Wasn't so much a 'don't want your money', but rather how much time would someone be able to spend in the store before they close. The alternative is to sit in line and they just close the doors and you wasted time in line.
Yeah for as much as it always used to confuse me when they closed seemingly so early on Saturday night (particularly as they used to even be open Sunday morning), actually being involved in the close-out process for the first time this year definitely helped me understand it better; basically, the "formal" Auction ends at 7 on Saturday, as everything registered for sale beforehand is finished at the end of T.O.V.A. when the Consignment Store closes simultaneously, and the remaining things are outside the registration database.
As someone volunteering at a booth, I had a wonderful experience with an amazing team, and it's one I look forward to repeating again next year.
The Good: - Getting ambushed by a friend with a spare True Dungeon ticket. Also, it was my first time playing on Nightmare, and surviving with 6hp made it a close call. And it was my first time playing a Barbarian, which I managed to make a couple of the actors and room coaches laugh at with my antics. - Running demos for dozens of eager players per day. Shenanigans occurred. Some folks just couldn't catch a break. - Setting up in record time, easily a few hours ahead of our last few years of setup, and tearing down almost in the original time limit (though thankful for the extra hour the ICC gave us, even if we were done and gone in closer to 15 min past the target, and likely would have made it handily if more docks had been in use (apparently a whole stretch weren't for the first few hours, for some inexplicable reason, or so the scuttlebutt says)).
The Bad: - ... it was all pretty great.
The Ugly: - Eh... nothing really comes to mind. Setting up in a mask, running demos in a mask, not exactly ideal, but better than not attending.
Hopefully the world is in a slightly better place in the next 50'ish weeks, but I'm not counting on it. We'll make it work.
The Good: getting to play games.
Good & Bad: My Cthulu game getting cancelled and refunded. I didn't see the email, so I found out when I showed up. However, the same group had another game running in the room, and I got to buy a spare ticket and play anyway.
The Ugly: I just learned how much I rely on being able to see a GM's mouth. I may have to skip next year if they make us mask. Also, only one vaxx check line on Wednesday evening. It may have moved fast, but it was just over an hour and about a mile long.
The Good: Seriously, there is a question? Gen Con Happened! As a person attending since 1989, this event is the single largest (U.S) event that I attend and look forward to every year! Everyone should take the Con in a bigger scope of what can and cannot be.
The Bad: Unfortunately there were people that couldn't attend due to various issues they dealt with.
The Ugly: Cannot speak for all the hotels that advertised "Room for 4" and two of the four were on a pull-out couch, but the Embassy Suites pull out couch was ridiculously bad. We took the "mattress" out, threw it on the floor and people slept on that. Truly stupififyingly (<<not a word) bad, even from my days as a 20-something sleeping in a Ford Escort. Embassy Suites are simply shameful for suggesting "sleeps 4", nuff said, won't go into my discussions with the front desk and manager.
We usually slept 4 in the Embassy Suites, though I must say I was always surprised by the guy who said the pull-out bed was comfortable. I can absolutely confirm though that throwing the couch cushions on the floor makes a pretty solid makeshift bed. Easier if you have two people who normally sleep together anyway, though.
THE GOOD: