What's In A Namecard? TOYSREVIL Prepares To Take On STGCC 2009
Ye Gawds but do I heart my new namecards :)
No doubt I've bored you dear readers to tears with my recent constant barrage of Booth C16-posts ("make or break time" for me folks, so please do bare with it a week longer...:p) and with these cards I find myself treading a decidedly "different" path than that of online-weblogging (and my self-imposed hermit lifestyle for the past few years). Anonymity is so last millennium (or so I comfort myself, as I ponder what to wear for the event - wish I could afford TRE-Tees tho, really ...) and perhaps tis time to come out of the blog-closet and meet the folks who actually read TRE (hellooooo? Anybody out there? *crickets-cricketing*), make new friends and contacts, and even attempt to eke a quasi-sustainable living, come what may. Frankly, at this point in time, there's no backing out now, innit? HAH! Onwards!
[CLICK THRU to read more, if you so please]
*Defcon-4* is currently in effect - with a daily countdown to D-Day heightened by the long National Day weekend ("Happy 44th Birthday, Singapore" on Sunday, Monday is a public holiday). Which leaves us with two days before the set-up at Suntec City Convention Halls 401-402 (on August 12th, or is the 13th? *freaks-out*), and hopefully the onslaught of attendees banging down Booth C16 to buy cool toys!
*cough*
"Panic Mode" is dulled by the aforementioned long-weekend, with particular services left available til Tuesday (Will TRE have booth posters? Can anyone say "last minute price gouge"? *sigh*) ... no doubt the calm before the storm, exciting as it may be - may well lead to my eventual heart-attack/s to come. The late nights ain't helping my high-blood pressure, and neither are other habitual vices (cancer-sticks + coffee) - but the show must go on!
So why am I up at 5am on a Sunday morning blogging still? Because my head is filled with checklists of things to be done, and things I'd like to do, and my bed is filled with acrylic display stands, display props, plastic bags, boxes of toys, so on so forth :p
Nope, this post ain't a pity-plea (although any support is nigh appreciated), but rather a start of (hopefully) a journey-journal of my "adventures" in setting up shop at a Con.
SELF-DISCLAIMER: I am not a toy retailer. I am not a salesman (and am an even lousier businessman). I am not a known celebrity or artist. I am just a humble blogger, who has somehow chosen to not just only blog about toys and the event, but be a part of it. (A mind-boggling last minute decision it was too LOL)
(Man, them constant trench-digging in the army sure is put to good use now, innit? *PUI*)
My first booth at a Convention. My very first TOYSREVIL-toy (courtesy of Eddi @ adFunture - you rawk! no b.s.). My first collaborations with a host of cool-peeps (salutes PHU!, ANTZ, Jack and Sjors for your support). Will this be the first, and last? I certainly hope not - that, I leave up to YOU folks :)
It's gonna be hella fun, is all I can say! It better be! LOL
I realized that it has actually been yeeeeeaaars since I've printed "proper" business cards (those past home-printed shenanigans don't count). Trepidations, no doubt from the upcoming "public appearance" (FYI: I am not deluded to think that most folks would give two-hoots, yo) and even - *gasp* - a couple of days' worth of "signing sessions", no less! The "audacity", right? (LOL) ... Am I up for it? Will know when the time comes, I guess. (Note-to-self: *remember to stock-up on breath-mints*). Be gentle with me folks, fhanks ;)
Tis a distinct Asian tradition to exchange namecards when folks first meet - to affirm the name of the person you are speaking to, and also to know where he or she is coming from - and I've always found it pretty "uneasy" to give out namecards, most times easier to slink into the background and let other folks do the talking (I so suck at schmoozing, it should be a crime) - and tis quite a revelation (to myself) that I am actually looking forward to be giving out TRE namecards now :)
A namecard is the "public face", a representation - if you will - of who you are, where you're from, and perhaps even "will be" (a stretch of the imagination, I'm sure), IMHO. And post-event, a way for folks to get in touch, or to refer back (hence the listing of my blog/twitter/facebook etc).
Now if only I could afford to print them as stickers ... heh :p
INTERLUDE: And one of the cool things with namecards, was bumping into Wrecker Tike [blogged] at the same print-shop Saturday afternoon! We stood next to each other (We have not met before) and recognized each other from our respective namecards! There! Met a new friend already! LOL
No doubt I've bored you dear readers to tears with my recent constant barrage of Booth C16-posts ("make or break time" for me folks, so please do bare with it a week longer...:p) and with these cards I find myself treading a decidedly "different" path than that of online-weblogging (and my self-imposed hermit lifestyle for the past few years). Anonymity is so last millennium (or so I comfort myself, as I ponder what to wear for the event - wish I could afford TRE-Tees tho, really ...) and perhaps tis time to come out of the blog-closet and meet the folks who actually read TRE (hellooooo? Anybody out there? *crickets-cricketing*), make new friends and contacts, and even attempt to eke a quasi-sustainable living, come what may. Frankly, at this point in time, there's no backing out now, innit? HAH! Onwards![CLICK THRU to read more, if you so please]
*Defcon-4* is currently in effect - with a daily countdown to D-Day heightened by the long National Day weekend ("Happy 44th Birthday, Singapore" on Sunday, Monday is a public holiday). Which leaves us with two days before the set-up at Suntec City Convention Halls 401-402 (on August 12th, or is the 13th? *freaks-out*), and hopefully the onslaught of attendees banging down Booth C16 to buy cool toys!
"Panic Mode" is dulled by the aforementioned long-weekend, with particular services left available til Tuesday (Will TRE have booth posters? Can anyone say "last minute price gouge"? *sigh*) ... no doubt the calm before the storm, exciting as it may be - may well lead to my eventual heart-attack/s to come. The late nights ain't helping my high-blood pressure, and neither are other habitual vices (cancer-sticks + coffee) - but the show must go on!
So why am I up at 5am on a Sunday morning blogging still? Because my head is filled with checklists of things to be done, and things I'd like to do, and my bed is filled with acrylic display stands, display props, plastic bags, boxes of toys, so on so forth :p
Nope, this post ain't a pity-plea (although any support is nigh appreciated), but rather a start of (hopefully) a journey-journal of my "adventures" in setting up shop at a Con.
SELF-DISCLAIMER: I am not a toy retailer. I am not a salesman (and am an even lousier businessman). I am not a known celebrity or artist. I am just a humble blogger, who has somehow chosen to not just only blog about toys and the event, but be a part of it. (A mind-boggling last minute decision it was too LOL)
(Man, them constant trench-digging in the army sure is put to good use now, innit? *PUI*)
My first booth at a Convention. My very first TOYSREVIL-toy (courtesy of Eddi @ adFunture - you rawk! no b.s.). My first collaborations with a host of cool-peeps (salutes PHU!, ANTZ, Jack and Sjors for your support). Will this be the first, and last? I certainly hope not - that, I leave up to YOU folks :)
I realized that it has actually been yeeeeeaaars since I've printed "proper" business cards (those past home-printed shenanigans don't count). Trepidations, no doubt from the upcoming "public appearance" (FYI: I am not deluded to think that most folks would give two-hoots, yo) and even - *gasp* - a couple of days' worth of "signing sessions", no less! The "audacity", right? (LOL) ... Am I up for it? Will know when the time comes, I guess. (Note-to-self: *remember to stock-up on breath-mints*). Be gentle with me folks, fhanks ;)
Tis a distinct Asian tradition to exchange namecards when folks first meet - to affirm the name of the person you are speaking to, and also to know where he or she is coming from - and I've always found it pretty "uneasy" to give out namecards, most times easier to slink into the background and let other folks do the talking (I so suck at schmoozing, it should be a crime) - and tis quite a revelation (to myself) that I am actually looking forward to be giving out TRE namecards now :)
A namecard is the "public face", a representation - if you will - of who you are, where you're from, and perhaps even "will be" (a stretch of the imagination, I'm sure), IMHO. And post-event, a way for folks to get in touch, or to refer back (hence the listing of my blog/twitter/facebook etc).
Now if only I could afford to print them as stickers ... heh :p
INTERLUDE: And one of the cool things with namecards, was bumping into Wrecker Tike [blogged] at the same print-shop Saturday afternoon! We stood next to each other (We have not met before) and recognized each other from our respective namecards! There! Met a new friend already! LOL
