You know, JimmytheSaint, the hygiene seemed worse to me this year, too, and particularly considering I may have spent an all-time low amount of time in the Exhibit Hall, that is even more surprising. And here I thought the mainstreaming of Gen-Con would lead inexorably to better hygiene...
YAY: Auction, Auction Store, Exhibition Hall, and basically every other part of Gen-Con. Another year feeling like the only convention attendees who know about the Fat Rooster, the absolute closest-to-Gen-Con restaurant that is somehow always empty (and has a great buffet complete with custom-made pasta bar to boot). My 18th Gen-Con, and I hope I am just getting started! Still my favorite part of every year.
BOO: I forgot to go to Bee Coffee this year :( Oh and another year of being perpetually overheating and hearing people complaining about the cold convention center ;) (no I get it, I have always been the heat-outlier my whole life). Oh and I tried to pick up the D120 from Lou Zocchi at Gamescience (he had them at Gary Con, but only took cash, and I had absolutely none with me then)...only to find that he could not locate them. Yes I realize I could just get one online, but that is no fun.
HYPERBOO: I really cannot think of anything extraordinarily bad that happened for me this year, other than the show ending. Well O.K., someone stealing our group's balcony flag from the Embassy Suites was total crap, but it also makes for a good story, and certainly has nothing directly to do with Gen-Con.
Though ADCJones saying he will not look at the Auction Store again in the future because there were people pricing things too high this year is kind of a hyperboo. New year, new people; you kind of have to go every year if you want to always find the good deals. Agreed though that it makes no sense for people to put things in the Auction Store at regular price if they are still available for purchase elsewhere.