Vending at a game convention for the first time tomorrow. Any tips?

[NeoEsZ]

Hey all, selling a massive chunk of my collection at MoGameCon in Missouri tomorrow. Does anyone have any tips or pointers for someone who has never tabled before?

 

[SouthtownKid]

Beware Gypsies.

 

[sr20det510]

Don't fall for the people that will tell you, "I only have $10, will you take $10." Then a few tables down these bastards are buying other stuff.

I say raise the price on your products, because customers will always try to nickle and dime you. This way you can sell the product for what you want to sell them for or very close to that price.

Don't hold an item for anyone, this isn't K-Mart layaway. These people say theyll be back, but end up wasting there money somewhere else. You lose the chance to sell something when they never inform you they wont be buying the product you are holding for them.

Don't sell an item and hold it for someone. They may not want to walk around with the purchase, but you are not storage. What if the item disappears or gets resold by someone?

Keep rare and valuable items behind you and under plastic. This one is tough because some assholes work as a team to steal. One distracts and the other takes.

 

[FAT$TACKS]

A lot of good advise above so I will add just this.

Don't sell to other vendors.

I've seen this a lot from working and going to conventions. While setting up booths they will go around to other booths and check out what people have. Then will offer to buy something telling you they "want that for their collection" or some other bullshit lie. They are just trying to make a quick buck at your expense.

If another vendor is offering to buy something from you, it is because he believes that he can flip it right there for a profit. When that happens, If they offer to buy it for your price turn it down and, RAISE your price on the item well above whatever the vendor offers you. If it isn't moving then you can always come down. Don't make other sellers a deal on a bulk buy or sell anything before the show starts. The only reason they are there is to make money.

Also, don't make deals on your stuff during the early parts of the show. Save that for late in the day. People are going from booth to booth as fast as they can looking for a things they can buy and flip. Don't get low balled early on. Deals are for end of day.

 

[Heinz]

I suggest posing for photos with buyers while holding the cartridge. Also I'd suggest even getting that same photo but with you having them in a headlock. Then post it here for proof of your toughness.

 

[JoeAwesome]

I was selling stuff at a shade under eBay to start, and some things sold, some didn’t.

My advice is sell stuff at what you’re comfortable selling at, regardless if it’s to a fanboy or reseller. I wanted to sell stuff and go, not spend hours with games staring me in the face, waiting to go back home, while I’m trying to beg buyers for every last nickel.

 

[fake]

 

[Cousin_Itt]

Sounds like fun. I really need to trim my collection and have thought of doing similar. Do you still have that kid 2k3 Mvs for sale?

 

[sr20det510]

A lot of good advise above so I will add just this.

Don't sell to other vendors.

I've seen this a lot from working and going to conventions. While setting up booths they will go around to other booths and check out what people have. Then will offer to buy something telling you they "want that for their collection" or some other bullshit lie. They are just trying to make a quick buck at your expense.

If another vendor is offering to buy something from you, it is because he believes that he can flip it right there for a profit. When that happens, If they offer to buy it for your price turn it down and, RAISE your price on the item well above whatever the vendor offers you. If it isn't moving then you can always come down. Don't make other sellers a deal on a bulk buy or sell anything before the show starts. The only reason they are there is to make money.

Also, don't make deals on your stuff during the early parts of the show. Save that for late in the day. People are going from booth to booth as fast as they can looking for a things they can buy and flip. Don't get low balled early on. Deals are for end of day.

This makes total sense!
I remember selling a small stack hologram Marvel cards to a vendor once at a small baseball card show. The guy then had them for sale individually for probably double the price at his table. Bastard!

 

[JoeAwesome]

If you’re worried about resellers, price your stuff better. I’m not meeting any bros at the local cons, and locals ain’t looking to make bros unless they want a deal.

 

[andsuchisdeath]

re-tothe-dacted

 

[Lastblade]

I know someone who attends these cons and never pay the table fee. He just tell everyone that he has a lot of shit to sell in his car, and meet him at the parking lot. He sold 2-3k worth of stuff every time.

 

[FAT$TACKS]

If you’re worried about resellers, price your stuff better. I’m not meeting any bros at the local cons, and locals ain’t looking to make bros unless they want a deal.

This is great for someone who has experience and is a regular at going to the various events.

For someone who has never done it, paid the fee to be there and wants to get the most they can out of their stuff, then it isn't a matter of just pricing it better. Mostly because there isn't a frame of reference. Convention pricing tends to jump around from what I've experienced, depending on where you are and when you are there and what is popular at the time. Christmas shopping season, tends to see a lot bigger markup from dealers as well, also the bigger the convention the higher the prices usually, as there is a bigger market of potential customers and a greater chance of someone buying that overpriced item. There are other things in there as well but I'm sure one gets the idea.

That being if a person just wants to move their goods and be done, then find sell and be happy. But then why even bother with a convention, when there are plenty of free ways to do it. You're paying to be there, and If you're trying to get the best you reasonably can (I'm not talking about ripping someone off), there is no reason to let yourself be taken advantage of by professionals who are just going to profit at your expense.

A person going in new can do research but that doesn't mean they will be on point in that instance at that convention. The dealers who are regulars, will tend to though.

Its not a matter of being worried about resellers, so much as it is a matter of understanding these guys are there only to make money. If they are willing to pay your price, then your price is too low. They won't pay what they can sell it for, so why let them sell it to someone for more when you can do. It's just handing them free money.

When, you set up your booth in many conventions, it gives you access to the dealers area before the customers. This tends to be when the dealers and their crew are making the rounds to look at the booths of others to see if there is anything they can scoop for a quick profit. I've watched it happen for years.

 

[JoeAwesome]

If you’re worried about dealers finding the best deals at your table, you probably shouldn’t be selling at a convention. Sell elsewhere.

No need to make pricing so complicated. Wind direction, adjacency to restroom, male to female ratio. Knowing what Super Mario World is worth isn’t hard.

Again, what is the intent? To sell and make money quickly, or agonize over every cent?

“Sorry, bro. Can’t sell Super Mario World for less than $25. IT’S SUPER MARIO WORLD! Everyone wants it!”

Price it to move with what you’re comfortable selling at, and notice the results.

 

[FAT$TACKS]

If people come up to you BEFORE the show starts and try to rook you on your shit don't fall for it, it means you're selling too cheap. That's the point to avoid a known trick that dealers use on people who aren't professional resellers. It had nothing to do with price gouging paying customers, but to not let professionals steal from you, when there is no reason to. It's not hard or complicated.

 

[terry.330]

The parking lot thing is no joke. You can score some good shit.

 

[Takumaji]

Have some change money and bags ready.

 

[Cousin_Itt]

How’d it turn out for you esz

 

[famicommander]

Use your table as a front to sell drugs.

 

[roker]

wear something revealing like a tank top and some cutoff jean shorts

 

[Late]

Use your table as a front to sell drugs.

.

 

[NeoEsZ]

Hey all! It went alright, but I should have checked back in on this thread earlier. Some of your advice would have saved me $$$

Yeah, I priced aggressively and another vendor came by and even talked me down from $700 to $500 for a solid pile of things. I didn’t get to walk around until near the end but yeah, saw ALL that stuff for a much higher price in his glass case. I had no idea he was another vendor (“VIPs” were let in early to shop first)

It was my first sale of the day, I was inexperienced.

Also, I had two instances of distraction and theft. One was for Xenogears, the other a Mega Man Zero 3 cart.

That said, I did make around $1,000 more than I thought I would and the whole thing was really good just for personal experience. But to anyone tabling at a con in the future:

-don’t sell to other vendors (until the end)
-try to have a helper on hand so you can watch folks but also go to the bathroom
-I used a price sheet/packet and didn’t put prices on anything. A lot of folks don’t even do that, they just have their prices memorized ::shudder::
-I used an adjustable tv tray to get some verticality on my table, i rotated items on it

 

[norton9478]

You can sell to other vendors. Just don't give huge discounts early.

If you sold $500 before the show officially opened, you were doing good. I wouldn't beat myself over it. If he still had the stuff by the end of the show, then it shows that his price might have been too high.

I've been there though. My Girlfriend once sold a bunch of shit at good discounts in the early morning.

From what I've found regarding my yard sales. There is shit that always sells, and there is shit that doesn't sell that fast. I know that a copy of Symphony of the Night, Mario Kart 64 will always sell early. I sell it to dealers and give them a slight cut in price. But I price that stuff a bit higher than I'd take.

Also, price everything except for maybe your tippy top end stuff. People buy on price as much as anything else. There are people with all types of social anxiety issues too. They will hesitate to ask you for a price. Especially if you might be busy.

Over time, you will learn how to price stuff. I personally like selling to dealers. You only have a day to sell your stuff. They have a much longer time frame. I also make sure they pay way more than they'd like to. I sometimes wonder how it can be worth it to work on these small margins. I guess they make it up in volume or something. Or thier shops are really gouging people.

When I have a sale, I get lots of emails of people (dealers) asking if they can check it out early. And that they will spend $300. But I know the game. $300 is chump change to me. I know that I will take in several times that just in video games if they never even show up.

 

[norton9478]

-I used a price sheet/packet and didn’t put prices on anything. A lot of folks don’t even do that, they just have their prices memorized ::shudder::

Often, they size you up when coming up with a price.