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7d • General discussion
Best Lessons for Vending Pokemon at Local Card Shows
I've watched what feels like countless folks videos dive into the Pokémon TCG vendor scene.
Unfortunate some end up thinking they can just show up with a box of cards and make bank. Most of them leave with empty pockets and a bruised ego.
After years of building communities and helping businesses scale when I was helping build monday,com, I can tell you that successful vending is about systems, preparation, and understanding what actually moves at these shows.
Whether you're funding your personal collection or building a full-time business, this blueprint will give you the framework to thrive on the show floor.
Let me walk you through exactly what works and a few great videos to consider watching.
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𝑪𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑰𝒏𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒈
Your success largely depends on what you bring and how you acquire it. This isn't about bringing everything you own — it's about bringing what sells.
1. Find the Sweet Spot for Inventory Value
Here's the thing: if you want to clear a profit after table fees, you should ideally bring between $2,000 and $10,000 worth of inventory.
Bringing less than $2,000 makes it nearly impossible to break even on your table costs, travel, and time investment.
But bringing significantly more than $10,000? That'll make you nervous about market fluctuations and theft risk.
I've seen vendors bring $20K+ worth of cards and spend the entire weekend stressed about every person who picks up their binders. That anxiety kills your ability to negotiate and build relationships.
2. Focus on High-Liquidity Singles Over Sealed Product
Don't overpack heavy sealed products. Attendees are generally hunting for singles, and lugging around heavy cases will leave you sweating and exhausted before the show even starts.
Sealed products have their place, but they're low-margin and take up valuable table real estate.
Singles are where you make your money.
3. Bring the "Bread and Butter" Cards
You'll see the most consistent sales with $5 to $200 modern, near-mint, English cards. Cards featuring popular chases like Charizard, Pikachu, the Eeveelutions, or top-tier Illustration rares are highly liquid.
But here's what most vendors miss: bring a $1 to $5 binder.
This is a massive hit for parents buying for their kids and casual collectors looking to complete sets.
These small sales add up fast and create goodwill that leads to bigger purchases.
One vendor I saw had trick or trade packs to give out to the kids and that was a great lure for getting folks to your table.
4. Source Smart to Protect Your Margins
When buying collections to stock your booth, aim to buy at 70% to 80% of market value so you have room to profit.
When trading, doing so at roughly 80% in your favor is an industry standard that compensates you for the risk and effort of liquidating those cards.
This isn't being greedy yall it's business math. You're taking on inventory risk, table fees, travel costs, and time investment. Price accordingly!!
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𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙐𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝘽𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙋𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙎𝙚𝙩𝙪𝙥
Before the doors even open, setting up your space correctly can save you from massive headaches. I've seen vendors lose hundreds in sales because they didn't think through the basics.
5. Know Your Table Specs in Advance
Always confirm if your table is 6 feet or 8 feet long beforehand. Those extra two feet completely dictate whether you have room for your display cases and your binders.
Call the show organizer. Don't assume. I've watched vendors show up with displays that don't fit their allocated space.
6. Use the Right Stickers and Price Everything
Never use cheap stickers that leave a sticky residue on your top loaders or graded slabs. Use residue-free labels (like Chroma labels) and write the TCGPlayer market price on them the night before the show or make sure you have a charger brick and use apps like cardvalue.app, TCGplayer and eBay recently sold to make sure you can comp quickly.
You want to spend as little time as possible looking up comps while a line forms at your table. Pre-pricing everything keeps transactions moving and prevents you from making pricing mistakes when you're tired.
7. Protect Your Assets Like Your Business Depends on It
Theft is a harsh reality at card shows. Here's your security checklist:
- Keep your cash in a fanny pack worn on your chest so you never have to turn your back on your table to make change (almost every vendor I see does this)
- Tie your binders down to the table using shoelaces or twine so nobody can easily walk off with them
- Keep high-ticket items and sealed booster boxes on a shelf behind you, out of arm's reach
I know it sounds paranoid, but I've seen too many vendors get burned by not taking basic precautions.
8. Invest in a Heavy-Duty Wagon
Transporting your display cases, boxes, and shelves from the parking lot to the venue is exhausting. A heavy-duty foldable wagon (like a Gorilla Cart) allows you to move your entire setup in a single trip.
Your back will thank you, and you'll arrive at your table with energy instead of being wiped out before you even start selling.
9. Bring a Partner
You'll be stuck at this table for 8 to 10 hours. Having a partner gives you an extra set of eyes to prevent theft, helps you manage a busy crowd so buyers don't walk away, and allows you to take essential restroom and food breaks.
Flying solo is a recipe for missed sales and burnout.
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𝙈𝒂𝙨𝒕𝙚𝒓𝙞𝒏𝙜 𝙑𝒆𝙣𝒅𝙤𝒓 𝑬𝙩𝒊𝙦𝒖𝙚𝒕𝙩𝒆
Your reputation is your most valuable asset in the vending community. Being a good neighbor pays off in spades. The card show circuit is smaller than you think, and word travels fast.
10. Don't Poach Buyers
If a customer is standing at another vendor's table waiting to do a deal, do not try to lure them over to your booth. Once a buyer leaves a table, there's no guarantee they'll return, and poaching signals to the room that you only care about yourself.
This behavior will get you blacklisted from future shows faster than anything else.
11. Don't Interrupt Negotiations
If a neighboring vendor is mid-deal, give them space. Don't hover over their shoulder checking their comps or making comments unless you're explicitly asked for advice.
Would you want someone interrupting your sales process? Treat others how you want to be treated.
12. Respect the "Vendor-to-Vendor" Deal Timing
Don't walk around the room before the doors open demanding 70% wholesale discounts from other vendors who are just trying to set up. If you want to do vendor-to-vendor deals, wait until the end of the show when people are looking to liquidate, or offer to buy bulk lots at a fair percentage.
Everyone's trying to make money here. Be respectful of that.
13. Be a Good Steward of the Hobby
Treat kids and new collectors with respect. Taking advantage of a young hobbyist will ruin your reputation fast. The vendors who treat kids kindly are the ones who get long-term community support.
Remember, those kids grow up to become adult collectors with real spending power. Invest in the future of the hobby.
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𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙄𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙎𝙚𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙨 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝘼𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙪𝙧𝙨
While the above covers the core mechanics of vending, here are the advanced tactics that'll elevate your table above the competition:
14. Bring Your Own Lighting
Convention center lighting is notoriously gastly (lol) either too dim, or positioned to cast massive glare directly onto your display cases. Bringing a portable, battery-powered LED desk lamp or light bar to illuminate your premium cases will make your holographic cards pop and draw eyes from across the aisle.
This simple upgrade can increase foot traffic by 20-30%.
15. Color-Code Your Card Conditions
Instead of answering "What condition is this?" 500 times a day, put small, colored dot stickers on your top loaders. Green for Near Mint, Yellow for Lightly Played, Red for Moderately Played/Damaged, with a small legend taped to your case.
This builds instant trust with buyers and drastically speeds up the negotiation process.
16. Invest in Your Physical Comfort
Standing on concrete floors for 10 hours will destroy your back and knees. Bring a thick anti-fatigue mat to stand on, and an ergonomic cushion for your chair.
If your energy drops, your sales drop. Staying physically comfortable keeps you engaging and friendly for the entire weekend.
17. Strategic "Chase" Placement
Treat your display case like a museum exhibit. Place your highest-value, most desirable "chase" card dead center in your premium case, even if you price it slightly above market.
It acts as an anchor that draws foot traffic to your table. Once people stop to stare at the centerpiece, their eyes naturally wander to the $20-50 cards surrounding it, which is where you'll make the bulk of your actual sales.
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Success as a card show vendor isn't about having the rarest cards or the biggest budget. It's about preparation, professionalism, and understanding what actually moves in this market.
Start with getting your inventory strategy right before you worry about anything else. Then work through each phase systematically.
Most importantly, treat this like the business it is. Track your numbers, learn from each show, and continuously refine your approach.
What questions do you have about implementing this blueprint?
And for those of you already vending what would you add to this list based on your experience?
PS - Thanks for reading! Here are the top 3 videos I found out of the dozens on YouTube. If you have any others you recommend drop them below!!
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Best Lessons for Vending Pokemon at Local Card Shows
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