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This past weekend at Long Beach Comic Con we tabled next to a gentleman who was relatively new to the exhibiting scene and he had plenty of questions for us since we seemed like veterans.
Well okay, I guess after almost nine years we aren’t really spring chickens at this. Hardly experts, either, but it just reminds me how much everyone still hobnobs with each other about best practices.
Now our neighbor didn’t bring this up in particular, but one aspect of tabling at conventions that’s a continuous concern is load-ins and load-outs and trying to make those run as smoothly as possible. And for this blog I’m just going to take a minute and basically be an advertisement if you’re thinking of joining the hallowed ranks, or you have joined the ranks but are still struggling with efficient schlepping of your stuff. This little guy right here is awesome:
Pictured above (including handy Amazon link, but you can find it elsewhere as well) is the Magna Cart Flatform 300 lb Capacity Four Wheel Folding Platform Truck, and it is the bee’s knees. We don’t know how we’ve gotten along without it all this time. I suppose poorly. We’re strongly considering getting another, and at about $50-$70 retail that’s well within budget.
It is something that seems too good to be true, and yet it’s been living up to its hype. Lightweight, low-priced, sturdy, and it folds up beautifully for easy storage under even a tiny convention table. Yep, those wheels collapse, but thankfully only when you choose to have them do so. They’re also cushiony and thick enough to handle a bit of rough terrain (though I’m talking cobblestones or rough asphalt there, not true offroading), and the padded handle is comfortable to push and pull.
But the best feature is one we didn’t even realize until it was delivered. There are labels on it that clearly show you how to extend and collapse the cart, and I can’t stress enough how nice that is to have the first few times you use it, to say nothing of coming back to it after a long break or just being too damn tired to think much.
It’s got its limits in terms of platform size and carrying weight, but for the average Artist’s Alley or Small Press denizen, it’s like it was tailor made just for our needs. If you don’t got one, I say get one. Your back, your brain and your sweat glands will all thank you.