I hadn't at first.
Started going to one convention once a year for about three years, starting at 13.
My first time going all four days was the fourth year. Didn't start cosplaying until my fifth year, which is what I regret most. Now I'm 21 and am still totally into the scene, but all the fans are middle schoolers.
Weird stuff.

I'm 23, and I only started cosplaying this past year. I love the costuming, but the cons themselves don't hold as much interest for me as they might have when I was younger. So in that respect, yeah, I do think I got into the scene a little too late.

I think I need to start going to more comic and sci-fi conventions, they tend to have an older crowd. The downside is that there tend to be fewer cosplayers at those cons.

No seeing as I got into it when I was 18/19. But now that I'm 27 I do feel like I belong much more at multi genre cons than anime cons.

>>1422782
You must be going to the wrong cons. Try D*Con sometime, buttloads of costumers of just about every variety. And aside from the three main event costume contests some of the tracks have their own as well.

>>1422863
The problem with D*Con is people abuse the 18+ requirement to just walk around naked. There isn't any real interest in cosplay because people would rather follow the girl wearing three pieces of tape around than talk with you

I'm gonna be 26th next month and I've only cosplayed at a con once and it was a closet cosplay. I'm looking forward to learning how to sew and make my own props. I think as long as you love anime and sci fi you can still go to cons and cosplay. I ended up talking to random 14 yr olds in lines about anime and how there were 20+ L cosplayers running around. Age really is just a number.

I went to my first ANIME con at 19. Yes, I feel like I got into it WAAAAAY too late. Way too many young'ns running around.

Which is why I only go to Dragon*Con, Blizzcon, PAX, and Adult Entertainment Expo. Want a con with no kiddies running around? Adult Entertainment Expo in Las Vegas, baby. It's an amazing experience when you're with a group of older friends.

I was 17 when I first went (18 now, will be 19 for next con) but the crowd that cosplays tends to be around my age.
Each year there are more and more younger cosplayers though... it's nice to see more people interested in cosplay but it has also meant more Narutards. I saw this one girl (15) who was wearing a FMA jacket, Naruto forehead protector, cat ears, with long blonde hair, fishnets, black nails and trackpants claiming to be Naruto... part of me died that day.

>>1422877

WOW, have you even been to Dragon*con or just seen pics? Cause there is way more fuckwin than naked. People there really appreciate costumes.


OP, I started at 18 back in 1997 when everyone was about that age. Michiru, Inara, Alisa, Lander, and Nadine were all about my age too. Seeing the crowd get younger was a little dismaying as I thought I was getting too old. But i really don't feel that way anymore. Perhaps it's because you can't really tell my age. But as you get older you pick up more media cons and find that there is a MUCH wider age range. Though I have to say it is nothing but a number. I've chatted it up with very cool 14 yr olds and very cool 40 yr olds.

>>1422906I saw this one girl (15) who was wearing a FMA jacket, Naruto forehead protector, cat ears, with long blonde hair, fishnets, black nails and trackpants claiming to be Naruto... part of me died that day.

She was just being an anime fan at an anime con. You should probably get over it. You're probably lying about the "claiming to be naruto" part anyway since I doubt you talked to her.

I loathe to admit it now, but I began going to cons in middle school and was totally one of those screaming yaoi fangirls in half-assed costumes. My friends and I did mature in high school and begin improving our cosplay, but we do admit that we enjoyed conventions more while being nerdy naive younguns. We're in college now though, and conventions are a great way for us to meet up since we're scattered across the country, and now that we can make decent costumes we have a renewed sense of fun.

And honestly age is just a number, I have some teenage friends who are very mature and make great costumes, and I know some 30+ fuckwits who glomp and smack people with yaoi paddles.

I discovered anime cons in my mid-20s.

>>1422877
There is no 18+ requirement for D*Con. Who the fuck has been filling your head with lies?

some of the official galleries from this past one:
costuming contest:
http://photos.dragoncon.org/main.php?g2_itemId=68802
hall contest:
http://photos.dragoncon.org/main.php?g2_itemId=80783
masquerade:
http://photos.dragoncon.org/main.php?g2_itemId=79236

There is indeed a huge interest in quality costumes at Dragon*Con.