San Diego Comic-Con may still be weeks away, but the time has come to get in line – a virtual line that is. This isn’t a ride for the faint of heart, but like so many things when it comes to SDCC, with effort comes reward. So, here are the tips that will maximize your potential to get that elusive Monster High two-pack on your shelf at home:

Treat the Online Pre-Sale Like All Online SDCC Competitions

Just like passes…and hotels…and parking…and everything else, the MattyCollector pre-sale requires that you have fully operational tech, patience and Flash-like speed. So, turn to your calendar now and get this down:

Early Access: Monday June 23 8AM to Tuesday June 24 8AM PT (subscribers only)
All Access: Tuesday June 24 9AM to Wednesday June 30 11:59PM PT (open to everyone)

Just like last year, this year they are opening it up to subscribers first. We don’t know just how much will sell, or even sell out, during this subscriber Early Access sale, and if MattyCollector is limiting quantities so that items are still available during the All Access sale a day later. In 2013, for example, items were limited to six per person and supply was not limited between subscribers and everyone else. Matty has again warned items may sell out before the All Access sale on June 24.

Saying that, do not treat this as if it is something you can wander into two minutes late. You already fought to earn your pass into SDCC, so you know what it takes to earn a Comic-Con trophy like that Doomsday figure. If you log-in at the starting bell, you risk losing out altogether.

Have Your Order Written Out

For many of the MattyCollector items, it’ll be a blink and you miss it type of a moment. There will be no time to debate on whether you want one or two Hordak figures, there’ll only be time to order and submit. Furthermore, are you ordering for others? If you’re picking up an extra Monster High set for your friend, you need to know it and have it as part of your order. There will be limits on how many items can be purchased of each item, so watch for more on this.

Beware that your card will be charged the second you press submit on your order. If you do not have funds in your account, your order will be declined and the items will be released back into the pool. There will be no time to for second chances on this, so make sure that you have calculated your order cost and have available funds prior to the day of the pre-sale.

Understand the Details

Like anything with Comic-Con, if you go in cold turkey you’re bound to miss out altogether. Therefore, a complete understanding of the details of the sale is imperative. Here’s the info direct from Matty:

• There’s a limited amount of each product available for pre-order, so shop early for best selection. Availability is first-come, first-served for both Early Access (open to subscribers only) and All Access (open to everyone) and there are no promises you’ll be able to purchase a voucher for every product. If products sell out during Early Access, no additional products will be made available for the pre-sale.
• Your credit card will be charged and a confirmation email will be sent. This is your voucher and you’ll need it to pick up your products so be sure you use a valid email address when you place your order.
• Pick up your product in person at SDCC on one of these dates/times: Thursday 7/24, Friday 7/25, or Saturday 7/26 from 8–11 a.m. or 3–7 p.m. in the Torrey Pines room at the Marriot San Diego Hotel and Marina, which is just next door to (and connected to) the San Diego Convention Center.
• To redeem your voucher for the specified products, you must present all of the following:

• Printout of the email confirming your order (voucher)
• Your photo ID
• Your 2014 San Diego Comic-Con badge
• The credit card used for this transaction

• If you’re unable to pick up your product(s) by 7:00 p.m. on Saturday 7/26, they will become available for resale at the show on Sunday 7/27. You may be able to purchase it on Sunday 7/27, but there are no guarantees.
• Please be sure you can personally pick up your purchase(s) at SDCC during the specified dates/times. If you’re only attending SDCC on Sunday 7/27, please do not purchase a voucher.
• Products cannot be shipped. Vouchers are for pick up at SDCC only, and only available to SDCC attendees (badges will be required).  

We’ll have tips on booth times during the con, as our team will be tweeting updates. That said, do not miss picking up your items or you will lose them. Yes, you heard us right – if you miss pick-up, you’ll lose the items and your money. You’ve been warned.

In addition, make sure to plan for long wait times. The MattyCollector pre-sale pick-up room is known for major variance on wait times with wait times ranging from 2 hours to 2 minutes last year. Follow along with us on Twitter as we retweet updates throughout the show. In general the first days are most crowded as vendors need to get their items early so that they can get them up for sale on the SDCC floor. Despite this, it is still a far better option than trying to obtain the items without the advantage of the pre-sale. The regular line-up for MattyCollector is right there with Hasbro as one of the most difficult at SDCC, so make sure to utilize the pre-sale to cut at least a bit of the time and frustration.

Keep checking with us at SDCC Blog for more tips as the show comes near. Until then, leave us a comment and let us know if you’re going to participate in the pre-sale and what items you are targeting.