A Dealers Room awaits you at Capricon in a new location. This is the place to shop for wonderful finds of all kinds of merchandise that are science fiction, fantasy, literary, cinematic, musical, and art related. We will have dealers in all kinds of things for you to pursue and pursue in person! If you like books, t-shirts, costume accessories, jewelry, art prints, more books, crafts, gaming supplies, or other items you’ll find it in the Capricon Dealers Room.
So You Want to Shop at Capricon?
Vending at Capricon has a long, storied history and we adore our dealers! Please read the following document and note that you must agree to these policies in order to vend at Capricon.
NOTE our new hotel location!
https://capricon.org/hotel/
Application – For Capricon 46
Our vendor registration is at https://vendor.capricon.org/
If you made an account last year, you will use the same email to login. If you did not make a new account last year with our new software or don’t already have an account, click the bottom button on the Vendor Registration login site that says “Sign Up for a New Account” to create a new account.
Content of Items
While we welcome our dealers and have not placed restrictions on items sold, please note that we prefer that our sellers keep subject matter under the general guidelines of licensed or transformative works relating to: science fiction, fantasy/urban fantasy, alternate history, and horror.
We have two types of items that are explicitly forbidden:
- Pirated duplicates of copyrighted works (transformative yes, pirated, no); and
- Any items that directly violate the Capricon and Phandemonium Code of Conduct.
A Note: If you have adult themes (such as gore, nudity, and/or sexual themes), or any questions about whether content is transformative instead of copyright-violating (or any other questions about content), please contact the Dealer Lead at dealers@capricon.org as this can be determined on a case-by-case basis.
Transformative works are generally defined as per these links, but the below links are provided as general guidance, and are not legal advice:
Volunteering
We welcome dealers who wish to participate in programming (highly recommended to drive sales!), or who wish to participate in Capricon in other ways. Note to authors, if you participate on a panel you can promote your book(s). If you have any programming proposals, interest in volunteering, or participating in another fashion, please contact dealers@capricon.org and we’ll help direct you to the right place.
Dealer Fees
Every business or individual vending must be registered for the convention and send in an application to vend at Capricon Registration System*
| Package Total | Final Total | |
| Base Dealer’s Package includes 1 table, 1 chair (2nd chair if requested), 1 dealer badge | $115 + $50 | $165 |
| Second table – includes addt’l chair | $80 | $245 |
| Third Table – includes addt’l chair | $90 | $335 |
| Fourth Table – includes addt’l chair | $100 | $435 |
Each table measures 72”x30”
- Your application and your booth content will be reviewed before your application is confirmed and accepted. Approval may not be immediate, nor is it guaranteed.
- One badge is included with your first dealer’s table; if you have a helper or are sharing table space with a fellow vendor, you must add an additional badge through the registration site for $50. If you are, for example, one table with multiple vendors sharing space (such as indie authors whose books don’t take up much space), each vendor must have a registered badge and the Dealers Lead must be aware of their table sharing.
- Fees for your table must be paid before your dealer registration is considered final.
- Capricon 46 Refund Policy – should circumstances change and you are unable to attend, please contact Dealers@capricon.org no later than January 12th, 2026 for a full refund. No refunds will be given past this date.
- Your table may not be sold, sublet, given away, or transferred to anyone without Capricon Dealer Lead and Treasurer approval.
- Electricity is available for an additional $50; no surge protectors or power cords are supplied.
- You may not have more than four tables. This limit is inclusive of fan tables and Art Show also.
- The Tax Number field in the application must be filled in with an IL State Tax Account # or your FEIN # if you are not an IL company.
- There will be no late or walk-in Dealers Room registration. Thank you for your understanding.
Sales Tax
The State of Illinois requires our dealers to pay sales tax on all items sold. Capricon does not facilitate these payments, nor determine the tax rate, which is set each year by the State of Illinois. Please consult the Illinois Department of Revenue regarding Sales Tax Permit registration and filing requirements for Illinois and out-of-state businesses. If you need additional assistance, please consult legal counsel. Capricon cannot provide advice for business or revenue registration and filings.
Dealers Room Location
The Dealers Room will be located on the First Floor in the Marriott Chicago O’Hare Grand Ballroom 4 thru 7 of the in Chicago. (See the map below.) If you need a specific type of space (corner, etc.), please contact dealers@capricon.org. Requests will be kept in mind, but no guarantees can be made.
For information on hotel registration and parking fees, see the Hotel page at capricon.org or contact hotel@capricon.org.
Load-In and Load-Out
The plan for load-in and load-out for dealers may be subject to change.
Load-In will be Thursday, exact hours TBD.
Load-out will be Sunday from 3pm-6pm.
