Today it was reported that Wizard World will be scaling back a number of their cons due to a $4.25 million loss in 2015.

As a con goer and someone who has been to their shows, I am not surprised. We recently discussed what it is to be a consumer who attends these shows regularly and the impact it has on our wallets.

This has been a sign that some cons have reached a saturation point and consumers will only spend so much. When one looks at what Wizard cons used to be – a comic book fan friendly convention – vs the media-centric show that it’s become, it’s no wonder that shows like these aren’t making money.

Another issue I have been hearing about a lot more, is that Wizard World (and more recently MegaCon) have attempted to charge people for panels. How greedy must one be to do this? It’s not enough to charge people to come into the show, pay more for a signature or a photo op, and if you choose to eat, you are paying the price that the vendors will escalate on the floor. Speaking of vendors, there are a lot of vendors who in recent years, that have stopped associating with larger shows such as Wizard World because they accuse them of charging high rental fees. Then on the back end of things, some of the celebrity guests are signed to exclusive contracts with some cons which does not allow them to even go to smaller shows. Meaning the majority of the money that guest brings in, stays at the show. That’s just a shady practice right there.

Mind you, I am not mad at the hustle. Wizard World and a few other shows that are now seeing losses in revenue decided a while back that, if just one person will pay the exorbitant price to come, then it’s permissible. Thus, each year the costs of shows crept up and up. The number and costs of celebrities kept going up. As mentioned, even hidden costs such as coming to panels were thrown in to take more money from consumers. Sadly, the last time this conversation came about, I talked to people who had maxed their credit cards, spent rent money and even a few that put cons over their health just to go to a show. Again, when you look at the guest lists that some of these shows, it’s worth it when you’ve got the money. But, honestly, can you justify parting with $200 for a photo op that may last just under 30 seconds?

With this news today, I think that this is just a sign that consumers have had enough. Most of us would love to go to these shows and meet these guests, but not at the risk of failing to be financially responsible for more important things. If 4 million in losses is not a sign that fans are saying ‘no’ to these practices, then don’t expect these shows to be around much longer if they continue them.