Returning Registration is almost here.... probably

 11 SEPTEMBER 2022

It's been not quite 3 years since our last Returning Registration badge sale: 12 October, 2019. We were told at this year's SDCC to expect another autumn badge sale. So while it might seem too soon to be thinking about SDCC 2023, we're probably only weeks away.

I am really hoping it isn't the 2nd Saturday in October again since I will be pre-Halloweening in Salem and devoid of my home turf tech cave. But if it is - or falls any time before November - now is the time to put on your badge sale mastermind hat. It's been 3 years; your hat is probably a little rusty. I know mine is.

A few things to think about:

• The general badge sale process. If you didn't do the Special Edition badge sale last year, it was almost identical to a normal sale. The main differences were the absence of the spinning blue circle (I can't remember if the dad jokes were there) and its slower pace, as spelled out by the estimated wait times. While everyone ended up getting a badge without a problem, the leisurely crawl freaked a lot of people out at first, who were convinced they weren't going to get one based on previous badge sale paces. Will Returning Registration be the same? I think it will differ slightly from our last Ret Reg, but the general process will mostly be what we remember.

• Your buying group. The last 3 years turned a lot of buying groups into 52 pickup, with groups dissolving, merging with others, or just falling into silence. I think this is especially true for groups that are online only. If you're real-life friends with other SDCC attendees, you're probably in good shape. But if you lost touch with your online community, you might be feeling a bit fragmented right now. If that's you, start putting yourself out there as an orphan in need of a home.

• Your money. God knows inflation is ripping through all of our lives like a scythe right now. If you're struggling financially, don't get caught by surprise when the badge sale is announced - start putting aside $$$ right now. Also figure out if you can pay for 3 badges during the badge sale - because if you can't, you won't be much use to your buying group.

• Your hotel room. Don't be fooled by how plentiful the rooms were this year. (And they were, comparatively speaking - maybe not right off the bat but persistent people were able to get downtown rooms through the waiting list more easily this year.) There's every reason to think next year will be ugly again. Do what you can to get a fallback room, but be aware there's already been upheaval in that area; some people who booked Marriott rooms (Courtyard, Residence Inn, etc) for next summer had their rooms canceled. Brutal! If you have a safety room at the Horton like me, our rooms look safe... for now. Of course, there's really no telling what the future holds. Are we now in a situation where we need to reserve backups for our backups? Sounds like it.

Hopefully we'll see an announcement in a month or so. Till then!