Your comments portray a fairly negative view of convention dealers. You may want to consider some additional points of view:
1) Dealer table fees are the most profitable source of revenue for the CCGTCC. You might say that the dealer fees subsidize most of the other CCGTCC activities. Dealers should be praised for their dedication to the hobby and the hours they put in at their convention tables while the rest of us are out having fun. Dealers typically do not make much money at the convention, once you consider the expenses they incur.
2) A typical dealer probably brings around 2,000 items with them to the convention. For many dealers it is the only event they attend each year. Prices change regularly and it is a huge task to go over all of your items and reprice them every year.
3) If you put prices on everything, some will be too low, some too high and some just right. If the price is too low, the dealer is screwed. If the price is too high, no sale is made. You should know the price you want to pay and offer that to the dealer whether or not there is a price on it. I am almost always able to make a deal at the right price for something that I want. Most dealers are very willing to negotiate.
I am not a dealer, I am a collector. But I did have a table at two conventions. I can tell you that it is hard work with not enough reward. Now I just attend the conventions to trade, shop and have fun with my friends. Having a table is just too much work. I don't think that there is anything sinister about not putting prices on items for sale. So that is my point of view about convention dealers. I hope that you can see that there are different and reasonable points of view to this situation.
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