Dealers Hall feels pretty soulless this year.

Kinda a rant after walking around all day.

Last year wasnt great either, but this feels even worse. At least half the vendors seem like resellers selling the same or very similar stuff. Very few actually feel unique or like theyre actually interested in what theyre selling as opposed to just being there to make a quick buck.

I know obviously all vendors want to make a profit, but there is a huge difference between the ones who seem like they actually care about what theyre selling and have a more unique inventory vs the ones who dont.

I remember previous years they had great vendors like Discotek right at the entrance, but this year I couldn't even find them (Allegedly theyre there but I did not see them). Meanwhile the booth at the enterance to the hall this year is just a reseller full of the same foam weapons, 3D printed trinkets, and overpriced animal ear headbands (that dont even fit properly). One of the biggest vendor booths seemed to be the blind box one, but I swear I never saw a single person buying from them. It makes alot of sense tbh, because nothing about their inventory felt like it was actually catered towards Otakon. Like who is going to an anime convention to buy "The Office" blind boxes?

Additionally there were very few standout things that immediately caught my attention, unlike previous years. There are some really good vendors this year, but they feel so few and far between. There was also one vendor I saw who was very obviously using AI art for everything. I know its hard to tell sometimes but this was super blatant (Literally had the piss filter).

Idk if its just nostalgia, but the dealers hall pre2025 was way more fun to just walk around in and just look at the cool niche/old/expensive/etc. Stuff vendors were selling. That magic has almost dissolved completely this year. Meanwhile the short time I spent in the Artist Alley (I usually spend day 2 there when not a panels) I almost immediately found some really cool stuff. So at least that side of the hall seems fine.