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[you do not need your badge on Thursday.]

That kinda sucks.>.> i know you guys are doing the best you can and that you are running to problems. That i get. As sellers, it just sucks. We need a badge to sell at swap meet and swap meet opens at 6. We can't get our badge until 7. So there will be a hr of waste for swap meet.

Are you unable to come in before 6PM on Friday?  As long as you are registered to sell and have pre-registered for Fanime, you do not need your badge on Thursday.  You will need a photo I.D. as well as all the appropriate forms.  This way you won't miss out on any selling time on Thursday.  On Friday, however, you will need to Fanime badge to get it.  All of the specifics can be found in the seller's registration page as well as the emails that were sent out by StillMyWords.

I just skimmed over it briefly just now, but it doesn't seem like the FAQs on the OP have been updated to reflect these details, but if you've been approved to sell, you should have had the information available in one way or another.

For example, a few years ago, we tried to hand out badges along with swap meet. You can mention that to any of the staffers in charge, and they will shake their heads in frustration.

It was definitely a confusing and frustrating experience, and that's coming from a seller who was there and registered among the first 20 people.  I remember it took probably eight times as long to get everyone into their space.  People were already filing in looking for stuff to buy and only about 1/5 of the sellers had been processed.  I was lucky I managed to get in with the second group allowed in, but even that made for a slow process to actually check in, get my badge, pay for my spot and have all my items inspected.

So to answer my question, it seems like the best solution this year would be to coming in early and pick up my badge on Friday, correct?

I understand your frustrations believe me, as I have been there before as a regular attendee, it has been a painful transition year with me picking up this position and I hope to make it a better experience for you all going forward.

It's been said before, but not yet by me and it deserves repeating regardless: thank you for taking up the mantle of running Swap Meet this year.  It's become one of the things I most look forward to come Fanime, and I'm glad somebody was there to carry it on for at least another year.

I staffed last year for a different department (which really helped out in terms of picking up my badge before last year's Swap Meet, but doesn't do me much good this time around) but I can't even imagine the weight of responsibilities that come with heading such a large and complex aspect of the con.

While I won't throw hollow, feigned flattery your way by saying I'm sure Swap Meet is going to be pulled off flawlessly before the con even starts, I will at least echo my earlier thanks to you for stepping up and making sure we have a Swap Meet in '13.  Fingers cross, though, that we do wind up with a fantastic meet in a couple of days, and that you're willing and able to do it again next year.

Oh, and do keep any updates (especially regarding badge pick up!) coming our way!  I know I won't be the only one checking back regularly right up through Thursday.

[Posting here rather than submitting an email so any answers may help others who might be wondering the same things...]

Posting here rather than submitting an email so any answers may help others who might be wondering the same things...

I think a lot of confusion is being caused by the way the information is being presented on the Swap Meet seller registration form:

If you are selling items previously bought/used, and are selling infrequently, you can claim "occasional seller" status, as defined by the Board of Equalization.

    Most Swap Meet sellers fall under this.
    Enter in the word 'EXEMPT' for the Seller's Permit number below.
    However, you must also contact the Swap Meet staff, and submit California's BOE-410-D form to claim this status.

I'm still not really sure why, after completing the registration process, we're required to contact Swap Meet staff via email.  Isn't that who this information is going to?  What exactly are we supposed to say?  "This email is to let you know I've followed your directions for registering as a seller, and you already have all of my information.  kthxbai"
And then those of us who are Exempt, Occasional Sellers need to note our exemption on the website, then on the BOE form as well.  And when it mentions the submission of the form, it's not clear to how or to whom we're supposed to send it.  Having read the email that was sent out, I now know I just need to fill it out and bring it with me, but when I first came across it I wasn't sure if I needed to send it as an attachment in an email to staff or if I need to submit it directly to the CA BOE.  And it still seems a little silly that we need to note our exceptions twice; I'm just assuming that you need the one official claim on the BOE form and then another way for staff to track that information internally.

And to echo another question/concern that someone else had posted previously, assuming we're there early on Day 0, would Swap Meet sellers even be able to pick up their badges that day without having to leave the event early/arrive late?  Per StillMyWords earlier post, Set-Up/Check-In will begin at 6pm.  Badge Pick up doesn't start until 7pm.  Give the option, I'd much rather have my badge on Thursday, since I'm going to be there anyway.  How is that going to work out?  If I'm forced to, I'd rather make sure I get checked in with Swap Meet and just come in earlier on Friday to get my badge then, but I think most people in this situation would rather be able to enjoy Friday as soon as possible without having to wait in the badge pick-up line.  Again, all Day 0 sellers are going to be right there in the convention center on Thursday anyway, and we all need to have preregistered for the con to get that far.

[AND]

Oh man, I must have glossed over that part because I totally missed the Paypal mention.  And I thought I actually read over that post fairly thoroughly.

On the one hand, I guess this would help to speed up the sign-in process a bit, but then how difficult has it been to had over a $20 bill?  Gah!  I mean a twenty AND an additional ten this time.  And what about the folks who don't have a Paypal account?  They're supposed to sign up and assign a credit card or go through the process of adding funds just for this?

What happens if something comes up and a seller can't make it?  Before, if they don't show up, oh well.  They lose their spot and some lucky winner on the waiting list gets a chance to sell.  They weren't there to pay the seller's fee to begin with.  But now if someone can't make it, and they've already registered to sell, they're going to be out thirty bucks?  And that's just if they miss out on one night.

I figure there's a chance that not everyone will see the new thread but might still be checking this one, so be sure to check the Official Swap Meet thread at http://forums.fanime.com/index.php/topic,18266.0.html for all the details.  This time they're legit.

I also kinda like to keep this thread going to add my comments on the event without cluttering up the official thread.  I do wish that Fanime would make their announcements more noticeable.  I had just by chance checked the main page and found at the very bottom a news post regarding the swap meet FAQ and application form (I now see where I was getting confused regarding what necessitates having a temporary seller's permit, and no, it didn't have to do with how frequently you sell stuff).  It sure would have been nice to know about it earlier, since it was posted on the 19th and I just caught it this morning.  I stay away from Twitter and don't personally use Facebook, so I'm not getting announcements thrown at me.  Still, they've got an actual website where one would expect all information to be posted, and the mods know we've been talking about swap meet here, so I really don't see any reason why they couldn't have made that information easier to find.

Also - and this is no longer speculation - $30 for a 10'x5' space?  Really?  I've accumulated quite a lot of stuff over the year that I'd like to sell, but I'm going to have to seriously consider if continuing to participate in the swap meet is going to be worth it.  I thought reducing the space by half a couple of years ago was bad enough, but now they're asking for 50% more for that smaller space?  Really lame.  I guess those commercials are right, though; everybody really does like getting 50% more cash.  It just really sucks that it has to come from us sellers.

Question::  are the cartidge games (example: orcarina of time (n64 cartridge / final fantasy 7 (original label)) worth more or worth less because of the virtual online store?

Not sure if this is the most appropriate board for this question, but since we don't have anything else swap meet-related to discuss just yet...

I think it has everything to do with the game and what kind of fan following it has.  Certainly having a bunch of classic, fan fave and even cult hits available in a downloadable format will drive the prices down overall.  A certain portion of the market is looking for the content itself, and they don't care whether they have a physical copy of the game or not.  However, there are still some games where, especially to collectors, it is very valuable to own the original medium it was released on.  Nobody cares if you actually own the DVD for StarCraft II or if you downloaded the game, but I believe people will still be willing to pay more for the actual disks for FFVII than what it currently costs to download on PSN.  And there will be a difference even between the prices of the original release verses the Greatest Hits release, where the older and usually more rare version will fetch a higher price.

Compare other games however, such as the earlier Tekken or Resident Evil games and there isn't the same sense of collectable value in the disk versions.  Somebody out there would most likely want them, but probably not at a price they would have gone for prior to digital re-release.

Having said that, anybody have a copy of Xenosaga III?  Looking for the game complete with case and manual for around $20.  I'll be at swap meet!  I hope.

Any staff happen to know if they'll be selling any CDs at Fanime?

I've been absolutely loving all of there stuff ever since I first heard about them - which has been about a week now!  (In all seriousness, thank you Fanime and MusicFest staff for introducing me to this band.  Great pick!)

If they won't have their album for sale at the con, I'll be forced to acquire it through other means.

I'm talking about Amazon, people!  Sheesh.  Not every one's a pirate.  Some of my most prized albums in my collection are the legit Japanese releases of BoA's Race of a Thousand Camels and SCANDAL's Best SCANDAL.  I'd have more if import CDs weren't so dang expensive, so I'm really hoping I can get DOKI DOKI at a fair price.  Get my money directly to the band that deserves it.

Wait, are you asking about signups for staff?  Because if you're asking about signing up to participate in speed dating, then...

4' x 10'?  Last year and the year before, it should have been 5' x 10'.  Prior to that, the spaces were 10' x 10'.  But watch, some swap meet overmind is sitting in a hidden lair somewhere, rubbing their chin. "Four by ten you say... interesting."  Great job.

It would be really nice to have an official Swap Meet info page up.

Dunno the answer to your specific question - I believe it's through the convention center, though - but it won't matter as far as the chibi taiyaki is concerned.  Sweet Breams closed rather suddenly and unexpectedly earlier this year.  A real shame, too, as they were very unique in a downtown full of restaurants and markets, Japanese or otherwise.  There are only a handful of dedicated dessert/snack places here in San Mateo, and I really enjoyed their versions of taiyaki.

Wonder what the owner is up to, if she's continuing on somewhere else or if she's moved on to other ventures.

This year it is indeed back in the main convention center in Hall 1 where Artist Alley used to be.

It sounds like you guys had some excellent customer service from the hotel staff (sorry, I'm in retail management, and that kinda stuff has been drilled into me).  Didn't get any offers for assistance myself, though.  I guess I am a big, strapping (not really) lad, and everyone assumed I didn't need any help.  And aside from guys working the valet parking and the two people behind the counter, the only other hotel staff I saw before or after swap meet was the guy blocking the hallway where the Fanime Swap Meet sign was pointing.

And I sure as hell hope they don't increase the price.  $20 a space seems fair enough.  I suppose they could always decrease the size of each space.  Go back to a square, this time 5' x 5'.

Er, wait, no... please don't do that to us.

With the increase in space available in the hall, they can (hopefully?) allow more sellers to participate, thus generating more incoming funding to help offset costs involved with running Fanime, without decreasing spot size or increasing the seller's fee.

was worried because last year my wheel was stuck on the tracks and it was during a red light!

That's the kind of stuff I was talking about.

I had a couple of issues with the venue, but they were all on this side of inconvenience, rather than anything major.  In fact, up until a couple of weeks ago, I was assuming it would be back at the Fairmont again this year and was still looking forward to signing up (when?) to sell.

Everything pretty much goes back to one gripe: not that swap meet was at the Fairmont, but that it wasn't at the SJCC.  I wasn't concerned so much about the foot traffic on Day 0.  I figured not nearly as many people at there Thursday night as there would be on Friday, after the con officially starts.  Plus, the people who are there don't have a lot to do once they get their badges, unless they want to explore downtown San Jose, which isn't exactly a whole lot on a week night and even more so if you're under 21.  And it seemed like most people buying didn't have much trouble making their way over.

I was staying at the Hilton last year, so I parked under the hotel.  They've got a fairly small lot, so I wasn't going to give up my spot to drive the three or four blocks to the Fairmont.  In doing that, though, I had to lug everything I had all the way through the convention center, across the light rail tracks, and down the street to the hotel.  The same would hold true for those staying at one of the other hotels further from the con, but at least there is plenty of additional parking both at and around the SJCC.  The same thing isn't nearly as true for the Fairmont.

I'd say most people participating knew by that point that swap meet was going to be held at the Fairmont, but once you got to the hotel, there was still some confusion as to where you were actually supposed to go.  When I got there, there was a sign pointing one way, but the hallway was being blocked off by hotel staff.  I didn't see any roamers or other staff in the lobby to direct people where to go.  Once I actually got to the right floor, we wound up on the exact opposite side of the hotel from where we were supposed to line up.  Then there was the whole SNAFU with the power at the SJCC, which was completely out of the control of con staff, but there were two groups of people I saw completely out of breath as they were running down the hall to the end of the line: those who still weren't aware of the move for whatever reason, and those who were stuck in line waiting for their badges and were delayed in getting over.  Power issues aside, it would have been much less of a hassle for most con-goers if it wasn't outside of the convention center.

Some people might point out that the Clockwork Academy was also held at a different location.  Well, I didn't go, which I completely understand was my own choice, but still.  And in reading these boards last year, it seems like there was also a lot of confusion as to where things were and what time they were going on.  At least if something is moved to a different room at the SJCC, at worst you're walking from one end of the hall to the other.

Then there was the fact that everyone was processed in one room on Thursday night, only to be shuffled off to a different room before they could actually start setting up.  Then it was a similar process on Friday night, except there was an additional room where other sellers were posted, which I only found out about after my buddy took a break from selling stuff to make a round of buying.  Once you left the rooms, you had to get in a queue to get back in (again, understandable and expected given the room sizes, the number of people there, and making sure people adhere to the one-entrance/one-exit set up,) but both of the lines wound up running through the same relatively narrow hallway and you couldn't tell which line was going to which room.

I completely agree that the last time swap meet was held in the same room as all the gaming stuff it was way too crowded.  It was a fire/safety hazard, it was uncomfortable to people looking around, it was a hassle for gamers who might have been sitting with their backs to the meet; in general there were just too many people in too small a space.  Except, why did it have to be in the same room as gaming?  Or at the very least, why did so much space have to be dedicated to empty tables?  The two trends I've noticed over the last few years is that swap meet has been getting more and more popular, while the number of video games and the people playing them have gone down.  I'm sure the place is packed when the tournaments are running, but during the off-peak hours, like when swap meet is going on?  Without exaggeration, I think the space devoted to gaming could have been decreased by half on Thursday and Friday night, and it wouldn't have had a negative impact on gamers.  Heck, moving the console games ten more feet away from the wall and closer to the arcade cabinets would have made a huge difference.  Maybe ask SJCC staff to get rid of a half dozen of the empty tables and chairs towards the front of the room and everyone would have been more comfortable.

Putting swap meet into its own room at the SJCC is the best possible thing that staff could do.  I know it takes up a lot of space, and you'd have to find other uses for it when swap meet isn't going on, but having a multipurpose room like that makes so much sense for this con.  The only other thing I could ask for is either the return of the 10x10 seller spaces, or at least not charging the same $20 for a half-size spot.

tl;dr - I am so glad that swap meet is moving back to the SJCC this year.  Having the meet share an entire room with other events that aren't going on at the same time is probably the best possible solution.  Didn't mean for this to turn into such a long rant, but hey, Sen asked.

And finally I do want to echo what others said last year and applaud con ops and staff for allowing people to get in to swap meet without a badge because of the power outage.  Most people were upset because they either had to wait in line for a long time, in some cases for nothing, and/or because they'd have to come back and do it over on Friday.  At least with that one decision most attendees were able to end Day 0 on a positive note.

[everything]

Quote from: Jeimizu on March 29, 2013, 07:32:29 PM

    Does this apply to the Swap Meet as well? My friends and I have used a hand truck in previous years.

It is venue based. When the Swap Meet was in the Fairmont, the rule did not apply. However, the swap meet will be moving back into the SJCCF and the rule will apply this year.

(I was trying to quote from a locked thread, but couldn't figure out how to do it.  See this post here for reference: http://forums.fanime.com/index.php/topic,18153.msg454214.html#msg454214)

Given that this is coming from ewu, and that this response is more current than anything else I've heard regarding swap meet this year, it looks like they're bringing it back to the actual convention center.  Personally, I think this works out for all attendees so much better than any other option.  I don't know the specifics about why they moved it to the hotel last year (self-censoring myself here, since I've heard stuff come up, but I know how fervently staff and the board mods look down on speculation) but I had hoped we might eventually find the meet moved back into the middle of the action some day.

Hachimitsu-ink, have you checked the staff boards?  There's a post that leads to a page here: http://apps.fanime.com/2013/staffapply/.  I'd submit your info here if you haven't already.  I'm not staffing myself this year, so I have absolutely no details on what's going on, other than it seems everything is delayed, and we probably won't hear any specifics until a few weeks out from the con.  GOH, MusicFest, Swap Meet, etc., there are scant details to go around for any of these.

Even speed dating is forgoing any type of registration system prior to the event.  I'm not sure how they're going to collect everyone's info without delaying the entire thing, unless people start filling out forms while waiting in line.  I sure as hell hope that we're not forced to do the same for swap meet.  It's a little different when knowing if you're registered to participate or not will determine if you wind up bringing boxes and boxes of stuff with you.

[edit: after posting all that, I thought I should double-check the main page and see if they've posted any updates.  Sure enough, they've mentioned a band called 7!! who'll be performing at MusicFest!  Never heard of them before, but I'll probably still check them out.  As an attendee, though, I think my original sentiment still stands.]

Unless there was some long running hiatus that I'm not aware of, last year was the first time Fanime had a manga library.  It was in the Hilton, next to the rooms used for the speed dating event.

We wound up with a pretty good collection of manga in a couple of different languages, but I don't know any details for this year's library.

You might also have a (better?) chance finding a set at swap meet.  I've been surprised at some of the complete sets that have popped up, though the prices people ask for will vary greatly.  I still want to kill my friend who found a complete series set of Card Captor Sakura - and I'm not talking about a HK bootleg - for either $40 or $60 last year.

I must just be confusing the form that we're required to have when we're being checked in to sell at swap meet.  It's rare, but I have been proven incorrect on occasion.  ;)

Just to get this cleared up for good, can anyone recall what the form is that we're required to have?  We needed to present the fee to sell, a photo ID, sometimes a Fanime badge, and then whatever the heck the form was that I'm thinking of before staff checked over the items you were bringing in.  Well, last year a little different...

I was fairly sure it wasn't an official BoE document, but I thought it still mentioned something about occasional sellers, not available for people who have a resale license, etc.  I suppose it could have been an internal Fanime form that they wanted to keep on hand for whatever legal reason, but again I thought there was enough to suggest it was a temporary sellers permit.

Hey, better yet, let's get some info and signups posted - that would really put this to rest!

As for sellers permits, if you are a occasional seller, you do not need a sellers permit.

For my own clarification, if nothing else, are you sure sellers don't need a permit?  Or perhaps I'm mistakenly treating a temporary seller's permit and a full-fledged BoE annual license as two branches of the same tree.  My understanding was that if you were planning on selling normally taxable merchandise, and you are not an otherwise licensed retailer, you need to apply for a temporary permit.  For as far back as I can recall, the completed permit, photo ID, (sometimes a) Fanime badge and the nightly swap meet fee were all required to participate as a seller.  And like I mentioned previously, the form required is available through the swap meet info page; it's not a process that you have to formally work through with the BoE.

To me, a seller's permit is still a seller's permit in this situation, regardless of the fact that almost everyone participating will be using a temporary one.  But perhaps I'm splitting too fine a hair with this.

[YES!]

Here are a couple of comments to clarify some of the questions/responses posted earlier.  Please keep in mind that I am not a staff member for Swap Meet, and any of this information may differ or can changed at their discretion.  Having said that, however, I do speak with the experience of having sold at the last few meets.

While there are a few exceptions (somebody used an example of roller blades last year) as to what is allowed, there is a lot of flexibility when it comes to the items on sale.  There have been sellers who come with both current gen and retro video games.  Action figures from various sources pop up.  Heck, I even sold a Furby from 2001 last year.  Cosplay items are usually allowed, but remember that mannequins and other large displays are not.  Baseball cards are kind of iffy, but there are always a ton of people selling/trading Magic (and other TCG) cards.  Basically, if there's some crossover between what you'd like to sell and the various fandoms held by the average Fanime attendee, you should be in good shape.

I'm not sure if the panel thing has come up before.  To be honest, I don't know if you'd want to bother with fliers.  They can make a mess if somebody knocks over your stack, and you can be sure Fanime and facility staff aren't going to be very happy about it.  Plus, they'll know exactly who to yell at if you're going to be advertising your own panel.  Besides, you probably won't have any time to actively hand them out since you'll hopefully be busy selling all your stuff.  There shouldn't be any problems with chatting people up for it, though.  There's a lot of con and general anime banter going on, so you should have plenty of opportunity to let people know.

Do you need a seller's permit?  YES!  You absolutely need a seller's permit.  It's actually a temporary permit as required by the state of California, and you will need to have this if you want to sell stuff.  Don't freak out, though, as this isn't as daunting as it may seem.  You will need to print, fill out and sign a single-page form that Swap Meet staff usually have posted as a pdf well in advance.  I should have mentioned this earlier, but there will be a page (hopefully posted soon?) on the main Fanime site with all the rules and requirements to participate as a seller.  They make it really easy to ensure that you've got everything on the up-and-up.  Read and follow everything they post and you shouldn't have a problem.

It's really up to you if you want to have a cash box on hand or not.  Like I mentioned before, I'm usually too busy selling stuff, taking the cash and making change to be able to neatly put the money away.  I do know, however, that there are some sellers who make use of one and don't seem to have any issues with it.  I might suggest having one with you for both transporting any change you'll be bringing (and unless you do have a mobile credit card processor which seemed fairly popular last year, I highly recommend bringing LOTS of small bills) and hopefully the huge stack of cash you're going to be leaving with.  You don't want to walk around with potentially hundreds of dollars stuffed in your pockets when the swap meet gets out late at night.

There were some other fairly random thoughts added above (unless I missed something,) but there were some good points that were brought up.  Bags - can't give them away in San Jose.  At least not plastic bags.  If you happen to have a bunch of reusable shopping bags you don't mind giving away, I don't think there's any conflict with the law there.  If you bring a bunch of paper bags with you, keep in mind that they need to meet certain regulatory standards - which I won't go into detail here - and you'll be required to charge at least ten cents per bag.  I think most people would agree: don't bother bringing paper bags, unless they're for your own use.

Since the con officially begins on a Friday, there aren't quite as many people that show up on Thursday, but there's still plenty of buying/selling to do if you're going to be in the area anyway.  The only conditions that I would let affect your decision to sell/not sell on either day are: 1)Are you going to be in San Jose on Thursday, anyway?  If so, why not check out swap meet?  There are a few sellers who only show up on Thursday, and if you're selling, you may as well try to get rid of some of your stuff so you don't have to haul it all back the next night. 2)Is the seller's fee going to have a big impact on participating?  If you can't afford to pay for both nights, then don't.  I haven't had any trouble making up the fee with what I sell on either day, so if nothing else, at least it's not a financial burden for me. 3)Do you have enough stuff to sell both nights?  If you're lucky you'll sell EVERYTHING you brought on Thursday (has that ever happened for anyone?) and then you'll be able to spend the entirety of Friday night either buying more stuff for yourself or checking out other con stuff.  Are you afraid you won't have enough time with just one night to sell everything you plan on bringing?  Spread it out over both nights and maybe you'll wind up with better results.

The badge pick up at swap meet was mentioned, but I'm not sure if they've figured out all the logistics required to do it.  When they did give it a try, it seemed like an extremely arduous process that, while convenient for the attendees who were also selling, really turned out to be a bigger pain in the side than it was worth.  I think it also really slowed down getting sellers processed, forcing the folks at the end of the line to wait even longer.  I just mention this so people don't get their hopes up.  If someone can figure out a way to pull it off, though, I'd love to see it come back.

tl;dr - If nothing else, be sure to keep your eyes peeled on the Fanime site for news, rules, sign-ups, forms, etc. for the Swap Meet.  Most if not all the important information you need will be posted there.  In years past, there is also an official swap meet thread that pops up closer to the con where that same information and more specific questions will be addressed by staff.  I'm really looking forward to another successful con and meet.  Now I just need to make sure I get my name on the seller's list on time.  Oh, yeah... that last part - also important.