Vendor Questions

[Starbat 10]

Hey.  I have never attended a con before, and so I am hoping to hear some honest feedback from people who have some experience in these area; especially people who have actually been vendors before.

 

I am an artist who would like very much to apply to be a vendor, but I am unsure what kind of merch to prepare, and what would be considered reasonable prices for them.

 

I am thinking along the lines of posters, and postcard-sized images. 

 

I just need to know from either past vendors or even past buyers, what are the kind of merch products I should invest in as a visual artist?

 

And I just need to know what kinds of prices are considered reasonable at cons like this.  Here is my gallery, to show the level of quality I'm talking about.  http://starbat.deviantart.com/gallery/

 

I would like to apply to be a vendor, but as kind of a newbie on this scene, I am unsure exactly what to prepare, so anyone who might lend me the benefit of their experience in this area would be much appreciated.  Thank you.

[Simon 4,557]

Hey!

 

Artists bring a wide range of merchandise to conventions.  Most artists sell prints at conventions, but I've also seen everything from buttons to mugs as well.  What you ultimately decide to bring is going to depend on a lot of factors.  For instance, how do you personally want your art to be displayed?  Would you prefer your pieces be on a wall in someone's home, or a shirt for the world to see?  What type of art do you do?  Do your pieces have lots of detail that might be difficult to see when printed on smaller items like buttons, or do you prefer simple headshot type images that are perfect for small items?  How much can you invest to produce the artwork?  Since you have to make the merchandise prior to coming to the convention, are you going to be able to afford to print a wide range of merchandise or would printing a stack of prints be easier?  For that matter, if you're coming from a long distance, will it be feasible to bring a lot of merchandise with you to the convention?

 

Ultimately, these are the sorts of questions you have to ask yourself to figure out how you would prefer to vend.  There's no right or wrong way to do it, it all just comes down to personal preferences and finding the right ways to show off your particular artwork.

 

As for prices, that's going to be mainly based on what you have to spend to produce the merchandise.  For example, if you have to spend $7.00 to print a shirt, you're not going to be able to sell it for $10 and make a worthwhile profit.  If you want to sell merchandise besides prints, I'd recommend getting some quotes in advance and figuring out what types of merchandise are cheapest compared to a normal selling price.  For example, if you figure you can get $20 for a shirt and $10 for a mug, and mugs cost $5 and shirts cost $7 to produce, then shirts are going to give you a much better return despite the higher cost.

 

Also keep in mind that there's nothing wrong with only selling prints.  A lot of the artist booths only sell prints, and this isn't a bad option. They're cost effective, easy to transport for both the seller and the buyer, and easy to store for future conventions if not all of them sell.  For a new seller, this might be the best route to go.

 

I should also note that applications for vendors at BABSCon close on 11/26 in just 3 days, so I'd highly recommend getting in your application quickly!

 

Hopefully that information helps you out a bit!  Let me know if you have any other questions.