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nancylebovI was hoping to be selling buttons at Anticipation, but it proved unworkable. However, I'll be going up there for the fun of it, so I can deliver buttons which have been ordered by this coming Sunday, August 2.
I had some money, and I'd noticed that there were hardly any non-book dealers, and no button dealers in the dealers room. I had a notion that I could make going to Worldcon work somehow and then I would be surrounded by delirious button buyers.
If you ever hear me say "I'll make it work somehow" again, please remind me of Anticipation. this doesn't mean that "I'll make it work somehow" is never appropriate, but I need to think a lot more about that somehow.
The truth is that there was a lot of panic and procrastination at my end. Or at least it seemed like a lot, but the whole process only involved about three weeks.
In any case, the process of getting a business to and from Worldcon was tough enough that there's a reason major American hucksters like Larry Smith and Laurie Edison weren't going.
Briefly, if I brought my business in a car, there would be a risk of being searched. Even if I did my paperwork and paid sales tax in advance on *everything* I was bringing, even the non-merchandise stuff like button presses, I could still be turned back at the border if they thought I was going to work. I couldn't figure out what "I'm not going to work" thing I could say if they noticed the business.
That sales tax in advance thing-- you can get back the sales tax on what you didn't sell, but I know a huckster who went through that. It took a year and a lot of paperwork.
And there would be pain in the ass features of bringing my business back, since I might have to convince the US border guards that I hadn't bought any of it in Canada.
Shipping the business was way too expensive.
So there's going to be a rather skimpy dealers room this year.
On the other hand, it's been thirty years since I've done a Worldcon for the fun of it.
I had some money, and I'd noticed that there were hardly any non-book dealers, and no button dealers in the dealers room. I had a notion that I could make going to Worldcon work somehow and then I would be surrounded by delirious button buyers.
If you ever hear me say "I'll make it work somehow" again, please remind me of Anticipation. this doesn't mean that "I'll make it work somehow" is never appropriate, but I need to think a lot more about that somehow.
The truth is that there was a lot of panic and procrastination at my end. Or at least it seemed like a lot, but the whole process only involved about three weeks.
In any case, the process of getting a business to and from Worldcon was tough enough that there's a reason major American hucksters like Larry Smith and Laurie Edison weren't going.
Briefly, if I brought my business in a car, there would be a risk of being searched. Even if I did my paperwork and paid sales tax in advance on *everything* I was bringing, even the non-merchandise stuff like button presses, I could still be turned back at the border if they thought I was going to work. I couldn't figure out what "I'm not going to work" thing I could say if they noticed the business.
That sales tax in advance thing-- you can get back the sales tax on what you didn't sell, but I know a huckster who went through that. It took a year and a lot of paperwork.
And there would be pain in the ass features of bringing my business back, since I might have to convince the US border guards that I hadn't bought any of it in Canada.
Shipping the business was way too expensive.
So there's going to be a rather skimpy dealers room this year.
On the other hand, it's been thirty years since I've done a Worldcon for the fun of it.
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no subject
Date: 2009-07-29 10:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-29 12:44 pm (UTC)