SDCC ’25: Diamond and The Mystery of Booth 2401

As San Diego Comic-Con looms, we quite often take a look at the floor plan to see who’s in who’s out, and what’s new. 

This year’s floor plan seems pretty similar to last year’s. 

But there is quite an intriguing mystery here: just what will be at booth #2401, formerly Diamond Comics? And while were at it, the nearby Booth #2607, Diamond Select Toys & Collectibles, LLC? Both are still listed on the website as Diamond and DST. 

I’ve been wondering this for a while (and I’m sure some other people have been, as well). Would New Diamond’s owner, Ad Populum, use this prime space for its other companies, like NECA, KidRobot or Rubies? 

In actuality, both NECA and KidRobot are long time SDCC exhibitors. And for 2025, they will have their usual booths, NECA at #3545 and Kid Robot at #2846. Both have long been located in the “toy section” of Comic-Con in Halls D and E. 

Both companies have been sending out invitations to visit! 

I imagine these booths will be getting some visitors, alright, perhaps some angry publishers who haven’t been paid since May 16. 

So if NECA and Kid Robot have their usual booths, what will be in the Diamond spaces? Diamond Select Toys has been shut down, and Diamond Comic Distributors isn’t really doing any business anymore, or even giving people any explanations. I continue asking publishers and Diamond personnel if they have been paid or informed what is going on, and I keep hearing no. 

At least one Diamond employee – who goes back to the pre-bankruptcy Ancient Diamond – posted on social media that they would be working at SDCC this year, although they were uncertain exactly where….or for what company. 

Spitballing here. While “sub-letting” booth space at SDCC is not allowed, long time exhibitors are sometimes given leave to take a year off if they have hardships that temporarily prevent them from exhibiting. In theory New Diamond could have made some deal of this kind…but the fact that both booths are listed as the original DCD and DST suggests this did not happen. 

Maybe there will be an expanded presence for other Ad Populum companies, which include Rubies, WizKids, Enesco and Smiffys? This is prime real estate on the show floor, so you can understand why a new owner would want to take advantage of it. 

Or maybe, and incredibly, it will just be a Diamond booth, staffed by the few remaining employees? While this seems a fantastical idea, so many fantastical things have happened over the last six months, nothing is impossible. 

If it is a Diamond booth, however, I imagine that a lot of publishers and creators are going to stop by and have a lot of questions. A lot of pointed questions. It might go something like this. 

Exciting!

While we wait for answers, however, remember: be kind. The booths will likely be staffed by people who don’t have answers or aren’t allowed to say. But they will probably still get some visitors. 

All speculation. We’ll get the answer to the mystery of Booth #2401 on July 23rd!