I've been looking for a good comic con for selling UG books before the end of the year. I figure APE in S.F. is the best, but I am also looking at Charlotte, Philadelphia and Dallas. Anyone know how those cons would do for selling (probably the more people attending, the better). Or do you have any other suggestions for cons between mid-October and mid-December?
Looking to sell about 10 short boxes of mostly UGs. A lot of commons and some mid-keys with a few nice keys thrown in.
ooh, do Philly, so Visitor Q and I can pillage your books! Maybe even the Doctor would make the trip.
I'd drive out just to meet you all! (I have to conserve my spending.)
Philly gets my vote but hey, you got a list?
Jason
Quote from: Reverend on August 06, 2008, 09:07:30 AM
I'd drive out just to meet you all! (I have to conserve my spending.)
oh yeah, I forgot, you're not that far, either! :thumbsup:
When is the Philly con?
The Berkeley Con would be IDEAL, however...
Quote from: trunch59 on August 06, 2008, 01:54:47 PM
The Berkeley Con would be IDEAL, however...
Not for those of us on the East Coast, it wouldn't.
I think a good con to sell at would be the National in New York City in November. I might be going again this year, it was a pretty good show last year.
Quote from: EggsAckley on August 06, 2008, 11:27:46 AM
When is the Philly con?
I think the biggest one would be Wizard World Philadelphia, which already has happened this year. If there's any other large ones, I'm not aware of them. There is a show by the Philadelphia Airport every other month, but it's a small show.
Does the Berkeley Con still go on? I searched but didn't find anything...
I think WonderCon in S.F. is in February.
Quote from: Brother J on August 06, 2008, 02:48:06 PM
Quote from: EggsAckley on August 06, 2008, 11:27:46 AM
When is the Philly con?
I think the biggest one would be Wizard World Philadelphia, which already has happened this year. If there's any other large ones, I'm not aware of them. There is a show by the Philadelphia Airport every other month, but it's a small show.
Yeah, I thought there was a big Philly con in October, but it turns out it is on August 31 and it is not so big after all. There's a good web site for comic cons that has a nice calendar of cons, which is where I learn about all the whens and wheres:
http://www.comicbookconventions.com/conventions.htm
So, Philly is out because the big one isn't until June of next year. I need mid-October to mid-December. The Berkeley con is better known as APE (Alternative Press Expo) and it is the one I would want to go to the most (Nov. 1), but it is 2,000 miles away and I have to drive to bring all my boxes.
Philly and New York are both 1,000 miles away, so that makes them a two-day trip (and about $500 in gas). Charlotte is 630 miles and Dallas (Wizard World) is 460 miles, so they make it easy to get to. There's two Atlanta cons (380 miles), but one is a one-day show and the dealer tables are sold out. The other is the Atlanta SuperCon and it makes sense. Three-day show and I guess it is pretty big. I can squeeze into a little six-foot table for $200.
There's a Pittsburgh con that looks intriguing, though then I'm back up to 770 miles. Don't know if it'll be worth the drive and the expense. Don't know if ANY of them will be worth the drive and expense.
Dallas might make the most sense, and Rick B. lives within biking distance of Arlington Convention Center. I sent him a PM and an email, but haven't heard back from him yet. Thought about splitting a booth with him ($850!) but don't know if he wants to lay out that kind of lettuce for a show.
Maybe I should just go to Nashville (200 miles) for the Comic & Horror Festival in mid-October. Booths are only $150, which gives me a lot better shot at profits. I have a friend in the area I can stay with for a couple nights.
So really, it's probably Dallas, Nashville or Atlanta.
I will post a partial sell list in the appropriate forum sometime in the near future.
I'm just wondering how well you will do at a comic show selling undergrounds. I'm sure the Dr. does well when he sets up in San Diego as that is a big show and there are probably quite a few fans of undergrounds there. However, I think at most other shows, your customer base is going to be pretty small. Even the National, which was a pretty good sized show in my opinion, didn't seem to have much interest in undergrounds. Kim Deitch, S. Clay Wilson and Spain were guests, but it looked like they didn't get a whole lot of patronage. Also, there was supposed to be an underground comix panel, but it was apparently cancelled.
When I do the show in Seattle, which is 2 days and costs about $320.00 for tables/$140.00 hotel/$120.00 gas/$70.00 food and gross about $1500.00.... Not going to get rich quick.
I think your notion of APE being the right place for your wares is spot on....it is after all, the ALTERNATIVE Press Expo, and what's more alternative than UG....people are there looking for those kinds of thrills and being that the show is in SF, you get folks like S. Clay Wilson, Spain, Trina and others showing up...I think last year Justin Green was there as well as Spiegelman....it's win/win with the UG scene in dreary SF in the late autumn...so come on over and show us what's you gots!
Sorry to say, but there is no longer a Berkeley Con.
Quote from: trunch59 on August 06, 2008, 11:04:50 PM
Sorry to say, but there is no longer a Berkeley Con.
You're right, trunch, the
true Berkeley Con is no longer with us. The closest thing (by far) to that legendary con is the APE.
Quote from: Brother J on August 06, 2008, 09:06:42 PM
I'm just wondering how well you will do at a comic show selling undergrounds. I'm sure the Dr. does well when he sets up in San Diego as that is a big show and there are probably quite a few fans of undergrounds there. However, I think at most other shows, your customer base is going to be pretty small. Even the National, which was a pretty good sized show in my opinion, didn't seem to have much interest in undergrounds. Kim Deitch, S. Clay Wilson and Spain were guests, but it looked like they didn't get a whole lot of patronage. Also, there was supposed to be an underground comix panel, but it was apparently cancelled.
I think you are right, Bro J. There is a very small group of UG fans at most con shows. The Dr. told me it was tough for him to make a profit even at the Philly con. All of your posts are making me reconsider doing any shows at all.
Quote from: wpbooks on August 06, 2008, 11:04:11 PM
I think your notion of APE being the right place for your wares is spot on....it is after all, the ALTERNATIVE Press Expo, and what's more alternative than UG....people are there looking for those kinds of thrills and being that the show is in SF, you get folks like S. Clay Wilson, Spain, Trina and others showing up...I think last year Justin Green was there as well as Spiegelman....it's win/win with the UG scene in dreary SF in the late autumn...so come on over and show us what's you gots!
With the possible exception of the APE. No doubt, this is where it's at for UG fans and other kinky kinkos, even more so than San Diego, I think.
I would have to forgo bringing 10 boxes and driving. I'd have to fly and just bring 2 or 3 boxes of my best stuff in a large, well-padded suitcase (with my key high-grades in carry-on). The flight alone is just over $400 and then I'd have to find lodging (hint hint). I can get a tiny little table for $150.
Hmm, I'd have to do really well with some of Donahue's file copies to make that worth my while. Would I do better on Heritage auctions, you think? I guess I'd be more certain of making sales.
Kind of crazy going to a con to sell 2 or 3 short boxes of stuff. Unless every comic in the boxes is worth $75+ retail, like mine could be.
You could ship them to your hotel or place you're staying via Fed-Ex or UPS ground a week before.
Quote from: 50Cent #II (1st print) on August 07, 2008, 12:36:03 AM
You could ship them to your hotel or place you're staying via Fed-Ex or UPS ground a week before.
That's a good idea, 50c. I just gotta figure out what makes monetary sense at this point. Thanks.
Wasn't really my idea, I believe that's what Dr_S does for the SDCC.
Smart people must think alike.
Either that or dumb people have really good ideas at the same time.
I'll go with the former.
Taking 2 or 3 long boxes plus luggage plus baggage stroller onto the plane is expensive now. You will pay an overweight fee that makes it more ecconomical to ship them to where you are going or to someone that is going there by truck. Plus, when you get off the plane all you have to worry about is whether your bags made it to the same place you did... and not worry about where your books are.
Another problem with the airlines is baggage security. They can open your books and who knows how well they will be retaped and sealed or if they will all be there.
Yes, those security folks are well known perverts and fetishists, and you're liable to end up with a batch of soiled UG where the pages all stick together....if they don't end up keeping them for their "private" use.....
There are realities about shows. Postage.-- a 40 pound box is about $40 by Fed ex or Ups ground. maybe higher. (That's one way) Table cost to a big show is $$$. San Diego is sold out already. Then there is the tax permit and the $100-$200 nominal payment. Help if you need it is $$. Hotels are $75-$200 a night. In NYC try $300. Then you have to get the books to and from the show. Blah balh blah. This year, IF YOU EXPECT LESS THAN $5K DON'T DO IT UNL;ESS IT IS A LOCAL SHOW. San Diego sucked for me. However, I treat it as a vacation, advertising and buying show. So a low year doesn't kill me. Make up a price list of you books and send it out to member who want it. Also, figure out a wholesale price for the junk and for all of it. Maybe come up with prices for the keys or ebay them. Ebay may or may not pan out on keys depending on who is bidding. If i had a sure fire way of selling ugs, i would do it myself. It's hard work my lad.
I was told last week that the SDCC show is sold out, but if you buy a booth at WonderCon then you can apparently still get a booth at SDCC.
Does anybody here go to APE? Are there usually any UG dealers tabling?
Fogel used to have a table at APE, (I think that guy that used to post on here, jim1968, was his partner because I recall getting a Bijou #1 from him at Fogel's table a few years ago...but that could have been Wondercon and it's all a blur...), and Comic Relief usually brings their UG collection, and occasionally you find the odd box here and there, but there's not much so you could almost corner the market if you bring a batch.
Comic Relief was at SDCC and had a nice selection of Ug's. I heard the the original owner recently passed.
Quote from: 50Cent #II (1st print) on August 08, 2008, 04:57:54 PM
Comic Relief was at SDCC and had a nice selection of Ug's. I heard the the original owner recently passed.
I heard it was unexpected and while he was in the hospital for something fairly minor and not life threatening. He was a pretty good guy when you'd run into him at his store or at cons, and I think he was really into UG....I hope the people running his store now have the same attitude towards our beloved obsession!
I've never been to one of the APE shows, but I always figured it was probably mainly artists hawking their independent books and minis and that type of thing, I didn't even know if they had dealers there.
Your visualization of the show is pretty much right on, but there are dealer/publishers there like Last Gasp, Fantagraphics, Drawn and Quarterly, Top Shelf and regular dealers like Comic Relief, Lee's Comics and some others, but it is mostly self-publishers selling their wares....but it keeps getting bigger and bigger. I've gone to the last 10 or so and it's almost exponential the way it's increased each year. You might do ok just by virtue of the size of the thing and because you'd have scant competition...but you might also find that the 'collector' market is not the key factor at this type of con, and folks may balk at paying collector prices, especially if they aren't in the know....but speculators of all stripes are everywhere, and some lurk at APE looking for the next hot artist like a Chris Ware, Dan Clowes or even an R. Crumb....and don't forget there's the guy who specializes in Jack Chick tracts and all related Chick material...I love his table and always pick up the new stuff he has...talk about Underground/Alternative. It's a great show and even if you don't exhibit, you should check it out...lot's of cool stuff you don't see elsewhere, to be sure!