Vending Back-to-Back Weekends Part 1: DenFur

I have often wondered what life would be like relying on my writing alone and just how much effort it would be compared to the reward gained. This August had got a little taste of that, having vended at two conventions on two consecutive weekends: DenFur (Denver, CO, August 23rd-25th) and Tails & Tornadoes Fur Con (Tulsa, Oklahoma, August 30th-September 1st). Following is my appraisal of the first of those conventions from a vendor’s perspective: DenFur 2024.

It’s fascinating to think that just a week ago I returned from two solid weeks away from home. It was quite an eventful experience, with just about every day being filled with memorable happenings. The focus here, of course, is my experience as a bookseller. To begin with, DenFur was very different from venues I’ve sold at before. Despite there being over 3600 people present, it never really felt full, save for occasional times when there were large gatherings for one event or another, and of course in the very tightly packed Dealer’s Den. Once again, however, I was not in the Dealer’s Den, but in the Artist Alley.

This is the second time I went to a convention on the chance that I would get to sell my wares–there was no guaranteed spot ahead of time. However, as a close associate was guaranteed a spot, I went along anyway, and brought some of my books on spec. As it turned out, there was ample opportunity for me to vend. Unlike this spring’s Texas Furry Fiesta, where every table in the Artist Alley was raffled off on a daily basis, the number of spots open at DenFur was always greater than the number of artists applying for them, and so no raffle was required. I vended on Friday and Saturday. As many empty slots as there were Sunday, I could have easily gotten in then as well, but chose not to so that I might take in some of the convention atmosphere.

While I was basically guaranteed a spot every day I wanted it, however, there was a catch. Since I had not been chosen ahead of time, I (along with the other vendors vying for a space) had to wait until an hour after opening of the Artist Alley (12:00P.M. Friday and 10:00A.M. Saturday) to set up. This cut back a bit on my selling opportunities, I feel, and was one of the reasons I chose not to bother at all Sunday (since my time was more limited to begin with–we had to pack up and leave before 3:00 that day). The booths themselves were reasonable, however, at only $10 per day, and so I was easily able to recoup the loss in a mere 2 sales each time.

Now, as to setup. Besides losing an hour or more due to delayed setup, Friday my position was not the best. I, like several others, was positioned behind a glass barrier that surrounded a stairwell leading to the lower floor of the hotel/convention space. While it could be seen through (i.e. my sign could potentially be seen from across the room–the entrance and exit to the Dealer’s Den), the stairwell itself proved a physical barrier to people simply coming directly across the room to investigate. It did, however, force those who entered the narrow corridor to pass very close to my table, and so to view my wares whether they wanted to or not.

As for the physical space itself, Artist Alley booths at DenFur consisted of 3′ wide spaces (i.e. each 6′ table was split between two artists). This space was manageable, though I was forced to forego one of my display racks for lack of room. Hence, one of my more visually attractive offerings, poster prints of a couple of book covers, had to be lain flat on the table beside my book rack instead of displayed upright to be seen from across the room. Another feature I noticed about having such limited space was that I was practically hidden from view when seated. Between my fully stocked 6-tiered book display rack and the displays of the artists next to me each day, I had a much more limited range of vision from side to side when sitting down, and felt rather isolated from my potential audience as a result.

Now, for sales. They were…not the best. Again, there are several factors that contributed to this. Obviously my delayed setup each day could have cost me some sales. And the fact that I was hindered in my ability to engage with my audience by my own display rack may have contributed as well (though it may have also enticed some to come over and look at what at first glance was an abandoned booth). Other contributing factors may have been my new price model, which had a couple price categories raised by $3 each (had I vended Sunday, I probably would have reverted to the old price sign for a comparison). These were all factors within my control that in future I must take into consideration.

There were, however, a couple of factors beyond my control that may have contributed to poor sales figures as well. For one thing, the Artist Alley and Dealer’s Den were both in a new location this year, according to staff. And unlike at TFF, the Artist Alley was positioned in a fishhook shape off to the side of the Dealer’s Den entrance/exit rather than in front of it, so people could and did go into the Den without ever bothering to look at the Alley. And of course, there is the simple fact that attendance was down by about 600 from last year (due in part to some issues with hotel staff at the 2023 event, as I understand it). Generally speaking, furry conventions have been growing in attendance from 2023, so our expectation that there would be more attendees this year than last was not unreasonable, but was nevertheless not met. (Another contributing factor might have been the simple fact that it was one of five furcons happening in the U.S. within a mere two-week period, including the historically much larger Megaplex the following weekend in Orlando, FL. That said, all four of the other cons did grow in size compared to last year.)

So, there is my assessment of selling at DenFur 2024. Would I go back? I don’t know. Its reputation suffered a major hit last year, apparently, and this year can’t have helped. The fact that some major players in the parent organization AEIOU were being changed out right up until a couple months before the event indicates that the event coordinators need to get themselves coordinated before they can properly manage another 2023-size event. That said, if 1) AEIOU shows signs of stability in the coming months and 2) DenFur does not take place within a cluster of other conventions happening the same or adjacent weekends, then I might consider it. But it is an awfully long way to go.

Stay tuned for part 2 of my assessment next week, when I review my experience selling at Tails and Tornadoes Fur Con in Tulsa, OK!