SALT LAKE CITY — Fans gathered at the Salt Palace Convention Center Friday to meet “Spider-Man” superstar Tom Holland.
Photo ops with the star were being sold for a price of more than $200. In fact, the FanX website said it cost $225 for a photo and $225 for an autograph. Both of those were sold ahead of the FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention, which ran from Thursday through the weekend for three days and had between 80,000 and 100,000 in attendance. The official price for Holland’s photo was not listed.
But for most, this was just a small fee in return for the chance to meet their idol.
“It was super expensive, but he’s totally worth it,” fan Alex Petterborg said. “He’s great, so it’s good to see fans excited to meet him.”
Many fans flew in from out-of-state just to meet Holland, meaning they had to not only buy tickets for the event, but plane tickets as well.
Illinois native Lucy Evans told the Deseret News that her total expenses — tickets, costumes and more — cost upwards of $1,000.
Evans did not know she was coming to FanX until a couple weeks prior to the event, but said that the trip meant a lot to her because of how Holland had changed her life.
“He’s so kind and humble, he inspires me to be a better person and he’s saved me multiple times from hurting myself,” Evans said. “I’m so happy that I live in a world where he exists, I would do anything to meet him at any time.”
Similarly, Texas native Abby Haxel said the trip was very important to her because Holland had helped her through her anxiety and given her an escape.
“It didn’t feel like a big spend to me, it was worth it for sure,” Haxel said.
Because up to four people are allowed per photo op, friends Lauren Roberts and McKenzie Bell chose to split the price.
“We love Tom Holland, we love Spider-Man and we love all the Marvel films,” Bell said. “We think it’s really fun to meet the people we look up to.”
Sisters Brooke and Paige Miller, from Idaho, opted to share the photo op as well. They were excited about “the opportunity to meet someone (they had) seen on the big screen.”
When asked about getting a photo with the “Spider-Man” star versus getting an autograph, the sisters were adamant.
“The picture is more memorable,” said Brooke Miller, expressing that it was worth it to “have that moment where (they were) standing next to him.”
Fan Jenna Prestwich, however, feels differently. Although she had decided to do the photo op with a friend, she said she “(prefers) doing autographs, because (she gets) to talk to the celebrities more.”
Prestwich said she had attended FanX “probably eight or nine times” and bought her ticket before she knew that Holland would be attending.
“If I hadn’t bought a ticket, I would have bought one to come see Tom,” she said with a laugh. “It’s Tom Holland — you’ve got to come see him. He’s fantastic.”