The Old School Otaku Lounge

I was talking more about a garage sale than a swap, actually. I think "swap meet" and instantly think of people selling old junk. I think people unofficially held trade swaps before, but not many people showed up.

But maybe I'll even try and get something together at a different convention or something. I keep hearing about Japanese garage sales that sometimes happen in the summer in Seattle, but I always miss them.

ryoran wrote:I was talking more about a garage sale than a swap, actually. I think "swap meet" and instantly think of people selling old junk. I think people unofficially held trade swaps before, but not many people showed up.

But maybe I'll even try and get something together at a different convention or something. I keep hearing about Japanese garage sales that sometimes happen in the summer in Seattle, but I always miss them.

That's when marketing comes into play. Don't call it a garage sale or flea market or a swap meet. Find another name. Find a 'hook'. The "I got stuff I don't want anymore but maybe you do" sale. The "I need to make room for new stuff" sale.

But look at local regulations. Maybe a 'flea market' environment needs a special license. Cities and States hate a cash 'underground' economy and gnash their teeth over 'lost' taxes. What they of course ignore is that people who make money at these things SPEND that money.

blah blah economics.

Thing is, MOST of the people wanting to sell will either have stuff nobody wants or will overprice it. These people will go away disgruntled. Just like normal con dealers. gripe gripe gripe. Rare will be the Robert Gibsons with decades of treasure crawling from long-hidden secret bunkers.

SteveH wrote:

ryoran wrote:I was talking more about a garage sale than a swap, actually. I think "swap meet" and instantly think of people selling old junk. I think people unofficially held trade swaps before, but not many people showed up.

But maybe I'll even try and get something together at a different convention or something. I keep hearing about Japanese garage sales that sometimes happen in the summer in Seattle, but I always miss them.

That's when marketing comes into play. Don't call it a garage sale or flea market or a swap meet. Find another name. Find a 'hook'. The "I got stuff I don't want anymore but maybe you do" sale. The "I need to make room for new stuff" sale.

But look at local regulations. Maybe a 'flea market' environment needs a special license. Cities and States hate a cash 'underground' economy and gnash their teeth over 'lost' taxes. What they of course ignore is that people who make money at these things SPEND that money.

blah blah economics.

Thing is, MOST of the people wanting to sell will either have stuff nobody wants or will overprice it. These people will go away disgruntled. Just like normal con dealers. gripe gripe gripe. Rare will be the Robert Gibsons with decades of treasure crawling from long-hidden secret bunkers.

Thanks for the tips! And yeah, I figure there might be some sort of snag that prevents those kinds of things. I know most at least just require a temp business license so other than needing that, I guess I'd have to look into it.

Right. That's one of the reasons most of the cons I've gone to have had to have no-money, swapping-only swap meets because of rules/laws for the venue. I think at one point, the swap meet at A-kon was called the "Bizarre Bazaar", but then people got confused when they couldn't use money to "buy" things, so now they just call it a swap meet. XD

Sometimes it takes a few tries to get it going, too. The first year A-kon had one, there weren't a lot of people who showed up, and I didn't really find anything or get rid of much, so it was a bust. The second year, however, I got rid of everything I brought AND came home with a lot! This year's was pretty good, too, though I didn't get rid of everything. But I still came home with some good finds. So if you do try to organize one, don't be discouraged if it isn't a smashing success the first time around--sometimes word has to spread around first and let it grow. The one I went to at Anime Boston was HUGE--it took up a whole dining hall area and EVERY TABLE was packed, so people started setting up on the floor! And I was told they only started doing the swap meet there about 5 years ago, so it grew a lot. (There was a guy there that had old 80s and 90s Newtype posters, too, but I had nothing he was interested in swapping, sadly ;__; ) If A-kon didn't already have one, I totally would try to start my own, because I love swaps and sales (I always manage to find something!) I hope you can get something off the ground!! <3

usamimi wrote:Right. That's one of the reasons most of the cons I've gone to have had to have no-money, swapping-only swap meets because of rules/laws for the venue. I think at one point, the swap meet at A-kon was called the "Bizarre Bazaar", but then people got confused when they couldn't use money to "buy" things, so now they just call it a swap meet. XD

Sometimes it takes a few tries to get it going, too. The first year A-kon had one, there weren't a lot of people who showed up, and I didn't really find anything or get rid of much, so it was a bust. The second year, however, I got rid of everything I brought AND came home with a lot! This year's was pretty good, too, though I didn't get rid of everything. But I still came home with some good finds. So if you do try to organize one, don't be discouraged if it isn't a smashing success the first time around--sometimes word has to spread around first and let it grow. The one I went to at Anime Boston was HUGE--it took up a whole dining hall area and EVERY TABLE was packed, so people started setting up on the floor! And I was told they only started doing the swap meet there about 5 years ago, so it grew a lot. (There was a guy there that had old 80s and 90s Newtype posters, too, but I had nothing he was interested in swapping, sadly ;__; ) If A-kon didn't already have one, I totally would try to start my own, because I love swaps and sales (I always manage to find something!) I hope you can get something off the ground!! <3

There are several problems with swap meets, the 'meeting of minds' over swapping being just the first. Think of how depressing it would be to be someone wanting stuff but nobody wanted what they had to swap. That brings to mind the bad old days of tape trading and the old 'gotta have something to get something' rules.

Dave will likely have things to say about the AWA 'flea market' for 2014, from the sound of things they had a packed house and people were sellin' like villains.

I think finding a way for people to actually sell is the best, most easy and most satisfying for the most attendees way to go.

I found someone selling a copy of Animerica issue 0 for the cover price! I was so stoked, I used to have it way back in the day...so glad to have it again!

I was shocked to find a copy Kodocha season 2 at a local video game store for a whopping $15! (Which is, uh, considerably less than people are trying to sell it for online.) I rarely go to this specific game place because it's kind of crappy--but I brought in a bunch of DVDs I'd had left over from the last time I did a trade-in at Hastings (ie the stuff they wouldn't take, lol) and got enough credit to get this for freeeeee!

usamimi wrote:I was shocked to find a copy Kodocha season 2 at a local video game store for a whopping $15! (Which is, uh, considerably less than people are trying to sell it for online.) I rarely go to this specific game place because it's kind of crappy--but I brought in a bunch of DVDs I'd had left over from the last time I did a trade-in at Hastings (ie the stuff they wouldn't take, lol) and got enough credit to get this for freeeeee!

Score! Nice pickup!

usamimi wrote:I was shocked to find a copy Kodocha season 2 at a local video game store for a whopping $15! (Which is, uh, considerably less than people are trying to sell it for online.) I rarely go to this specific game place because it's kind of crappy--but I brought in a bunch of DVDs I'd had left over from the last time I did a trade-in at Hastings (ie the stuff they wouldn't take, lol) and got enough credit to get this for freeeeee!

That is the definition of the lucky find! That was the last of the series that was licensed, wasn't it? Such a shame that it was only half released and the license was kind of junk. I always thought the end of the series was some of the best some of the best ending material in Japanese cartoons.

Drew_Sutton wrote:

usamimi wrote:I was shocked to find a copy Kodocha season 2 at a local video game store for a whopping $15! (Which is, uh, considerably less than people are trying to sell it for online.) I rarely go to this specific game place because it's kind of crappy--but I brought in a bunch of DVDs I'd had left over from the last time I did a trade-in at Hastings (ie the stuff they wouldn't take, lol) and got enough credit to get this for freeeeee!

That is the definition of the lucky find! That was the last of the series that was licensed, wasn't it? Such a shame that it was only half released and the license was kind of junk. I always thought the end of the series was some of the best some of the best ending material in Japanese cartoons.

Yeah! I was mega disappointed when they never finished. Kodocha was a series I fell in love with in the VHS fansub days, it was so cute and charming. I remember Funimation was pushing it really heavily--I think they wanted to try to make it their next big hit show. They had a show that was popular with kids and young males (DBZ), and it seemed like they wanted Kodocha to be their big hit for girls and younger females. Sadly, since it wasn't on TV, it just never hit as big...I think if it HAD been on TV it could've been a lot more popular, but it's like you said...their release was far from perfect. (I remember their dub being a mixed bag...some voices were great, others were varying degrees of "meh" and bad, lol.)

I kinda wish that Discotek would pick it up. I know they probably wouldn't be able to license all the music (since they had OPs/music done with bands from some big name music group label (I think it was Johnny's? I can't remember), which was something that gave Funi a lot of problems, if I recall.