Written by Maddox Pipkin

When I applied for a table at Superstar Comic Con last year, I didn’t expect much to come of it. I had gotten into the habit of applying for every opportunity that came my way with the attitude of ‘I’m probably not going to get it, but if I do I’ll worry about it later.’ So imagine my surprise a month later when I receive an email telling me I would have a table for the con in a few months.

At this point I hadn’t really made any merch or had sold any artwork, and soon I was going to be running an entire booth. In the short time I had, I learned a lot about putting together work and setting up a booth from scratch and this is all of that.

Manufacturing

The main thing that most artists have at cons is stickers and prints. Both can get pretty expensive if you don’t know where to look, but I was trying to cut costs at every corner I could as I already spent a significant fee on the table. Plus, saving costs at the production stage means you can also keep costs low when you get to the con.

Stickers

Many printing places have some sort of sticker option, but the problem comes when you’re looking to buy different designs. Most places print in bulk, and even having 4 different sticker designs can easily run you over $100 when most likely you won’t sell out. 

Another option to cut costs is to buy sticker paper and cut it out yourself. I know a couple artists who do this, but I personally didn’t want to have to spend that time and have it not be as clean.

I looked at a bunch of different printing sites before finally committing to one. I ended up using Sticky Brand because they had the lowest bulk option at the lowest price. I printed 10 designs of 50 stickers each for $130 due to me min-maxxing deals (mainly their 50-for-15 deal and a 20% off code they had at the time). I was really happy with the quality of the stickers and the time it took to get delivered.

Each sticker was about 2.5 inches and I sold them for $3 a piece, which I found to be pretty normal across other artists. In general keeping the price at $1-4 depending on the size is pretty standard.

Prints

For standard prints, I did the printing myself to avoid having a potential error with an industrial printer. I didn’t offer a lot of prints or super big sizes so this was pretty doable for me. I bought a ream of cardstock and a small paper cutter (mine was about $15 and I’ve used it on other projects since so I think it’s a good expense) and just did it in an afternoon. I did have a couple errors with the printer so I honestly wouldn’t recommend it unless you have a really good printer.

Print shops are the easier route, and one I’d probably take next time. Just looking for print shops in your area and if you can’t find one that specifically caters to artists, a Staples also works.

For pricing, with my letter sized prints I priced them at $15 a piece and sold misprints for $7 a piece, so even with the printing errors I was still making a decent profit.

Other

Stickers and prints are the main items, but they don’t have to be your only items. Some artists do washi tape, keychains, acrylic stands, and more. I did actually have a shaker keychain I sold that did really well, however I purchased them before the tariffs came into effect and I’m not sure how the tariffs have changed production.

This section is mostly just to get you thinking about fun items you can try, but also to point out that if you’re getting stuff manufactured overseas, do extra research about what exactly the cost is and whether the tariff is factored into that cost.

The Table

A lot of artists tend to have very elaborate displays that look fantastic, but this being my first con I didn’t want to sink a lot of money into the set-up. Luckily, I had a friend with table experience who leant me some of her display stands and corkboard. The only things I actually bought for my set up was a vinyl tablecloth (that I got for a dollar because the Party City was closing) and an inkpot for decoration since it complemented my branding.

Thinking about branding is also very important and can be used as other filler stuff for the table. For instance, my brand logo is a possum, so I brought two of my possum stuffed animals to use as decoration. Small things like that can show off your personality while also interesting con-goers.

Do I think it looked very bare? Yes. However I still got people to my table and interested in my wares, which is the main part.

Side note: having a tip jar is a great idea! If you put a fun message on it, it can even be a conversation starter. Mine said “defense attorney funds” with an arrow pointing to my stuffed animal. Admittedly, no one left me a tip and I would just put cash in there when someone paid me, but it got people to stop at my booth which is half the battle.

At the Con

Once you get to the convention hall (and conscript a friend to help you set up) it’s mostly the easy part. Besides bringing your set-up and your wares, you should also bring snacks, water, and something to draw with. You’ll have to be there all day, and food in the hall is always expensive.

Besides that, the biggest hurdle at the con is the waiting part. It can be very easy to stare at people walking by and waiting for them to approach, but it’s not a good look nor is it fun. I had some extra space at my table that I could draw while I was waiting, and during the second day I started taking traditional commissions at my table.

Commissions can seem very daunting, and before going I had decided on not doing them to keep it simple. But it can be easy labor that keeps you busy, especially if you keep them cheap because you don’t have to get too fancy with it. I met a lot of people through this and got to practice drawing quickly.

Closing Thoughts

In general, I think artist alley is a great way to get involved in the community and put yourself out there. Some people even go on to do cons full time to make money, however if you’re just starting out it might not be the best idea to throw yourself into the deep end.

Obviously, prices and revenue differ from show-to-show and day-to-day, but because of the money I spent on the table I ended up not making a profit over the two days I was at the con. I got pretty close, but I had known going into it that cons can be a pretty turbulent environment for selling at times. I did the con not because I thought I would make a lot of money, but because I thought it would be a good experience for myself.

I had a really great time and it taught me a lot, but if you’re new to tabling and you’re not anticipating your table being super popular right out of the gate, you’re probably not going to make everything you spent back. If you’re fine with that and you are in a position where you can afford to lose some money, then cons are a great experience for new artists and I would really recommend it. 

I wanted this to be about other ways to save money as a new artist rather than spending a ton on production and not making all that back, and I’ve shared a few helpful tips that can help anyone out at their next convention.