Cards on the Harbor: Building Something Different

Waking up at 6 A.M. on a Sunday sounds like a time to go to church. We were not going to church. We were going to a card show as vendors.

We had been to Cards on the Harbor before and enjoyed it. Not all card shows are the same for vendors. I've learned that after doing this for two years now. As a vendor, you feel the difference.

Some shows are organized, while others are all over the place. Chaos is part of the territory, but it shouldn't negatively impact a show.

As a vendor, you start to notice whether the hosts do the marketing, which can make or break a show. I've learned to never go to shows that rely on us vendors as their sole source of marketing.

I don't mind promoting shows. In fact, I even tell people where I plan on attending. But I've learned to avoid becoming the primary way, or the only way, people hear about an event.

I've always been impressed by how organized and ambitious the organizers of Cards on the Harbor are. They opened their own card shop and even branched into sports, all within a year.

One thing that stood out to me was how they remembered us. We had only been to one show, but they remembered us. That left an impression on me because it felt like we were more than a number.

We were also people.

I had another show host reach out to me to try to get me to become a vendor. But there was a problem...

I WAS ALREADY A VENDOR!

I even mentioned this in my reply. Actions like that make me feel like our experience doesn't particularly matter, especially when the host doesn't even know their own vendors.

A Booth That Was Finally Coming Together

"Our new set up had us excited and feeling proud."

A lot had changed for me since our last show at Cards on the Harbor. We had a new setup that we were excited to try.

Our booth looked amazing. My girlfriend even commented, "it looks like we are becoming professionals."

In a way, I agreed.

One thing I haven't talked about is how difficult it has been to create a vendor booth. I'm not a card vendor. I'm not an artist who does drawings or crafts. I'm a podcast host. I'm trying to promote a podcast.

I don't have a framework to go off of. It's been a build-as-you-go experience.

However, this time the setup was amazing. Not perfect, but something I could smile at and feel like the vendor booth finally had direction.

I had also decided to work toward becoming a nonprofit. Deep down, I think that was always going to happen with the podcast. I just needed to raise the money to do that.

Conversations Before the Doors Opened

"Luckyinyellow taking a photo with PiplupITW!"

Before the show started, I had a fun conversation with a girl who came by and said Pokémon X and Y were her first Pokémon games.

It's crazy to imagine because I had just graduated from college when those games came out. She was a teenager sharing how much she loved those games.

She was wearing a Pokémon Worlds jacket, which caught my attention. She shared how she was able to attend Worlds thanks to her aunt having to travel to the area for work.

As she left, I gave her an Eevee wristband. Her favorite Pokémon was Sylveon, but I like giving wristbands to put a bow on those types of conversations.

When the Crowd Doesn't Respond

"Engagement was tough for us for Cards on the Harbor."

When the doors opened, I was excited to have conversations about Pokémon. I was excited to see how this show would turn out.

I had an improved setup. I had modified the board to make it more durable, switching from a wooden board to a pinboard. I was tired of having to tape down the sticky notes with people's favorite Pokémon. I also wanted to keep the drawings and messages in better condition.

I was excited.

But then, people just walked on by.

The first hour is always slow for us since that's when the more hardcore collectors tend to arrive. We also figured church would keep people away from the show a little longer than normal.

But people kept walking by us.

I tried rearranging some things, but only one person had placed their favorite Pokémon on the board. It was Sylveon, from the girl I had chatted with earlier.

I started to doubt myself as people walked by. I wondered if I had missed something.

Then someone wanted a free wristband. Bulbasaur was her favorite Pokémon.

I usually give wristbands away for free in exchange for a social media follow. But when she wanted one, I remembered why I do this.

I gave it to her because that's why I do what I do.

I decided to ditch the pinboard because it wasn't resonating with this crowd today. Sometimes that happens. I've learned from doing the podcast that sometimes you have to double down on what is working.

A conversation I remember having was with a man who got free wristbands for his kids. He wanted one that was purple.

He shared how he likes to wear purple to honor his mother.

His mom died when she was only 48, and I was heartbroken to hear that. She was sick during the COVID pandemic and didn't make it through.

We connected over losing our parents because both my girlfriend and I had lost our dads and know how devastating it is.

We talked about the different ways we honor our parents. He continues to find ways to honor his mother, and I told him how I honor my dad by eating his ribs on his birthday.

He loved ribs.

Watching the Pokémon TCG Market

"We ate some candy corn while vending. We love candy corn."

While at the show, I saw a lot of scalpers.

A few of the vendors had nothing but sealed products, with stacks so high that it looked like they had cleared a few shelves. They had an enormous amount of sealed Pokémon cards.

One person even walked in with a full cart of Pokémon 30th anniversary products.

I try not to judge too often because people make money in different ways. But when you see someone walking out with an empty cart, realizing people had bought everything from them, it leaves a bad taste in your mouth to see what the Pokémon TCG hobby has become.

There were still plenty of collectors and a few artists and crafters. I was able to purchase cards for some future card packs we hope to do for future shows we attend!

Why Systems Matter More Than I Realized

"When you see someone with a PIkachu costume, you have to take a picture with them."

At this show, I didn't get a chance to have many conversations about Pokémon. But it was still a great show to attend.

It was organized. The people who were there were more focused on buying cards rather than engaging with artists or something they weren't familiar with.

I already knew what I needed to do next.

The mission, the goals, and the hope for the podcast need to be explicitly shared. You would think it was obvious, but it isn't when you're in the thick of things.

I had the chance to talk to the owner of Cards on the Harbor, and he shared how important being organized was for him. Systems were important.

Organization can make or break any business or passion.

You need to have structure.

On my way home, I told my girlfriend how I used to hate systems.

I took a class about systems because of my major. However, my professor was dull and only read from a book while I scrolled through Facebook, counting down the minutes. Attendance was required, so I had to be there.

However, through doing the podcast and even my work as a caseworker, I've realized how important systems are.

It's what led me to take a brief hiatus from the podcast because I needed to develop systems to make it more sustainable.

While I didn't have many conversations or make many sales, I realized how important it is for systems to be aligned.

I've slowly realized how card shows might not be the best audience for what I'm trying to do long-term. I've had more fun taking Pokémon into the real world than sticking to the Pokémon bubble.

That's what I've always done.

It's what I've had to do as a podcast host.

It's what I've had to do as the youngest of 12.

It's what I had to do as the first college graduate in the family.

Sometimes, if you want to build something that doesn't exist, you have to take steps that others wouldn't.

I had to do it with the podcast.

It's in my DNA to do that as a future nonprofit.

🧡 Help Us Create More Pokémon Memories 🧡

The smiles, conversations, and memories from this Trunk or Treat are exactly why I love bringing As The Pokéball Turns into the community.

Opportunities like these are made possible with the help of our Patrons, supporters, and community donations.

Contributions through Patreon and donations help us provide free Pokémon card packs, wristbands, and other small surprises to Trainers at community events.

Nothing we handed out was for sale. It was simply our way of sharing the joy Pokémon has brought into our lives.

If you believe in what we're building and would like to help us create more experiences like this, consider becoming a Patron.

Your support helps us do more than share Pokémon stories. It helps us become part of creating them.

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