Who here has some experiece putting together a frag swap?
- Thread starter thresher
- Start date
It depends on the size/ cost of the frag swap.
If it's free to sell/ buy, like at a LFS or backyard swap- just power, possibly limited tables and/or limited space in a community frag tank (use at your own risk). May or may not have food- tacos or pizza or potluck where everyone contributes.
If your promoting something large, charging admission at door/ charging for sellers booth... good luck. If you been in the hobby since '11 you may know some of the history of SCMAS, Kevin Adams and MAX. I never went to a MAX show but did sell as a hobbyist at RAP and attended several as a member. It was a blast, I think it was $150 for half of a table which included an Aqua Pod tank you got to keep. I got to meet a lot of people face to face after knowing them online. I got to move a lot of overgrowth and made a bunch of people happy. Set up Friday, sell Sat, Sun. They provided Catalina water as well as power cords, linens and chairs. Security overnight, there were no issues. There were early entry door prizes, the shows were well promoted, lots of parking.
If it's free to sell/ buy, like at a LFS or backyard swap- just power, possibly limited tables and/or limited space in a community frag tank (use at your own risk). May or may not have food- tacos or pizza or potluck where everyone contributes.
If your promoting something large, charging admission at door/ charging for sellers booth... good luck. If you been in the hobby since '11 you may know some of the history of SCMAS, Kevin Adams and MAX. I never went to a MAX show but did sell as a hobbyist at RAP and attended several as a member. It was a blast, I think it was $150 for half of a table which included an Aqua Pod tank you got to keep. I got to meet a lot of people face to face after knowing them online. I got to move a lot of overgrowth and made a bunch of people happy. Set up Friday, sell Sat, Sun. They provided Catalina water as well as power cords, linens and chairs. Security overnight, there were no issues. There were early entry door prizes, the shows were well promoted, lots of parking.
Thanks for the input. I had been to some of the swaps just as a patron years ago. Couldn't even recall the names of the show. My long hiatus from the hobby has been rekindled and sadly I don't see much if any of these events taking place. The pandemic obviously put a serious damper on such things. However I have the opportunity to setup a swap in the OC area. Ive already secured a place that could accomadate about 20-30 vendors willing to setup a booth. It would be more of a fun event setup to satisfy my own joy in seeing these events take place. I've reached out to a mods here to get some sponsorship info but crickets thus far.
So with that being said are there people here who would be interested in being a vendor at this swap? Im actually thinking that sometime in May would be good. If we could get 10 vendors I would give it a go. If there is actually some consistency we could make this a regular event every 2-3 months.
So with that being said are there people here who would be interested in being a vendor at this swap? Im actually thinking that sometime in May would be good. If we could get 10 vendors I would give it a go. If there is actually some consistency we could make this a regular event every 2-3 months.
Easy thing would be to make some formal proposal for cost and what would be provided. You can use coral farmers market as a template and go from there. If you are aiming tomorrow hobbyists level frag swap, a booth can not exceed $100-150. Turn out also has to be decent enough for ppl to recoup booth cost, supplies, and time. Typically 500-1000 ppl at coral farmers market cover above.
April 3 is Coral Farmers Market in El Cajon
August 13-14 Reef A Palooza Anaheim
No reefing conflicts in May that I know of.
I may have met you at Reef Factory some months ago, I like Sean. I think it may work well there, people could set up under the eves out of the sun. Plenty of food opportunities; Tony's Little Italy and B & C Burgers in same complex. Parking is pretty good. What is there for public bathrooms?
August 13-14 Reef A Palooza Anaheim
No reefing conflicts in May that I know of.
I may have met you at Reef Factory some months ago, I like Sean. I think it may work well there, people could set up under the eves out of the sun. Plenty of food opportunities; Tony's Little Italy and B & C Burgers in same complex. Parking is pretty good. What is there for public bathrooms?
Steve Tyree provided 8 foot by 30 inch wooden tables usually at CFMs. He also planned for 2 plugs/outlets per table where you would have to provide your own power strips and extension cords. Each booth also had dividers and backdrops so every vendor stays in their own little area. I believe water was provided at shows a couple years back also but it varied based on where the CFM was being held. If you have more questions feel free to PM me!
