Done my first ever convention yesterday as a stall holder!
I learned I lot from this experience, so I thought I’d share what I learned from this:
If you’re doing a stall alone like I did, have a pal with you! Logan helped so much with cutting stickers, making sure I had the correct change, helping organise and display everything so they looked appealing. It’s always good to have a second set of eyes and opinions to help gauge whether what you’re doing is a good choice or not.
2. You don’t need as many prints as you think!
I kinda went mad with prints because I knew loads of people were coming, so I ordered a lot when really you actually just need about 10 prints of everything you want to sell. However, if you do order a lot and you have leftovers, IT’S A BONUS! Because if like me you’re always on waiting lists, if you get picked last minute for a stall you already have everything you need, so there’s no rush to get prints/stickers made.
This part can be hard for those of us who are on the anti-social side, but it makes a big difference! I was an avid cosplayer before I went into this side of attending conventions, so talking to people at cons wasn't so bad. If you see cosplays you like, tell them that you love their outfit! Talk to them about the similar interests you have and have a good time, plus it brings people over to your table, and that is what we’re after. You’re there to make money, but also to leave an impression!
There was a moment when a young girl came up dressed as Bee from Bee and Puppy Cat and funnily enough I had a Puppy cat print, so without hesitation I gave her a free print of Puppy cat with her purchase as a one off because I felt if anyone should have the print, it should be her to go with her cosplay. It absolutely made her day, and it even turned out her mum earlier on had helped us with getting change, so the good deed kinda went full circle!
By the end of the convention people were coming up and struggling to buy things without making themselves totally skint, so I would ask them, “Well, how much do you have?” and by bringing this up it meant I could adjust my prices so they could leave with a good impression and a print from yours truly. You don’t need to drop to pennies, but have a chat, shave a quid off and have a happy customer. I know as a con goer money can be tight, so as the person behind the stall I knew I wouldn’t be loosing much by making things a little cheaper.
However, I was in a position where I got my prints cheap enough that anything over £1.50 was still a profit. Don’t loose out on money just to make people happy if you cannot afford it.
Getting to the toilet without feeling like you’ve been away from your stall for 500 years is already hard enough, never mind trying to find a place to grab lunch. Bring some snacks with you to munch on when things get quite because you’re gonna be sat around for a loooong time, and being hungry during that time sucks! Bring food and water/juice with you because you will need it! Don’t forget to look after yourself!
6. Take notice of what people are buying and asking for!
I got small prints made sometime last year and I was always someone who bought big prints so I assumed they would sell more than small. Wrong. Small prints is where it’s at! They’re cheaper to be made (Sometimes even free depending where you go. Places like photobox do 30 free small prints when you first sign up, so whats to loose?) and take up less space! Notice what people are buying and keep track so you know what to get more made of etc. A lot of people asked for smaller prints of some of my big prints and sadly I only had them in one size, so I lost out some sales because of that.
7. Have a good time and be organised!
That’s it, just have fun and be organised so that everything runs smoothly from set up to packing it all away. Chat with other stall holders, kill time by drawing, stay well fed and hydrated and just go with the flow.
I’m not a professional, this was my first stall but I certainly learned a lot! I hope this helps some of you guys out there, and if not then whatever, y’know?
dededos
germansingergirl
turnnoffyourmind
prguitarman
annaxmalina
theartofmadeline
tangentwithtanner
ellievsbear