Convention advice

[Tomman1961]

I am new to setting up at a show as a dealer. The show is a good size. Not The National, but also not a local show like a firehouse. Any advice? I want to max my space.

[brewing]

My advice is to price cards beforehand.

[pawpawdiv9]

Dont have a Beckett price guide laying around :]

[Wite3]

Discounts for Net54 members.

[Stonepony]

My advice is to price cards beforehand.

+1

[Peter_Spaeth]

Charge 2x market price. You'll fit right in. :D:D

[4815162342]

Stand up, be friendly, and actually talk to customers.

[Runscott]

Do a dry run set- up at home.

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[buymycards]

Have everything organized before you leave home. Signs made, every card priced, everything boxed up and organized so you can set up quickly. Get to the show as early as possible and get set up as quickly as possible. There is a good chance that most of your big sales will be to other dealers before the show opens to the public. Have a PayPal credit card app for your smartphone. Make sure you have plenty of change so you can break $100 bills and $20 bills. Keep your cash on your person so no one can steal it. Make sure you bring extra price stickers, a marker, a pen, a notebook to record sales and purchases, a copy of your sales tax permit, price guides, extra top loads and penny sleeves, small shopping bags and small boxes to bag up purchases for your customers.
It doesn't hurt to have a large bowl full of candy at your table with a "free" sign posted. Bring an appliance dolly to haul your stuff in and out.

Be prepared for offers on your merchandise. Nobody will pay the price that is marked on the card. Decide before the show how much you can discount your listed prices.

Most importantly - With every customer that comes to your table, greet them, smile, look them in the eye, ask them if they are looking for anything special.

Look at their clothing. Are they wearing a Yankees hat? You might be able to suggest some Yankees cards. Do they have a young kid at the show? Ask the kid who his favorite player is and give the kid a couple of free base cards of that player. Don't eat while customers are at your table. Bring some gum or breath mints so your breath doesn't smell like coffee. Shave. Get a hair cut a couple of days before the show. Wear decent clothes. Look professional. Business cards wouldn't hurt.

Good luck!

[brightair]

Rick has a lot of good points - be over prepared in every detail sums up a bunch of them for me. Be on time if not early. There will always be unexpected distractions, good and bad, that will slow you down, so be super organized. As a collector, it seems to me that organization is critical to knowing what I need so I can hop on opportunities. It must be even more important for dealers. Expect lots of offers, some will be lowball, don't take it personal, it's just business, Charlie.
For what it's worth, at a dealer's booth, what I like to see (and I am likely in a minority as a low grade, relatively poor, patient set collector) are these:
Discount boxes to paw through for hits to my wantlists, for variations, for upgrades, for deals on stuff I can trade to buddies.
I like a dealer to acknowledge me, then don't hover, let me look around. Be low key - the slightest hint of any pressure puts me off and I will walk, but that's me I guess.
I like to see prices on everything, I don't like to ask.
I like to have a chair available if I am going to take time (and I can take hours) looking through boxes.
I like quantity discounts when I buy a bunch.
Don't be alone (for long days) - I have helped a number of dealers take a break for food, bathroom, coffee, etc, by watching their booth for a few minutes. These dealers know me, at least a little, but desperation can set in when you need to go. I can't imagine doing a show alone. I hear horror stories of shoplifters - how can one person watch a busy booth - impossible!
Be prepared with snacks, drinks, real food, not junk that you can buy there, and keep yourself hydrated and fed when things are slow. I don't mind seeing you eat, it's a thing humans do.
Try to be rested before you go - the days are long and can be stressful, relax, have fun and enjoy. Watch the human parade. It's just cardboard in the end.
Good luck!

[Jantz]

All good advice so far.

Just two more things to add.

1. Keep your stuff ( price guides, reserve box of cards that wouldn't fit on the table, etc.) in front of you. Don't put yourself in a position where you have to turn around and look for something. I know this sounds weird, but a handful of cards can disappear quickly. I've had it happen.

2. If a customer walks up to your table carrying a backpack or a box and they find something on your table they want to purchase, ask them if they have anything to trade. Even if they don't find anything on your table they are interested in, politely ask if the have anything for sale. You might be surprised by what people bring into shows.

I'm curious to hear how you did after this show is over.

Jantz

[JollyElm]

Great advice so far. Small things like having a chair available are right on the mark.

Remember that personality goes a long way, so talk to people--not in a hard sell sort of way, because that just gets annoying and will get people running away--in a friendly, conversational way…"You finding a lot of good stuff at the show today?"…"What are your favorite players/what team do you root for?" etc., etc.

Make your booth welcoming. I love the guys who have albums of cards right out front for people to look through. Or have a $1 bin (or 3 cards for $5). That sorta thing keeps people digging.

And be reasonable with your pricing. Make it so people will negotiate with you instead of just walking away because your prices (as someone has already said) are two times the market value.

Good luck!!