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Ms.Melody I was wondering if you guys have ever thought about having a booth at any of the ComicCons?There is one in New Orleans Nov 30/Dec 1&2 and I thought about how cool it would be if you or Chessie,anyone,any of you from the factory could go to a few,set up a booth,good advertisement,sell some product,sign a few there and you know no matter where it is,there will be Windstonians showing up there to help out,dress up, and most definetly have a ball playing the parts not to mention getting to meet some of you guys.Just a thought! 😉
Every act matters.No matter how small💞
(Wanted......Brimstone Lap)
Male Hearth....one day🤞Dream on.The Dragon’s Lair has been selling Windstones at every larger convention I’ve ever been to. Selling at cons can be very tiring and a huge expense.
I could see Melody as Guest Of Honor at a con, though!Volunteer mod- I'm here to help! Email me for the best response: nambroth at gmail.com
My art: featherdust.comTHAT would be AWESOME!!!!!!!!!! Melody Pena, guest of honor! That has a nice ring to it ^_^
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Dreamscape, Orion, Poison Dart, Fireberry, Spangler + Tigerberry DragonsMs.Melody I was wondering if you guys have ever thought about having a booth at any of the ComicCons?There is one in New Orleans Nov 30/Dec 1&2 and I thought about how cool it would be if you or Chessie,anyone,any of you from the factory could go to a few,set up a booth,good advertisement,sell some product,sign a few there and you know no matter where it is,there will be Windstonians showing up there to help out,dress up, and most definetly have a ball playing the parts not to mention getting to meet some of you guys.Just a thought! 😉
I keep intending to go to “Ori-con” in Portland, but haven’t been able to do it yet. I feel bad about that, since I’ve been kindly asked to be a panelist several times… just too busy! I am also not very comfortable around crowds, so it is partly that, too.
I would like to get Chessie to go sometime. She seems to like that sort of thing.
Yes it is grueling to sell at cons. We used to show at the LA gift show. That is kinds like a con, but not as much fun.As a seller at a convention, I can tell you how it goes, in case anyone is curious!
You need first to buy table space. This can range anywhere from $50 per table at small cons, to over $1,000 per table. The cons I go to run around $120 per table.
If you need power, it’s extra $$
Then you need convention memberships for you and anyone that will be helping you. Sometimes this is included in the table price, not not often. Memberships can run from $30 for small cons up to over $60 a head, maybe more? I haven’t done a HUGE convention in a few years.Then there is getting your stuff around. If the convention is at a hotel, you do it yourself. Setup and teardown can take hours.
If you are at a convention hall, it is probably unionized. In this case, you must wait (sometimes hours!) until union members can move your things for you. You can’t move stuff unless it’s something you can fit in your arms/carry easily by yourself. This is a huge time sink.If you are selling in a state that requires sales tax, then you have to get seller’s permits.
If you are not very local (really, getting up early and traveling more than an hour one way, then doing the same afterwards every night for 3-4 nights is not a party) then you need to factor in the cost of a hotel visit. This ranges quite a bit depending on if you are sharing with anyone and the hotel costs.
Factor in food costs, of course, and if it’s a big con you can also factor in some shrinkage. This is a fancy way of saying that you will probably have at least one thing walk away in someone’s pocket. Large cons are often packed, crowded, and you can’t keep track of everyone. People steal stuff all the time. 🙁
Factor in travel costs, if any.
If you want to do the convention’s art show, that’s an entire new set of expenses and hassles!
I haven’t done a big con since Dragon*Con. The medium sized con that I am going to this summer, with an attendance of abut 4,000 people, is costing me about $1,100 to attend and sell at, and that is not even including the cost of my supplies. Then there is the huge anxiety of dealing all day– which I can usually deal with because I used to work retail– but it is exhausting. Then when I get home I have to deal with the crazy sales tax. It’s one thing to collect in my home state, but when I am an transient vendor to other states it gets weird. The last time I sold in California, I paid my taxes on time but they denied they ever got it and tried to charge me hundreds of dollars in late fees. I had to fight with them for over two months, which is stupid because I had the cancelled/cashed check that they deposited. It was a NIGHTMARE. The only reason I do conventions at all is to see my friends that I would not ordinary see all year.
Volunteer mod- I'm here to help! Email me for the best response: nambroth at gmail.com
My art: featherdust.comThere’s also deadlines. As in, deadlines to apply as an exhibitor and/or artist (or artist alleys, etc.). And in many many cases since the 2012 Con season is in full swing, the deadlines are ovuh.
So, the time to prepare for 2013 season has begun.
There was a guy with a booth at Anime Central last year and this year who had a couple Windstones for display and sale, but the guy was pompous and within 20 seconds of me talking to him I wanted to buy NOTHING at his booth. (even though he was the only mainly jewelry seller at the con both years and he had some retired book wyrm sculptures I wanted.)
He tried to tell me that Windstone was going out of business and that they weren’t selling to brick and mortar stores anymore and tried to play up how hard it was to find Windstones now a days and blah blah blah…yeah…idiot.
This sounds like a dealer I know. I have to hope there isn’t more than one of them out there!
I am imagining Jennifer having a heart attack as union workers toss her Windstone boxes around! Nightmare!
This sounds like a dealer I know. I have to hope there isn’t more than one of them out there!
I am imagining Jennifer having a heart attack as union workers toss her Windstone boxes around! Nightmare!
Ah! Luckily I don’t sell Windstones at conventions, and my own art and supplies are small enough to carry by hand. I haven’t had to have union help yet, but if I was dealing Windstones I sure would!
Volunteer mod- I'm here to help! Email me for the best response: nambroth at gmail.com
My art: featherdust.comI know you didn’t have a good experience at Dragon*Con Jennifer but the art show has grown in popularity and is now connected to the comic section giving the Art show more traffic. I am sorry I missed you the year you were there. I do know Windstones sell out at Dragon*Con. The vendor that sells them always sells out the first day. I know a few of us forum members go to Dragon*Con. We should have a meet up!
I know you didn’t have a good experience at Dragon*Con Jennifer but the art show has grown in popularity and is now connected to the comic section giving the Art show more traffic. I am sorry I missed you the year you were there. I do know Windstones sell out at Dragon*Con. The vendor that sells them always sells out the first day. I know a few of us forum members go to Dragon*Con. We should have a meet up!
Oh, that’s great!
I actually attended for three years, and it was an experience!
Volunteer mod- I'm here to help! Email me for the best response: nambroth at gmail.com
My art: featherdust.com
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