Garage Sale

Got old anime goods you want rid of? Looking for that out-of-print ultra-rare, limited-edition box set or figurine? We'll take your old goods and put them up for sale at your asking price for you! If it sells, you get the cash after the convention minus 15% commission. If it doesn't, you get the goods back at the end of the convention, no charge!

Visit us early and often, as we are putting out new stock all the time!

To sell your stuff through us you MUST contact us via email (garagesale@otakuthon.com) at least a WEEK before the convention! Please note that there is a limited amount of spaces available for Garage Sale participants, so don’t wait until the last minute to apply.


Garage Sale

Submitting items for sale at the Garage Sale

The Garage Sale is a table manned by Otakuthon Staff where we sell your items. We charge 15% (minimum of $0.50 per item) if the item is sold. If the item doesn't sell, you get it back when you check out and we charge nothing.

Each person can sell up to a maximum of 50 items and is expected to submit their list of items by email before the Tuesday of the week of the convention. We ask that all items be sold in good working order, clean, and packed in a way that they can be seen.

Space is limited, so send in your forms early! If a time comes when we can no longer accept clients, we will announce it on Facebook.

Note: You must be preregistered for the entire 3-day convention to sell items at the Garage Sale.

Merchandise Drop-Off Times

Date Time Location

Thursday, August 1, 2024

11 AM - 9 PM

By appointment only.

Friday, August 2, 2024

9 AM - 6 PM

By appointment only.

Drop-off is by appointment only. If the drop-off times do not work for you, email us before the Tuesday of the week of the convention and we'll try to work something out.

Note that drop-off is always beside registration. Do not go up to the exhibition hall to drop off your goods. We will refuse you and insist you go back downstairs.

Drop-Off Procedure

Exhibition Hall closes at 5 PM, but attendees who have Garage sale appointments must stay in the Garage Sale area until they complete their check-out.

Items and/or funds not collected before the closing of the Garage Sale on the last day of the convention (Sunday at 5 PM) will be considered a donation to Otakuthon. If you can't make it in time - you must come to the table before we leave -- send a message with a friend or flag down a volunteer for help!

IMPORTANT: DO NOT EMAIL US DURING THE CONVENTION! We do not have regular email access once the convention starts.

We try to take care of your goods as if they were our own. Still, accidents can happen and we will not be held responsible for any losses.

We reserve the right to refuse to sell any item for any reason.

All sales are final.

If you have any questions, read the FAQ, visit us on Facebook or email us!


FAQ

1. What is allowed to be sold at the table?

You can sell any item you want, so long as it is in good condition, clean, and legal. 

However, please note:

  1. Bootleg, pirated copies, and knockoffs are not permitted. If someone complains to us that your item is not legitimate, we will take it off the table. If it's off the table, it cannot be sold. (See 5. How do I know if my item is a bootleg? below.)
  2. Food may not be sold.
  3. Pornographic material may not be sold. Pornography is defined as displaying genitals (male or female) or anything defined as 18+. We will sell 16+ (Yaoi/Yuri), but it will be placed behind the table. Covers of such books will be visible, but the contents can only be examined upon request.
  4. Blades without sheaths (cardboard sheaths are OK) and weapons that cannot be peace-bonded may not be sold.
  5. The Garage Sale will no longer accept multiples of more than 3 of the same item. The Garage Sale is not a professional reseller.
  6. Craft and hand-made items are not the focus of the Garage Sale. While a few such items in your list is acceptable, we will no longer accept lists that have a majority of craft and hand-made items.

The Garage Sale Staff reserve the right to refuse any item for any reason.

2. How much do you charge?

We charge 15% of the sale value per item, with a minimum charge of $0.50 per item.

We charge for two reasons:

  1. We don't want to handle many small, cheap items since they are difficult to track and can get lost easily.  If you have a lot of small items that you want to sell, you may want to consider selling them as a set (which would be treated as one item). Sets must be grouped together (See: 6. Any advice for packaging/grouping my items? below).
  2. The Garage Sale itself needs to cover its own costs (including the space it occupies in the Exhibition Hall).  Whatever money we raise over and above that goes towards funding the next year’s Otakuthon.

IMPORTANT: Each sale has a minimum charge of $0.50. Items should not be priced below $0.50, because you will lose money!

3. How do I fill out the Garage Sale form?

To fill out the Garage Sale form:

1) Fill in all the non-gray areas at the top of the form.

 


* If you cannot attend a drop-off or check-out appointment on the days specified, contact us and tell us why. We can work something out. 

 

2) Sort your items with the same types of items together. Do NOT skip a line.

BAD:

Type / Article Description de l'article / Item's description Prix / Price ($)

DVD

DEATH NOTE, 6 BLU-RAY RÉGION 2, ÉDITION COLLECTOR (FR+VOST-FR), KANA

$50.00

 

 

 

MANGA

FRUITS BASKET ISSUE 4 MANGA (JAP), HAKENSENSHUA

$5.00

BAD:

Type / Article Description de l'article / Item's description Prix / Price ($)

DVD

DEATH NOTE, 6 BLU-RAY RÉGION 2, ÉDITION COLLECTOR (FR+VOST-FR), KANA

$50.00

MANGA

FRUITS BASKET ISSUE 4 MANGA (JAP), HAKENSENSHUA

$5.00

DVD

ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM, COFFRET COLLECTOR, 8 DVD RÉGION 2, SAISONS 1&2 (JP+FR), KANA HOME VIDEO

$50.00

GOOD:

Type / Article Description de l'article / Description of the article Prix / Price ($)

DVD

DEATH NOTE, 6 BLU-RAY RÉGION 2, ÉDITION COLLECTOR (FR+VOST-FR), KANA

$50.00

DVD

ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM, COFFRET COLLECTOR, 8 DVD RÉGION 2, SAISONS 1&2 (JP+FR), KANA HOME VIDEO

$50.00

MANGA

FRUITS BASKET ISSUE 4 MANGA (JAP), HAKENSENSHUA

$5.00

 

3) Each item must be written on the form on its own line. For example, if you have three items that are the same (like three Death Note manga #14), they must take up three lines.  DO NOT write the same description for the three copies.

BAD:

Type / Article Description de l'article / Item's description Prix / Price ($)

MANGA

Death Note Issue 14 Manga (eng), Viz Media

$5.00

MANGA

Death Note Issue 14 Manga (eng), Viz Media

$5.00

MANGA

Death Note Issue 14 Manga (eng), Viz Media

$5.00

GOOD:

Type / Article Description de l'article / Item's description Prix / Price ($)

MANGA

Death Note Issue 14 #1 Manga (eng), Viz Media

$5.00

MANGA

Death Note Issue 14 #2 Manga (eng), Viz Media

$5.00

MANGA

Death Note Issue 14 #3 Manga (eng), Viz Media

$5.00

 

4) Bundles need to take only one line. They should be held together with elastics or in a box. Book labels must be visible. People like to open things and look inside before buying, so do not put anything that can be opened in a plastic bag.

BAD:

Type / Article Description de l'article / Item's description Prix / Price ($)

MANGA

Death Note Bundle

$15.00

 

Death Note Issue 14 Manga (eng), Viz Media

 

 

Death Note Issue 15 Manga (eng), Viz Media

 

GOOD:

Type / Article Description de l'article / Item's description Prix / Price ($)

MANGA

Death Note Bundle (Issue 14, 15) Manga (eng), Viz Media

$15.00

For each line:

When the form is complete, send it by email to garagesale@otakuthon.com.

In the email, please include:

* If these times really don't work for you, contact us by email and tell us why.

REMINDER: As of the Tuesday of the week of the convention, we will not be able to check emails with any regularity.  Please send in your requests early!

If you sent an email with a question and didn't get a response, please wait a few days before sending us another email. We are all volunteers, and answering multiple emails after regular work hours can be a very slow process.

4. What is my account number?

5. How do I know if my item is a bootleg?

Over the years, we've got lots of advice for identifying bootlegs/pirates/knock-offs.

The easiest thing to look for is trademark and copyright symbols. Most of anything with a brand name from North America, Europe, and Japan has a trademark and/or a copyright symbol on it somewhere.

6. Any advice for packaging/grouping my items?

Lots! Over the years we've seen what sells and what doesn't. Have a question about pricing or how to package your items? Ask! For now, here's a bit of advice:

In all cases:

7. Any advice for pricing my items?

Lots! Over the years, we've seen that prices are not going up at the Garage Sale. What was a deal 5 years ago is still considered just a "deal". People shopping at the Garage Sale are looking for bargains. Your items must be in demand, in great shape, and be found by just the right person to get top dollar.


I have a complaint about...

We'll listen. Please try to be constructive, but we will take your complaints to heart and try to improve. Each year we change things. Sometimes some things work, other times they really don't. We don't know until we try. You are our clients, our customers, and a source of inspiration to us.

We are a group of volunteers willing to sacrifice our weekend so you can go have fun. Please be patient with us.

Tell us what you think on the Otakuthon Garage sale Facebook page or email us directly at garagesale@otakuthon.com!