Hi.

We are dealers. This is our first year at Anime Midwest although we've sold at many other cons. A couple of people who were going to share our room can't make it, so I'm looking for some people who would want to share our room. We have two beds in the room. We could fit in up to four people, but that would make six in the room and that's the most I'd want to have in the room. Let me know if you're interested. Also, we could use help in carrying in our merchandise during dealers' load in and carrying it out after the con is over on Sunday. We can give you something from our merchandise for helping us or, if you are sharing our room, we can reduce your share of the room cost. Of course, the more you work, the better the compensation. :-) Anyway, let me know if anyone's interested.

Hello. I was wondering what time the two of you were probably going to arrive and what you're asking to carry? This is just for convenience because I'm not that strong. Although, if it's light enough, I'd be more than happy to help.

We're planning to be there Thursday probably arriving between 1-2 pm. Haven't heard from the head of the dealers' room exactly when we'll first be able to carry stuff in, but we want to be able to carry it in just as soon as possible. We have a lot of stuff. Even if you can't carry heavy stuff (which some boxes are), you can help carry the lighter stuff. And we have a cart, so all you have to do is get it out of the van and put it on the cart, get the cart into the dealers' room, unload it, and repeat the process about 25 times. As I said, we have a lot of stuff. If we can snag a cart off of the hotel, it can go faster since we'd be able to keep two carts going at the same time. We also might have you help with putting together displays of grid wall and mini grid walls. And even if you're not able to be there Thursday, you could help with carrying out merchandise on Sunday. And we'll probably still have some setting up to do Friday morning. That would probably start around 8 or 9 am, but again I'm still waiting on the details from the head of the dealers room. How will we recognize you? We have a large full sized, white, GMC Savanna 3500 cargo van. I'm 65, walk with a cane, about 5 feet 9 inches, about 200 lbs, and starting to go bald, but usually wear a hat. My wife is 46, short (about 5 feet, 4 inches), and around 150 lbs. Anyway, let me know.

Hmm...I have work Thursday at around 3:30 and it takes me around two hours to get to work from Rosemont so I don't think I'll be able to help you carry in your things. I can help you set up on Friday morning and packing up your things Sunday afternoon. I'm 20 years old but I look a considerable amount younger. I'm about 5"6, 120 pounds. Asian female. I'll probably be carrying a pink Nintendo one-strap. It's hard to miss.

Ok. So you have to work on the Fourth of July? Oh well. Friday morning, we'll be down to the dealers' room as soon as they let us in, probably 8 or 9 am. We should have everything carried in by then, so come down to the dealers' room instead of trying to find us in the parking lot. Friday, it'll mostly be setting up the displays. When you get down to the dealers' room, tell whoever is watching the door that you're there to help Star Ship Cat with setting up their displays. Now, regarding Thursday, how long do you work? At most cons, they usually let us start bringing things in starting at anywhere from 4 pm to 6 pm. It usually takes us at least 2 1/2 to 4 hours to get everything carried in, depending on the logistics and if we have any helpers. So we might still be carrying things in as late as 10 pm. By any chance would you also be interested in sharing our room? We have a room with two beds. Another couple was going to come, but they can't make it. I'm hoping to find a couple people to share the room with to cut expenses. Even if you were the only other person sharing the room, the cost would only be a third of the cost of the room and we could credit you for some of that based on how much you help with set up and load out. Our room will definitely be non-smoking. My wife is actually allergic to tobacco. We will probably get to bed relatively early (at least for a con), since we'll need to be up and get down to the dealers' room an hour before it opens to the public. So if you share our room, try to be quite when you turn in for the night. I don't want more than six people in the room, since I don't want it to get too crowded, but so far, there's just me and my wife. If you don't want to, that's fine. I just wanted to let you know and give you the option.

I am interested in sharing your room but I have a friend who isn't really comfortable with that and isn't sure if she's going yet, so do you mind if I answer you at a later date? I just remembered that my hours will be changed over the summer. I don't get holidays off. Depending on my shift for the day, I normally work from 8am-1pm if I'm lucky, or 8am-6pm on an average day. I won't be able to help you set up your displays Friday morning but I don't mind taking half the day off on Thursday to help you set-up. I'd probably arrive around 3.

Ok, well just let us know about the room. If you get there around 3 pm Thursday, we might still be getting our personal stuff into our room or we may be waiting near wherever the dealers' room is to start carrying the merchandise in. Look around for us. I'm 5 foot 9 inch and I'll have a wooden cane and my wife's a little shorter than you. If you don't see us, we may still be up in our room, so then go to the front desk and ask if we've checked in yet and ask them to call our room. If we're in the room, we'll come down to meet you. Of course, there's always the possibility that traffic could delay us getting there, but I think we should be there before 3 pm. If we are delayed and haven't checked in when you get there, leave a message for us with the front desk and kind of hang around the lobby until you see us. If you get there before us and the hotel gives us a message that you're already there, we'll look around the lobby for someone meeting your description. If you get there after we've started carrying in the merchandise, just go to the dealers' room, tell them you're there to help us and ask for Star Ship Cat.

Sure. No problem. Between early May 18th until late on May 27th, we will be out of town with only very limited or no access to the internet. FYI, I don't know if you're going to it or even know about it, but there's another anime con in the Chicago area November 15-17 (dealer set-up is November 14) called Kollision Kon. We will be at that one also. Any chance you might be going to that one? We won't be staying in the con hotel however. We'll be staying in a cheaper place a little ways away and walking. If you're going and don't yet have a membership for Kollision Kon, I still have a couple extra vendor memberships I can give to people helping. However, that con has some picky rules about vendor memberships. You must give them the names and addresses of everyone getting those memberships, they will check everyone's ID, and they will be issued during dealer set up on Thursday, so you'd have to be there on Thursday. At most cons, dealer's just get a certain number of badges and they can give them out to whoever they want. Oh well. A friend of ours will be sharing our room and she'll be getting one of our extra badges, but right now we have a couple extra.

Sorry that took so long. I was out of town for about a week as well. What's the news on the room?