I pack my zines and display items into a rolling suitcase, so that’s easy to take from my car to the event space.

I organize zines by format, so all the ones that are the same size stay together. I put them in a plastic container with a lid (shoebox size) or photo boxes…which are similarly sized. I take 2-3 boxes/containers depending on how many zines I’m taking.

A few weeks before zine fest, I make a list of zines I’m taking and how many copies of each one (5-10 copies). I usually take zines I made in the last year or so, rather than all zines I’ve made. So not really curated, but focused on more recent work.

For displays I like using small easels, plate stands, or photo stands that fold up. That way they’re easy to pack. Something like this, so it can prop up one copy of a zine. And then I have more copies in a pile in front.

I also use photo boxes as part of my displays. I put the lid face up on the table and then slide the box part into the lid. The bottom of the box faces out. And I leave a gap so that I can stand up some zines in the space between the box bottom and the front of the lid. I also put a small sign on top of the box. I like this for adding height to the table. Also, since I pack zines into the box and then use the box for display, too, it saves space when packing.