Anthrocon 2008 Dealer Packet

* Subject to Dealers' Room Director's (or designated authority) discretion. The room will be completely secured during this time. At her discretion, the Director of Security may assign personnel to sleep in the room at night.

Dealer check-in and badge-pickup will take place outside of Hall C of the Convention Center before the Dealer's Room opens. Once the room is open to the public, the check-in desk will move inside to the staff table.

Anthrocon assigns dealers to tables selected in random order from those applications received on or after a specific date. We feel this provides the greatest level of fairness should the demand outstrip the available space. We do not expect to have a space shortage this year, but we always want to be prepared.

1. Fill out the application. Be certain that any field denoted with "*" is completed.

2. Table locations are denoted by row (a letter) and table location (a number). For example, "B3" is the third table in the second row on the map. In the "Location Desired" section, please choose only one box. Multiple requests will make it very difficult for us to provide you with the space you want.
   1. Specific table. Choose up to 5 preferred locations from the map. If none of your choices are available, we will attempt to place you at a similar table, but we cannot guarantee that the location will be the one you desired.

   2. Wall space. There is a $25 premium due to high demand for these tables. We do not recommend this option if there is not a physical need for a wall location, such as a free-standing shelf or display. Note that this space is very limited and if it is not available at the time we process your application, we will place you as best we can in an area that will accommodate you. There is always a chance that through cancellation a space may open up; thus, if you have paid for wall space and we cannot provide it, we will wait until the convention itself to make any refunds.

   3. Adjacent to another dealer. We will make every effort to place you next to your friend. Please list only one name. Your best bet is to send the applications (even several applications if you have a group) all together in one envelope. Those will be processed simultaneously.

   4. Away from another dealer. We understand, and will not ask you to explain why.

   5. Anywhere. We like these best. There are no "bad" tables in the room since most attendees make full circuits at least once during the convention, and our setup is reasonably symmetrical.

   6. Additional notes. If you have special physical needs or some other requirement that is not covered above, please list it here. We will make every effort to accommodate our dealers' wishes. Be aware, however, that as the room becomes more full it becomes increasingly difficult for us to honor the requests of individual dealers.

   7. Power. Electrical power is only available in rows E, F, and G this year. There are multiple reasons for this restriction, including the location of the power drops in the floor and the added expense of running cable to tables that are not located near those power drops. If you cannot be located in those rows but you absolutely require power, we can try to arrange something, but be advised that there will be an added expense that you will be responsible for.

3. If you have a PA Sales Tax License number, please provide it. If you do not, you must provide one to us before any one of the following events, whichever comes first: (a) six (6) weeks of our receipt of your application, (b) the date that the last table in the room is claimed, or (c) prior to June 1, 2008. If we do not have a sales tax license number from you in a timely fashion, we may give your table to the next waiting dealer. Once the dealer room is filled, any tables for which we do not have a sales tax license number on file will be canceled automatically. Remember, we do not refund any fees for tables canceled after May 16, 2008! It is your sole responsibility to keep a record of your tax license and to provide the number each year. Changes happen too fast and too often in Furry Fandom for us to keep track for you.

4. Assistants (see section III-c). Each dealership is given one membership to the convention, regardless of the number of tables purchased. A dealer may register an assistant to help make sales for $35. If you know the name of the person who will be helping you at the table, please enter the full information for them in the appropriate box and enclose payment. Do not enclose payment without providing the information for the assistant. Half-table dealers may not have assistants; there is no room behind the table. Full-table dealers may have one assistant; double-table dealers may have up to three, and triple-table and island dealers may have up to 5 each. Please remember that ALL dealers and assistants must be pre-registered; we cannot register dealers or assistants on-site, and memberships are not transferable. If you do not know who will be helping you, leave this section blank. You can register one or more assistants later, up until June 1, 2008.

5. Enclose a check or money order for payment, or include a credit card number. NOTE! We cannot process your application without payment. We will not process the check or credit card until we assign a table. At this time we plan to assign tables on or before January 2, 2008, which is when your payment will be processed, so be certain that whatever payment method you choose will still be valid at that time.

6. Mail your application ON OR AFTER NOVEMBER 10, 2007 to the following address:
   ANTHROCON DEALERS' ROOM
   PO Box 2188
   Glen Ellyn, IL 60138-2188
   We will process applications at random based on their postmark date: November 10 first, then November 11, etc. Early applications go to the bottom of the pile. If you live outside the USA, you may send an email to us at dealers.2008(at)anthrocon.org on the day that the application is sent. This will alert us to watch for it should it be delayed by international post. We must receive the application itself within 3 weeks of notification in any case.

All dealers are required to collect and report a state tax of 6% and a city tax of 1% on all sales (excluding T-shirts and other "primary" clothing.) That means a total sales tax of 7%. If there is a question as to whether an item is going to be taxable, please contact the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue or visit their web site at http://www.revenue.state.pa.us.

YOU MUST HAVE A PA SALES TAX LICENSE TO SELL ANYTHING AT ANTHROCON! NO EXCEPTIONS!

1. Getting (or reactivating) your sales tax license.

   Pennsylvania's tax system is a bit cumbersome for itinerant dealers. Each dealer must keep his or her license active by filing twice a year. For the first half of the year (when Anthrocon is held), you would file normally, and the Department of Revenue has a handy web page that lets you do that. For the second half, you need only file a return that says "0" in all the fields. That is sufficient to keep your tax license active.

   If you fail to file, you will need to reactivate your account before you can make sales in Pennsylvania. You can do this by filling out a physical copy of the state's PA-100 form, which you can download here. Fill out only sections 1-4 and section 18, with the information provided for the PA-100 below.

   Important change for new registrations! As of January 1, 2008, The Department of Revenue has stopped accepting the short form (REV-518 FO), and instead has requested that Anthrocon's dealers use the somewhat longer PA-100 form which is available online by clicking here. You must use this form to apply for a new sales tax license if you never had one. You cannot use the online version to reactivate a prior license.

   If you already have an active license, you do not need to fill out the PA-100 form; just report to us your license number. If you previously had a Pennsylvania State sales tax license that has become inactive, or if you have never had a license in Pennsylvania, you will need to fill out the PA-100 form. Use the following information where it is requested. Remember, each section has its own help feature if you get stuck. Please do not contact Anthrocon for help with this form! If the help screen isn't enough, contact the Department of Revenue directly with your question.

   Section 1:

   Select "New registration," and answer the questions.

   Section 2:

   If you don't already have a PA sales tax license, the date of first operations will be JUNE 27, 2008.
   If you don't know when your fiscal year ends, make it 12/31

   Section 3:

   Check the box that says TRANSIENT VENDOR CERTIFICATE if you are not a PA resident, or SALES, USE AND HOTEL TAX if you are a PA resident.
   The box that comes up when you check "Transient Vendor Certificate" is just a reminder.

   Section 5&6:

   If you're by yourself, you're a sole proprietor and your ownership is 100%.
   If you have a partner or are a corporation, note that in the appropriate space.
   You are only responsible for SALES TAX unless you have employees who are joining you.

   Section 7:

   If you sell manufactured goods, they are either WHOLESALE or RETAIL
   Otherwise, most of our dealers will fall under ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT & RECREATION

   Section 8:

   Select ALLEGHENY County in the list of boxes

   Section 18:

   Date of first sale is 06/27/2008, and the number of shows is 1 (Anthrocon). Don't forget to check the box on that line.
   Show name is ANTHROCON 2008
   PROMOTER NUMBER: 10002749
   SHOW ADDRESS: 1000 Fort Duquesne Blvd., Pittsburgh, Allegheny Country, PA 15222
   START DATE: June 27, 2008
   END DATE: June 29, 2008

   If you get stuck, call the PA Dept of Revenue at 412-565-7540,

   Important: When you receive the confirmation of your sales tax license number, you must report the number to us. We are required as the Promoter to have all license numbers on file prior to the convention. You may email your number to Dealers-2008(at)anthrocon.org, or you can send it by US Mail to ANTHROCON DEALERS' ROOM, PO Box 2188, Glen Ellyn, IL 60138-2188. You must report your sales tax license number to us each year; we do not keep them on file from one year to the next.

   Anthrocon must have a record of your sales tax license in its possession within six weeks of table assignment, and in all cases must have the number by June 1, 2008. If we do not have your sales tax license on file in time, there is a possibility that your table will be given to another dealer on the waiting list who already has a sales tax license. Again, once the room fills, meaning that the last available table is claimed, any tables for which we do not have a sales tax license number on file will automatically be canceled. Do not wait until the last minute to file! The form should take no more than 30 days to process. If you file and do not get an answer within that time, please call the tax office and inquire! You are solely responsible for ensuring that you have filed in ample time to get your license in before the deadline.

2. SPECIAL NOTE about Pittsburgh local taxes

   Your payment for a dealer table (or a set of tables that constitute one dealership) at Anthrocon includes one attending membership and also includes all applicable taxes and fees. No discounts are given for any dealership for whom a particular tax or fee does not apply; for example, if a dealer desires only one chair instead of two, the payment will not be discounted for the cost of the single chair.

3. Sharing a sales tax license. Don't even think about it.

   Anthrocon wishes to remind our dealers that we have a policy of strict adherence to state and local tax codes. It is illegal for multiple dealerships to share a single tax license. Thus, our general rules regarding the sharing of tables and tax licenses are as follows:

   1. A single table space (or multiple tables purchased together by one individual) represents "one dealership." It is staffed by one dealer and, optionally, one or more dealer assistants who are there to help the dealer in making sales. A single tax license is required for each dealership.

   2. Under no circumstances may two different dealerships at different tables share one tax license. If you wish to share a table with another dealer, you must purchase two half-tables, one for each. Do not purchase a full table to share with someone else. It creates an enormous amount of work for us when we notice that two independent dealers are operating under a single license (which is better than having the State notice it before we do). Therefore, if we receive a registration in which there are clearly two separate dealers listed under the guise of "dealer assistant," we will have to ask the second person to send in a separate application.

   3. A "dealer assistant" is a spouse, a friend, or other party who will be sitting at the table for the purpose of helping you to sell your merchandise; that person's primary interest is selling your stuff. If the primary interest of the second person at the table is to sell his or her merchandise, even though he or she may be helping you to sell yours, that person does not constitute a "dealer assistant."

   4. If you wish to share a table with another dealer and are worried that you will be unable to if you submit separate applications, all you have to do is send the applications in the same envelope. They will be processed as having been received simultaneously. We will make every effort to keep friends together, but you need to help us to do that.

Anthrocon's basic table size is 6'x3'. We are offering single tables, half tables (3'x3'), double tables (12'x3'), triple tables (18'x3'), and a limited number of "islands," which are four tables arranged in a square. Each table will be provided with a tablecloth and the appropriate number of chairs, to a maximum of 2 per six-foot table. We will strive to provide a minimum depth of 4 feet in the sitting area behind each table. Additional tablecloths to cover wares can NOT be provided. Please bring your own if you think you will need such.

Each table (or group of tables that are purchased for one dealership) includes one attending membership. You do not need to register separately after sending in a dealer application.

We must ask that all dealers keep their items neatly stacked behind or beneath their tables and that stored items do not block any traffic areas. In order to prevent overcrowding, there is a maximum limit of two people sitting at any single table. Your friends may not congregate behind or around your table. Special situations may be discussed with the Dealers' Room Director onsite. Anthrocon thanks you for your understanding and cooperation in keeping the room from becoming uncomfortably crowded.

Anthrocon will try to accommodate dealers with special requirements for displays, but we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so, particularly if that request comes after June 1, 2008. Once the tables have been set up, they cannot be moved without incurring the substantial expense of hiring additional Union labor to rearrange them. You must, therefore, let us know if you are going to need any special table arrangements well in advance so we can have them set up that way initially.

1. Items offered for sale in the Anthrocon Dealers' Room should be related to the theme of the convention (i.e., anthropomorphics and related fields such as costuming, artistry, etc.).

2. Items that are illegal in the United States or in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (firearms and other restricted weaponry, pornography involving minors, etc.) may not be sold at any time in the Dealers' Room.

3. Items and artwork of an adult nature may be sold only if they are kept from public view. Such items must be covered or similarly shielded. Artwork containing non-minor-friendly material may either by shielded by Post-It notes or similar covering, or ideally should be kept in a clearly-marked binder which must be kept closed by the dealer when it is not being viewed by an adult customer. Binders or portfolios containing uncensored artwork must be separate from other binders. A tag or divider between "regular" and "adult" material is not sufficient. The decision regarding what is and what is not appropriate material for display will rest entirely with the Dealers' Room Director, and her decision is final. Don't argue.

4. Minors will be clearly identified by their membership badges. Further information on how to recognize them will be available on site. Anthrocon holds each dealer responsible to ensure that minors are not permitted to view, handle, or be otherwise exposed to adult materials. If you are in doubt, you can ask your client for identification before allowing him or her to view your wares. Dealers who are repeatedly found to be displaying adult-oriented items in such a fashion that they can be viewed by underaged members will be removed from the Dealers' Room without refund, and may lose their Dealers' Room privileges for future conventions. Please note that in the case of disagreement, the opinion of the Dealers' Room Director as to the suitability (or lack thereof) of wares for general display will be final.

1. Flashing/rotating lights, sound generators or other excessively annoying displays will not be permitted. Video soundtracks or other audio need to be kept at such a volume that they do not annoy customers or other dealers. The Dealers' Room Director and staff have the final authority on what does and what does not constitute an annoyance.

2. Selling non-firearm weaponry such as broadswords is acceptable provided these weapons do not have a sharp edge and that the purchases are fully wrapped afterward. As per Anthrocon Security Policy, these items may not be waved or otherwise brandished in public. It is strongly suggested that dealers urge customers who purchase such items to carry them directly to their hotel rooms.

3. No "pirated" material of any sort will be allowed in the Dealers' Room. Exceptions may be made for material that is otherwise unavailable in the United States on a case-by-case basis. The Dealers' Room Director's decision in this matter is final.

4. No table space may be shared with or resold to another dealer without the prior consent of Anthrocon's Dealers' Room Director. This will require a completed dealer room application and pre-arrangement with the Dealers' Room Director.

5. There is a strict NO SMOKING policy in the Dealers' Room. Furthermore, no items that generate an open flame or excessive heat may be employed. If you have an air compressor or similar motorized equipment, you must obtain clearance from the David L Lawrence Convention Center (through the Dealers' Room Director) prior to its use.

6. There is to be no horseplay in the Dealers' Room. This includes the use of any squirt guns, "Silly String" or any other projectile-type toy. Anthrocon is not responsible for injuries, breakage or loss incurred by or caused by any dealer or attendee.

7. The Dealers' Room Director and/or her staff reserve the right to refuse service to any person or entity. If any one is disruptive, ignores the rules, or harasses other persons and is not amenable to correction, Anthrocon will take the appropriate action, up to and including removal the offender from the convention. This includes dealers and friends as well as customers/members. If Anthrocon's management and/or a David L Lawrence Convention Center official is forced to eject a dealer or any other person due to violations of the rules, no refund will be given of any membership or table fees.

8. Anthrocon is responsible for leaving the Convention Hall in a "broom clean" condition. We are assessed a steep fee if unreasonable amounts of garbage, empty boxes, etc. are left behind when the room is vacated. Trash receptacles will be provided, especially for teardown on Sunday. Any dealer who leaves an excessive amount of waste behind in his or her area will be responsible for a $100 cleaning fee, payable to Anthrocon.

9. Electrical power is provided for a fee, part of which is paid by Anthrocon to avoid overburdening our dealers. Only those dealers who have paid for electrical service may use the outlets that will be provided. Any dealer found using electrical service for which he or she has not paid in advance may be asked for pay on the spot, or may be removed from the Dealers' Room, or both.

Any convention facility large enough to house Anthrocon has a unionized work force. We are quite fortunate that the unions who are employed by the David L. Lawrence Convention Center are reasonable and have been willing to work with us on many issues. It is important that our dealers understand the rules that will pertain to the Dealers' Room:

1. During setup and teardown, dealers may bring in only what they can carry on their own, or in a small 2-wheeled luggage case such as one sees in airports. If you have more than that, or if you require a cart, you must bring your wares to the loading dock area (if you have a car), or to the security desk in the West Lobby (if you are on foot) to be carted in by Convention Center staff. There is no additional cost to dealers for this service (see "B" below). We understand that this may be something new to some of our dealers. Please bear in mind that this is standard practice for large venues such as this one. Only those dealers with large displays are likely to be impacted by this rule, and even those will incur no added cost.

2. Anthrocon will employ Union labor to assist dealers with moving materials to and from the loading dock area during setup and teardown (again, at no additional cost to those dealers). The Union team will be available (tentatively) from 12:00 noon until 9:00 PM on Thursday, June 26, and from 8:00 AM until 12:00 PM on Friday, June 27 to bring items in. Likewise, they will be available from 4 PM until 8 PM on Sunday, June 18 to help bring items to the loading dock.

3. Large displays that require more than one person to assemble, or which require power tools, will have to be assembled with the help of Union labor. Please contact Anthrocon in advance for rates for this specialized service.

4. It is important that Anthrocon maintain a strong and friendly working relationship with the local staff. If you have any disagreements or issues with any Union or Non-Union Convention Center employee, please do not argue with them. Bring your disagreement to the Dealers' Room Director or to the Chairman.

Traditionally, we see a certain amount of attrition from dealers who discover scheduling conflicts or encounter other obstacles to attending Anthrocon. Dealers who are placed on the waiting list once the room sells out usually have a very good chance of getting a table.

Please be certain to fill in the line on the application that asks for your minimum space requirements. As tables are made available, we will offer them first to dealers who can get by with half tables, then to dealers who need a full table, and lastly to dealers who absolutely must have two tables. Be certain to include either a check or a credit card number. Since it may be several weeks before we process your request (which will only be done if we can provide you a table), be certain that your payment method will clear later on.

If you find that you will not be able to make use of one or more of your dealer tables, please inform us as soon as possible. It is unfair to dealers who are on the waiting list to keep them waiting until it is too late for them to make reasonable travel arrangements. It is also unfair to transfer an unwanted table to another person, which effectively bypasses the waiting list.

Full refunds will be given for table space that is canceled on or before April 1, 2008. A refund of 50% will be given for table space that is canceled on or before May 16, 2008. No refunds will be given for table space canceled after May 16, 2008!

Any table that is left unclaimed as of 12:00 noon on Saturday, June 27, will be offered to a dealer on the waiting list, unless the owner of the table contacts us prior to that time. Email is not sufficient if sent within the week before the convention (we will not be home to receive it). If you do not receive a response from us, you must call the Convention Operations Office at the convention itself. Our convention operations office can always be reached by calling the Westin Convention Center Hotel switchboard during convention hours.

1. Complaints or concerns should be directed onsite to the Dealers' Room Director or one of her staff members. Issues arising prior to the convention should be directed to Dealers.2008(at)anthrocon.org. Please try to notify us of your concerns on site, rather than after the fact. We are not able to fix things that are not brought to our attention until after the convention is over.

2. All decisions made by the Dealers' Room Director as to the appropriateness of display, merchandise or conduct will be final.

3. Any person who accepts a dealer's table at Anthrocon is understood to have read these rules and to agree to abide by them, as well as the complete Anthrocon Standards of Conduct.

XI. MAP OF THE DEALERS' ROOM

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