Update and Comment: Two Charity Theft Cases in a Week?

Update and Comment: Two Charity Theft Cases in a Week?
Foal (Not Raoul) Duke, Tuesday 13th May 2019

Notice someone special missing from this set? She was stolen. Photo courtesy HypnoHooves.

Readers who follow Twitter lately will have heard of Filly Con's twitter account being hijacked. The hijacker is putting out various accusations, and there are allegations of charity money theft as well. The new user's output consists, amongst other things, alt-right political memes and other internet nonsense that makes us reluctant to call them adults with a straight face.

The allegations of charity theft include money not going to the charity in question, and dodgy vendors, to the tune of thousands of dollars.

Things are currently in a state of flux, but we'll be sure to keep you updated as we obtain more information.

Another more straightforward theft occurred at Griffish Isles this weekend - the con Chair HypnoHooves informs me that a collectible Derpy figure from the MLP version of Game of Life they had arranged for the games room has been stolen.

HH had the foresight to ask the St Thomas Centre to save the footage of the day before it began and they will soon be looking through it. It may be someone picked it up by mistake. They've sent an email to all attendees urging everyone to check their bags.

In the meantime they are hoping to come to an arrangement with the Centre to help cover the loss of money caused by the GoL set now being incomplete. Lots of paperwork to begin with in getting deposits back, and now this.

Bring Derpy back, I say. The staff will keep us updated, so watch this space. This is a real dick move for such a small con to suffer, with only about 150 attendees, because they only make so much money on the con for the next year, and they have to pay an excess to the insurance company. 'Plus,' says HypnoHooves, 'if we have a claim it pretty much ends the con's ability to get cheap insurance moving forward.'

For context, this sort of lot could go for at least £50, and last year the con made £945 for the GMCVO. This would, if it happened last year, reduce the amount raised by 5%, a noteable dent. 125 attendees x £35 per ticket = £4375. Round it to £5000 with VIP tickets. That isn't much cash BEFORE any insurance excess fees, plus the fees coming off that for next year (about £400 going by the site) and an insurance hike of at least four times as an absolute bare minimum.

In short, the con suffers, and it may push the prices for next year's tickets upwards and also how much they can afford to donate, and in turn how many people will want to attend. Not to mention this will reduce the con surplus, their cut from shirt and autograph sales .

Like I said, a dick move.
The person who owned the set has considered leaving the fandom.

In a more positive light, both attendance and charity figures were up 30 to 40% this year: last year the auction raised £600, and with the charity cut from autographs, shirt sales etc, £945. This year it was £808 and £1273. This also puts attendance up ftom 125 to 170.

Hypno said on tne auction total. 'Even if we subtract this. we are going to provide to the charity MORE than was raised at the auction, which directly ties into the increase in numbers.' So there's some food for thought. Perhaps other cons should take up this method. Nevertheless, even this far into the fandom, we continue to grow.

Watch this space for updates.