RCFM General Store

Vendor Rules and Regulations

Welcome to the General Store at RCFM: Magnificent 7! We are glad that you are interested in being a vendor with us this year. If you need any assistance, or have any questions regarding the General Store, please contact Shiro at: Shirokuma@aristotle.net

This page will be updated as often as necessary in order to bring you any new information regarding the General Store at RCFM: Magnificent 7. Please read all of the information on this page carefully, as it pertains to all vendors. Rocket City FurMeet, Inc., reserves the right to change any information or rules on this page and/or pertaining to Vendors in the RCFM General Store from this point in time until the Opening Day of RCFM: Magnificent 7. Reasonable efforts will be made by RCFM Inc. and General Store Staff to keep all Vendors aware of any change in this information or these rules.

Hours of Operation

Friday May 22nd

Saturday May 23rd

Sunday May 24th

During setup and breakdown times, only vendors and their registered assistants will be allowed into the General Store. Vendors and Assistants will be given a "Load-in" badge to wear during these times. Without this badge, vendors and assistants will not be allowed into the General Store area.

Sales Tax Collection

Rocket City Fur Meet, Inc., herein RCFM, is legally required to collect and remit Alabama State, Madison County and Hunstville City sales taxes totaling 8.00% on every item sold in the General Store, Artists' Alley, Art Show and Charity Auction. In an effort to simplify this sales-tax collection for our vendors and artists, RCFM will provide and enforce a central cash register system. There will be a cash cage, to checkout and pay for all sales, available to all persons during the hours of operation of the General Store. Sales in the Artists' Alley will be limited to the same hours of operation as the RCFM General Store.

The RCFM General Store Manager, or an appointed associate, will staff the cash cage at all times.

All sales must go through the cash cage. At that time, sales tax will be added to the subtotaled purchase amount and the money for the sale and taxes will be collected from the buyer. Sales tax collection will, in no way, affect the monies paid to the vendor. Any vendor or artist who is found to be selling merchandise "under the table" or outside of General Store operation hours, will have their attendance badge removed and will be escorted out of the convention space.

Vendors and artists will be supplied with purchase order slips to fill out for each purchase. The purchaser must then go to the cash cage to pay for their items. After the sale is completed, the purchase order slip will be validated and the buyer will present this validated slip back to the vendor or artist to collect their merchandise. Vendors and artists are not to release any merchandise without this validated slip. Vendors or artists found to be releasing merchandise without a validated slip will have all sales privileges revoked for the duration of RCFM Magnificent 7. RCFM is required to collect sales taxes on any item that is sold at the convention. This includes, but is not limited to: commercially available products, original artwork, commissioned artwork, comics, videos, services, gifts, garments, and items purchased in the Charity Auction. Registration fees for registered membership of the convention are the only non-sales-taxed items paid for by attendees at or before the convention.

Payment Methods accepted at RCFM

The RCFM General Store will accept the following methods of payment: Cash, Visa and MasterCard. Neither Checks, nor Discover cards, nor American Express cards will be accepted. All credit card transactions will be processed by a business designee chosen by RCFM Inc.

Vendor and Artist Payout Information (New for 2009)

Vendors and artists will receive payment for ALL SALES in the form of a business check. RCFM, as a corporation, is no longer allowed to make payouts in cash form. Cash payments will only be made in extreme, extenuating circumstances and will be made by the cashing of a payment check by the efforts of RCFM General Store staff. If you believe yourself to be in an extreme, extenuating circumstance, please submit your request in writing no less than 10 business days prior to the start of the convention. In order to limit the liability of loss, General Store funds will be deposited every night in accordance with Standard Business Practices for a retail business.

Please understand that we know this is a major adjustment from years past, however, this is being done to better protect your funds and protect RCFM from any liability associated with collection and distribution of these funds.

Payouts will be made in the form of a business check drawn on the account of the designated business transactor for RCFM Magnificent 7.

Table Information

Tables in the General Store are approximately 72" x 30". Please plan accordingly when purchasing your tables. Extra tables may not be available during the convention.

Table costs for RCFM Magnificent 7 are listed below

Vendor Discounts

Each Dealer Station is eligible for two (2) $10.00 discounts on the registration(s) of the Dealer members. However, each registered attendee/Dealer may only take one (1) $10.00 discount on their registration. This allows both a dealer and an assistant to receive a discount for having a table in the General Store. Discounts will be given at checkout when paying for your registration. Please see the registration link at the top of this page to register both your tables and yourself.

Space Limitations

The RCFM General Store Manager and his assistants will do their best to provide as much table space as possible for all registered vendors while maintaining the aisle spacing required by the Madison County Fire Marshall. We ask that all vendors contain their wares behind or under their tables and keep all isles free and clear of any debris or merchandise. Do not place items in front of your table at any time. We also request that vendors limit the number of persons behind each table to a maximum of two (2) at any time.

Electricity and Wall Space

There are a limited number of tables that have access to wall space or electricity. You will be able to request these items when registering your tables. You will be required to provide your own electrical cords or similar equipment. All cords that cross public paths MUST be securely and completely taped to the floor using painter's tape (the blue tape available at Home Depot or Lowe's in the paint aisle). DO NOT use duct tape as it can damage the floors of the hotel space. Any damages created by using the wrong tape will be the sole responsibility of the offending vendor and may incur an additional cost for cleanup by the Embassy Suites hotel. Any electrical cords that cross a public path must be approved by the General Store Manager or one of his assistants prior to installation. Also, if your cord passes behind or beneath another vendor's table, please be courteous and ask permission before running your connection. Vendors are also encouraged to share power strips - to conserve outlets and allow other vendors access to electricity.

Wall space will be assigned on a first-requested, first-given basis. Please understand that all attempts will be made to accommodate these requests.

Guidelines on the Appropriate Display of Materials

Most items may be sold in the RCFM General Store provided that such items are not illegal in the State of Alabama, County of Madison and City of Huntsville. The following items are not allowed to be sold at RCFM: overt pornography, pornography involving minors, firearms, other restricted weapons and any electronic merchandise (electronic items require a special Huntsville City license that we do not have). Yiffy art IS acceptable. Also, vendors must make certain that no materials containing excessive violence or sexually explicit items are available to minors at any time. All adult artwork must be kept in a clearly marked and closed binder. Adult art in-progress must be as concealed from view as possible. Occasional sweeps of the General Store areas will be made by convention and hotel staff to ensure compliance. Post-It Note cover-ups for displayed artwork are not acceptable! Adult artwork must be contained within a closed and marked binder! If a buyer's age is in doubt, ask the buyer for ID. Should it come to the attention of the General Store Manager that a vendor has been selling sexually explicit materials to a minor, that offending vendor will have their attendance badge removed and they will be escorted from the convention space. Ejected vendors will be ineligible to participate as a vendor at RCFM for a period of time not less than one year. There will be absolutely no exceptions to these rules!

No pirated materials are allowed at RCFM. Unauthorized reproductions of commercial media such as Disney, Warner Brothers and Twentieth Century Fox, Pixar or any other materials that violate any copyright laws will not be allowed. All materials must be either owned by the vendor or approved for commercial re-sale by the owner of the material. Compilations of artwork must have the approval of the originating artists; publications where artists have previously approved the appearance of their art are the only exception. Vendors who normally sell items such as comic books or other collections will be allowed to do so at RCFM provided they show proof that they are legally authorized to do so (in either a retail setting or via the internet.) Anyone found to be selling copyrighted materials that they do not have the rights to sell will have their attendance badge removed and will be ejected from the convention. Ejected vendors will be ineligible to participate as a vendor at RCFM for a period of not less than one year. There will be absolutely no exceptions to these rules!

The selling of weaponry or potentially dangerous items is allowed within the confines of the General Store, however ALL responsibility for injury due to the handing of such items will fall on the vendor selling said item(s). Rocket City Fur Meet, Inc., Thorn Network Solutions, Element of the Paw, Inc. and the hotel owners and management companies will not be held liable for any items sold or purchased at RCFM. All items of a dangerous nature MUST be wrapped in a protective manner and immediately removed from the hotel, for example; to a private vehicle. If you would like the sold item(s) to be escorted by convention security as it leaves the hotel, please inform the General Store Manager or the nearest Assistant.

The General Store Manager will have the final say over what is and what is not appropriate for sale in the General Store.

Again, thank you for your interest in the RCFM General Store! We look forward to a popular and profitable year, here in the Embassy Suites hotel, and to a fine and pleasant weekend for all of our Attendees!