New Vendor Guide, Part 2: What to Bring to the Show

In Part 1, we focused on preparing your inventory before the show. You should know what you are bringing, who you are trying to sell to, what your items cost you, and how much negotiating room you have.

Part 2 is about everything else.

This is where new vendors sometimes underestimate how much goes into running a table. You are basically setting up a small retail store for a day. You need displays, payment options, cash, power, internet access, security, cleaning supplies, and enough personal items to get through several hours without constantly leaving your table.

Artists and creators have many of the same needs. Your inventory may be prints, custom binders, card stands, accessories, artwork, or handmade products instead of singles and slabs, but the goal is the same: create a table that is easy to shop and easy to operate.

You probably will not need every item on this list. Your setup should match your inventory, venue, and customer.

Start With the Table Itself

Before packing anything, confirm what the organizer is actually providing.

Never assume that "one vendor table" means the organizer is providing everything you need. Some shows provide a six-foot table and chairs. Others may provide the space and expect you to bring your own table. Table covers are sometimes included and sometimes not.

Ask before show day.

• Table: Confirm whether one is provided and what size it will be.
• Chairs: Find out how many are included.
• Table cover: Bring your own if the venue does not provide one. A clean tablecloth also makes the setup look much more finished.
• Signage: Bring signs that clearly tell customers who you are and what you sell.
• Display stands: Artists may need small easels, shelves, racks, grid walls, or stands to show products vertically instead of laying everything flat.

If you are unsure about dimensions, ask the organizer for the exact table size and the amount of space behind and beside your table. A setup that works perfectly at one show may not fit at another.

Display Cases and Binders

Card vendors need to decide how customers are going to physically shop their inventory.

Display cases are useful for higher-value cards because they organize inventory, protect it, and make it harder for cards to disappear from the table unnoticed. Binders serve a different purpose.

In our experience, casual shoppers love going through binders. There is a sense that they may find something they missed in the showcase or discover a card at a lower price point. Binders also give customers something to browse while you are helping someone else.

• Display cases: Use them for cards that need protection or deserve more visibility.
• Binders: Useful for lower-priced singles, character collections, sets, or inventory that does not need showcase space.
• Card stands: Helpful for highlighting a few featured cards or slabs.
• Locks or case clips: Consider additional protection depending on the style of your cases.

Artists should think about the same principle. Your best products should be visible without forcing customers to dig through boxes. Use height where possible so someone walking down the aisle can see what you sell before they reach the table.

Bring Your Own Lighting

Some venues have great lighting. Others feel like you are vending inside a warehouse.

Do not assume the venue lighting will make your inventory look good.

Cards are visual products. Foils, holo patterns, artwork, and slab presentation can all look significantly better under proper lighting. Artists have the same issue with prints, custom products, and artwork where colors need to be seen correctly.

• Portable lights: Small rechargeable or plug-in lights can improve dark showcases.
• Extension cord: Bring one if the organizer allows vendors to use electrical outlets.
• Power strip: Useful when you have lights, chargers, and multiple devices.
• Portable power station or battery bank: Important when outlets are unavailable or located too far away.

Test your lights at home before the show. You want enough light to make the inventory easier to see without shining bright lights directly into your customers' faces.

Do Not Depend on Venue Wi-Fi

Internet access is critical for modern card vending.

You may need to check comps, process electronic payments, look at your inventory, send money, receive money, or communicate with another vendor.

Many venues advertise Wi-Fi, but remember what happens once hundreds or thousands of people enter the building. Everyone is using the same network.

The connection that worked perfectly during setup may become nearly unusable at noon.

• Phone with cellular data: Make sure your plan can handle hotspot use if necessary.
• Mobile hotspot: A dedicated hotspot can be a useful backup for busy shows.
• Charging cables: Bring cables for every device you depend on.
• Power banks: Do not assume your phone will last an eight-hour show while running payments, comps, video, and hotspot service.

If you use VendorStax to manage your inventory and pricing, having reliable internet access also means you can quickly reference your inventory and current pricing information instead of relying on memory when a customer starts negotiating.

Prepare Your Cash Before the Show

Even with digital payments, cash is still common at card shows.

Bring a money pouch, cash box, or another method that keeps money organized and attached to you or secured behind the table. Do not leave a pile of cash sitting in an open box where customers can reach it.

The amount and type of change you bring should match your inventory.

• Mostly $1 to $100 inventory: Bring more $1, $5, and $10 bills because you are more likely to make smaller transactions and need change.
• Mostly mid-range and high-end inventory: You may want more $10, $20, and larger bills because the average transaction will be higher.
• Artists and creators with lower-priced items: Make sure you have enough small bills if many products sell for $5, $10, $15, or $20.

You do not need to carry an unreasonable amount of cash just to have change. The goal is simply to avoid having your first customer hand you a $100 bill for a $15 purchase and discover that you cannot break it.

Also bring a counterfeit detection pen or another method you trust for checking higher-denomination bills. If you sell expensive cards, receiving one fake $100 bill can erase the profit from several legitimate sales.

Have More Than One Way to Get Paid

Customers should not have to abandon a purchase because you only accept one payment method.

Decide before the show what forms of payment you are comfortable accepting. Depending on your business, that may include cash, card payments, or common peer-to-peer payment apps.

• Card reader: Test it before leaving home.
• Payment apps: Make sure you are signed in and able to receive payments.
• QR codes: These can make it easier for customers to access payment links, your website, social media, or digital storefront.
• Receipts: Consider whether your business needs a simple way to provide them, especially for higher-value sales or custom orders.

Whatever methods you accept, verify that payment has actually arrived before handing over expensive inventory. A screenshot saying "payment sent" is not the same as seeing the funds in your account.

Bring Basic Card and Product Supplies

Small supplies become surprisingly important once the show starts.

A customer may trade you a raw card that needs protection. You may need to replace an old sleeve. A price sticker may fall off. An artist may need tape, packaging, or a bag for a customer's purchase.

• Penny sleeves: Keep extras available for raw cards.
• Toploaders: Bring several sizes if your inventory requires them.
• Team bags or slab sleeves: Useful for protecting purchases and trades.
• Pricing stickers: Keep extras available for new inventory or price changes.
• Permanent markers and pens: You will use them more often than you expect.
• Magnifying glass or card inspection tool: Helpful when inspecting condition on higher-value raw cards.
• Shopping bags or product bags: Especially useful for artists, creators, and vendors selling larger accessories.
• Tape and scissors: Basic items that solve a surprising number of problems during setup and throughout the day.

Keep Your Cases Clean

Customers are going to touch your display cases all day.

Fingerprints, dust, and smudges build quickly, especially when hundreds of people are leaning over the same surface to look at cards.

A dirty case makes the cards underneath it harder to see and can make an otherwise professional setup look neglected.

• Microfiber cloths: Keep several with you.
• Appropriate glass or acrylic cleaner: Make sure the cleaner is safe for whatever material your cases use.
• Paper towels: Useful for spills and general cleanup.

Wipe cases down before the doors open and check them periodically throughout the show.

Think About Security Before You Need It

Vendors may have thousands or tens of thousands of dollars sitting on a six-foot table. Security cannot be an afterthought.

A camera can be useful for more than creating social media content. A visible camera may also act as a deterrent and can provide a record if something happens at your table.

• Camera or recording device: Position it so it can monitor your selling area without getting in the customer's way.
• Phone or tablet stand: Useful if a mobile device is acting as your camera.
• Locks: Use them where appropriate on display cases or storage containers.
• Secure bags or storage: Keep inventory waiting to be displayed out of easy reach.
• Money pouch: Keep cash with you rather than leaving it unattended.

Never assume that because someone is standing near your table they are shopping. When possible, have two people watch the table during busy periods, especially if customers can approach from multiple directions.

Cameras help, but they do not replace paying attention.

Do Not Forget Yourself

New vendors spend so much time thinking about inventory that they sometimes forget they also have to survive the show.

Vending for five to eight hours can be physically tiring. You may spend most of the day standing, talking, negotiating, checking cards, and watching inventory.

• Water: Bring more than you think you need.
• Snacks or food: Choose something you can eat quickly without abandoning the table for an hour.
• Hand sanitizer: You will be shaking hands, handling cards, exchanging cash, touching cases, and eventually eating.
• Comfortable shoes: This becomes much more important several hours into the show.
• Medication or personal necessities: Bring anything you may need during the day rather than assuming you can leave to get it.

If you are vending alone, plan meals and bathroom breaks before the show begins. Ask whether someone you trust can watch the table briefly, or introduce yourself to neighboring vendors and build relationships before you need help.

Your First-Show Packing List

Your own checklist will change as you gain experience. A slab dealer, raw singles vendor, artist, and custom accessory seller will all pack differently.

But a basic starting list might include:

• Inventory
• Display cases
• Binders
• Product stands or display racks
• Table and chairs if not provided
• Table cover
• Business signage
• Lighting
• Extension cords and power strips
• Portable chargers or power station
• Phone, tablet, or laptop
• Backup Wi-Fi or mobile hotspot
• Cash and money pouch
• Counterfeit detection pen
• Card reader and payment apps
• Pricing stickers
• Penny sleeves and toploaders
• Magnifying glass or inspection tool
• Packaging and shopping bags
• Pens and permanent markers
• Tape and scissors
• Cleaning supplies and microfiber cloths
• Camera or security recording device
• Hand sanitizer
• Water, snacks, and food

Your Checklist Will Get Better After Every Show

You will probably forget something at your first few shows.

That is normal.

The important part is learning from it. If you borrowed tape from another vendor, add tape to your checklist. If your phone died halfway through the show, add another power bank. If customers kept asking for bags and you did not have them, bring bags next time.

Your setup should evolve around the way you actually vend.

The vendor you watched on YouTube may need four display cases and three cameras. You may only need one case and two binders. An artist may care far more about vertical displays and packaging than card inspection tools.

There is no perfect universal setup.

The goal is to arrive at the venue, set up efficiently, and have everything you need before the first customer walks through the door. When the show starts, your attention should be on customers, negotiations, sales, and protecting your inventory, not trying to figure out what you left at home.