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Dealer / Vendor Rules

Full Vendor Rules

Further Confusion has established the following rules regarding the display, promotion, and sale of merchandise in its Dealer Rooms to protect dealers, attendees, Further Confusion volunteers, and Further Confusion itself, and to ensure that the convention remains available to individuals of any age for years to come.

  • These rules apply to all areas of the convention where attendees are permitted to sell items or services.

  • These rules will be updated as circumstances and legal requirements change.

  • Further Confusion reserves the right to refuse dealer space to anyone for any reason at any time.

1. Dealer Rules/Guidelines

  • 1.1. Per seller’s permit requirements for the California State Board of Equalization, dealers registering for Further Confusion must be at least 18 years old. No exceptions will be made.

2. Seller Permits

  • 2.1. Dealers are required to have a current California State seller’s permit. You will be required to provide this for our verification prior to selling merchandise, commissions, and/or other services at Further Confusion. It is the responsibility of each dealer to obtain a seller’s permit - Further Confusion can not do this for you.

  • 2.2. If you are unable to present a valid permit when checking in to the Dealer Rooms you will not be allowed to sell. Your costs will not be refunded.

  • 2.3. California Seller’s Permit may be obtained from the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Click “Register for a Permit” to go to the application

    We have prepared a brief California Sellers Permit Walkthrough to assist. If you have difficulty with this process, we recommend calling the CDTFA first, as they are usually able to get things straightened out quickly. If you continue to have difficulty, please email us.

    Specific Sales Permit Information for Further Confusion 2024:

    The event dates for the current Further Confusion are January 11, 2024 through January 15, 2024..

    The space rental you are paying will be based on the size of spot you have paid for. See Table Fees.

    Further Confusion charges membership to attend the event. The table fee does not include the membership fee. The organizer/Promoter of the event is:

    Anthropomorphic Arts & Education
    105 Serra Way #236
    Milpitas CA 95035
    408-837-0408
    

    It is very important that you use the CONVENTION CENTER address for the location of your event, as this is where your business is conducted! The address is:

    San Jose Convention Center
    150 W San Carlos St.
    San Jose CA, 95113
    

    It is very important that you DO NOT use our email address. Please use your own email address for your permit.

  • 2.4. No exceptions to these rules will be made.

  • 3.1. Further Confusion requires that attendees, volunteers, and vendors observe and adhere to all state and federal laws. We would like to highlight the following laws in particular:

  • 3.2. PROTECT Act of 2003 – Portions of the PROTECT Act of 2003 provide for increased penalties and easier prosecution of crimes against minors.

  • 3.3. US Code Title 18, Sections 1466A and 2252A – Enacted by the Protect Act of 2003, these laws relate to knowledgeable production, distribution, receipt, or possession with intent to distribute obscene visual depictions of any kind that depict minors, actual or fictional, engaging in sexually explicit conduct. This includes drawings, cartoons, sculptures, and/or paintings.

  • 3.4. Art and/or publications containing content described by Further Confusion Dealer Rooms Rule 3.2 may not be promoted or sold at Further Confusion.

  • 3.5. Further Confusion is required to enforce the provisions of Title 18 sections and will engage local law enforcement should we find such material being sold at our event.

4. Merchandise/Material Awareness

  • 4.1. All goods and services sold at Further Confusion must comply not only with State and Federal law, but also with the express policies of Further Confusion.

  • 4.2. Mature/Adult Material – All merchandise and displays must be kept in compliance with the California State law with regard to potential viewing by minors.

    • 4.2.1. Any material containing extremely violent and/or sexually explicit nature depictions must not be accessible to minors, including literature.

    • 4.2.2. Mature/Adult material must be kept in closed binders/folders that are clearly marked as adult.

    • 4.2.3. Mature/Adult art in progress must be as concealed as possible from public view.

    • 4.2.4. Dealers are required to monitor their adult/mature materials to ensure minors are not viewing them and must be aware of the persons browsing their materials.

      • 4.2.4.1. Further Confusion recommends dealers display “censored” versions of mature/adult materials to ease the burden of compliance with this requirement.
    • 4.2.5. Dealer Rooms volunteers will make occasional sweeps of the Dealer Rooms to assist dealers in complying with these rules.

      • 4.2.5.1. Dealer Rooms volunteers will alert you if they feel your displays are insufficient with regard to these rules. It is the responsibility of the dealer to improve/change their displays or remove them from their space.

      • 4.2.5.2. Failure to comply with the requests of Dealer Rooms volunteers may result in insufficiently covered material being confiscated or the dealer being asked to leave the Dealer Rooms.

  • 4.3. Copyrighted/Pirated materials – Further Confusion takes seriously our commitment to protecting the intellectual property rights of content creators.

    • 4.3.1. All materials sold in the Further Confusion Dealer Rooms must be either owned by the dealer or approved for sale by the copyright owner.

    • 4.3.2 Reproductions of commercial media such as Disney, Warner Brothers, or any other materials that violate copyright laws will not be tolerated.

    • 4.3.3. Art compilations/story anthologies offered for sale at Further Confusion must have the approval of the originating creators except where creators have previously approved their work for sale, such as published collections and fanzines.

    • 4.3.4. Pirated/Bootleg materials including but not limited to art, stories, merchandise, software, and audio/video recordings are not permitted.

    • 4.3.5. If you are found to be selling materials which violate these rules Dealer Rooms volunteers will notify you to cease sales of those materials and may engage local law enforcement as necessary.

  • 4.4. Weapons and Dangerous Items – Weaponry and potentially dangerous items are not allowed to be sold in the Further Confusion Dealer Rooms.

    • 4.4.1. Firearms – Whether real, demilitarized, or realistic replica, firearms are not permitted for sale in Further Confusion’s Dealer Rooms.
  • 4.5. Controlled/Illicit Substances and Paraphernalia – Materials and goods that fall into the categories of controlled or illicit substances or paraphernalia used to ingest or inhale such substances may not be sold in the Further Confusion Dealer Rooms.

    • 4.5.1. For the purposes of Further Confusion, controlled substances include but are not limited to alcohol, tobacco, prescription medications, and all substances/drugs that are illegal or controlled by State and/or Federal law.

    • 4.5.2. Dealer Rooms volunteers will either warn dealers to cease sales/distribution and/or engage local law enforcement should we find such substances or paraphernalia being sold at our event.

5. Tip Jars, Donation Jars, and Raffles

  • 5.1. Tip Jars – Dealers are not permitted to put out tip jars on their tables at Further Confusion.

  • 5.2. Donation Jars – If you wish to collect donations, whether for a registered charity or not, you must first get the permission of Further Confusion’s Dealer Lead.

    • 5.2.1. If approved, the Dealer Lead will issue you a sticker which must be placed on the donation jar. If approved, dealers are required to report the sum of all donations collected to Further Confusion’s Dealer Lead as these donations must be reported on our tax filing.
  • 5.3. Raffles – Dealers are not permitted to host raffles at Further Confusion without prior consent of the Dealer Lead.

    • 5.3.1. If approved, raffles must comply with both California State Law and Further Confusion’s Raffle Policy.
  • 5.4. If a Further Confusion staff or volunteer asks you to cease collecting tips and donations or selling raffle tickets, you must do so immediately, regardless of whether or not your tip/donation jar or raffle has been approved by Further Confusion.

6. Professionalism and Behavior

  • 6.1. We ask that all dealers and their assistants in the Dealer Rooms maintain a reasonable level of professionalism.

  • 6.2. Please dress in a manner that is acceptable to an audience of all ages and which will allow you to be comfortable for the day.

  • 6.3. Explicit use of profanity, postures, and mannerisms are unacceptable, as is horseplay and harassment of other sealers, assistants, attendees, or volunteers.

  • 6.4. Physical and/or verbal altercations between dealers, assistants, attendees, and Dealer Rooms volunteers are unacceptable and will result in immediate expulsion from the convention of those involved without refund. Local authorities will be engaged if necessary.

  • 6.5. Only persons with a dealer or assistant badge may be seated at a dealer table or booth, unless prior approval has been received from the Dealer Lead.

    • 6.5.1. Dealers and assistants must wear their dealer/assistant badges when in the Dealer Rooms.

    • 6.5.2. Only properly badged dealers and assistants will be permitted early and late access to the Dealer Rooms for setup and tear-down.

    • 6.5.3. Dealer Rooms Full Tables, Double Tables, and Booths may request up to two (2) assistant tags. Dealer Rooms half tables may request one (1) assistant tag. Dealers may request additional assistant tags from the Dealer Lead, who will provide them at their discretion on a case-by-case basis.

    • 6.5.4. Assistant tags themselves are not convention memberships. Assistants are still required to have convention memberships.

  • 6.6. Smoking and use of vaporizers/e-cigarettes is prohibited in the Dealer Rooms by all convention attendees, dealers, assistants, and volunteers.

    • 6.6.1. Dealers who smoke or use smokeless/vaporizer/e-cigarettes must leave the Dealer Rooms to do so.

    • 6.6.2. Dealer Room staff and volunteers will politely ask you to comply and may ask you to leave the Dealer Rooms for the day if repeated requests must be made.

7. Disputes

  • 7.1. Neither Further Confusion nor its staff or volunteers will become involved in financial disputes between attendees and dealers.

  • 7.2. Disputes between attendees, dealers, and Dealer Room staff and volunteers will be settled at the discretion of the Dealer Lead, the convention’s Business Director, or Chairman and/or Vice Chairman of Further Confusion.

8. Table Guidelines

  • 8.1. The convention reserves the right to refuse service to anybody including dealers, assistants, and convention attendees.

  • 8.2 Dealers may seek a refund in accordance with our Refund Policy. We will not roll-over dealer memberships or tables to a following year.

  • 8.3. Reselling and sharing tables

    • 8.3.1. Dealers may not resell their tables.

    • 8.3.2. Table Sharing – Dealers may share their tables pending the approval of the Dealer Lead.

      • 8.3.2.1. For all Full Tables, Double Tables, and Booths, each business entity is required to have a California seller’s permit on hand. No exceptions.

      • 8.3.2.2. Unapproved table shares may result in the registered dealer and their unauthorized sharer being asked to leave the Dealer Rooms for the remainder of the convention.

  • 8.4. Annoying/Distracting Displays – For the sake of your fellow dealers, obtrusive or distracting displays are not allowed.

    • 8.4.1. Annoyances may include excessive/flashing lights or loud music/sound from laptop speakers or other display/audio devices.

    • 8.4.2. Final determination of what is annoying or distracting is the discretion of the Dealer Lead.

  • 8.5. Keep pathways clear – Dealer Rooms can become crowded and hard to move around. Please help us keep things safe and moving for everybody.

    • 8.5.1. Dealers and assistants must be behind their tables when selling merchandise or working on commissions. Sitting in the aisles between table rows is not permitted.

    • 8.5.2. Merchandise and displays may not extend past the front edge of dealer tables so that they are not a trip or snag hazard.

    • 8.5.3. For the safety of other dealers, attendees, and convention staff and volunteers, please promptly comply with any requests made by Dealer Rooms staff and volunteers to keep pathways clear.

  • 8.6. Be space conscious – Be considerate of other dealers around you and use common sense. For the safety of all dealers, try to keep personal clutter to a minimum and keep pathways behind tables as clear as possible.

  • 8.7. Cleanliness – Keep the Dealer Rooms looking reasonably clean and presentable. Please pack up your own garbage at the end of the day!

    • 8.7.1. Use provided waste receptacles, not the floor, for any garbage.

    • 8.7.2. Report any spills or similar issues to the nearest Further Confusion volunteer as soon as possible. Dealers may be responsible for additional cleaning costs for any large stains on the carpet at/near their tables after the convention.

9. No-Show, Refund Policy, and Waiting List

  • 9.1. Early Refund Requests – Dealers may request a refund of their table space until December 15th.

    • 9.1.1. Dealers must send refund requests to dealers@furtherconfusion.org. Due to the delays in handling, we do not accept cancellations by postal mail.

    • 9.1.2. By default, refunds will be handled by reversing electronic payment charges.

  • 9.2. Late Refunds Requests – Refunds requests made less than fourteen (14) days before Further Confusion will require approval of the Business Director on a case by case basis.

    • 9.2.1. If a Late Refund is granted, it may take as long as sixty (60) days to process.
  • 9.3. No-Shows – A dealer will be considered a “no-show” if their table is unclaimed four (4) hours after the Dealer Rooms opens to the public on Friday of the convention.

    • 9.3.1. For no-show situations, the disposition of the table will be handled by discretion of the Dealer Lead.

    • 9.3.2. Dealers should contact the Dealer Lead if they are going to be late to the convention for any reason, however it is the discretion of the Dealer Lead and/or Further Confusion’s Business Director to extend any exception to these no-show rules.

  • 9.4. Dealer Wait-List – We anticipate higher demand for tables in Further Confusion’s Dealer Rooms than we have supply. For this reason we have developed and maintained a waiting list system.

    • 9.4.1. The top twenty five (approximate) dealers not initially selected for space in the Dealer Rooms will automatically be placed in the waiting list.

      • 9.4.1.1. Wait-listed dealers will be considered for their first and second table choices.

      • 9.4.1.2. Wait-listed dealers may opt out of the wait-list at any time by sending mail to dealers@furtherconfusion.org.

    • 9.4.2. If a table becomes available, it will be offered to the first dealer on the wait-list for that table type.

      • 9.4.2.1. Wait-listed dealers are not obligated to accept a table if one is offered to them.

Questions

For questions, comments, or clarification to these rules and guidelines, please email dealers@furtherconfusion.org or business@furtherconfusion.org.