would house bands there all the time and they gave us a bit off of the regular rate, so I would not think a group rate would be out of the question.

Not sure if there is a central meeting room area there tho. I don't think so. There are some bigger suites and perhaps we could just meet up in there.

The AMo is in a popular area of Austin referred to as SoCo (south congress). Lots of eateries and shops/culture. Probably less than 10 blocks south and west of the convention center downtown.

[megojim]

I echo Derek's posting above, those are things I would like to do. The Comic-Con would be ancillary to me, nice, but that event is not why I'm coming. If you've been to a mego meet you understand that.

As far as accomodations, as long as it doesn't smell or have plastic sheets, it's just a place to lay my head down so the less costly the better but i understand about the location in proximity to other activities.

LMK if you need my help

[mightyquinn]

I was thinking the Austin Motel might be a good choice.

Austin Motel Rooms and Rates (http://www.austinmotel.com/rooms_pages/rooms_frames.html)

pretty much the ultimate in retro vibe temporary living quarters. :)
rooms go from 80ish to 120ish if you are not being fancy. If we had enough interest and time/leeway, we could probably even get a bit of a group discount. I used to work with a music club that would house bands there all the time and they gave us a bit off of the regular rate, so I would not think a group rate would be out of the question.

Not sure if there is a central meeting room area there tho. I don't think so. There are some bigger suites and perhaps we could just meet up in there.

The AMo is in a popular area of Austin referred to as SoCo (south congress). Lots of eateries and shops/culture. Probably less than 10 blocks south and west of the convention center downtown.

That looks like a cool place, with a nice view of downtown. I've never been to a mego meet, but it would be cool to swap some toys, have some food and drinks, catch a band, and watch the bats fly out. Maybe even hit the show for a day or two.

[Fire Marshal Bill]

Sounds like what ever happens, we are going to need a place to hold some sort of swap meet :yes:.

rche..... as to your earlier question about dream budget for a room, i would think if we could keep it in the $80-$100 range that would be reasonable. Of course cheaper would be nice, but i doubt we'll find anything cheaper than that in downtown Austin.

[Fire Marshal Bill]

:please_y: We haven't lost steam on this have we?

rche, have you found out anything about the Austin Motel yet?

[rche]

sorry folks,

I got a bit distracted by the little fire that was burning by my house over the weekend. I'll be looking into some AM rates this week. :grin:

[kennermike]

sorry folks,

I got a bit distracted by the little fire that was burning by my house over the weekend. I'll be looking into some AM rates this week. :grin:

Fire What? hope everything is okay!

[megojim]

^^^^
didn't you hear, the whole state of Texas is on fire!!! :firedevil:

[rche]

^
Yes, burned up most of Bastrop State Park, and a good chunk of the city of Bastrop itself. Fortunately for us, the wind was blowing away from our area.

[AusTex]

Austin Motel is all sold out for that weekend... best bet would be either the Embassy Suites (you can actually see the bats flying out, from your hotel room window) on S Congress Ave or the Courtyard Convention Center location on E 4th st.

[megojim]

Embassy sounds good what r the rates? in that regard see if they have a bigger suite that we might could use for the swap meet. I'd cover the cost of that and you guys could chip in or buy me cold one or two. I do not think we will need a whole separate room.

So who's a definite on this?
I'm in for that weekend of Nov 13

[Megospidey]

I'm coming...and the Embassy will be great.

[rche]

I just called to look into rates at the places in and around the CC.
Most of the downtown hotels are pretty expensive. Emb suites starts at 240 per night, the courtyard is starting at 280.

Austin Motel is booked through that particular weekend due to a wedding which is unfortunate. It is a quaint little joint right off the path to the downtown area with a bunch of resteraunts and whatnot surrounding it. I will check in with some of my other musician buddies and see if they have other low budget/high value suggestions.

another alternative is to look further away from the CC, like towards the university area. Rooms there might be more like 125/night sort of thing.
That would involve some downtown traveling for those that want to hit the Con.

[rche]

btw:

all rooms at the embassy are suites. That is, they all have a separate bedroom and a living room area.

There is a 2 bedroom suite option there which is 360 (before taxes) which could be split up between two folks, I suppose.

[Megospidey]

what about a vacation home rental or townhouse that will house us all? even if it were $400-500 a night, if there is enough of us we can split that easily.

[megojim]

Something a bit further out shouldn't be an issue. I'll have wheels and would be happy to haul a couple people to the show

[Fire Marshal Bill]

I'm definitely in as well. Bummer about the Austin Motel. Maybe we ought to venture a little further out from the convention center like suggested..... $240 a night is a little steep for me. I don't mind driving a little ways to the Con. I was hoping to spend that for both Friday and Saturday nights combined :please_y:. Which brings up a point, is everyone planning on one night or two?

[megojim]

I was thinking 2 nights (fri-sat)
Bill check PM's

[Megospidey]

I plan on staying two nights.

[megojim]

any news?

[Fire Marshal Bill]

We probably need to nail down accomodations for this pretty soon. Any ideas from the Austin crew on where would be a good place that isn't too far from the convention center, yet far enough away to keep prices reasonable?

Are you still looking into a place for us rche?

[rche]

sorry , y'all. I just got slammed these past couple of weeks.
Most of my ideas on good local hotels are a bust. I can look into some rates at places like the Holiday Inn by the highland mall. I know I have seen some small conventiony things go thru there.

Other than that, I am sort of tapped for ideas.

[AusTex]

There's also the possibility of renting a couple of condos. A friend of a friend rents her downtown condos out for weekends. Each has 2 bedrooms, kitchen, fully furnished. I need to check on availability and cost.

[AusTex]

Here is the info on the Austin condo for rent (only one is available the weekend of Nov 11-13):

2 bed/1 bath
king, queen, and couch chaise... air mattresses can be brought in as well.
fully stocked place...so they can cook, etc.
$300 refundable deposit
open on nov 11-13
normally $150 per night, but for me and my friends... $125

[AusTex]

Here is the Austin house for rent (sleeps 10!). Need to check on rates for that weekend.
Austin vacation house rental: Fabulous 1940's Vintage Bouldin Bungalow Cottage (http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p264722)

[Fire Marshal Bill]

Thanks for checking into the condo AusTex. It would seem that we may need to acccomodate more people than could use the one condo though. However, we don't know for sure, seeing as how when asked to sound off on who is planning on attending, only myself, megojim and megospidey responded. The house for rent may be an option, but i would like to see several people commit before laying out the money for it for the weekend. At least with a hotel, someone wouldn't be committed to paying the room fees for the folks that didn't show up.

Here is a list of who all have showed interest in coming to this:

Fire Marshal Bill
megojim
Megospidey
rche
AusTex
LordMudd
ChunkyB
beartex2000
cricketts99
madmarva
weswood
mightyquinn
gman
TEXASFETT

Anyone else?

[gman]

I was planning on coming up for Saturday only.

[rche]

I'll be there, but I am local and do not need overnight accommodations. I wish I could offer up a bed in my house, but we are getting ready to move and things are in complete chaos.

[AusTex]

If you guys would rather stay in a hotel I think the Omni would be a great option. Looks like rooms are $150 or less per night and it's only a 5 min drive to the convention center/ downtown area.

Omni Hotels (https://ssl.omnihotels.com/Omni?Perseus_state=clear&prop=AUSSTH&pagedst=RR1)

[megojim]

^^^^^
yep, i saw that as well, I say let's go for it guys! maybe we can even double up in couple rooms . . .

[rche]

for lower budget plain jane hotels, there are plenty of options like this Ramada that is north of downtown by about 5-10 minutes (depending on traffic). Not exactly in the thick of things, but you can get to the convention center and eat at Tamale House or Quality Seafood - two of Austin's finest Slacker friendly eateries. ;)

Ramada | Austin Texas Hotel | Austin, TX 78751 | Near Lyndon B. Johnson Library and Museum (3 mi), Travis County Exposition Center (3 mi) & 6th Street (4 mi) (http://www.ramada.com/Ramada/control/Booking/property_info?propertyId=18157&cid=IP_Local)

[Megospidey]

If you guys would rather stay in a hotel I think the Omni would be a great option. Looks like rooms are $150 or less per night and it's only a 5 min drive to the convention center/ downtown area.

Omni Hotels (https://ssl.omnihotels.com/Omni?Perseus_state=clear&prop=AUSSTH&pagedst=RR1)

It gave me a quote of $116 per night for one person as an advance internet special. I haven't booked it, but this would be fine with me if everyone else is game...

[rche]

I just realized I have a gig that weekend. Big old rats!!!
If there is any meet and great on Friday, I will be able to come by, but I have a 7am call for an all day affair out in Fredricksburg, TX and will miss out on any Saturday bidniz. I'll be coming back in on Sunday at 4 or 5 in the AM.

[megojim]

It gave me a quote of $116 per night for one person as an advance internet special. I haven't booked it, but this would be fine with me if everyone else is game...

do it!
I'm in

[madmarva]

I'd love to be there, but I'm most likely out. I'll be covering the Arkansas-Tennessee game that Saturday.

The Kickoff time won't be set until Oct. 31 for television purposes. If it's a night game, I might try to come for Friday's festivities, but it could be scheduled for 11 a.m., 2:30 p.m. or 6 or 7 p.m.

Hate how TV wags the dog.

[Megospidey]

Okay...I pulled the trigger on the Omni Hotel. I have two nights reserved (Nov 11 and 12). So I'm coming whether we are doing anything or not :smile:

[megojim]

OK me too . . .
registered at the OMNI . . . let's do this guys!

[Fire Marshal Bill]

I'm having a busy weekend so i'll follow up on this next week. Glad to see things working out. Any ideas on an itinerary yet? I'd like to attend the Con on Saturday. Maybe a meet and greet Friday afternoon and go to dinner?

[gman]

okay -- now my kids are wanting to go to the Con... somehow it has become trendy... or it could be the reunion of the original Wonka kids.... My oldest daughter wants to yell "you're turning violet, Violet" :)
so what's the game plan? I wont be there until late Friday nite early Sat morning....

[megojim]

not a set plan yet, we need to see how many are going to show and we can go from there. Bill's suggestion above seems to make sense to me. I know we want to have some sort of swap meet opportunity.

If I was able to put together some sort of "goodie" bag with custome parts, etc . . would anyone be interested? $20 or so, I would get the stuff from Castaway and Doc mego and put it together then we could trade stuff out of that as well. LMK

[rche]

If folks get in early enough for some sort of meet and foodie experience on Friday, I would love to come along.

Unfortunately, I have an all day sound gig that is out of town and will be out all day Saturday. So the only other way I would get to meet anyone would be in the wee hours of Sunday morning. Unless something got in the works for Sunday before folks started the trek home.

[megojim]

My plan is to leave mid-morning on Friday arrive just after noon

[Fire Marshal Bill]

I plan on arriving around lunchtime Friday as well. Goodie bags sound like fun Jim.

Now that we have dates and a location set, what do you think would be the best way to get the word out? I wonder if it would be acceptable to post something in General Buzz about it and direct folks to this thread? A lot of people may not see this in the Mego Meet forum, buried several pages deep in this thread.

[rche]

what kind of food are you all interested in?
Do you want the Austin Freak kind of tour, or the TX bbq sort of thing? vegans; carnivores??? whadda we got?

[AusTex]

Hey rche. The Rainey street area might be a good place to eat, have drinks and chat. Close to the convention, good eats/ drinks at very reasonable prices and lots of space for large parties.

Oh, I'm hard core vegetarian but whatever people want is cool with me.

[rche]

Rainey sounds good and it is close to the convention area.
I figure any veggies, like yourself, are completely capable of taking care of themselves when on the road.

I was also thinking of suggesting Crazy Maria's tacos if'n anyone was going to make an excursion over to Anna's Toy Depot over on S. Lamar. Good food and a chunk of old skool Austin atmosphere.

[Megospidey]

^^ all of that sounds good. I was hoping we might be able to take in a some vintage toy or comic shops.

[rche]

Not too much in the way of old toys around here anymore.

There are a few fun bookstores, tho. I will post a list a bit later.

[megojim]

I hog wild still around?

[rche]

Hog wild is mostly clothes and vintage furniture. There are a few toys in the front case (the last time I was there), but John has taken most of his toy business elsewhere or has gotten out of it completely. I am not sure which.

I think there were a few monsters and a conan there the last time I popped my head in to see what was going on in the shop. Not really too much to write home about and I am not sure they got the memo that loose toy values have fallen in the last couple of years. :wink:

[rche]

For comic shops, tho. There are still a few gooders to gander at.

The best store for back issues that go waay back is probably Austin Books and Comics. We call this one Hulk's House due to the giant (life sized?) plaster Hulk they have.
5002 North Lamar Boulevard
Austin, TX 78751
(512) 454-4197

Dragon's Lair is pretty fun and a great family owned shop. This is the place I turn to when there are mile long lines at AB&C for free comic book day. :smiley1: And - we call this on e Spiderman's house due to the Spidey standing guard by the front door.

6111 Burnet Road
Austin, TX 78757-3226
(512) 454-2399

Capstone Comics is another good place for back issues. We call this one Iron Man's house 'cos.... Ok you get the picture.
2121 W Parmer Lane, #107, Austin, TX 78727 (512) 339-4251

And for those of you coming down the IH 35 from the north. Somewhere in Round Rock (which is about 5-10 miles north of Austin) there is a strip mall with a person who advertises vintage toys in the craigslist all the time. I have not been there, but have been curious about it.
The Antique Gallery of Round Rock (Same strip mall as Outback, 1/2 Price Books, Conn's)
1601 S. IH 35
Round Rock, Texas
512-218-4290

And, of course, there is Anna's Toy Depot.
This is a total crapshoot. Anna sells a mix of new and seconhand toys. She has a thing for Legos and old Fisher Price Little People stuff. She also usually has a couple of tables or bins full of loose figures and you may find a vintage piece right next to last weeks happy meal premium. It is kinda fun to dig in, tho you may feel a bit odd competing for the Green Lantern figure with the 4yo that you did not bring with you to the store. :)
2620 South Lamar Blvd # B
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 447-8697

There is also one of those Goodwill bin store things down south that my brother in law has reported finding some amazing things at. I believe he picked up one of Hasbros latest giant AT-ATs there in a sealed box for $5-10 bucks, and my wife brought me back a Fisher Price houseboat after her last trip there. I dunno, tho. Those places give me the creeps.
Goodwill Blue Hanger Outlet - Southeast Austin - Austin, TX (http://www.yelp.com/biz/goodwill-blue-hanger-outlet-austin)


Truthfully tho, if you are planning to attend the Con, you will get all the toy and comic geeking available in this burg right there w/o going any further.

looking forward to meeting some mego-peeps.
rche

[megojim]

Everyone check you PM's and reply asap
thanks

[Megospidey]

replied!

[cdhall]

I just logged in. If this is in Austin tell me when and where. I live here. I don't know anything else right now. I'll reply to my Aug 27 PM. For what good it will do. Looks like you guys are doing this in Austin soon?

I'm currently booked for Martial Arts on Oct 7-9, Oct 15 and Nov 4 fyi.

[Megospidey]

This is for the weekend of November 11-13. MegoJim will pm you the details when he sees this...hope you get to make it cdhall!

[cdhall]

I had no idea there was a Wizard World Con in Austin. Is this it's first year? And if not, man I need to get out more.

Also news to me but not surprising I didn't know this. I may have seen something about it a few years ago. If Joe Lansdale was there I just missed it around 2008 I think.

[mightyquinn]

How many of you guys will be staying 2 nights? I can't decide. Is the show worth going for two days?

[mightyquinn]

Looks like a pretty good agenda so far Jim.:smile: I planned on bringing a few extra goodies to swap. Anyone else planning on doing the same?

[megojim]

2 nights for me and megopidey
Yes we are planning a swap meet so bring your stuff. If you have a custom or eight you wanna show off, bring them as well

[Fire Marshal Bill]

Does someone want to take a shot at designing a t-shirt for this? If we can decide on something, i can check prices on getting them done.

[megojim]

i'm working on a design, but please submit all ideas, then we can pick which we like best . . .

[mightyquinn]

Checked out rooms within blocks of the convention center, and it looks like they are all already full!! This thing must be pretty big! How did you guys get the $115 deal at the omni? I just checked and it was over $200 a night.

[Megospidey]

I'm showing you can still book for $116 a night. You put in the arrival date of November 11 and the departure date of November 13, the number of people in the room, click the "availability" button at the bottom of the page, and it comes up with the rates.

It just showed me rates of $116 a night in the "Advance Purchase Promotion" section. You just click that and it gives you a couple of options for beds (king, 2 doubles, etc.)

[mightyquinn]

Alright, let me check again. There is nothing decent for that weekend for under $100.

[mightyquinn]

Can't get it, it's non-refundable.:enraged:

[rche]

Alright, let me check again. There is nothing decent for that weekend for under $100.

You are probably not going to find anything inexpensive AND close to the convention center. You can probably still find things up the road off of I35 in that range, tho.

[cdhall]

Last hotel I stayed in was by calling Hotels.com I think and I got 45% off but I had a discount from another source which they honored.

[megojim]

Sent PM's to all who confirmed a week or so ago. Trying to get a fix on the goody bags.
Please reply ASAP, thanks
Jim

[mightyquinn]

Whats the head count so far? My wife found out the Wonka kids are gonna be there, so she's in!:grin:

[Megospidey]

Getting closer....I will be there....bringing lots of stuff with me....

[megojim]

I'm getting ready as well . . . . Re; Goody bags, no luck in getting a reply from Doc Mego or the guys from Castaway, I can understand Paul as he was busy getting ready for NYCC but can't understand why dave or jason haven't replied. . . . I'm hoping to roll the dice and order from paul hoping he kick in some extras . . . .

[Megospidey]

^ We don't have to do one Jim if you're not receiving any cooperation. I certainly won't mind. It would be nice, but it won't make or break my trip either way.

[megojim]

I was just trying to get a little discount . . no big deal . . . I was checking out CTVT's site and may go that way, other than bodies. Either way I'll get it done

[Capt Kirk]

Seriously. As above.

[mightyquinn]

When and where is the meet and greet?:smiley12:

[rche]

I believe we were discussing a dinner meet on Friday along with some activities at a hotel on Sat. Not sure about the Saturday items tho, as I am thinking some folks are wanting to go to the con, and some folks had also indicated some interest in hitting some shops.

It might be good to get a somewhat flexible itinerary going.

[Megospidey]

Here is what MegoJim came up with:

here's a potential agenda to consider . . .

Friday -
early arrivers hit a couple toy shops
meet up for dinner hang out (early bird trading )
Saturday -
grab breakfast
head to the comic-con
swap meet / customs discussions (bring yours)
dinner that night, maybe a club then hang out
Sunday -
head home


Looks like Jim and I will be getting in around dinner time on Friday. Maybe we could all meet in the foyer of the Omni Hotel at around 7pm or so? Go eat and then meet back in one of the rooms of the Omni?

[Fire Marshal Bill]

It's looking like the wife and i will be heading up very early Saturday morning and making a long day of it. She wasn't going to go until she found out Kevin Sorbo was going to be at the Con :smiley1:. Will probably head home late Saturday night after the mini-meet activities. Looking forward to it :yes:.

We'll try and meet up with everyone for breakfast (Saturday) before heading to the Con. When a decision has been made on what time and where, please post up.

[mightyquinn]

Just booked a room at the Mariott by the university. We will be heading up Friday morning and will be meeting up with you guys at the Omni at 7pm. Anyone hitting any shops before then on Friday?

[megojim]

no turning back now . . . all items for the goody bags have been ordered. Had to get most of the parts (except for the bodies) from CTVT as I never heard back from the others. I think everyone will be please and I mixed it up enough that hope fully it will stimulate some trading of items.

[gman]

^^^ Great!!!
Now I plan on coming up for Sat only and I plan on bringing my kids.... so when and where would the swap meet take place after the con?

[mightyquinn]

Anyone bringing any comics to swap? I may bring a box along with some extra toys and playsets.

[megojim]

Rcvd all the goody bag items!!! gearing up . . only a little over a week!

[Megospidey]

Anyone bringing any comics to swap? I may bring a box along with some extra toys and playsets.

I'm just bringing miscellaneous stuff with me. Some figures, some clothing, some accessories, some customs, etc. Some for show-n-tell, some for swapping and selling.

[AusTex]

Great deal here if you plan to attend the comic con.

Deal for Wizard World Austin Comic Con | Yelp (http://www.yelp.com/deals/wizard-world-austin-comic-con-austin-2-2?bert=UDt3s9oNNU79mQzk-d_jIQ:D)

[megojim]

isn't that the price of a regular one day admission?

[AusTex]

Yes, you get 3 days for a one day price.

[Megospidey]

that is a deal whether you use all of it or not.

[Fire Marshal Bill]

isn't that the price of a regular one day admission?

I think advance purchase one-day tickets are $25..... but admission is $30 for a one-day pass at the door. At least it was last year anyway.

[megojim]

either way I've procured mine! I really appreciate the heads on this!

[megojim]

OK boys it's time to put up or shut up!!

Who's coming?
When do you plan to arrive?

We'll put out a VERY flexible agenda by Thursday evening.

[rche]

I'm there for dinner on Fri night. Just let me know where y'all are gonna be. :hokay:

[Megospidey]

I'm coming with Jim and we should be there around 5pm or so on Friday.

[Fire Marshal Bill]

Will be there early Saturday morning, before the Con opens. Jim, is that number I have for you still a good one to get hold of you when we get to town?

[AusTex]

See you guys Saturday at the Con. I'll be wearing my pink Mego Museum t shirt. Safe travels. -Greg

[megojim]

Hey guys pm me and we can exchange cell #s

[madmarva]

Wish I could attend. Have a great meet and safe trips there and back.

[megojim]

Mighty Quinn . . . What happened? Missed a

[megojim]

Here in Austin . . . Long day but had a great time at dinner with RCHE (and his family), Fire Marshall Bill and my driving buddy, Megospidey. Looking forward to the comic con tomorrow a well as our get together later!

[gman]

See you guys there!!!

[Fire Marshal Bill]

Had a nice dinner with rche and his family, megojim, and Megospidey. It was a pleasure meeting everyone. Looking forward to the Con tomorrow!

[Megospidey]

Time to get up, eat come breakfast, and head to the Comic Con with megojim, Fire Marhsall Bill and his family and some others - I think gman and AusTex will be there.

[LonnieFisher]

Time to get up, eat come breakfast, and head to the Comic Con with megojim, Fire Marhsall Bill and his family and some others - I think gman and AusTex will be there.

Have lots of fun!

[WannabeMego]

Have Fun!!!

Glad this worked out for y'all :biggrin:

...and let me be the 1st to say...

PICTURES

[gman]

Wow-- just got home... Had a great time finally getting to meet guys I've seen at the museum for forever. I really hope this becomes an annual thing. Thanks Jim for putting the swap bags together... had a lot of fun. You guys be safe going home.

[megojim]

Long day but a Great day! Hardly any vintage toys at the con. Austex picked up a Robin that we missed. Very crowded with lots of has beens signing autographs. STEAMPUNK is the new black. I grabbed a couple marvel legends and some cool Captain America artwork. Derek & I grabbed some tasty Texas BBQ for lunch and then we hooked up with bill (fire marshall bill) and Scott (gman). We also bumped into Greg (austex) and his family. We then headed back to the Omni and boy Did the trading' commence! Nothing huge but I think we were all happy with what we acquired. Oh and Bil's son in law Jim joined us and he scored some decent stuff as well. Mostly parts and common stuff but it was fun! Derek brought his case of spideys; circle, broken circle, diamond and Peter Parker, very cool to see as a set. He Also brought his Indiana Jones made by Capt Mego. VERY IMPRESSIVE! We finished the day the way it began, by grabbing a bite to eat with bill's family. We found a local Mexican food joint that was awesome! All in all a great time! A pleasure to meet everyone. Bill & I live only 10 minutes way from each other, go to the same church and we had to come to Austin to finally hook up. Aahhh the greatness of Mego! Pics tomorrow . .

[rche]

I MISSED SEEING THE BROKEN CIRCLE SPIDEY!!!!!

nuts

just nuts. :wink:


I had a great time visiting with y'all in person on fri. Glad to know you had some fun at the con. Funny that Austex bought a Robin at the show. I had 5 or six of them in my car on friday night.:smiley1:

[BanditJT]

Had a great time with these guys. The con was a bust but at the mini meet got a sheild for Cap. America. And I got a spidy. Wish I would have gottin the tshirt iron on but it's all good. Good food, good fun and a toy show. Always a good day! Thanks alot guys.

[AusTex]

Nice to meet Jim and Derek at the show. Sorry I missed the get together at the hotel. A friend of mine entered the evening costume contest so we had to cheer him on. Took forever though. Some good costumes but lots of bad ones too.

[megojim]

Jim, check your PM's , I have a t- shirt transfer for ya

[Megospidey]

Just got in from Texas -- total trip: 8 and a half hours :juggleyes_y: I'm a bit punch drunk right now.

The Austin Comic Con was cool with lots to see. No vintage stuff, but lots of cool stuff nonetheless. The "artist alley" was probably the highlight of the Con itself. Getting to see so many great comic artists in one place was neat.

The highlight of the weekend was getting to finally meet guys I've interacted with for 6 years. Megojim and I met several years ago at Megomeet, but it was a first for me to meet Scott, Greg, Bill, Jim, and Archie - ALL SUPER GUYS.

Food was great (Austin has some great eats) but the mego camaraderie was even better.

Megojim: ALWAYS enjoy your company and conversations my brother. See you this summer
Scott: Thanks for the advice for my son on civil engineering. So good to meet you and swap with you - thanks for the pirate!
Bill and Jim: Two cool guys with great families. Tell your wives thanks for letting you drag them to Austin to get your geek on.
Greg: Even though we didn't get to visit for too long, it was great meeting you. My son is a long distance runner and deals with the injuries that come with it. He can relate to the achilles injury. And I'm impressed you were able to find a Mego Robin amongst all the new stuff.
Archie: Wish you could have been there Saturday. Hope your gig went well and you are now rested. And sorry you didn't get to see the Spidey guys. I will be posting pics of them soon...

[megojim]

The pleasure's all on this side of the table, . . . . :wink:

[Megospidey]

Jim, how did your pictures turn out?

[gman]

Jim, how did your pictures turn out?

Terrible -- we are in them...:terror:

[Megospidey]

Here are the spidey suit variations that I brought with me (along with my AE Peter Parker)

http://i378.photobucket.com/albums/oo226/megospidey_photos/DSC05359.jpg

[rche]

wow.

very cool.

I wonder what on earth happened to make that broken circle. Must have been a rough one the night before for the designer? Or maybe the person who set the print pattern for the fabric? Looking at it side by side with a regular CSS, it just looks skewed.

thanks for sharing

[AusTex]

Individually those figures are incredible but together as a set makes it an amazing slice of Mego Spider-man history to see. Love the custom case too.

[megojim]

It makes you wonder if the guys designing the outfits had even seen Marvel art work before they began. I can hear them talking . . . . "I saw a picture once and I think it looks like this"

[cdhall]

OMG. I apologize to everyone before I delete my account.

[sprytel]

OMG. I apologize to everyone before I delete my account.

??? :confused:

[ScottA]

That pic is so cool.

[megojim]

Here are the spidey suit variations that I brought with me (along with my AE Peter Parker)

http://i378.photobucket.com/albums/oo226/megospidey_photos/DSC05359.jpg


not sure if you noticed this Derek but there's a hole in the right toe of the broken circle figure . . . . :wink:

[Megospidey]

Yeah, I know...I guess I'll have to upgrade it someday :smiley1:

[doctorwholittle]

Damn, I wish I'd heard about this sooner. Regardless, I'm always ready for any kind of toy celebration in the Lone Star State! Please keep me posted, and if I can help spread the word, let me know.

The Doctor

[madmarva]

Texas Mego Meet-up for Dallas Comic-Con Fan days, Anyone?

The Dallas Comic-Con Fan Days is being held Oct. 19-21 at the Irving Convention Center.

www.scifiexpo.com/dcc/fandays.html

I wanted to check to see if any MM members would be attending and if there would be any interest in meeting up there like last year in Austin?

I know it's a bit late to begin planning, but f there's any interest maybe we could have an unofficial mini mego meet, even if it's just for lunch or dinner.

Any thoughts or ideas?


Terry Wood

[Megospidey]

I'm planning on going down on Friday night and going to the Comic-Con on Saturday - leaving around 4pm.

I would be up for dinner on Friday or breakfast/lunch on Saturday.

The Texas mini-meet in Austin was a blast.

[madmarva]

Either or both sounds good to me.

[megojim]

I will be enjoying my 5th wedding anniversary in Fredericksburg, tx that weekend, y'all have fun!

[Toyman_Chris]

I will have to check my schedule. I probably can't make it, but it would be awesome