On Thursday, Anime NYC Artist Alley vendor Grape posted on X/Twitter about having their cashbox stolen from table W-05, describing the incident in as much detail as they could. Other reports soon surfaced of Artist Alley vendors and helpers being robbed of expensive cameras, display trading cards, and even a sign from the Play NYC alley on the lower level.
But when I asked around on Saturday, the incidents posted about on Thursday were the only incidents anyone could tell me about.
I went to W-05 several times to see if I could interview Grape about the theft, but every time I went by their table on Saturday, they were dealing with a crowd of customers three people deep. With so much traffic, it’s easy to understand how a vendor could be distracted and robbed, especially if the thieves were working as a group the way they had been in this incident. The space behind the booths in the Anime ANYC is also quite wide, which makes it easy for vendors to move in and out of their booths, but also makes it easier for attendees to walk behind booths in an effort to avoid the crowds. Adding signage or a rope barrier on the ends might make it clearer to attendees that this space is off-limits to them, but multiple artists mentioned guests cutting through this space. Corner tables like W-05 are the most accessible from all directions, which makes them the most vulnerable.
When I asked four other corner table Artist Alley vendors if they’d had any experiences with theft at Anime NYC, they all said they personally had not had any problems, but the table that did have their cashbox stolen (W-05) had gone around and warned all of them after the incident, allowing them to take precautions like move their cash to more secure storage. Some tables set up banners or luggage to block off the side open to the aisle. All were keeping a close watch on their stuff.
Though I wasn’t able to talk to Grape or their helper, I was able to speak with Rideth_Mochi at table B-21 in the middle of a row, who lost some of their display cards on Thursday. Rideth said the theft happened during a busy period, when someone just grabbed a handful of cards and ran. After their cards were stolen, Rideth added signage telling customers not to pick up or handle the display cards and taped them down for extra security. This was the first time something like that had happened to them, but they’d heard of similar incidents at AX and previous Anime NYCs. Other tables I talked to had also mentioned that they’d heard of theft at previous Anime NYC shows, but didn’t have specific examples.They mentioned that conventions they table at in the Midwest usually do not have problems with theft to their knowledge.
On Saturday, CBSNews published an article about multiple arrests made in connection with thefts at Anime NYC. In addition to the $600 of cash stolen on Thursday, someone had stolen $9,600 worth of Pokemon cards from a vendor on Friday (only the latest in a rash of Pokemon card thefts). Multiple artists I’d talked to had heard that the stolen cashbox contained over a thousand dollars, so that combined with the way the victim was described as “attending the anime convention” and not vending makes me unsure if the incident mentioned in the article is the same incident. But such high-profile cases of theft means Anime NYC should reconsider their approach to security on the show floor.
It’s true that artists are responsible for their own tables. However, the fact that the thieves were able to get in without badges and leave unapprehended means the current security setup is not enough. NYCC and AX both use tap-in tap-out badges that physically prevent anyone from entering the convention without a badge, but I saw multiple people walking around Anime NYC without visible badges.
Stricter security could possibly help cut down on these kinds of incidents at Anime NYC. In the meantime, artists will continue to keep each other aware and remind each other to be cautious – and despite the friendly community atmosphere at such shows, a reminder that the cash box should be secured at all times.
