How to vend at your first card show

Your first card show as a vendor is mostly about not being caught out. Bring the right gear, price everything before you arrive, and know how you'll take payment. The sales follow from there.

Pick the right first show

A smaller local show is the best first table. It's cheaper, the pace is slower, and you'll learn more from talking to the vendors beside you than from any guide.

Before you book, check:

• What sells there. A sports card show and a TCG show draw different buyers. Look at past vendor lists and photos.
• What the table includes: its size, chairs, power, and how many vendor passes.
• Load-in time and parking. You'll be carrying heavy boxes.
• The cancellation policy, in case something comes up.

Book early if you can. Good positions go first, and some shows let you pick your table from the floor plan.

What to bring

For the table

• A tablecloth. A plain dark one makes cards stand out and hides boxes underneath.
• Display cases or stands for your best cards, and binders for the rest.
• Price labels or stickers, and a marker.
• Clips or weights if the venue has fans or air conditioning blowing.

For selling

• A cash float in small bills, at least $100 to $200 in $1s, $5s and $10s.
• A phone or card reader for card payments, fully charged, plus a battery pack.
• Penny sleeves, top loaders and small bags for what you sell.
• A notebook or app to record each sale.

For you

• Water and snacks. You may not get a break.
• A cushion or your own folding chair. Venue chairs get hard after six hours.
• A friend to watch the table, if you can. You'll want to walk the floor.

Set up your table

Put your best cards at eye level, in cases, facing the aisle. Shoppers decide in two seconds whether to stop.

• Cases for higher-value cards. Keep them closed and in front of you.
• Binders for mid-range cards. Label each binder with its price range or theme so shoppers can find their way.
• Bargain boxes of cheap cards at the front corners. They pull people in, and people who stop to dig often buy something bigger.

Keep your stock and supplies under the table, out of reach of the aisle.

Price everything before the show

Unpriced cards slow you down. Shoppers who have to ask often walk away instead.

• Check recent sold prices, not asking prices, for anything worth more than a few dollars.
• Round to clean numbers. $25 is easier than $23.47, for you and the buyer.
• Leave room to negotiate. Most card show buyers expect to haggle a little. Decide in advance how low you'll go on your big cards.
• Bundle cheap cards: "3 for $5" moves binder cards faster than single prices.

Taking payment

Most buyers carry cards and phones, and fewer carry cash. Be ready for both:

• Card payments. Test your card reader or payment app at home, and confirm the venue has cell signal. A dead zone is a lost sale.
• Cash. Count your float before doors open, and keep larger bills out of sight.
• Payment apps. Check that the money has actually arrived before you hand over the card. A screenshot isn't a payment.

Record each sale as it happens: what sold, for how much, and how it was paid. It saves an evening of guessing, and you'll need it for your taxes.

Keep your stock safe

Busy shows are where cards go missing. A few simple habits prevent most of it:

• Never leave the table unattended, even for a minute. Ask a neighbor to watch it, or bring help.
• Keep cases closed and locked, and take out one card at a time to show a buyer.
• Watch for distraction. If one person keeps you talking while another reaches in, close the case.
• Pack up carefully at the end. Tear-down is when things get left behind.

Buying and trading

Collectors will bring cards to sell or trade. Decide your rules before the show:

• Are you buying, and what kinds of cards?
• What share of market value will you pay? Know your number before someone asks.
• Do you trade, and at what value against your own prices?

A sign that says "Buying" brings people to your table even when they weren't planning to buy.

After the show

Count your sales against your table fee, travel and food. Note what sold, what didn't, and what people asked for that you didn't have. Then thank the organizer. If you'd come back, tell them; returning vendors often get first pick of tables.