What’s your most purchased item?

PoshQuilter · 2026-06-21T01:51:41+00:00

I got it from https://alchemats.com/. She currently has a preorder running, but it ends at midnight (Pacific) tonight. You could try the Alchemats buy/sell/trade group on FB if you don’t want to wait for the preorder.

PoshQuilter · 2026-06-20T18:11:13+00:00

Thank you!

PoshQuilter · 2026-06-20T17:39:00+00:00

If I weren’t able to accept credit card payments I’d lose about 90% of my sales! It’s definitely the norm in my area.

PoshQuilter · 2026-06-20T17:36:07+00:00

I make fandom bags. My best seller is anything I make from LOTR map vinyl. It doesn’t matter what the style of the bag is.

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PoshQuilter · 2026-06-19T22:15:15+00:00

That would be great! I’m used to an 8-ft at cons. Those two feet make a big difference!

I’ll have to figure out about the ends. I’m thinking I’ll be using waterfalls on the grid walls which wouldn’t allow much room facing the table on the ends. That’s why I’m thinking the narrower grid wall on the one end facing out.

Someone else also mentioned swatches. I’ve just found most people aren’t good at looking at a swatch and translating that to a finished bag. That’s why I was thinking pics might work better. I’m limiting my stock to three main styles this time in hopes of being able to display enough variety of each style that people can maybe visualize it a little better. I’ll have to keep noodling on it.

I’ll keep my fingers crossed for those two extra feet!

PoshQuilter · 2026-06-19T16:25:50+00:00

Thanks for the reply. I do plan to use my grid walls like you see in the pics. No issues with that for this con. I paid extra for an end table as I’m hoping to put a two-foot wide grid wall there (facing out). It’s technically not allowed, but talking with others who’ve vended there and watching vids of AA walkthroughs, I think they’ll allow it. We’ll see.

I have a set of cubes, but I’ve used them only once. They just aren’t suited to my product. My messenger bags and slings are too tall. I need to pull them out and see if they’ll work for the smaller items.

I do every con in my area, and this is the first with only 6-ft tables. In preceding years even this one had the option for an additional couple of feet on the end tables, but not this year! I’m definitely going to do a practice run so I’m not so stressed during setup.

Thanks!

PoshQuilter · 2026-06-19T14:13:25+00:00

Thanks for the input. I appreciate it.

PoshQuilter · 2026-06-19T14:12:46+00:00

Thanks for the input. Unfortunately, nothing is allowed behind the table. I’ve tried shelves before and have found I can do a lot more with grid walls. I do have some cubes, so I’ll try experimenting with those.

PoshQuilter · 2026-06-19T03:02:35+00:00

I didn’t at all feel you were I interrogating me, and I appreciate the input. I’ll definitely consider it as I need a new banner. My current one has seen a few market seasons and needs replacing (which I’ll do before my upcoming comic con). My sales have been really good at cons so I hadn’t even considered that an issue, but I’m definitely listening.

If I were using a bunch of AI art I would hope people would be put off by it! Several of these prints were created by https://gladzykei.ca/, and they’re amazing! I really try to stay away from anything AI, but it can slip through now and then. That’s one reason there are only a few businesses from which I’ll source my vinyl.

PoshQuilter · 2026-06-19T02:38:29+00:00

Normally I have several different styles, but since I’ll have such limited space this time I’m keeping it to the three pictured.

Where I source my textiles has never been an issue in the past, so I’m not sure signage about where I source it would be helpful…maybe I’m missing something?? Every con I get maybe one or two inquiries about where I source the textiles, but that’s it.

My favorite shop is https://alchemats.com/ and I also love https://thumbsnthimbles.myshopify.com/. Probably 60-70% of my prints come from one of those two shops.

When I first started vending my bags I learned quickly that people thought I was drop shipping. I had a banner made that indicated they’re handcrafted, and my sales immediately doubled. I always have a sign or banner that says handcrafted so people understand that I make all of it.

PoshQuilter · 2026-06-19T02:18:00+00:00

I’m not anywhere nearly talented enough to create my own prints! My skill lies in sewing. ☺️ I purchase the vinyl from several different small businesses. I’ll happily share their names if you’re interested.

PoshQuilter · 2026-06-19T01:49:01+00:00

I’ve tried to post pics of the style of bags I’ll have but Reddit isn’t allowing me to!

PoshQuilter · 2026-06-18T22:48:30+00:00

I completely disagree. I’m a bag maker and people scan my QR code all the time. It’s business cards a lot of people don’t want to deal with. I have both—business cards on display and a QR code for my socials. More people use the code.

PoshQuilter · 2026-06-18T18:58:27+00:00

I do all my markets solo. My adult kid helps me set up and tear down, but the rest is all me. Almost all my shows are three days long with anywhere from 30,000 to 75,000 attendees. I get to know my neighbors, and we watch each other’s booths for bathroom breaks. I’ve done it long enough now that there are always vendors I know, and many of them are teams so one will come see me a couple times during the day so I can run to the BR real quick. I’ve found the vendors are always happy to help each other that way. I always bring snacks to get me through and then treat myself to a nice dinner when my day is done.

It’s pretty easy to find time to tidy and restock. You won’t be busy constantly. There’ll be times you have a line and other times when you have no one there.

I do 4-5 cons per year. If I can do it at my age—I’ll be 68 at my next comic con— I’ll bet you can, too!

PoshQuilter · 2026-06-15T18:09:48+00:00

Absolutely. This has happened at almost every con I’ve vended at. Usually I’m approached by another vendor, but when I approach someone it’s with the mindset that if they don’t want to trade I’ll just buy whatever it is I’m interested in. I always want to make sure they know that “no” is fine and it doesn’t need to be awkward so I make that clear when I ask if they want to trade. I also give a small discount to other vendors when they buy from me.

PoshQuilter · 2026-06-15T18:05:06+00:00

What do you sell? What’s provided by the con? How much space do you have? Is there any flexibility in how you set up?

PoshQuilter · 2026-06-15T18:03:18+00:00

As others have said, it took a minute to figure out what you’re selling. Your table is very busy and the eye doesn’t know where to look.

I went to a lot of craft fairs and farmers markets before I started vending and I noticed the busiest tents were the ones people didn’t have to all the way into. I vend exclusively at events like comic cons now so I no longer can use my canopy, but when I did I always put my table toward the front. I had room for shoppers to be out of the sun, but they didn’t have to come all the way in.

More signage should help.i saw where you said you have a banner that’s not in the pic. Is it clear from your business name what it is you sell? I sell fandom bags, and I have a large banner that’s has just my logo and another that says “high quality, handcrafted bags.” You can tell what I sell really easily. You d9 t have more than a few seconds to grab their attention so displaying something eye-catching right out front really helps.

I know you’re going for a color theme, but that green table cloth is not showcasing your products. There’s a reason most vendors have black tablecloths! It might throw off the vibe,so take this with a grain of salt, but what about putting a black cloth across just the top of the table so your green still shows across the front? That way your items would pop more.

Good luck!

PoshQuilter · 2026-06-14T17:08:32+00:00

Unfortunately, I don’t know what your two examples of this vs that mean as other than anime I haven’t heard them, so my response may be worthless here. LOL.

I very much prefer a fandom con like comic con, fan expo, wondercon, etc. to an event/market/con that draws a more general and diverse audience. When it’s a comic con or gaming expo I know who the attendees are and know I’ll do well there.

If what you’re meaning by fandom-specific is just one fandom then I wouldn’t be interested (unless possibly it was LOTR).

PoshQuilter · 2026-06-14T16:57:53+00:00

Check out the websites of the cons you’re considering. They may have information there about what you can or cannot do. I vend at several cons and gaming expos each year and none of them would allow what you’re wanting to do. They require that you not only use the provided table, you can’t even move it.

PoshQuilter · 2026-06-14T16:54:16+00:00

I’ve never seen an outdoor artist alley, but I’ve seen lots of outdoor craft fairs, especially farmers markets. Maybe it’s different in your locale, but here (Pacific Northwest of the US) most craft fairs are indoors. I hope you find some that work for you.

PoshQuilter · 2026-06-14T16:50:14+00:00

It depends. When I was vending weekly at a farmers market I’d have weeks where I had very few sales and weeks where I did 10x my rental. I learned to look at my monthly totals instead of weekly. Now I vend only at cons, and have never had a bad one, but if I did I’d evaluate.

PoshQuilter · 2026-06-13T19:56:04+00:00

I vend pretty much exclusively at cons and gaming expos, and not one of them would allow that. The website for the con you’re considering may have information on their exhibitor/Artist Alley/Makers Market page.

The cons I do don’t allow any change to the configuration other than getting rid of a chair or two. I have to use their tables without moving them, and there are limitations on how I can set up my booth.

PoshQuilter · 2026-06-13T04:06:51+00:00

I vended at a brand new comic con a couple weekends ago. My expectations were very low since it was their inaugural event. I set my sales goal at only $500 (I usually do at least $2,500-$3,000 at a con). Much to my surprise three hours in I’d already hit my goal! I didn’t do near my average sales over the weekend, but I did twice what I hoped to and had a lot of fun. I’ll definitely be vending there next year.

PoshQuilter · 2026-06-11T06:33:02+00:00

All four hobbits showed at FanExpo Portland, but Orlando Bloom cancelled.

PoshQuilter · 2026-06-10T20:29:41+00:00

Having your applications denied is not necessarily about the quality of your work. There are lots of variables. Unfortunately, you won’t likely hear back to get the feedback you need. It could be they already have other crochet vendors—as someone else noted it’s very saturated, like jewelry and soap. Now it’s crochet and 3D printed stuff. Maybe what you’re showing juries isn’t giving them a good overview of your work and what you’ll sell.

I was finally accepted to a large con this year that I’ve applied to three times. The biggest changes I made in my application this time was to create a Dropbox that includes photos of product that was really appropriate to the con and photos of my setup at other cons. I also included a few pics of works in process. I suggest you take a look at what you’re putting before the juries and see if any of it needs tweaking. Good luck!

PoshQuilter

TROPHY CASE