Official Swap Meet Thread for Sellers 5/16/2012 *FINAL LIST / E-MAIL*

[angeljibrille]

I haven't pre-registered yet due to waiting for panel confirmation. So, if I do get a panel, I wouldn't be able to participate in Thursday's swap meet because I have to get a badge at the door?  :(

You have to have a print-out staying you are registered, not a badge itself (or, of course, a badge if you actually have time to get one). You also need an ID matching that registration.

[angeljibrille]

I have a question, hope I didnt just miss the answer. 

So I would like to attend swap meet on thursday and I have already pre-regged for fanime. I am also in the Artist Alley.  I understand that we just bring proof of purchase of e prereg to get in on thrusday but we dont actually get a badge?  I'm just worried because I  need to get in line for AA at 10am and I would not have time to go get a badge that morning from actual registration.

That's correct. However, on Friday, you have to have the badge itself. We are more understanding on Thursday for obvious reasons :)

Thanks!

[Eurobeat King]

People will not be able to get neighboring spots this year because of some blatant violations by several people last year to try and create "uber spaces". I'm sorry, but we had to change the rules and we can't make exceptions :(

Thanks!
Marisa

When we sign-in on Thursday and/or Friday, we'll be taken to the spot that has been designated by our place #?  We won't be able to choose our own spot this year, correct?  :-[

[Ivycat]

Hi, first time poster,
 
I was wondering if it's still okay, to sell cosplay outfits and other items? I know people have so in the past

[angeljibrille]

People will not be able to get neighboring spots this year because of some blatant violations by several people last year to try and create "uber spaces". I'm sorry, but we had to change the rules and we can't make exceptions :(

Thanks!
Marisa

When we sign-in on Thursday and/or Friday, we'll be taken to the spot that has been designated by our place #?  We won't be able to choose our own spot this year, correct?  :-[

Yes, this was due to some blatant rule-bending by several individuals last year to create "super spaces" and unfortunately the actions of a few people caused us to A. be moved out of EH3 and B. we have to change completely how we run the event.

[angeljibrille]

Hi, first time poster,
 
I was wondering if it's still okay, to sell cosplay outfits and other items? I know people have so in the past

Yes, as long as you aren't selling 2029842 different sizes and varieties of brand-new Bleach costumes for every character. In other words: don't be a store :)

[Eurobeat King]

I guess I'm the first one to post about the new location, being at the Fairmont Hotel, inside the Imperial Ballroom.  This is just my thoughts on the location, hours, etc.  Not trying to cause drama.  And sorry for being a little long :)  I will say that the Fairmont hotel is kinda out of the way from the convention, not "across the street" like originally planned, making travel to/from the convention center with your Swap Meet items even more a hassle to carry/transport.  The Fairmont does have parking as you stated, but that's more of a hassle for me since my car will be parked inside the SJCC parking garage, and leaving it to drive to the Fairmont would be mean giving up a good spot and paying one fee, and I don't know if the Fairmont also charges for their parking lot. 

The main issue that people will have with the Swap Meet being at the Fairmont is foot-traffic.  With a lot of events and people mainly at the convention center (Friday mainly), the majority of people will want to remain there and not go out-of-their-way.  Last year I went to the Fairmont only once to find friends, and I had to ask friends how to get there exactly since I never went there before as-long as Fanime's been at the SJCC. With the Swap Meet being inside EH3, where the video-games are, it brought in a lot of people on both nights.

Set-up time is 6:00-8:00pm, and the event opens at 8:00pm. So that means if Seller #1 checks-in and sets up his/her booth at say, 6:10pm, he/she can't sell anything until 8:00pm when the room opens?  Previous years with the Swap Meet being inside EH3, people would be able to walk-around and look at what Sellers were offering.  (True, we weren't technically allowed to sell stuff until the staff said it was okay) but this year that's a loooong time for the first group of sellers to wait before the public can look/buy their stuff.

The Swap Meet goes from 8:00pm-11:00pm on Thursday, and 7:00-11:00pm on Friday.  I can understand since it's inside the Fairmont this year, the hotel probably wants the room closed by midnight the latest, but that's earlier than previous years where we could sell stuff until 12:00 or 1:00am.  For myself, I usually shut down around midnight, but for those who really like to stay until the very end (1:00am) they won't be happy with the 11:00pm closing-time. 

What also is tough is for those who have the higher #'s (#100+) and on the waiting list, is that if the check-in time goes beyond 8:00pm, (just saying there's a possibility with the large amount of sellers this year), they will be losing valuable time selling stuff.

I know the staff will do their best to make-sure everything goes smoothly, and while the Swap Meet won't be the same like it has been in previous years, we will have to make the best of the new location, times, etc. :)

 

[angeljibrille]

I sincerely appreciate your input, as you know :)

However, believe me, the reason this has taken so long is this was the *absolute best* I could do for the Swap Meet. I apologize that I could not do better for everyone. If you have suggestions, complaints, concerns, etc.... I know them, to be honest, and brought them up. The people who can make a difference and need to hear them are here:
http://forums.fanime.com/index.php/board,37.0.html

Please don't post comments here about the new location because there's absolutely nothing I can do other than to say that I've done everything I can possibly do to try and make the best of a bad situation. There was absolutely no other good option available to me for you all. It's been a very rough couple of months behind the scenes trying to figure something out.

I will not reply further to any comments about the venue other than to answer questions about the event itself. Please post these other comments in the other forum, and start a thread there.

*hugs all*

Thank you,
Marisa

[Eurobeat King]

I sincerely appreciate your input, as you know :)

Thanks for taking the time to reply.  :)

Will a .pdf or link to a map/layout of both ballrooms (or mainly the Imperial Ballroom) be provided with the Swap Meet spot #'s so that the Sellers may see where they'll be stationed for either/both nights?  This will give us a heads-up ahead of time.  Thanks!

[angeljibrille]

I sincerely appreciate your input, as you know :)

Thanks for taking the time to reply.  :)

Will a .pdf or link to a map/layout of both ballrooms (or mainly the Imperial Ballroom) be provided with the Swap Meet spot #'s so that the Sellers may see where they'll be stationed for either/both nights?  This will give us a heads-up ahead of time.  Thanks!

Hi there,

Sorry for the confusion... there are not going to be assigned spaces for your number. This is mostly because we often have cases where 1 & 2 show up, but 3 - 5 are missing, then 6 is there, but not 7, then 8 - 11, etc. You get my drift.  We can't guarantee that every single person who signed up will actually show up, which is why we have a waiting list :) So if I said x number gets y space, it would be a nightmare.

We will fill the front first, and as we go further down the line, full the back of the room. You can give us a general preference as to where you want to be in the room if you like (from what's available by the time we get to you), but you can't pick an exact space, and we can't promise you can be in that area but we will work with you.

Thanks!
Marisa

[Eurobeat King]

We will fill the front first, and as we go further down the line, full the back of the room. You can give us a general preference as to where you want to be in the room if you like (from what's available by the time we get to you), but you can't pick an exact space, and we can't promise you can be in that area but we will work with you.

Hopefully we will be able to do that.  :)

Thanks again!

[CosplayDevotee]

Hello! I was wondering if you could clear up a few things for me?

My husband and I are coming from out of town by way of amtrak so we don't have access to a vehicle. If we have two or three tubs worth of items to sell, there's no other way it seems than to lug them by foot to the fairmont. Not complaining I swear lol. I was just wondering if there's another way that I am not aware of?

If there is no other way, are my husband and I able to bring two tubs then the third if I wait in line before the room is opened for setup? I understand the contract states bringing items in to sell then going back for more isn't allowed, but is what I proposed above alright?

And I was also wondering if we would be walking in groups to and from the hotel and convention center? Just figured that would be a better idea than going alone.

Thanks!

[Admiral Donuts]

So this is what I pulled from Google maps WRT relative locations


Does anyone know if this is a good path to take between the Convention Centre and the Fairmont?

As for people who want to transit in groups for safety reasons, here's a plan: leave from the Fairmont to the Convention Centre every half-hour on the hour & half-hour, and doing the opposite at five minutes past the hour & half-hour. Maybe we could get some sellers to volunteer (swap meet staff is undermanned as is) to help out with this? I plan on attending with friends so I could help out. Even if nobody volunteers, these would be good designated "group times" to leave.

Thinking we set up something like this amongst ourselves:

Thursday:

Time	Leaving Fairmont	|	Time	Leaving Con Centre
09:00	Volunteer Name	|	09:05	Volunteer Name
09:30	Volunteer Name	|	09:35	Volunteer Name
10:00	Volunteer Name	|	10:05	Volunteer Name
10:30	Volunteer Name	|	10:35	Volunteer Name
11:00	Volunteer Name	|	11:05	Volunteer Name
11:30	Volunteer Name	|	11:35	Volunteer Name
12:00	Volunteer Name	|

[CosplayDevotee]

So any ideas?

[angeljibrille]

If there is no other way, are my husband and I able to bring two tubs then the third if I wait in line before the room is opened for setup? I understand the contract states bringing items in to sell then going back for more isn't allowed, but is what I proposed above alright?

Yes, the waiting in line thing is fine. We only prohibit going back for more once you are in your place. Our problem in the past is that goods have been approved, and then someone will "go to the car" and get another 4-5 boxes of adult material, for example, that doesn't get approved. We then find out about it later from someone who reports that adult material is being sold in bulk, etc. So because of this, once you are at your spot - you can't bring anything else in. However, doing multiple trips while you are still waiting in line is fine.

Thanks!
Marisa

[CosplayDevotee]

If there is no other way, are my husband and I able to bring two tubs then the third if I wait in line before the room is opened for setup? I understand the contract states bringing items in to sell then going back for more isn't allowed, but is what I proposed above alright?

Yes, the waiting in line thing is fine. We only prohibit going back for more once you are in your place. Our problem in the past is that goods have been approved, and then someone will "go to the car" and get another 4-5 boxes of adult material, for example, that doesn't get approved. We then find out about it later from someone who reports that adult material is being sold in bulk, etc. So because of this, once you are at your spot - you can't bring anything else in. However, doing multiple trips while you are still waiting in line is fine.

Thanks!
Marisa

Thanks!  ;) :D

[Michi]

So about the "Dealer Setup: 5:00pm - 7:00pm" on Friday... Is this an optional set up time, or do we have to be there at 5 pm to claim our spot? It won't take me 2 hours to set up, so I'd love to get there at, say, 6:30 and just get settled, but I don't want to lose a good spot because I didn't show up at 5 pm.

[Eurobeat King]

It won't take me 2 hours to set up

Likewise. ;)  If we finish setting-up and say it's not 8:00pm yet on Thursday (7:00pm on Friday), what are we to do if the room isn't open to the public yet? 

[yotsuba]

It won't take me 2 hours to set up

Likewise. ;)  If we finish setting-up and say it's not 8:00pm yet on Thursday (7:00pm on Friday), what are we to do if the room isn't open to the public yet?  

I gotta say, I'm curious about this too, lol.
I'm sure there's still an element of first come-first serve...

But, the wait during those 2 hours if we arrive early and near the front of the line...
Gotta find something to do while everyone else sets up.
Maybe shop a little bit with our neighbors... :D

I'll admit though, it's nice to have some set-up time.
...But, it's nice to sell at the same time too. xD

I understand the people towards the end of the line/higher numbers won't get as much time to set up though.
Might just have to deal with it and enjoy the moment, setting up and of the sort. :D

[Michi]

I understand the people towards the end of the line/higher numbers won't get as much time to set up though.
Might just have to deal with it and enjoy the moment, setting up and of the sort. :D

Yeah, I'm in the top 15 for Friday... so I have a feeling I might just be sitting around for a while if it's as we're imagining it. D: