Just a list of supplies I use for shows that other people might be interested in. May contain affiliate links.

Lighting:

Lights: Come in an 8″ and 12″ version. (lights are NOT magnetic; that was a mod I did; see below) Will run at full power for ~4 hrs before dimming and running for another few hours. They’ll run at 50% power for longer too. Also has settings for color temp and can be set to be motion sensing. These coupled with battery packs below will last an entire 3 day event if I recharge just the battery packs every night (which saves trouble of redoing light setup every day). Lights charge quickly and have clear buttons compared to push and hold nonsense. I use these 3 way usb-c cables to attach 6 lights to a single battery pack and to bulk-charge lights (with this bulk usb port hub).

Battery packs to run lights. There’s a 20000mah version (I run lights with these and use them to charge my phone at home lol) and a 10000mah version which is good for recharging card readers and small stuff and is less giant and bulky. Downside to the bigger batteries especially is they struggle to charge (in a useful amount of time) on some power cables, so I got these wall nubs and these cables which charge them easily overnight. I’ve been using these packs for YEARS though, and they’ve been great. Even the small one will charge an iphone a few times. They ARE clunkier/heavier than other brands, but they’re also like 1/3 the price and when I need 6 of them I decided to be cheap.

If you want your lights to be magnetic, I use these 10x3mm magnets and these sticky metal things to attach them to. 2 magnets per light works well but 3 would be crazy secure. Carry the magnetic things around for attaching lights to new surfaces on the fly 😛 I just superglued the magnets to the lights (which did come with actual sticky clips but they were very bulky and would make my shelves less compact to transport, but if you don’t care there’s no need for the magnets)

Transport:

4′ Cart: a delightful giant cart that holds 6′ folding tables and 2×3′ grid walls and an entire canopy (depending on the size) Does decently on uneven surface. Rubbish case. I did have some issues with a [not spuer essential, but convenient] strap for closing the thing ripping off and one of the wheels is a little bit bent and doesn’t close in a streamline way. If this cart dies, I’d still get another one because of the size and nice wheels- it literally makes loading stuff SO easy and not even labor intensive, even when I’m hauling 100s of lbs of crap. Folds up nicely in the car and is 10000000% worth the space imo.

Misc:

Cash scanner/Bill tester for testing large bills – absolutely worth the $50 for the thing – I’ve been able to take dozens of 100s and 50s from people (which they’re always excited about) without worrying they’re going to be bad. Paid for itself in peace of mind and not having to be all ‘I’m sorry I can’t take your giant bills’. Bonus: It has a UV light if you need to show UV fluorescence on products and don’t have a good UV display 😛

Octopus cable for charging stuff – will charge multiple different devices at once from a single usb connection. 2 iphone ports, 1 usbc, 1 micro usb

Throat coat tea (with honey): saves my throat for multi day events

Sketchy hot pot for cooking sad tortellini and bulk tea for the day. Janky but saves on food costs and is kind of funny.

Tall chairs because I like looking at people from eye level. There’s a comfy camp chair with foot rest which is great but takes a lot of space in the car and a crap-tastic folding chair which is small and that’s the only redeeming feature. I had to get a butt cushion for it because it hurts to sit on for long periods and is hard to get into (which isn’t helped by the butt cushion but whatever…). I only use the not-camp chair ones in small spaces/when I have to.

envelope for transporting cash (and storing extra bills) so you don’t need to take your entire cash box home on multi day shows

Outdoor shows

10×10 tent: easy to put up with one person. legs are individually adjustible/don’t have fixed heights which is nice on uneven ground. Canopy had gromet holes in it to prevent rain pooling which I filled with epoxy putty. For the love of god, put weights on your tents. 40 lbs per leg. Use kettle bells if you have to.

8×8 tent: Good when you can’t use a 10×10. Legs have 3 fixed heights. Easy to put up alone. Carrying case is NOT closed so it gets spiders sometimes. Not as good for uneven ground because of the fixed leg positions.For the love of god, put weights on your tents. 40 lbs per leg. Use kettle bells if you have to.

The absolute best battery fans I’ve ever used – the battery lasts ~8 hours on high and forever on low. Not insanely powerful outside, but definitely helps cut the heat, especially if you have multiples. Apparently they only come with solar panels now, which is stupid, but still worth imo. I also take these around my house to keep myself cool or help dry dishes or whatever 😛

Side walls for tent are good for rain but turn your space into a bit of a wind-tunnle and an oven if it’s hot out. Oddly adequate insulation if it’s cold out.

Shade cloth is GREAT for the summer when it’s hot but you want air flow.