I’ve been talking to some friends who are not as organized about their con stuff this con. Here, then, is a list of my Con Stuff.
1. A super big suitcase. With wheels. It’s about as big as two of the little wheely ones that fit in an overhead bin. I put pretty much everything I need at my table in it – merch, prints, print books, business cards, fliers, my table sign (and my little price signs), my book display easels, some tape, my pencil case, my tablecloths, everything. I also put my clothes in it, and my little bag of bathroom stuff.
Tablecloths: I have three of these. One goes on the table. Another one gets thrown on top of everything when I leave for the night. The third one, well, it’s a spare. Right now, for instance it’s covering Dana’s stuff, because she’s still on the way to the con from Tacoma. They’re actually just colorful sarongs I got; depending on my mood that spare could become part of what I wear while dancing!
My pencil case: Contains pens and pencils, duh. It also has a Square reader in it and an X-acto knife. The knife comes in handy for chopping up paper when I need to make a new price sign, or for opening the plastic wrap on a Tarot deck so I can sign it. Also there are a few metallic Sharpies in there for signing purposes; the title page of Rita is black so I can’t use a normal pen!
The prints live in a messenger bag of their own that I can check. By pulling them out when I fly, I can save myself a $75 fee for a bag that’s heavier than 50 pounds. All the prints are in several of the cardboard folders the paper came in; I also have my little table sign in there. It’s all wrapped up in one of those tablecloths, tied with string, so it doesn’t shift much in transit.
Clothes: I lay them flat on top of each other, then roll them up into a bundle. It’s more compact and a lot less work than folding them all when I pack to travel to the con and back. They get hung in the hotel room when I get in.
Bathroom stuff: Nail scissors and files and whatnot, because I inevitably break a nail somewhere in transit and probably get a hangnail too. This is in a little bag of its own; I take it out and throw it in the hotel bathroom.
Everything but the clothes and the pencil case stay in the suitcase when I come home! Including unsold merch. All I have to do when I pack for a con is pull the suitcase out of the closet, throw some more books and Tarot decks in, maybe make some more prints, and I’m done.
2. My big sign. It’s got Rita on it at almost life size. Came with a little folding stand; it goes behind me at the table. Sadly it is too long to fit in the con bag. It lives in the cheap little bag it came in.
The sign’s bag has an airport lost and found tag on it from the last time I accidentally put it down when I was checking in to my flight to a con and forgot to pick it back up. Seeing it there reminds me to avoid the hassle and embarrassment of doing that again.
After seeing how many people the Peter S. Beagle quote on Dana’s new sign pulled in so far this con, I am thinking about making a new one with the lovely quote Phil Foglio gave me..
3. My computer bag. Laptop, travel Wacom, stylus, power brick with a Plug Bug added so I can charge both the Mac and a USB-powered device from one socket. Usually these days what I charge with that is a little USB battery I got that has two outlets on it; I’ll plug my phone and my tablet into it at night and charge all my shit at once. Also Kleenex and some pens and the tape I use to tuck my junk when I’m wearing something tight and some fliers for Rita. And a couple of carabiners on it so I can hook some stuff to it – my hat (which I’ve sewn a D-ring into for this purpose), my coat (two D-rings), and most importantly my water bottle. If you’re gonna sit at a table all day YOU NEED A WATER BOTTLE.
The extra battery is a lifesaver. It lets me make sure I can take credit cards all day, even if I’m running the phone’s battery down providing internet for my computer and/or tweeting like crazy during slow times.
THAT IS IT. The computer bag lives by the front door because I go out and about with it all the time; the big bag and the sign live in the closet between cons. And on the studio floor for about a week after I get home from a con because I’m too damn wiped out to unpack just yet.
If you want to have a ton of prints on display you’ll need to haul more. I find that I like a super minimal setup – I kinda want to be an oasis of calm in the intense visual clutter of a con floor.