Is a table worth it?
A table at a Canadian card show usually costs somewhere between $40 and $150 for the day, depending on the show, with the big expos charging more. Most first-time vendors cover the table with their first few sales and then it is about how much you move. The honest rule: if you have at least a few hundred dollars of cards that collectors actually want (not just a lot of base), a table is worth trying once. If you mostly have bulk, you will do better selling to a vendor at their table than paying for your own.
Getting a table
- Find the show on our calendar. Open its page and look for the organizer's Instagram or website, or use the "Show info" button.
- Message the organizer a few weeks ahead. Say what you sell (sports, Pokémon, sealed, graded), how many tables you want, and ask the price and what's included (chairs, a cloth, power).
- Recurring shows fill up. The monthly shows in bigger cities often have a waiting list, so ask early and be easy to deal with. Organizers remember vendors who show up on time and don't pack up early.
- Vendor list. If you set up regularly, join our vendor list. Organizers looking for vendors tell us, and we pass it on by email.
What to bring
- Float. At least $100 in small bills ($5, $10, $20) and coins if you price in odd numbers. More if you expect to buy.
- Cases and displays. A glass or acrylic showcase for slabs and your best cards, a few $1/$2/$5 boxes for volume, and a binder or two for trade bait. Price stickers or toploader tags for anything over a few dollars.
- Supplies to sell. Penny sleeves, toploaders and team bags move at every show, and they are a reason for people to stop at your table.
- A phone charger and a power bank. For e-transfer, looking up comps, and the inevitable "do you have a photo of the back?".
- A sign. Even a printed sheet with your name and Instagram. People follow vendors they bought from.
- Snacks and water. You may not get a break.
Pricing
- Price everything. A table with no prices is a table people walk past. Collectors don't want to ask.
- Price off recent sold comps, not asking prices. Show prices are usually a little under the online price because the buyer saves shipping and gets the card in hand; leaving room to come down 10 to 20% on a bundle keeps deals moving.
- Dollar boxes are your traffic. A deep, well-sorted $1 or $2 box pulls people in, and they look at the showcase while they dig.
- Bundle. "Three for $20" and "pick any 5 for $10" sell more than single prices on mid-range cards.
Taking payment
Cash and Interac e-Transfer cover almost every sale in Canada. Have your e-transfer email or phone number on a card at the table, and turn on auto-deposit so you're not waiting on a security question. A tap reader (Square or similar) pays for itself at bigger shows but is optional at small ones. Count your float before and after, and keep a quick tally of sales so you know how the show went.
On the day
- Arrive at the vendor load-in time, not the public open. Setup always takes longer than you think.
- Lay out for a quick scan. Best cards at eye level in the showcase, boxes at the front edge where people can flip while standing, binders to the side.
- Talk to people. Ask what they collect. A lot of show sales are "I've got one of those in the box, hang on."
- Buy too. Walk the room before it opens. Vendors trade and buy from each other all morning, and some of your best inventory comes from the table next to you.
- Stay until the end. Late-afternoon shoppers are often the serious ones, and organizers notice who packs up at 1 pm.
After the show
Post a few photos and tag the show. Thank the organizer and ask about the next date while they still remember you. Note what sold and what didn't; after two or three shows you'll know exactly what to bring.
New to shows altogether? Start with the first-timer's guide. Running a show and looking for vendors? List it free and tick "Looking for vendors".