What happens at a zine fair??

[JennyTheArtist]

there's a zine fair in October, in Halifax. what goes on at a zine fair? what do I take??
any advice for this newbie?

[NicoleIntrovert]

Oh and when you think you have enough small bills to bring.... get more. You never have enough.

ciaraxyerra said:

if zine fairs were really like the internet "IRL," you wouldn't be able to drag me to one with an entire herd of wild horses. zine fairs are a lot more fun than the internet. just make sure you bring a snack, some water, & plenty of small bills.

[JennyTheArtist]

thanks to you all, for your advice! I really appreciate it!!!

[Emma Jane Falconer]

Ones in the UK tend to take their lead from school fêtes for some reason, I guess it's programmed into our heads from a young age, so they tend to be heavy on cakes. Which is never a bad thing.

My packing list:
Attractive table cloth, the tables tend to be institutional looking affairs, so it doesn't hurt to jazz it up a little
Sharpie pen and normal biro for notes and signs
Paper and a notebook, for making signs and tallying sales
Scotch magic tape, so you can tape stuff up with wild abandon without damaging anything
Tin for money, and suitable change for customers
Some kind of vegan, nut-free (so the majority of guests can enjoy it) snack or sweet to have in a bowl for people to take free
Zines of course
Space to take traded zines home
A friendly and non-sanctimonious attitude (always appreciated in every social situation)

Some people will be keen to trade, some politely decline, and some will be really arsey and snotty about it (distros usually don't trade much, because it's not their stuff). I designed some badges that are buried on this forum somewhere saying "up for trades" to make everyone's life a bit more pleasant. Alex W has proper metal badge versions on her etsy if you want non-cardboard versions.

[Emma Jane Falconer]

Oh and UK ones tend to be bring your own booze, no idea on the legality or social acceptance factor of that in Canada.

Emma Jane Falconer said:

Ones in the UK tend to take their lead from school fêtes for some reason, I guess it's programmed into our heads from a young age, so they tend to be heavy on cakes. Which is never a bad thing.

My packing list:
Attractive table cloth, the tables tend to be institutional looking affairs, so it doesn't hurt to jazz it up a little
Sharpie pen and normal biro for notes and signs
Paper and a notebook, for making signs and tallying sales
Scotch magic tape, so you can tape stuff up with wild abandon without damaging anything
Tin for money, and suitable change for customers
Some kind of vegan, nut-free (so the majority of guests can enjoy it) snack or sweet to have in a bowl for people to take free
Zines of course
Space to take traded zines home
A friendly and non-sanctimonious attitude (always appreciated in every social situation)

Some people will be keen to trade, some politely decline, and some will be really arsey and snotty about it (distros usually don't trade much, because it's not their stuff). I designed some badges that are buried on this forum somewhere saying "up for trades" to make everyone's life a bit more pleasant. Alex W has proper metal badge versions on her etsy if you want non-cardboard versions.