Your First Artist Alley Table: the 5 Numbers to Track (Sales, Cost, Break-Even, Restock, Sales Tax)

By LB3 Trackers October 29, 2026

A practical checklist for first-time artist alley and convention sellers. Made with AI help.

1. Sales by item
2. True cost per show
3. Break-even
4. Restock list
5. Sales tax by show
Bonus: the post-con review
Links

I’m Leon, the seller of LB3Trackers; the trackers and this guide were made with AI help.

Your first artist alley table is exciting, and it’s also a small business trip. You’ll come home with a cash box, a card reader history, and a vague feeling about whether it “went well.” Tracking five numbers turns that feeling into facts you can use for the next show.

Free sheets to start with: the Break-Even Quick Sheet and the Booth Tally Sheet. Both are free, and you can print them or use them on your phone.

1. Sales by item

“I made $640” tells you very little. “I sold 22 of the 5x7 prints, 3 of the large posters and 31 acrylic charms” tells you what to make more of.

Give every product a short code (P-5x7, CH-FOX, ST-SET).
Tally each sale as it happens, or right after a rush. A paper tally next to your cash box works fine.
Keep cash and card sales apart so you can match them to your reader’s report later.
Write down your starting count for each item. Starting count minus ending count should match your tally. If it doesn’t, you’ve found a counting gap or a missing item.

2. True cost per show

The table fee is only part of the cost. Add up everything the show made you spend:

Table or booth fee, plus any badge or helper fees
Travel: gas, parking, tolls, flights or train
Hotel, split by how many people share the room
Food for the weekend
Card processing fees (usually around 3%)
Show-specific supplies: new banner, bags, tablecloth, display parts
Cost of goods: what each print, charm or sticker cost you to produce

Many first-timers only count the table fee, then wonder why a “good” weekend still felt broke.

3. Break-even

Break-even is the sales you need just to cover your costs. A simple version:

Fixed show costs ÷ average profit per sale = sales needed to break even

Say your table, hotel and gas come to $420. Your average sale is $12, and it costs you $4 to make, so you keep $8 per sale. You need about 53 sales before you’re making money. Knowing that number before the show helps you price, decide whether a far-away con is worth it, and stay calm on a slow Saturday morning. The free Break-Even Quick Sheet does this math for you.

4. Restock list

Make your restock list during the show, not a week later when you’ve forgotten.

Note anything that sold out, and roughly when it did. Selling out by noon on day one means you brought too few.
Note what people asked for that you didn’t have: a character, a size, a fandom.
Note items that never moved. Two shows with no sales is a sign to retire them or rework them.
Before the next show, turn the list into a print order with quantities and a deadline. Leave time for shipping.

5. Sales tax by show

Rules depend on where the show is, not where you live. Some states and cities need a temporary seller’s permit, and some shows collect tax for you.

Check the show’s vendor info, or the state’s revenue site, for permit requirements.
Record taxable sales separately for each show and location.
Decide ahead of time whether your prices include tax, and post that clearly at your table.
Write down the filing deadline for each show right away. It’s easy to miss one after a busy season.

This is general information, not tax advice. Check your state’s rules or ask a tax professional.

Bonus: the post-con review

Within two days of getting home, write a short review:

Total sales, total costs, profit or loss
Best and worst sellers
Foot traffic, crowd type, table location
What you’d change about your display, pricing or stock
Would you return? Yes, no, or only with a cheaper hotel

After three or four shows, these reviews tell you which cons are worth your weekend.

Your First Artist Alley Table: the 5 Numbers to Track (Sales, Cost, Break-Even, Restock, Sales Tax)

§1. Sales by item

§2. True cost per show

§3. Break-even

§4. Restock list

§5. Sales tax by show

§Bonus: the post-con review

§Links