How much dose it cost to exhibit at c2e2? I'm trying to start exhibiting this year and am trying to be ready to not die from doing it.
Yaaaaay! Tabling at cons can be so fun and rewarding, I wish you the very best of luck! Here's a few things to keep in mind:
Comic Cons are generally WAY more expensive to get a table at than anime cons. Anyone that tries to get a table at animecons these days knows what a competitive nightmare it is trying to get a table, while comic cons are actually pretty easy to apply for*. That's because while anime con tables are usually anywhere from $50 to $200 a table, comic con tables will usually START around $200. C2E2 is $450 for a full table. It depends on the con, so be aware of the crowd/audience that's going to be there, and if your stuff will sell enough to make back the investment you've put into your table/merchandise.
It takes a WHILE to get a feel of how you'll do at cons, honestly, and what products will sell. I've been doing cons since I was 15, so literally for 13 years now, but honestly, I had almost NEVER turned a profit until 2 or 3 years ago. It is frustrating, and discouraging sometimes, but...there are definitely things that make it worth it. Patience is the key, and paying attention to what's most popular at your table. If you first con (or two or three or ten) don't feel that successful, be patient! Keep at it! I believe in you!
Again, it'll take a lot of time and observation to know what to expect sales-wise, and it will vary from con to con. At anime cons, I sell way more prints and buttons. At comic cons, people want to buy books and other merch. Small, inexpensive things like buttons sell well because there's always going to be people wandering around with a few bucks burning a hole in their pockets, and anything they can get for $1 or $2 will appeal.
I have friends that are really successful selling original art and commissions at cons, even if they don't move many prints or comics. I don't really do commissions at cons anymore unless it's a special circumstance, because I just don't have time to finish things to my satisfaction at cons, and my original art just never sells. So I usually don't ever bother. But you never know!
Pay attention to what other artists are charging. This is another thing that might change from show to show. DO NOT UNDERPRICE YOUR ART. Consider the time you put into doing the art, the cost and time of getting the prints/merch made. I know it's tempted to sell stuff cheaper than everyone else so that people will notice your table more, or because you don't think your stuff is worth it, but man, trust me, charge a fair price. Let people haggle, if you want. If a lot of people start underpricing their art, then EVERYONE has to start doing it to make sales, and NONE of the artists are going to make what they deserve. It's very frustrating. Trust me, your stuff has value. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.
HAVE SNACKS/DRINKS BECAUSE MAN WHO KNOWS WHEN YOU'LL GET A CHANCE TO STEP AWAY AND TRUST ME, YOU'LL BE TALKING A LOT, YOU WILL WANT A BOTTLE OF WATER OR SOMETHING WITH YOU.
I'm sure there's a lot of other advice I could give but I am drawing a blank and also now panicking about my upcoming shows
