Frequently Asked Questions

Please read all vendor FAQs (including COVID precautions) before applying.

We know it looks like a lot of info… but don’t get overwhelmed. You got this.

What is Ear Damage looking for in a vendor?

Do you sell punk / metal / rock / underground records? Band shirts? Patches? Gear? Posters? Magazines? Books? Collectables? Photos of Glen Danzig and his cats?
OR are you an artist that runs in this underground circle that has art, prints, photos, merch, jewelry, clothing, etc that you’d like to sell? Then this is the spot for you.
What you CAN’T sell is:

  • bootleg items: you can resell from your own collection, but you can’t make new merch or bootleg albums from another band and sell it.

  • anything outside of the genres listed above (unless vintage and super awesome). We know you love that Billy Joel record. But we don’t need that Billy Joel record at the booths.

  • pertaining to artwork: We DON’T accept vendors who resell products that are not designed by them. Art vendors must design their products and/or make their products. We will ABSOLUTELY make exceptions if galleries want to have a booth to represent artists. But all independent artists must bring their own work.

I want to sell stuff! What is the Ear Damage application process?

If you have the goods specified above, check out the Calendar of Chaos page and see what dates are available that you want. Then go to the Vendor Application page. Fill out the online form and submit it. Be sure to put a valid email address on the form. We WILL get back to you within 24 hours, so if you haven’t heard from us, check your spam folder. We’re going to be emailing important info to our vendors, so you don’t want to miss it!!

How do I pay for my booth?

After you’ve signed up through the website, we’ll email you our Venmo / Paypal information. We can provide you with an invoice if needed.

Do I need a seller’s permit?

Legally, to sell anything anywhere in the state of California you must obtain a seller’s permit from CA State Board of Equalization and collect sales tax for all sales. Depending on how often you’d like to have a booth at Ear Damage, you might need a temporary seller’s permit (applying for one is easy and free). For more information, please go to the CDTFA website HERE to register if needed. Ear Damage is not responsible for collecting or making sure you collect and report tax revenues.

How much are booths?

We have 2 booth sizes available, and prices right now are a low introductory price:

  • approx 4’ x 5’ is $30 for the day

  • approx 8’ x 10’ is $45 for the day

What does my Booth fee include?

Your booth fee includes space for you to set-up. We don’t provide any tables, chairs, or any other set-up items. We also don’t rent additional equipment. We do not provide storage for your booth set up or merchandise. If you are selling gear and need electricity to show your customer that your items work, let us know and we can work something out.

Booth Rules & Requirements

  • You are paying for the booth space… not outside your booth space. You are not allowed to have so much in your booth that it is spilling onto other people’s booths. You must keep everything you bring neatly confined to the space you paid for. If you need more space, rent a second booth and use them both (and if you would like to do this, we’ll be more than happy to make sure your booths are next to each other for a unified larger space. But no more than 2 booths per vendor).

  • You must to have your items neatly displayed. This can be on folding tables and chairs you bring, rolling racks for shirts, boxes / crates for records, etc. But piles of merch on the floor isn’t going to cut it. If customers wanted to dig through a dollar bin, they’d go to Goodwill.

  • Alcohol consumption is only permitted in the back patio or at the venue next door.

  • Most of our booths are indoors, but there will be a couple outdoor booths on the back patio by the beer garden available.

  • This is an indoor venue, so please don’t bring tents, crazy setups, platforms, etc. This isn’t Vegas, so there’s no need to go bonkers. If you have questions, feel free to contact us.

  • When you are approved for the show, you’ll get an email detailing times to show up to set up, what you might want to bring, what to expect, etc. We want this to be easy for you, so if you have any questions please let us know.

  • Have fun. Respect each other. Promote each other. Let’s all rise up together.

What if I need to cancel?

If you need to cancel you must do so two weeks before the show for a refund of your booth fee. If you cancel after that, you forfeit your booth fee. Ear Damage is primarily indoors and is a rain or shine event- meaning we don’t refund vendors, cancel or reschedule the show due to unfortunate weather.

How do I take payment from my customers?

That is totally up to you! Once you’ve paid your booth fees, any payment arrangements you make with customers is none of our business. Paypal, Square, Venmo, Zelle, cash, trade… whatever!! BUT Ear Damage is NOT responsible for any disputes between customer and vendor, no matter what the dispute is.

Promotion

If you’ve been approved for a booth, we’d love it if you’d promote via social media to get your customers there! Follow us on instagram and facebook (and TikTok coming soon). Be sure and put your social media info in your application so we can promote and tag you on our social media, as well as our events page. What will win you double bonus points is when you post about the event, tag some of the other vendors as well! If we’re all helping each other, we all win!!