As with many other planned Convergence events, I enjoyed the idea of the vendor room more than I enjoyed the execution. Putting goth consumers in the same room as vendors of items both curious and rare would seem the perfect match. In reality it was crowded and overstimulating. There were a great many racks of corsets, thousands of trinkets, and PVC galore - it just didn't seem much fun. The only thing that caught my eye was a pink spiked collar going for $50. But me being me, I couldn't decide. Was it worth fifty bucks to bother the hardcore gawths in the Garden? And hadn't I spent enough already? Furthermore, I had seen a remarkable pair of high-heeled two-tone shoes on sale at a nearby shoe store...wouldn't I be better off with some snazzy ska-approved shoes? Fortunately, it was then that I caught sight of the Baron. Baron von Marcus is a highly visible individual in the Toronto goth scene. As lead singer of the Vampire Beach Babes, he provides a much-needed note of levity in a culture that takes itself a wee bit seriously. He's also the friendliest goth boi I've ever met, always smiling, always ready to chat to a friendly face. I sometimes think of him as the One Man TorGoth Welcoming Committee. For some reason I decided in that vendor's room that he, as Baron, would be the ultimate arbiter of my fashion dilemma. Perhaps I place too much trust in the princes of this world. I walked over, smiling. "Baron, I beseech your wisdom," I said by way of greeting. His happy smile turned into a thoughtful stare. I outlined the problem: two-toned shoes or pink spiked collar? He pondered the matter for a few moments, then weighed the matter. "I like the collar. But I have to say, the shoes will be more useful. Yeah. Go for the shoes." And that was that.