Official Swapmeet FAQ (Fans Ask Questions)

[Anon]

Just so we're clear, and for those with poor reading comprehension, you're talking about the City National Civic, the theater looking place across the street and separate from the convention center?

[Admiral Donuts]

Just so we're clear, and for those with poor reading comprehension, you're talking about the City National Civic, the theater looking place across the street and separate from the convention center?

Thanks for clearing it up, the only things called "civic center" on Google maps were a fair distance from the convention center.

[YuffieK]

I'm currently trying to apply for a (temporary) seller's permit, and I can't complete it without some information.
What is a phone number I can put down for the event/building?
What is the space rental cost going to be?

Also, if I am signing up for a swap meet spot and want to share the spot with a friend, if their name is also on the permit along with mine will we only need the one permit for the both of us? Or will we each need separate seller's permits?

Edit: What NAICS code do we use for the permit application? Does this count as Retail?

[Ecchi ja Nai]

I know it's going to seem like there's just no pleasing some people, or at least no pleasing this guy, but I'm kinda disappointed with the location.  First and foremost, did anyone not find lugging stuff across the street and over the light rail tracks bothersome?  I remember two years ago when swap meet was at the Fairmont, there was a mass of people crossing the street with stuff both before and after, so I would think it's a fair assumption that the majority of sellers are either staying at one of the attached hotels or at least park in the convention center lot.  Even without boxes and luggage and the like, there's always a herd of people crossing at that intersection anyway; why would you have the event at a removed location, strictly from a safety standpoint?

And given that the expansion work on the convention center was just completed, is any of that new space being put to use during the con?  Or perhaps the carpets in the new ballrooms are still too nice to let people trample all over it.

Speaking of the Fairmont, I'm trying to recall the relative size of space that was available there.  Even without that second room open on Friday, I think there was still more floor space there than what the civic center offers.  It's hard to judge, though, because even though I wind up there every year for MusicFest, the floor's already full of chairs, mixing equipment and people.  Can't find any definitive dimensions to compare, especially since I'm hashing this out at work, but I could be wrong on this one.

Obviously not everyone is able to book a room at one of the attached hotels, nor will everyone be able to find parking in the garage, but I still think it's a mistake to have swap meet anywhere else but in the convention center itself, or the south hall were it possible.  The less need for people to cross San Carlos street, the better, and I'm sure cross traffic would appreciate it as well.

[Ecchi ja Nai]

I'm currently trying to apply for a (temporary) seller's permit, and I can't complete it without some information.

Assuming you're only selling at Fanime's swap meet, and not on other occasions/run a retail store, there's a form that's provided by Fanime which will be posted on their website when everything is ready.  You do not need to go through the Board of Equalization's site unless you sell more than once a year.  They tend to have the required forms posted in the forums as well, either in this thread or on another official swap meet thread.  In the past it's been a simple one-page form with a second page of instructions/information in pdf format that you print out.  You won't need anything else besides some basic personal info - your name, address, con badge number and the like - and then a brief rundown of what you're planning on selling.  Then the official signature and date at the bottom will seal the deal on your end.

If, however, you do need an actual temporary permit from the BoE, your best bet would be to contact Decantus directly for whatever specifics he can provide.

I do recall from an earlier response that Decantus mentioned it's $30 (per space) per day.  He's still being coy regarding the size of the spaces, though.

[warbearer]

Good lord... I go away for a few days...

Okay!  So first off, I'm sorry for the delay in response.  Please forgive me.

Second, Registration will be going up this week one way or another.  The site is done, and just needs to be pushed to production.  I'm just pending a final OKAY so I can blast the date out on social media and have a 48 hour announcement period so people have equal opportunity to sign up.

Vouchers will be available only for people that have not picked up their badges.  The Vouchers will be handed out by me at the Swap Meet reg table which will be opening at 6:30 for Sellers.  This is probably more relevant for people that are going to be selling on Thursday since Badge reg isn't until later.

There have been people asking me about reg'ing with Panel or Industry Badges.  Please email me once the reg system is up so that I can make arrangements.  If you have an Industry badge, you can sell at Swap Meet so long as you don't qualify/sell in Dealer's Hall.

More to come soon.  I'm back so ask away.

That's the day when I am flying...

[Decantus]

Good lord... I go away for a few days...

Okay!  So first off, I'm sorry for the delay in response.  Please forgive me.

Second, Registration will be going up this week one way or another.  The site is done, and just needs to be pushed to production.  I'm just pending a final OKAY so I can blast the date out on social media and have a 48 hour announcement period so people have equal opportunity to sign up.

Vouchers will be available only for people that have not picked up their badges.  The Vouchers will be handed out by me at the Swap Meet reg table which will be opening at 6:30 for Sellers.  This is probably more relevant for people that are going to be selling on Thursday since Badge reg isn't until later.

There have been people asking me about reg'ing with Panel or Industry Badges.  Please email me once the reg system is up so that I can make arrangements.  If you have an Industry badge, you can sell at Swap Meet so long as you don't qualify/sell in Dealer's Hall.

More to come soon.  I'm back so ask away.

That's the day when I am flying...

You'll be flying an awful long time then.  I haven't said when it will be.

[Anon]

I do recall from an earlier response that Decantus mentioned it's $30 (per space) per day.  He's still being coy regarding the size of the spaces, though.

I can only hope the spot sizes don't shrink any further from the 5'x10'. Price increases I think I could deal with (begrudgingly), but shrinking the spot to a square shorter than I am tall is kinda cramped, to say the least

I know it's going to seem like there's just no pleasing some people, or at least no pleasing this guy, but I'm kinda disappointed with the location.  First and foremost, did anyone not find lugging stuff across the street and over the light rail tracks bothersome?  I remember two years ago when swap meet was at the Fairmont, there was a mass of people crossing the street with stuff both before and after, so I would think it's a fair assumption that the majority of sellers are either staying at one of the attached hotels or at least park in the convention center lot.  Even without boxes and luggage and the like, there's always a herd of people crossing at that intersection anyway; why would you have the event at a removed location, strictly from a safety standpoint?

And given that the expansion work on the convention center was just completed, is any of that new space being put to use during the con?  Or perhaps the carpets in the new ballrooms are still too nice to let people trample all over it.

Speaking of the Fairmont, I'm trying to recall the relative size of space that was available there.  Even without that second room open on Friday, I think there was still more floor space there than what the civic center offers.  It's hard to judge, though, because even though I wind up there every year for MusicFest, the floor's already full of chairs, mixing equipment and people.  Can't find any definitive dimensions to compare, especially since I'm hashing this out at work, but I could be wrong on this one.

Obviously not everyone is able to book a room at one of the attached hotels, nor will everyone be able to find parking in the garage, but I still think it's a mistake to have swap meet anywhere else but in the convention center itself, or the south hall were it possible.  The less need for people to cross San Carlos street, the better, and I'm sure cross traffic would appreciate it as well.

I share your concerns as well, for the sake of safety concerns of crossing areas, unloading and loading before and after the swap meet, and to bring up safety concerns again, many people did not feel safe having to go near that park area late at night. As for the size, I can't really comment as I've never set foot in the civic center, but I sure hope its big enough to hold both the sellers and the HUGE amount of people that come on the Friday night of sales. Don't want another fire hazard issue with capacity being maxed out like 3 years ago in the gaming hall.

There's also the fact that its totally disconnected from the convention center. I know every year I see people lined up across the street for something, and I think to myself, "huh, what's going on over there? I could go over there and check... nah, that's all the way across the street, nevermind." In 2012, I remember hearing people say they didn't even know there was a swap meet going on at a different location. Granted the Fairmont was a little farther than across the street, but not connected to the convention center just isn't convenient enough when it comes to making people come to spend money.

Unfortunately, I think we're probably too late in voicing these concerns, as I imagine making any change in venue would be impossible at this point. Maybe its just my own assumption but the swap meet sort of has the bottom of the totem pole feeling when it comes to the various events at Fanime, and whatever venue they have to pick from is the leftovers... well, except for last year though, last year's location was friggin' awesome.

You'll be flying an awful long time then.  I haven't said when it will be.

Didn't you say you would have it opened up on a Saturday around the noontime hour?

[Decantus]

I'm currently trying to apply for a (temporary) seller's permit, and I can't complete it without some information.
What is a phone number I can put down for the event/building?
What is the space rental cost going to be?

Also, if I am signing up for a swap meet spot and want to share the spot with a friend, if their name is also on the permit along with mine will we only need the one permit for the both of us? Or will we each need separate seller's permits?

Edit: What NAICS code do we use for the permit application? Does this count as Retail?

Unless you're selling at more than a few events in a year time, or if you plan on selling more than $10000 in items, you do not need to sign up for this kind of permit for swap meets.

This is provided during the Registration process, but you will be required to print and fill out this: http://www.boe.ca.gov/pdf/boe410d.pdf

[Decantus]

I know it's going to seem like there's just no pleasing some people, or at least no pleasing this guy, but I'm kinda disappointed with the location.  First and foremost, did anyone not find lugging stuff across the street and over the light rail tracks bothersome?  I remember two years ago when swap meet was at the Fairmont, there was a mass of people crossing the street with stuff both before and after, so I would think it's a fair assumption that the majority of sellers are either staying at one of the attached hotels or at least park in the convention center lot.  Even without boxes and luggage and the like, there's always a herd of people crossing at that intersection anyway; why would you have the event at a removed location, strictly from a safety standpoint?

And given that the expansion work on the convention center was just completed, is any of that new space being put to use during the con?  Or perhaps the carpets in the new ballrooms are still too nice to let people trample all over it.

Speaking of the Fairmont, I'm trying to recall the relative size of space that was available there.  Even without that second room open on Friday, I think there was still more floor space there than what the civic center offers.  It's hard to judge, though, because even though I wind up there every year for MusicFest, the floor's already full of chairs, mixing equipment and people.  Can't find any definitive dimensions to compare, especially since I'm hashing this out at work, but I could be wrong on this one.

Obviously not everyone is able to book a room at one of the attached hotels, nor will everyone be able to find parking in the garage, but I still think it's a mistake to have swap meet anywhere else but in the convention center itself, or the south hall were it possible.  The less need for people to cross San Carlos street, the better, and I'm sure cross traffic would appreciate it as well.

I share your concerns as well, for the sake of safety concerns of crossing areas, unloading and loading before and after the swap meet, and to bring up safety concerns again, many people did not feel safe having to go near that park area late at night. As for the size, I can't really comment as I've never set foot in the civic center, but I sure hope its big enough to hold both the sellers and the HUGE amount of people that come on the Friday night of sales. Don't want another fire hazard issue with capacity being maxed out like 3 years ago in the gaming hall.

There's also the fact that its totally disconnected from the convention center. I know every year I see people lined up across the street for something, and I think to myself, "huh, what's going on over there? I could go over there and check... nah, that's all the way across the street, nevermind." In 2012, I remember hearing people say they didn't even know there was a swap meet going on at a different location. Granted the Fairmont was a little farther than across the street, but not connected to the convention center just isn't convenient enough when it comes to making people come to spend money.

Unfortunately, I think we're probably too late in voicing these concerns, as I imagine making any change in venue would be impossible at this point. Maybe its just my own assumption but the swap meet sort of has the bottom of the totem pole feeling when it comes to the various events at Fanime, and whatever venue they have to pick from is the leftovers... well, except for last year though, last year's location was friggin' awesome.

You'll be flying an awful long time then.  I haven't said when it will be.

Didn't you say you would have it opened up on a Saturday around the noontime hour?

My options were, SJ Civic Center, Fairmont Hotel, or South Hall.  Fairmont is too far away, and all of your concerns apply more so to it.  South Hall we would close at 10:30pm so there would be no point having Swap Meet.

As for the release time, the best laid plans often go awry.  At this point, it's more important to be able to get everyone reg'd and not have an At-Con Snafu.

[Decantus]

I'm currently trying to apply for a (temporary) seller's permit, and I can't complete it without some information.

Assuming you're only selling at Fanime's swap meet, and not on other occasions/run a retail store, there's a form that's provided by Fanime which will be posted on their website when everything is ready.  You do not need to go through the Board of Equalization's site unless you sell more than once a year.  They tend to have the required forms posted in the forums as well, either in this thread or on another official swap meet thread.  In the past it's been a simple one-page form with a second page of instructions/information in pdf format that you print out.  You won't need anything else besides some basic personal info - your name, address, con badge number and the like - and then a brief rundown of what you're planning on selling.  Then the official signature and date at the bottom will seal the deal on your end.

If, however, you do need an actual temporary permit from the BoE, your best bet would be to contact Decantus directly for whatever specifics he can provide.

I do recall from an earlier response that Decantus mentioned it's $30 (per space) per day.  He's still being coy regarding the size of the spaces, though.

Still $30, spaces are 9' by 4'

[Admiral Donuts]

You'll be flying an awful long time then.  I haven't said when it will be.

But more seriously, it's going to be on a Saturday at 12pm (Not tomorrow) so everyone has an equal chance to reg.

I don't mean to call you out on this but you kinda did, so you can't expect people to not assume it's when reg is gonna be... :-\

Important question, does the City National Civic have the same union as the convention center and/or the same rules about handtrucks?

[Decantus]

As for the release time, the best laid plans often go awry.  At this point, it's more important to be able to get everyone reg'd and not have an At-Con Snafu.

2 CAN PLAY AT THIS GAME

I do wish that I could have gotten reg up on a weekend, but the fact that it has taken this long to build the reg system into the new site code, means that I cannot have 3 days between reg and Con starting to get everything hammered out.

And Yes they do have the same Union rules.

[Ecchi ja Nai]

Gotta admit, when I was thinking about the space available in the Civic Center, I was strictly thinking of it from a seller's point of view.  If we get anywhere near the crowds swap meet has been pulling the in last few years...

It's got a maximum seating capacity of 3036 people.  That number sounds like a lot, but the rooms wound up being crowded as all get out for a couple hours.  Plus when you factor in that the space that's going to be taped off for the sellers, just guesstimating, that would that bring it down to only about 1000 people walking around at a time?

This is going to be way early, but I'd like to put in my request for swap meet to be moved back into the actual convention center.  There's got to be space to accommodate everyone in there now.  Gaming doesn't seem to take up the entire far hall; I say move gaming to one of the new ballrooms.  Most people are sitting or standing still, so there shouldn't be much foot traffic.  Arcade cabinets and other machines could be put on to some type of surface that won't damage the carpet, I'm sure.  Let swap meet, plus some other function, take over the large hall on the Hilton side.

I don't always check out Artists Alley, and never participate there as a seller since I can't do the artz, but I actually really liked it at the South Hall last year.  I don't know if there were other issue that came up internally regarding that spot, or if the artists had problems with the location, but I thought there was plenty of room to walk from table to table, there were tons of people who were able to represent their craft, and it was very easy to walk from the convention center and back.  No need to cross any streets if you're already at the con.  All in all, I liked how it worked out last year, but if AA needs to be in the big hall at the convention center, find some way to get swap meet into one of the other main halls.

[Anon]

My options were, SJ Civic Center, Fairmont Hotel, or South Hall.  Fairmont is too far away, and all of your concerns apply more so to it.  South Hall we would close at 10:30pm so there would be no point having Swap Meet.

As for the release time, the best laid plans often go awry.  At this point, it's more important to be able to get everyone reg'd and not have an At-Con Snafu.

I don't know, for the past few years, things really slow down after the 10pm hour. If doors open to the public for sales at 6 or 6:30, 3.5-4 hours of sales pretty much gets all the major sales out the door, the only ones that come at the late night hours are the wishy-washy buyers who have mind battles with their bank accounts and credit cards. My point is would closing up at 10:30pm be such a bad thing? Or, by 10:30pm do you mean everything locked up and everybody, even sellers, are to be removed from the premises?

[Admiral Donuts]

This is going to be way early, but I'd like to put in my request for swap meet to be moved back into the actual convention center.  There's got to be space to accommodate everyone in there now.  Gaming doesn't seem to take up the entire far hall; I say move gaming to one of the new ballrooms.  Most people are sitting or standing still, so there shouldn't be much foot traffic.  Arcade cabinets and other machines could be put on to some type of surface that won't damage the carpet, I'm sure.  Let swap meet, plus some other function, take over the large hall on the Hilton side.

Are you talking about 2014 or 2015?

As an aside, I'm really curious about what's going in the three main halls this year. Artist's Alley is in the new space, Dealer's Hall and gaming will probably be in 2 & 3 as per usual, so that leaves Hall 1.

[Hachimitsu]

Okay fine.

We're in the Civic Center this year.

And don't worry about the size of my battalion, we'll have you covered.

I am trying to deciper if you meant by the whole region or just a specific point but you don't have to put the helvetica Bold 24 point type face...

I only know one place where that is locate.....
ON the plus side we got THURSDAY and friday for swap meet so I am looking forward to see it comming...
just abit shocked on it's location...

btw the reason I asked about the location is because of the permits! I am sorry if I offend you or annoyed you a lot but it is important for all of us to be prepared.

[chocobolicious]

I signed up for my temporary sellers permit using the convention center address as my selling point(since I thought and failed thinking that's where it would be)...Do I need to apply for another?  I'll call about it tomorrow after work, but I figured I'd ask here just in case someone else here did the same thing.

[Ecchi ja Nai]

Are you talking about 2014 or 2015?

As an aside, I'm really curious about what's going in the three main halls this year. Artist's Alley is in the new space, Dealer's Hall and gaming will probably be in 2 & 3 as per usual, so that leaves Hall 1.

I was talking about 2015.  I'm already resigned to the new location for this year.  Plus, with barely more than a week before Day 0, there really isn't the time to make other arrangements.  If nothing else, I'm assuming we can't be in any of the primary halls because they're already designated for other uses.  I didn't realize AA is being held in the new ballroom.  I thought they'd be back in Hall 1, which is why I was wondering what the newly expanded space would be used for.  Since that's not the case, now I'm wondering what Hall 1 is going to be used for.  Maybe Dealer's Hall is going to be larger this year?  Regardless, like you point out, there's a full hall that isn't being used for the same purpose as what we're used to from previous years.

And re: Hachimitsu-ink, I'm sorry, but I gotta say I have a hard time following many of your messages.  I don't mean to be a jerk by pointing it out or anything, but dang.  It's like I can figure out what you're saying, but I gotta think about it for a bit.

Having swap meet start on Thursday, Day 0, isn't anything new.  I can't recall when Fanime first started holding a swap meet, but it's been held over two nights for as far back as I can remember going to them.  And again, assuming you're not planning on selling at multiple events - like other swap meets, flea markets, pop-up shops or the like - or making an obscene amount of money from your sales, you don't need to submit a permit application with the Board of Equalization, AKA: the state tax dudes.  The location won't really matter because the form that Fanime requires/provides to you only needs your own personal information.  For the few people who might actually require a state-issued sellers permit, 1)I'd think you'd already be familiar with the process and 2) you can contact Decantus directly with a private message.  I believe he also made an email address available.  Since he's the department head for this year's swap meet, he'd be the best person to contact for clarification on any unusual circumstances, and I'm sure he'd cross-post any pertinent information here.

Another thing is, we don't even have access to register for a sellers space yet.  Nobody here knows for sure if they're going to be able to sell or not; everyone seems to be jumping the gun a bit on some of the prep work.  Never mind the fact that I've had basically all of my stuff packed up and priced for the last couple of weeks now.  Because, you know...

[EJAY420]

What is this civic center we speak of? Explain explain.