DEALER INFO

POLICIES & RULES FOR VENDORS / DEALERS – PLEASE READ!

Every dealer and vendor who attends a For The Record (FTR) Vinyl Record Show agrees to and is bound by the following guidelines:

Registration

To register for any of our shows, please use the registration forms on the website or email us directly with your request. Requests should include the date and name of the show, number of tables, your full name, email, and phone number to be considered. You will receive an email confirmation if tables are available.

Due to the high volume of shows and dealers in rotation, we will not accept verbal registrations. All registrations and confirmations will be done through email.

Table locations

The key to any location request, established or new, is booking early. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to fit you into a specific location, but we are happy to oblige whenever possible.

Priority is given to regulars who are booked throughout the year. If you are a new dealer, please be general in any location requests — “in the middle, toward the front, on a wall,” etc. While we do our best to accommodate requests, no location is guaranteed. If you are unhappy with a location, ask about the possibility of trying another spot at the next show. Complaints about table location to customers and fellow dealers are bad form. Just don’t do it, please.

Theft

FTR Vinyl is not responsible for stolen items. We have been pretty lucky in this department, but thieves can be found at any record show, large or small. The best defense is paying attention to your table and looking out for your fellow dealers when they need to step away.

Remember, some customers may be new to the record show setup and don’t realize you pay as you go. Please make sure you know the facts, and give people the benefit of the doubt. If you observe anyone with sticky fingers, talk to me or the venue staff immediately.

Cancellations

Empty tables reflect poorly on shows and can be frustrating for fellow dealers on the waitlist. Life happens. We get that. Medical issues, family responsibilities, and work schedules can change quickly. If something makes your attendance at the show impossible, let us know as soon as you can.

If something happens through no fault of your own, an accident or car trouble, a medical or family emergency, or similar incidents, you will get a free pass, no questions asked. You also won’t be penalized if you can’t make it, and we can resell your table. If we cannot resell your table, you are responsible for the table fees. Weather is not a legitimate excuse unless the venue, city, or government says we can’t have the event for safety reasons. For example, booking a show in the winter and not attending because of snow is not an acceptable excuse. You are still responsible for the table fees. Table fees for shows that require advance payment cannot be refunded.

Dealers who are a no-show and have not contacted us will be asked to pay the full table price within 24 hours. If a dealer is a no-show more than once or refuses to pay a table fee for an event they have missed, their status to participate in future FTR shows will be in jeopardy. Depending on the situation, dealers may be asked to pay in advance until they return to good standing or may be banned from participating in any future show. If you leave the show without paying, you have 48 hours to pay, or you will be banned from all future shows.

We never want it to get to this point, but we must be fair to fellow dealers who follow these rules and want to participate. Table fees pay for the venues and expenses associated with these events. We make zero profit from table fees.

Dealer Responsibility

Dealers are responsible for all products sold at their tables. Sometimes a record will skip, and we don’t catch it, or a tape doesn’t work, etc. Any customer who requests a refund under reasonable circumstances should be accommodated. You can offer a refund, a credit, an exchange, etc. If you question the item or think a customer is being unreasonable, please bring them to me. If their complaint has merit, we will see if we can work out a compromise. Nothing does more damage to a show than a customer who feels he/she was treated unfairly. We want customers to have a good experience and come back. Making it right just brings goodwill to the show.

Dealer etiquette

We want everyone to have a good time. Therefore, it is expected and required that you be kind and courteous to customers, fellow dealers, venue staff, and organizers.

Most dealers know the unwritten rules in the community, but here are a few specific items worth noting.

• Bring enough change. Sometimes, customers will give you nothing but $20s. We get it. Asking for change for $20 or some $1s is part of being in the business. That’s fine. Forgetting to go to the bank and expecting neighbors or show organizers to provide $100 worth of change, however, is a no-no. Just don’t do it.
• Do not criticize another dealer’s inventory or prices within earshot of customers (unless it is clearly in good fun and they are in on the joke).
• Do not poach a customer shopping at someone else’s table. If you overhear them ask a dealer about an album or an artist that you happen to have, wait until they are done doing business before letting the customer know that you might have what they are looking for.
• Don’t overflow your space. A little overflow is fine if it doesn’t hinder your neighbors, but don’t try to cram three tables’ worth of stuff on and around one table. This can create a tripping hazard for customers and be unfair to fellow dealers paying for the space.
• Treat customers with respect. Do not make fun of customers who like bad music. We need to sell that, too! Some customers can be chatty, so humor them as much as possible. Let me know if a customer is rude, and I will deal with it.
• If you can help a customer by handing them a flyer to the next show or sending them to a dealer you know will have the album they are looking for, please do so. This will ultimately help everyone.
• Help your fellow dealers when you can – give them change for $20, lend them your cart, watch their table while they go to the restroom, etc. We are a community that looks out for each other. If that’s not your style, these are not the shows for you.
• Be a good ambassador for the hobby. Answer newbie questions, point customers to other dealers who may have something they are looking for that you don’t carry, and share recommendations to local record stores. 
• Minor inconveniences can happen. Room temperatures vary, lights burn out, and bathroom paper towels run out. We are usually extremely busy on show days, so before rushing over to share your complaints, consider whether it is an issue or an inconvenience. We have had dealers complain that the room is both too hot and too cold at the exact same show! Sometimes, it is best to wait until after the show to tell us. We can then address it with the venue for next time.
• Follow the guidelines set forth by organizers. Most are listed here, or should be common sense. Some policies may be updated and sent in an email or, as circumstances warrant, in person during an event. Please respect and follow that decision.

Distributing flyers

FTR Vinyl should first approve any flyers or materials distributed to dealers or customers at the show. We’re okay with handing out business cards and helping promote other record shows, stores, and related events. We want our dealers to benefit from interacting with customers and have a table set up for that very thing. All materials need to be approved. This only needs to happen once. If you run other shows and we have previously given permission, you can do so at will. If you are putting flyers or cards out for the first time, please ask first.  Political, religious, or material supporting hate speech or the different treatment of others is strictly prohibited and will not be tolerated. 

Leaving early

We want dealers to stay until the end of the show. Unless you have an emergency or a very good reason that you have notified us about in advance, we expect dealers to remain at least until the beginning of the last scheduled hour of the show. Empty tables are bad for business. It’s also bad form to have dealers loading out while customers are still coming in.

If you need or want to leave early, please come and see us first. If customers are scarce late in the day, we are OK with an early exit in the final hour, provided you communicate with us first. We know many of you have long drives home.

Three strikes

We know anyone can have a bad day. Just don’t let a bad day turn into bad judgment. On the (hopefully rare) chance that it does, a three-strike policy is in place. If you make a bad judgment call, depending on the severity and guidelines above, you will receive a warning and/or a first strike. The slate is clean if you have one strike, and there are no further issues after a year. A second violation, however, will receive another strike. A third, and you will not be returning to our shows – ever. If there is a single incident that continues to escalate, and you refuse to follow instructions, you may receive all three strikes and be asked to leave. No one wants it to get to that point, so don’t let it. 

We value our dealers and make every effort to make our shows a pleasant experience for all. Please respect each other, our customers, venue staff, and organizers. Have fun. Make money. Talk music.

If you have any specific questions or concerns, please direct them to Jeremy Bonfiglio at jeremybonfiglio@att.net or text at 574-261-3650.