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My First Vendor Adventure posted by Tyler77

61 posts in this topic

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Buy Sell Trade Pray

 

Well, I have finally decided to take the plunge and set up at a local show.

 

One of the organizers knows me through my wife (she use to work for the local antique shop) asked if I would like to have a booth as he knows I buy and sell comic books on the side.

 

At first, I was hesitant to sign on for a few reasons. The main one being I am only 'set up' for selling online and there is not as much time for me to prepare as I would have liked. I don't want to have a "crappy booth". Secondly, I was/am concerned about whether or not local comic collectors will actually show up. This is as a collectibles and nostalgia show (coins, military, stamps, etc.) a kind of a "catch all" type of show and I'm not sure what the turn out for comic collectors will be.

 

What ultimately swayed me was that the price was right for tables (keeping it reasonable size, two tables), the venue is a 10 minute drive from my house and it will help get my name out there. Also, it has the side effect of making me work my butt off the next few weeks to get more of my inventory organized and priced, something I have been lax with as of late and will benefit me regardless of sales at the show. Also, I don't think I will find too much of a better opportunity to "test the waters" for maybe doing something like this again and/or at a bigger venue in the future.

 

The other important deciding factor is that my wife is more than willing to help me. As stated, she use to work for the local antique store and she has the experience I lack. She has managed and run several estate sales, set up for several years doing the local big annual antique show and knows how to manage cash and sales.

 

So, with all of that, I have decided to jump in. I have posted that I will be participating in the show on my comic book Facebook page and letting people know at my local comic shop and now the fine folks on the CGC boards so there is no turning back now!

 

Look forward to any well wishes, thoughts and kind advice.

 

See more journals by Tyler77

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Borrow a hand cart for the show, just in case parking is far away.

Pick first, then set up. I usually roll in with one or two boxes, mark my spot & then pick the room.

Bring small bills to make change (I always forget).

And bags. People will ask.

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GOOD LUCK! -

 

Some things I picked up at my first -

 

 

If you are unsure of who will be there - the random low end inventory may be the best movers - shows can help blow out the dollar books that are more of a pain to move online.

 

If you want to have slabs - limit what you show and have a box with more. Have a seperate list (more advance is to have a binder with scans of the slabs or top fdollar books). This helps moving high end in case someone is there looking- but without the panic of having the expensive stuff out there lal of the time.

 

 

The mad rush to price everything---- make up price tags by the sheet - and color code. Helps you and buyers. $1 can be simply a red dot label - then something like $2, $2, $5, $7, $10 etc. Somewhere you will hit the point where you have to hand write labels - but the smaller stuff is much easier to snag and place the labels quickly.

 

if you run low cost books (dollar bin) - make sure they are in separate boxes. With 2 tables - you will most likely not need to make too many categories (the big guys sometimes have separate .50 / $1 / $2 boxes) - this can be a lot of work - and you will have a LOT to do without worrying about too many things.

 

Also - round every price to a dollar. If ytou want to have a .50 bin --- make it 2 for $1. Making change with coins can be a PAIN.

 

BUSINESS CARDS!!!! Nothing like getting your name out there for buying - in a big collector group.

 

Table covers - some tablecloth or topper (black hides all!) - will make the booth look a lot better than the guy next to you.

 

GOOD LUCK!

 

 

 

 

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I should have stated that last weekend I picked up the following (most on sale or at the Dollar Store):

 

Bags for customers to put their purchases in

Cash Box

Calculator

Sales Slips that have carbon copy (to help keep track of what sold and for how much)

Stand Up Sign Holders (4)

Stickers - A LOT of stickers. I have the kind where you can write prices on and also colour coded stickers to use to more quickly mark $1 books.

Note: $1 box(es) will be their own and I plan on just having home made alphabetized dividers

Table cloths (white)

 

I have also done up business cards and flyers - I just have to get those printed.

 

Note to W16227: I love the CGC binder idea instead of having slabs within arm's reach. I am going to "steal" that and will just have a low priced CGC book out to help with "eye appeal". Thanks for that!

 

I have two tables reserved. One table I want to be an "eye catcher" with a variety of items and the second table I plan on having nothing but long boxes. I know I will have one $1 box and so far looking like two long boxes of completed maxi and mini series or completed story arcs. Then I will have a few popular hero books, like Supes, Spidey, Bats, X-Men, etc. I also thinking I will keep some boxes on the floor underneath.

 

I will be having a "make do" set up for "wall books" behind me - I secured a spot against the back wall so I don't have to worry about anyone or anything behind me. I plan on using a mix of low to mid grade affordable silver to some 'hot' moderns and/or books with cool covers.

 

However, the big work IS with the pricing...This is going to take up A LOT of time as for my auctions I just use to grab a theme or run or variety of books and grade them and put 40 - 50 up at a time...

 

My normally organized media room kind of looks like a bomb went off...

 

Question: I was only going to go "cash only" at this point but has anyone accepted PayPal at a show???

 

Worry: As the show is being put together fast by the organizers, it is a "catch all" collectibles show and I don't know how many comic people will show up, I am worried I won't sell that much...

 

Also, I should have just started this thread in here under my board name how most folks know me...Not my CGC Member Page Journal thingy...Newbie I am...

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I did paypal with the free reader from them. It is pretty easy. I scored a clearance ipad locking stand - so I used that as my terminal. Did not do many transactions - but glad I had it there,

 

For CGC - the binder is not my idea - I stole that from someone else! - even if you just have a hidden CGC box that you can pull out - that is enough (with a couple out) - you will see the ones interested in slabs pretty quickly.

 

The labels - if you can use a printer - this saves a ton of time and writing.

 

If you do a lot of other sales (like online) - think of what you might find harder to move - and take as much of that as you can. I was really happy with my dollar book sales. Got rid of a TON of books that would be a lot more difficult to move online.

 

good luck - post a report when you are done!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Question: I was only going to go "cash only" at this point but has anyone accepted PayPal at a show???

 

Worry: As the show is being put together fast by the organizers, it is a "catch all" collectibles show and I don't know how many comic people will show up, I am worried I won't sell that much.

 

Yeah. I have stood there while someone PayPal's a gift payment. Us both checking our balances via cell phone.

 

You could leave a few handbills at the LCS to promote your booth. Or put in a plug via Craigslist.

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I did paypal with the free reader from them. It is pretty easy. I scored a clearance ipad locking stand - so I used that as my terminal. Did not do many transactions - but glad I had it there,

 

For CGC - the binder is not my idea - I stole that from someone else! - even if you just have a hidden CGC box that you can pull out - that is enough (with a couple out) - you will see the ones interested in slabs pretty quickly.

 

The labels - if you can use a printer - this saves a ton of time and writing.

 

If you do a lot of other sales (like online) - think of what you might find harder to move - and take as much of that as you can. I was really happy with my dollar book sales. Got rid of a TON of books that would be a lot more difficult to move online.

 

good luck - post a report when you are done!

 

 

I will look into getting a reader from PayPal.

 

Well, the binder may not have been your idea, but I will use it! I will keep a CGC box on hand though too.

 

I will post a report too for sure.

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Question: I was only going to go "cash only" at this point but has anyone accepted PayPal at a show???

 

Worry: As the show is being put together fast by the organizers, it is a "catch all" collectibles show and I don't know how many comic people will show up, I am worried I won't sell that much.

 

Yeah. I have stood there while someone PayPal's a gift payment. Us both checking our balances via cell phone.

 

You could leave a few handbills at the LCS to promote your booth. Or put in a plug via Craigslist.

 

There is a poster up at the LCS.

 

I have advertised on my own Facebook comic page that I will be at the show and the local LCS gave me a shout out on their Facebook page that I will be there selling comics (the only other comic guy at the show works at the LCS). But yeah, throwing another one up on Kijiji or Craigslist might be useful too.

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Question: I was only going to go "cash only" at this point but has anyone accepted PayPal at a show???

 

Worry: As the show is being put together fast by the organizers, it is a "catch all" collectibles show and I don't know how many comic people will show up, I am worried I won't sell that much.

 

Yeah. I have stood there while someone PayPal's a gift payment. Us both checking our balances via cell phone.

 

You could leave a few handbills at the LCS to promote your booth. Or put in a plug via Craigslist.

 

I get nervous with gift payments - the paypal CC reader is free -you have to pay cc fees, but that is in the ballpark of a straight ppal transaction anyway.

 

 

craigslist - is a great idea (or whatever other additional social media you can get blasted out there).

 

 

 

 

 

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I looked into the PayPal reader. Not available for Canada yet.

 

I'm also nervous about offering PayPal via the other way as I could get scammed. I might make it an option only if a local or someone I have dealt with in the past wants it/would help them out.

 

The other option I am looking at is The Square CC Reader but I think I am just really going to push cash only now but it might be nice to have a CC reader available as well "just in case".

 

Update on Work:

 

I set up a mock 'Table 1' on my kitchen table and like how it displays and think it will present very nicely and took pictures so I can remember how I had it. The first table will be a mix of neat items, comics, magazines, supplies and digests and some signage.

 

I have almost finished deciding what 16 books are going to go up as my "wall books" - I have room for 16 raw books, so going to go with 4 affordable silver, 6 bronze age books and 6 copper/modern. Books will be a mix of keys, #1's and maybe a variant cover. I will also have some others ready to go in case any of them actually sell so I can readily put something else up to take their place.

 

I finished putting together the binder for my CGC books. I like how it looks. I just found out though I have a few more books coming back from CGC in time for the show (YAY) so will have to add a few more pages.

 

In terms of comics, I also have two long boxes of completed mini and maxi series, full story arcs or series put together and priced. I have a mix of DC, Marvel, Image and even Pacific Comics collected in those two boxes. Examples of some runs include but not limited to: Complete Alien Worlds (Pacific), Batman: The Cult, Moon Knight #1 - #25, original He-Man mini,1st Punisher mini, Supergirl #1 - #10...Just what I can remember off top of my head...Basically tried to do a mix that would appeal to different budgets and tastes...

 

Thought for the Day:

 

Getting a bit nervous about getting it ALL done in time. I'm going to my inlaws this weekend for Thanksgiving. I am losing out on some serious time to prepare as I still have a lot of work to do with grading, pricing, etc I am going to have to step it up in the next two weeks.

 

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Update:

 

Finalized what items and how my "Table 1" will look. Wife is happy that the kitchen table is back to 'normal'.

 

Completed two full long boxes of completed mini, maxi, series and story arcs, all bagged and priced with a few more collected works ready to be included should to top up the box should a few sets move.

 

This week's goal:

 

Finalize "Wall Books" during the week and by the weekend have more boxes priced. On the weekend finalize the $1 and $2 boxes.

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After an hour or two, either rotate the wall books to make it look like a few sold, or remove one or two to give the same impression.

 

Not sure how the turn out will be for this show but that is a good idea. I will have a selection ready to sub in and out. (thumbs u

 

We do well with a couple of less expensive books on the wall that make good impulse buys if people can see them. We sell tons of Spawn #1 and Venom #1 that way, not to mention lower grade Byrne X-mens. If they sit in the boxes they don't move, but if folks see them they'll do quite well.

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Well, my only competitor (who is an acquaintance), who has just one table, told me he is going to "unload" his 5 boxes of garbage, and that if someone makes an offer he may go down to 25 cents a book for all of them but generally thinking he is sticking with 1 dollar/ 50 cents for generals sales.

 

Now, most of his stuff is all recent moderns...My drek is mostly copper/early modern...Is there any point to me bringing along lots of my drek or should I focus on the middle to upper tier books? I was thinking that in addition to my two boxes of completed mini's/maxi's etc., that maybe I would just have one or maybe two "cheapo" boxes.

 

Thoughts?

 

 

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Well, my only competitor (who is an acquaintance), who has just one table, told me he is going to "unload" his 5 boxes of garbage, and that if someone makes an offer he may go down to 25 cents a book for all of them but generally thinking he is sticking with 1 dollar/ 50 cents for generals sales.

 

Now, most of his stuff is all recent moderns...My drek is mostly copper/early modern...Is there any point to me bringing along lots of my drek or should I focus on the middle to upper tier books? I was thinking that in addition to my two boxes of completed mini's/maxi's etc., that maybe I would just have one or maybe two "cheapo" boxes.

 

Thoughts?

 

 

It doesn't sound like there would be a lot of overlap between your material, so if you wanted to take your stuff I don't think you'd be in direct competition (i.e., if someone is looking for moderns they'll buy from him, coppers they'll buy from you). You could stick to a buck a book even if he starts blowing stuff out and still be ok. If you plan to do this more often you might even consider buying him out at a quarter a book to stock up for later shows!

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