Garage Sale

Got old anime goods you want to get rid of but can’t bear to throw out? 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) before the convention! We start accepting clients when pre-registration for the convention opens. 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 our Facebook channel.

Note as of 2025, any client of the garage sale who makes over 500$ after commission will be paid using e-payout (via interac). 

• Submitting items for sale at the Garage Sale
• Merchandise Drop-Off Times
• Drop-Off Procedure
• FAQ
  • 1. What is allowed to be sold at the table?
  • 2. How much do you charge?
  • 3. What is an E-Payout?
  • 4. What is your Data Retention Policy?
  • 5. How do I fill out the Garage Sale form?
  • 6. What is my account number?
  • 7. How do I know if my item is a bootleg?
  • 8. Any advice for packaging/grouping my items?
  • 9. Any advice for pricing my items?
• I have a complaint about...

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 Monday of the week prior to the convention. We ask that all items be sold in good working order, clean, and packed in a way that they can be seen. See the FAQ for more information.

Space is limited, so send in your forms early! We start accepting forms as soon as pre-registration for the convention opens. Note that we no longer accept form stubs to reserve a place in the garage sale.

If a time comes when we can no longer accept clients, we will announce it on our Facebook page.

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

Merchandise Drop-Off Times

Drop-off is by appointment only. If the drop-off times do not work for you, email us before the Monday of the week prior to 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

1. Preregister for the weekend of the convention.
2. Read & agree to the Terms of Service (PDF) – which now includes an agreement for E-Payout if you make more than $500 after the commission is removed.
3. Read the FAQ! Many of your questions (including how to fill out the form and how best to pack your items) are explained there.
4. Fill out the Garage Sale inventory form electronically (XLS). If you can't get the form to work – send us your list of items and prices by email (in text format please, CSV or comma separated preferred, no PDFs, no image files). We will accept a maximum of 50 items from each registered attendee.
   Attention Exhibitors / Artists from the Artists' Area: If you don't have a (registration) account number, that's OK. Just ignore the number for now and put either STAFF, EXHIBITOR, or ARTIST in the account number field. 
5. Email garagesale@otakuthon.com your inventory form and your preferred drop-off and pick-up times. We have to get the email of your inventory BEFORE you can drop your stuff off.
   Your email must have:
   1. Your completed form. See the FAQ for how to fill it out and what can, and cannot be sold at the Garage Sale.
   2. A range of times that you are available to drop off your goods (on either Thursday or Friday) and a range of times that you are available to pick up your goods (on Sunday). If you have no preference, please tell us. The earlier you drop off your goods, the longer it will be on the table to be sold.
   3. If you expect to be late for your appointment due to special circumstances, please advise us in advance so we can accommodate you. Note that email can work, but we do not check email regularly during convention hours.
   4. If you are a Staff / Exhibitor / Artist from the Artists' Area – tell us!
   5.  If your time is limited (because you are travelling) - tell us!
6. You will receive a confirmation email and an appointment will be set for the drop-off and the pickup of your goods. The Garage Sale drop-off location will be in the Registration Area when registration opens on Thursday. Please note that drop-off is by appointment only and that your confirmation is not automatic as someone must first validate your form.
7. Come to the Convention Registration Area and get your badge.
8. Come to your drop-off appointment. We'll go through the inventory you want to sell and confirm it's all there. Each item must be listed in your inventory form and each item must also have a set price. We will put a removable sticker on each item to identify you, the item and its price. During this time, we can only make minor modifications to your list. We ask that if there are any major changes to your list please tell us before the Monday of the week prior to the convention. We will make sure you’ve signed the TOS, and received your check-out appointment card.
9. When we’re done with the check-in, go enjoy the convention. We'll handle it from here.
10. Remember to return at your check-out appointment time to collect the items that have not sold and your money. Check-out is done at the Garage Sale table in the Exhibition Hall.

The Exhibition Hall closes at 5 PM. Attendees who have Garage sale appointments might be challenged to prove they have a reason to access the Exhibition Hall. For this reason, we give out check-out cards during check in. When someone is late for their check-out appointment, we will go outside the Exhibition Hall and call for you. Don’t worry, you might have to wait a bit – but we won’t forget you.

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!

Before you leave the table after your check-out appointment and after collecting the cash from your sales, verify you have all your unsold items. Remember to check the unknown box (on the table). This will hold anything that lost its tags (there’s always a few).

IMPORTANT: DO NOT EMAIL US DURING THE CONVENTION! We do not check email regularly once the convention starts.

We try to take care of your goods as if they were our own. Still, accidents and theft can happen. 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 are mostly 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 bundle (which would be treated as one item). Bundles must be grouped together before you arrive at your appointment (See: 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. What is an E-Payout?

Since most of our sales now occur via interact, electronic payout (interac) will be done for all clients who make over $500.00 (after commission). This helps us deal with the imbalance between credit card purchases and cash purchases that is regularly occurring at Otakuthon.

For those who wish to be paid via electronic payout regardless of the total sale, please select YES on your form in the E-payout field.

E-payout is sent to all eligible clients within 10 business days of the check-out. The delay gives us (and our bank) time to transfer funds and process the request. 

Questions or comments about e-payout can always be sent to garagesale@otakuthon.com.

4. What is your Data Retention Policy?

See the data retention policy for the Garage Sale here.

5. How do I 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.

Note that there is a character limit of 500 characters to the description line. Any more than 500 characters, and the line will be truncated when imported into our database.

BAD:

BAD:

GOOD:

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:

DO NOT write the same description for the three copies.

Add a sequence number to the end of the description (Like Death Note manga 14 #1).

GOOD:

4) Bundles need to take only one line. 

For more information on making bundles of things, refer to the FAQ, : E. If you want to sell one or more small items: and F. If you want to sell a group of books or disks (games, DVDs, etc.):. 

BAD:

GOOD:

For each line:

• Pick the type from the types drop-down list. Try not to use AUTRE/OTHER unless the item really doesn't fit otherwise. For example, Xbox, PS2, and Gameboy games along with Nintendo DS and other games for hand-held game devices are all the type "Video games". A DVD, and UMD video are all of the type DVD, but a Blu-ray is of type BLUERAY. A wig is of type VÊTEMENTS/CLOTHES. Keychains, most jewelry, Gachupin items, and anything smaller than the palm of your hand are PETIT OBJET/SMALL ITEM.
• Provide a general description of each item. This helps us quickly find the item when we're doing the paperwork. The description should be short and concise, as it needs to be enough to distinguish it from other similar items; If there is English or French on the box or item – include it in the description as these are terms we will be searching for. The name of the primary character depicted along with colors are all very helpful. If the item has labeling in a language other than English or French, its description must include the box coloration as well as a description (for example: with cape, 23 parts, mostly hands).
• Set a price for each item. Remember that we keep 15% of whatever is sold. Since the minimum charge is $0.50, if you set a price lower than $3.25, we will be taking $0.50. You may not sell an item for less than $0.50.
• If your item comes in several parts, they must be described as part of a set (for example, "1 of 3"). They can still take up one line on the form but add the number of pieces to the description. For example, a costume with gloves and a belt would be 4 pieces and should be recorded as a 4-piece costume on the form.
• If your DVD/CD set comes with several disks, specify the number of disks on the form.

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

In the email, please include:

• A date and a range of times to drop off your goods (between Thursday and Friday of the convention, see the hours listed above)*
• A range of times to pick up your goods (Sunday of the convention)*

* 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.

6. What is my account number?

• I'm preregistered. Your (registration) account number is at least 6 digits and can be found in your registration confirmation email.
• I'm not preregistered. You must be registered for the weekend to sell items at the Garage Sale.
• I'm a Staff / Exhibitor / Artist of Artists' Area... Mention that you are a Staff / Exhibitor / Artist in your initial email to us; we know you'll be at the convention. On the form put STAFF, EXHIBITOR, or ARTIST in the account number field. 

7. 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 anything with a brand name from North America, Europe, and Japan has a trademark or a copyright symbol and typically a date on it somewhere.

• CDs/DVDs: Look for numbers on the inside ring of the CD/DVD. If there are none, it's probably a bootleg.
• Posters/Wall scrolls: Look for a signature and a date. If there isn't one - it's probably a bootleg.
• Printed goods (books, magazines, etc): There should be a copyright statement and the editor's name in the front matter, at the end of the book, or along the margins of the first few pages.

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:

A. If you want to sell costumes:

On the form, let us know if they are in a bag or if they need to be hung. We will have a clothing rack with a limited number of hangers and garnment bags. Space is provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

Remember to mention the size of the costume on the inventory form.

All costumes must be clean and in good condition.

A label will be clipped (with a safety pin) to the main item of the costume. This is what we stick our price tag on. 

Small items that are part of the costume must be stored in individual bags. Each bag must be labeled as a part. And the total number of parts must be listed on the description of the costume (both in the form and on the costume’s description, described below).

Costumes sell best if customers can see them. Provide a photo (color works best) and a good description of the costume with measurements on a piece of paper and tape this to the bag containing your costume Then, if there is no space left to put your costumes on display, we can display the picture! 

B. If you want to sell wigs:

Put each wig in a zip-lock or resealable bag. This makes it easy for people to open the bag and examine the wig.

If the wig has a descriptor or character reference, tape the paper with the explanation to the inside of the bag. A color description is often not enough, please include the hair length (rough approximation is fine), manufacturer name, and any writing on the wig cap. Whether the wig comes with a wig cap or not should also be in the description.

All wigs must be clean.

C. If you want to sell posters or wall scrolls:

Posters and wall scrolls do not sell if people cannot see what they contain. To protect your posters and wall scrolls: roll each one up tightly and use an elastic to keep it rolled. Tuck a picture of the poster under the elastic so people can see how pretty your poster and wall scrolls is. 

Note that if the poster or wall scrolls does not contain a visible copyright statement or mark, it is a bootleg and we cannot sell it at the table. We cannot sell posters that come from magazines unless the magazine is also provided *or* the visible copyright statement is present. 

Also note: folded posters, posters with tape on the back, and posters or wall scrolls that are ripped in any way do not sell well. We do not mount or pin-up posters. We do not have space or equipment to put up posters (and those just stacked on the table tend to get damaged rather than sold). We roll posters and wall scrolls and put them in a bucket at the end of the table for easy browsing.

D. If you want to sell collectible cards:

If you're selling a group of cards for one price, make sure the user can flip through the group of cards. 

Store them in a baseball card protector sleeve to display the cards. 

If you're selling individual cards, we strongly recommend purchasing either baseball card protectors or individual plastic sleeves. That way, the stickers we use for pricing never have to be in contact with the cards. 

Typically, older collectible cards do not sell well unless they are rare or still very collectible. 

A binder of cards people can look through takes up a lot of table space, but we can usually find space for a card box. We reserve the right to mix baseball card sleeves together in one binder (or card box) if space becomes an issue. 

Remember to tell us if any cards are common, rare, etc. and what set the card comes from (starter set, tournament deck, booster pack, etc.). Large boxes of cards for sale should have a few rare cards (or better) in them to justify the price of the box. 

Boxes are honestly labelled with the frequency of the cards (x common, y uncommon), style or type of cards (mostly lands, mostly reds, etc.), and other details sell better than boxes without labels. And yes, people will check.

E. If you want to sell one or more small items:

Put the items in a resealable bag (there are lots of different sizes). Use a piece of stiff cardboard to keep them flat. The stiff cardboard should be only slightly larger than the object you’re selling. 

Put any sticker on the back - not on its face.

Do not wrap them in bubble wrap or saran wrap. If the customer can't see the item clearly, they will not buy it. 

Whenever possible, make the package with a flat base (another piece of cardboard works). This “coffin” must be able to stand on its own. This will practically guarantee good placement on the table.

All bundles must be made before you check-in. We always have some elastics and a few zip lock bags, but don’t rely on us having what you need. 

We will stop your check in and ask you to step aside if your goods are not already bundled. We can’t always provide you space or time to build your bundles on site.

F. If you want to sell a group of books or disks (games, DVDs, etc.):

Use one or more elastics to hold them together or put them in a box so that their spines are easily viewed (by putting them in an open rectangular box made out of cardboard, for example). 

People don't usually buy books they can't flip through and are less willing to buy disks if they cannot be checked for scratches. 

Wrapping them in plastic does make them look nice, but such bundles never sell well, and we typically have to open them before they're sold (mostly to check for wear-and-tear on the item). 

NEVER USE SARAN WRAP to wrap your bundles! Elastics or ribbon work best. 

If there are more than 3 or 4 items in your bundle, we recommend you make a box for it (the item’s spine must remain visible). Large or ungainly boxes are displayed only when space becomes available.

All boxes that are closed should have a picture of what’s inside. This picture should be very large (up to as large as the box itself) and, if you can manage it – in color. Boxes must list what’s inside as we cannot always find the space to open them and display their contents. 

Boxes without pictures of their contents and lists of their items will be sold as “mystery boxes”. Note that “Mystery boxes” at the garage sale do not sell well. It’s not what people come to the garage sale to buy.

All bundles must be made before you check-in. We always have some elastics and a few zip lock bags, but don’t rely on us having what you need. We will stop your check in and ask you to step aside if your goods are not already bundled. We can’t always provide you space or time to build your bundles on site.

G. If you want to sell action figures or figurines:

These items sell best in their original packaging. 

If you don't have their original packaging, try providing a stand, or at least make sure that:

(a) they can be clearly seen (don't wrap them in crinkly, dirty plastic, saran wrap. or bubble wrap) 

(b) they are clean 

(c) Put all parts together and put them in an open-sided box (“coffin”). Multiple parts that can fall off must be tied into the coffin. If the toy has multiple parts and is not in its original packaging or a homemade box (as described previously), we might refuse it. 

(d) the figurine must be able to stand freely (if, for example, a peg is broken, put the figurine in a coffin that can stand freely.

H. If you want to sell framed prints, art books, or animation cells

As with posters, there must be a copyright symbol on the item. If it is not something typically copyrighted, the item must be signed by the artist and come with providence. 

Animation cells must also have providence, especially if you claim they come from a movie. 

Collections and other books that need space to show off their contents do not sell well at the garage sale. Space is always at a premium, and we cannot display them to best effect.

I. In all cases:

If people can't see what's in your package, they won't buy it. 

Don't wrap it in stiff plastic, bubble wrap, saran wrap, nor use cheap zip-lock knock off bags, or bags that have already been used and washed. Stiff plastic crinkles and crinkled plastic can look opaque in Exhibition Hall lighting. Dirty or scratched bags also make your goods look older and dull.

Your items must be clean. Wash your plush toys, wipe down your toys, etc. We will refuse to sell items that are visibly dirty.

9. Any advice for pricing my items?

Lots! 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.

• If you do not know the going price for your item, always check a reputable source for second-hand goods (A second-hand store or Amazon are good examples. If you’re looking on Ebay, always make sure you’re looking at the price of the items that are sold or completed and not the ones still for sale). 
• Few collectibles are still worth what you bought them for. 
• Guide prices are considered the "best price" you can get for the item in the best of all possible worlds. People do not shop at a garage sale looking for the "best price". They are looking for the "cheapest price".
• As a good rule-of-thumb, an item showing light wear should garner ¾ of its original price (or less). Anything in worse shape than very light wear should garner at most ½ its original price. Very few second-hand items grow in value.

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 work through the 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!