I recall in the past seeing posts from people to say they'll be roaming some convention with bags of toys and selling them like that.

I suppose having your own little table set up in the wild is not something these convention folk look at kindly.

Fair enough, but so this is not done at all then? As in, you're not allowed to setup a small table or something as a private seller and display what you've got.

I wouldn't do it...do backpack sales or work with a company like Lulubell or ask another artist if you could use some space for a certain amount of time. You could also do a hotel room sale if you're staying at one

I also think it is a bad idea. Considering the conventions make their money off of the registration and table fees, and it is also a way of controlling the content at the convention, you can see why they would not look too kindly on someone setting up a rogue table to undermine this.

Wow here I have been spending all this money on table space . It never occurred for me to have a hotel room sale! That might be a fun idea to sell a super ltd item. But I wouldn't want to deal with a bunch of people I don't know. Maybe use the lobby or Starbucks an tweet a location

I love the idea of the 'secret hotel room' sales, but I kinda pictured that a casual trade/sales session was a standard event for cons where lots of SBers were at hand. Makes sense to me, and sounds like a hell of a lot more fun that dealing with the elbows and would-be-flippers of the con showrooms.

See, I've been only to Wondercon once in SF and saw the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld hawking his signed headshots for $20, so..

In my opinion, these cons are missing out S7 style trade-fests and sells. As for content control, don't even..

In any case, this was about Fan Fest here in Vancouver. There's virtually no kaiju presence, if any, so I've thought I'd love to unload some of my collection without having to photograph and pack+ship shit. Plus, people respond to figures better when they see them in front of them and get to touch them..

That really would be a great way to deter flippers. Also, if one of the purchasers ends up flipping, it would be a bit easier to narrow down who it is and tell them to kick rocks next time.

I'd totally be down for some trading at Fan Fest. Or setting up a once-off Vancouver trade fest. There really isn't much going on in Vancouver to justify renting a table at a big convention here.

We could organize a tradefest in Seattle for a day, seems to be a bigger crew there - viewtopic.php?f=37&t=45145

One thing you could look into is renting a table at the main street convention (happens every few weeks).
http://www.vancouvercomiccon.com/
Tables are $40-$50. If you could drum up enough Vancouver interest on here, then that could be a good option.

That's pretty standard for headshots & autographs at conventions? I go to Chiller, Monster Mania, and Horrorfind and most of the nobodys charge $20 and the bigger stars charge upwards of $50.

Sorry, could not find another version of this, but still hilarious.

Saddest example of that I've seen was one Wondercon several years back here in SF where the line of has-beens was mostly ignored. Some guy who was in one or two episodes of Star Trek was asleep at his table. The kid who played boy Boba Fett in the prequels was happy to get any attention at all (he complained that girls no longer recognized him because he'd gotten older.) The funny one was Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca.) Nobody was paying for his autograph either, but he was sitting there cracking about how pathetic all the cosplayers were, which was amusing, if a bit nasty. Kinda makes you wonder why these folks even do it. It looks so humiliating.

Well, the Soup Nazi did have a ladle with him to be fair:

I thought it was only the two of us around here in Vancouver, no? Either way, I've got some stuff that only I seem to like, but am always hoping they would look good somebody else in person. Plus some 3A. I'm looking to sell mostly, not even to make my money back, but rather to pass on some funky toys to those that care to have them. Selling on BST brings those awful Cadapost charges into the picture.

So, yeah, this Vancouver Comicon thing is also news to me. Doesn't seem to be affiliated with any of the other cons, right?

Having had my own booth at a convention before and working with friends at tables and booths at other things, I can say from a vendor perspective that you can really piss people off by setting up a table and selling/trading at an event where they've paid to have a space. Same goes for selling out of your backpack or whatever, although that isn't as bad.. Either of those can easily get you thrown out of the convention.
I think your best bet is really to go with the hotel room sale or partnering up with someone who has a booth.
Just my opinion.

the whole "pay for my autograph" thing has always amused me, I wonder if any washed up folks like this live in my area?totally would never pay one for an autograph but some yard work maybe... and I live in an apartment were it is not my responsibility to do so, but would love to drop $20 to have some red shirt clipping hedges outside my window, the jokes would be endless "yeah it turns out old startrek aliens will work cheaper than the illegal ones"

I might have to save up the scratch to hire Billy D. Williams as a wingman for the night

I am willing to dress up like a Redshirt and do yard work.

you gotta be a real red shirt if you want my pocket change

pay a red shirt to walk thru gang turf

i sell where i want. when i want.

Aren't you a little old to be standing on a corner on Santa Monica Blvd.

With a mattress in the back of the van it's a totally mobile 'service'!

I saw Mayhew in SD once during SDCC. He was screaming at kids in the street for taking his picture. Telling them to go to the con and pay.

its so funny you guys are so adverse to this. I guess i'm just used to it. I will probably hit up Chiller here and all of these people will want $15-$30+ for autographs. Lots of guys wait all year for it and get all their posters or 8x10s signed. Whatever you're into....Its a hobby just like any other. I'm not huge on the autograph collecting, but a lot are. Chiller still gets the coolest guests.

http://www.chillertheatre.com/gt/gtc4.htm