How does a new seller get into ANY major card show these days?

[parkplace33]

Originally Posted by Hankphenom

I'm just curious what's happened with those. For many years, I could expect a table at a good regional show to run somewhere in the $200-250 range, with a discount for multiples. What are they now?

For a three day big show, at least $800.

[Hankphenom]

Originally Posted by parkplace33

For a three day big show, at least $800.

Yikes! I really am living in the past. That's what the National used to run, how much is THAT now?

[parkplace33]

Originally Posted by Hankphenom

Yikes! I really am living in the past. That's what the National used to run, how much is THAT now?

Around $1500

[Exhibitman]

depends on where you are, I guess. The 800 table show in Anaheim over Labor Day weekend was $600 for an 8' table for 4 days. A 2-day show in Pasadena on November 18-19 is $200 for a 6' table. A dinky local HS gym show I went to last weekend was $65 for a 6' table for 1 day.

[Hankphenom]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

The 800 table show in Anaheim over Labor Day weekend was $600 for an 8' table for 4 days.

Wow, 800 tables! That's almost a "West Coast National" scale show. How did it go?

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by Hankphenom

Wow, 800 tables! That's almost a "West Coast National" scale show. How did it go?

Exceeded my expectations in every way. I wrote a daily serial each day on my substack.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

Exceeded my expectations in every way. I wrote a daily serial each day on my substack.

Glad to hear!

And yes, shows fill up, and it sucks not being able to get a booth. At the Net54baseball dinner this year Joe D (hi Joe), one of the Natinoal promoters, said there is a 2 yr wait for a table.
.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by parkplace33

Around $1500

No 0ne ever said it's cheap to set up at the National. Back when I was splitting a table, 7-8 yrs ago it was around a thousand, if I remember correctly.
.

[parkplace33]

Originally Posted by Leon

No 0ne ever said it's cheap to set up at the National. Back when I was splitting a table, 7-8 yrs ago it was around a thousand, if I remember correctly.
.

Agree but some on this board thought it was cheaper than the current fee. I was just giving the facts.

[ncinin]

Originally Posted by parkplace33

Agree but some on this board thought it was cheaper than the current fee. I was just giving the facts.

Facts are the fee for a 10X15 booth at the National is $1295, which is the best deal of any show in the business. I am shocked the fee hasn’t risen in many years, which is a testament to the cash cow the show is for the promoters.

As a point of reference the National 10X15 booth gets you two eight foot tables and one six foot table for setup day Tuesday through Sunday.

At Chantilly a 10X16 booth I pay $1400 beginning in 2024 for Thursday setup through Sunday. The last show was $1350.

Strongsville is $375 per six foot table for Thursday setup through Sunday.

March and November Chicago shows cost $495 for one eight foot table and $450 for each additional table.

For what you get the National is cheap.

[bcbgcbrcb]

The National is absolutely the best one to set up at no matter how you look at it. That’s why it’s so disappointing they can’t operate with some type of dealer rotation. I’ve been in the hobby for 40+ years and used to do some pretty significant business and am looking at the real possibility that I’ll NEVER get a chance. If the hobby suddenly tanks at some point and dealers start bailing out, who wants to get involved then? That would be of no interest to me.

[Hankphenom]

Originally Posted by ncinin

At Chantilly a 10X16 booth I pay $1400 beginning in 2024 for Thursday setup through Sunday. The last show was $1350. For what you get the National is cheap.

The National is, indeed, cheap, although travel and accommodations can add up. For many years at Chantilly I would pay $250 for an eight-foot table and open it up with two of their skinny six-foot tables on the sides and the thicker eight-footer in the back. You could grab as many tables as you wanted. That gave me a lot of table space, but you had to keep a sharp eye out for theft with customers coming into your open booth like that. I did lose a couple things over the years but nothing major.

[bcbgcbrcb]

I was going to say $500 for a regular aisle table. Guess I even underestimated how much these went up. Good thing mine are only $40-$50 for the little 40-60 table shows down here that we hope will draw over 100 people in a day. Pretty tough to try and make a living this way. And dealers are complaining that attendance at the Dallas card show is down significantly…..