I've been to a couple of Comic Cons, but I'm not very knowledgeable about the ordeal that is trying to get exclusives.

I signed up as a volunteer, thinking that would maybe give me some kind of edge. But then I read that first-time volunteers are not allowed to attend Preview Night, which, to my understanding, is where you're supposed to get the tickets or whatever that allow you to stand in the exclusive lines over the weekend. (Now, I've never volunteered or been to a Preview Night, so I don't even really know what I'm talking about.)

So I'm eager to hear any advice from people who've been there before. Am I better off not volunteering and just buying a 4-day + Preview Night pass? Or is Preview Night not really worth it, and I'd have just as good a chance of getting exclusives without it?

I've got nothing against standing in long lines. It's being told I'm not even allowed to get in line because I don't have some stupid ticket or pass that drives me up the wall (and is exactly what happened to me the last time I went).

Not that I've actually been to SDCC, but I remember Mattel issuing a statement that only people with paid four-day tickets with preview night would be allowed to purchase anything that night. No dealers or press but I'm not sure how that affects volunteers.

I volunteered back in 2002, so unless anything's changed since then:

The only perk is getting into the show for free once you've completed your shift. That's it.

When it comes to exclusives, usually there's a different color each day and every day has an allotment. So something sold out in Thursday will go back on sale on Friday, and so on.

Thanks, guys. That's two pretty big arguments in favor of going the Preview Night route.

I went last year and most exclusives were easily had all weekend. I had a 4 day pass w/o preview night and was abl to get everything I wanted. The only twist was with the Hasbro stuff you had to go stand in a line in the Sails Pavilion before the Con opened to get a ticket to stand in line to purchase whatever you wanted from the Hasbro booth on the exhibit floor. Same was true for the Reverse Flash figure last year and I think Mattel may have done it but I didn't want to lug back a huge Marshmellow man and Sentinel last year on an air plane.

Volunteers did however get a free exclusive T-Shirt from the fulfillment room. Like previously stated the main perk of volunteering is getting a free badge for the day that might have otherwise been sold out.

As press, I've been able to purchase exclusives at Hasbro on preview night. They're the most difficult vendor to purchase from, IMO. Mattel waffles on this, and will/won't sell on preview night, it's hard to predict. Dealers can't buy on preview night anymore. Some of the larger online retailers also get regular bases, and pay people to stand in line at Hasbro, and buy TONS of stuff, literally blocking the next isle upon purchase. Preview night passes can be easier to purchase, but expect to spend a few hours in line, especially if you can't get on the floor early.

Hasbro isn't hard to purchase from at all. You just have to know how to. You have to get a ticket in the morning as soon as the convention opens from the Sails Pavilion. They have lines for Autograph tickets as well as certain oppurtunities to purchase exclusives.

Remind me how the Hasbro line works again.

I think when the doors open in the AM you get a ticket at the hasbro booth to get into a line up where they have all the autographs, and come back to the Hasbro booth with a ticket that tells you the time you should stand in line. Is this right? Or can I just go upstairs when the con opens and get in line for Hasbro to get the ticket to wait in line downstairs?

It's the opposite actually. (at least in years past) Go upstairs to get a ticket at the sails pavilion (where the autographs are) the ticket will have a time range when you can go back and get in line downstairs on the main floor at the Hasbro booth.

What Julius said is correct. You get the ticket from the Sails pavilion. Last year though there wasn't a time frame to get your stuff. You could use it whenever for Hasbro. Also sometimes you can line up before the con opens actually. There's a set of stairs that kind of takes you to the back of the Convention center and up to the Sails pavilion.