A cosplayer dressed as The Joker attends the New York Comic Con at Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on October 03, 2019 in New York City.

It's a rainy October morning, barely past 9 a.m. in New York City, and already there is a line stretching five blocks from the heart of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on 11th Avenue.

Huddled under umbrellas and outstretched jackets, Captain Marvel, Black Panther, Harley Quinn and several Pokemon trainers stood in line, waiting to be the first to buy collectibles, score autographs and get into another line for upcoming panels, some not until late in the day.

For the 14th year, the Javits Center has played host to New York Comic Con (NYCC), an annual event launched by ReedPop, an offshoot of event organizer Reed Exhibitions.

At least 200,000 tickets were sold for the four-day event, Lance Fensterman, CEO ReedPop, said. It's a far cry from the 12,000 attendees the convention saw during its first year of operation in 2006.

At that time, attendees often swapped comic books for cash. Today, the event has many vendors. Artist Alley is a section of the Javits Center filled with 500 artists selling everything from hand-drawn portraits to enamel pins.

2019 also marks the first year that ReedPop is testing out cashless pay. Fensterman said the company has been talking about adding the feature since it introduced RFID badges five years ago. Partnering with CitiBank, ReedPop was able to create a pilot program with several vendors at the convention this year. Cashless pay is a way to make New York Comic Con a more seamless event for fans.

It also hosts a number of major merchandisers and comic book vendors like Funko, Dark Horse Comics and Marvel. And then there are the small business vendors selling vintage toys and other memorabilia.