[franktoronto]

Since we started The Toronto Card Show back in 2006, it has always been in the back of my mind to prepare a list of tips for new card show vendors to give them a leg up on what can be a rather overwhelming first time setting up at a card show. I'm hoping I'll be able to get around to doing this soon and perhaps my fellow Beckett members can help me.

I'm also considering implementing a Young Vendor Start-Up Program to encourage more collectors under 40 to set up at card shows. So this "guide" may help them out as well.

So if you've setup at a card show before, what tips based on your experience would you give to a new card show dealer?

As a collector attending a card show, from your perspective (keeping in mind that all collectors have different perspectives), what tips would you give a dealer setting up at a show for the first time?

[mq13]

I am a buyer / trader at the shows locally and the Expo. As a collector I go to tables that have these 3

1) Know what you have to offer
2) Be somewhat organized
3) Business cards

[rippinwax]

My biggest rule Is never ever price full Beckett. I have heard so many vendors say "Its a starting point" and I walk away. Mark a card with a price that is fair and what you are willing to let it go for. Buyers do not want to play games. I always price my cards at what the last one sold for on e Bay, then its fair for everyone. Also, leave base cards at home or at the LCS, nobody wants them and they are heavy!

[hockeynick1721]

Be Organized - Separate your sports,
Be Friendly - Always say "Hi" first,
Price your cards - No one wants to ask what you want for each card or have you look them up,
Let the customer know what they can expect - "I don't do Hockey", "I typically sell at Low-BV", "No Trading"
Have a variety of priced cards on display - Top End Display to a $1/card box and everything in between,

[irbefan4life]

I posted this over on the other site you asked this, but:

1) As the previous poster said, be organized. Don't have those human-high piles of god-knows-what and don't just throw everything into a random box. Most everyone will pass by as it requires too much work to surf through. Place high-dollar items in a fancy showcase, and nicer items of the home-team for wherever the venue is in an additional showcase to grab the customers' attention to begin with. Have a box of reasonably-priced game-used/autograph cards organized by team and divided as such so people won't have to guess what's going on in the box. I also find that a few $1 binders of game-used and autograph cards do extraordinarily well and the diversity helps attract both the big-spenders and those who just want to add to sets or player collection. Also tell people off the bat that everything is organized and such and they will appreciate knowing that they won't have to work their butts off at a single booth.

2) Be social. If you are an anti-social anti-negotiating type, you will do worse than the average seller. If you avoid eye-contact with customers and you avoid talking with them and have a generally uninviting presence they will not want to spend time at your booth and spend money. If you are helpful, have a clue about the game of hockey or whatever sport you are selling, and are willing to spend that time negotiating, a $5 saving on a single item for a buyer could potentially turn into a $100+ larger sale than expected because of the positivity that you bring. If you aren't a social type, pretend like you are an actor in a movie and play the role of a shop-owner. Additionally, respect the buyers' personality type as well. If they appear less-social, then give them the quick lowdown of your setup and let them browse. Everyone's different, remember, and that respect could potentially go a long way.

3) Make the set-up of the booth itself inviting. Usually you get two tables for set-up, so place them in such a way that people will want to go through stuff. Don't have them placed on the inside of the booth perimeter by the back wall and the boundary of the next booth as people will feel pressure of going inside the boundaries of the booth and the pressure of a dealer hovering over their backs as they browse. Place them near the outside where the customers walk so they can browse as they walk by and potentially come back for a more detailed look later on.

4) Have a fun promotion. Not everyone does it, in fact, almost no-one does, but I find that having something fun like a draw box can bring in extra crowds. For $5 you can put a smile on a kids face with a prize like a mini-Stanley Cup, or an adults' face with a prize like a $200+ team-signed item. Brings people back, gets attention to your booth, and makes you stand out from the grumpy old guy who is so far in the past with his cards and prices that he leaves the show bitter and angry.

5) An odder one, but true: dress for success. Know your demographic and dress accordingly. Don't wear a tattered beer-logo shirt with your belly sticking out to a show. If your appearance and hygiene appear suspect, by psychology people will automatically make assumptions about you and your cards, and be less likely to spend time browsing at your station. Things I find that motivate people to stop by include wearing a hockey jersey, or clothing of the average demographic like a nice shirt and jeans. If you have a dual-display of both cards and a museum like myself this year in April, then a dress shirt and dress pants may suffice as it gives the visage of professionalism, as well as trustworthiness.

6) Price everything. The misconception is that not-pricing things in a box or showcase encourages negotiation. In fact, doing that creates the illusion that your prices are going to be too high so most people avoid asking. You drive away potential impulse buyers who would look at the prices and go "I need that". In most cases, a more hardcore set or player collector will be one of the only ones willing to ask how much x item or y item is when it is not priced.

7) Use appropriate semantics when dealing with customers. If you have a dollar binder, don't say it is full of scrubs and other junk no-one wants. Mention something about a lot of hidden gems and some other surprises within and people will take the time to look around. Mention that you have a photographic memory of your cards and that if they are looking for anything in particular you will know for sure if you have it or not. If they ask and you don't know, don't just shrug you shoulders, say "I dunno" and then tell them to look in the box instead. Additionally, don't get insulted when a customer looks at a card of a player and says something about the player being a nobody and thus the card being nothing. Everyone's different and holds different opinions. I like Arturs Irbe and he is easily one of the top 50 to ever play the game, however, some other people see him as a scrub below Devan Dubnyk in crappiness.

8) Be around. I've lost track of how many times I have wanted a card in a seller's showcase, but he was nowhere to be found. Take food with you to a show, and bring another person with you to "keep six" so if you do have to go to the washroom, the other person can be your Corey Schwab to your Martin Brodeur. I am often surprised how a change of person at your booth can often sell different items as different people have different talents and drive other types of people to the booth.

9) Don't make assumptions about buyers. A person dressed very well may think that $5 is a ridiculous amount for a card, whereas someone who doesn't look as well off may leave $500+ at your booth. Treat every buyer equally as long as they aren't spitting chewing tobacco refuse into a cup around your cards (actually seen it before).

10) Don't be the Beckett bug. If a guy asks how much the card is, don't make your first response the Beckett bible. Shows the buyer that you either have no clue about what you are selling, or that you are trying to squeeze more out of them then needs to be squeezed. Also, in most cases, the person knows what the Beckett value is and asks because he does not want to pay Beckett high. Never be the type who goes..."well, Beckett says $80, so I can do $75". Thanks, but no thanks, right?

11) Help the customer. If they are looking for items of "x" guy but say that they don't have too much time to look, there is nothing wrong with helping them out in finding it. You don't have to leave the customer to his own accord when you may know where the item is. Look back in your boxes, look back in your showcases, or even in some other stuff that may not yet be on display. Do so in a way that it appears you are actually helping them, not trying to get rid of them quicker. Tough to do, but when done successfully, produces great results. Also remember what the customer looks like in case you find something after he leaves.

12) Don't treat other booths like competition. This is a hobby and in most cases is not a livelihood for people. Direct people to other booths or recommend other booths as well, and often the favor is returned, resulting in greater business for everyone, as well as a greater rapport with other sellers for the future.

If I think of anymore, I will list some more.

[washjeff]

For the love of the hobby, do not price at Beckett. There's a guy at my local show who has a pile of inserts I need and he asks for BV.

Sorry guy. I'm not a buyer at that.

[franktoronto]

Good tips and thanks again irbe, I'm definitely going to be using some of this for a guide in due time.

Also thinking about implementing a Young Vendor Start-Up Program to assist new and young vendors. Any thoughts on that, please share. Would love to get the convo flowing and lead to something.