A $100 guarantee is nice. Selling twelve shirts at $20 is better. For most bands at this level, merch is the money, and the table is where the real show happens after the set.
What to sell
Start small. Three things, done right, beat ten things done cheap:
- One shirt design in a black blank, sizes S–2XL. Order more M and L than you think.
- Stickers. Cheap, people buy two, and they end up on cars and laptops for years. This is advertising you get paid for.
- Your music in a physical form: CD, tape, or vinyl if you can afford it. People buy it to support you, not to play it. Sign it.
Add later: a second shirt, a hoodie for cold-weather runs, patches, a poster.
Pricing
Round numbers. $20 shirts, $5 stickers (or 3 for $10), $10 CDs. Bundles move product: "shirt + CD, $25." Nobody wants to make change for $17.
Take cards
A card reader costs almost nothing and more than pays for itself the first night. Square and similar readers plug into your phone. Also post a Venmo/Cash App QR code on the table for people whose card won't tap. Keep a small cash float ($40 in fives and ones) for the rest.
Set the table up like a store
- Table at eye level: put a box under the cloth, or hang shirts on a rack behind you. Shirts flat on a table look like laundry.
- Prices visible. A sign, big. People won't ask.
- Light. Venues are dark. A clip lamp or battery LED makes a huge difference.
- One person at the table during every other band's set. That's when people are walking around with money. Rotate.
- Mailing list signup: a clipboard or a QR code to a signup form. Email addresses outlast every social media platform.
Say something from the stage
Once, near the end of the set, clearly: "We've got shirts and stickers at the table back there, come say hi." Not five times. Once.
Keep track
A phone note with the starting count and the ending count per item, per night. After a run you'll know what sells where, and you'll stop ordering 2XL white shirts nobody buys.
Taxes, briefly
Sales tax rules vary by state and city. If you're selling in a state regularly, look up whether you're supposed to collect it. Not legal advice, just a flag so it doesn't surprise you.