As a massive geek, Taurus moon, and self-proclaimed “Maxxinista” (IYKYK), I was hooked on the premise of Goblin Market when I first attended the media swap event held last summer at Easy Luck Coffee and scored some sought-after DVDs and books.

After celebrating one full year, with majority of the events taking place in Oviedo Mall, I wanted to share my experience and approach with the market’s trading system, how to prepare for the market ahead of time, and the thrill of scoring awesome hauls post-market day.

What is Goblin Market?

As of publication time, Goblin Market is Central Florida’s only discount art market where vendors and attendees are allowed to trade handmade and original goods amongst each other, as well as sell merchandise that’s considered B-grade, out of season, etc.

The goblin-core theme attracts quirky and eclectic subcultures, coupled with unique vendors that are more likely to set up inside anime conventions versus a typical downtown farmer’s market. On a personal level, this combination makes it so much fun to attend Goblin Market each month, as I encounter so many amazing cosplayers, creative fursuits, alt-fashion groups, and more.

Item Prep Ahead of Goblin Market

Since Goblin Market hosts its event once a month, I take advantage of this down time and prepare for the next market by going over the amount of stuff I will use to trade—whether it’s to vendors themselves or the designated trading tent. Here’s some ideas on item prep:

• Decluttering your closet? Downsizing your manga collection?
  Take some time to review whatever you’re trying to “Marie Kondo” out of your space that’s in good condition, because you never know if any one of the 175+ vendors are looking for similar items that will “spark joy.”
• Don’t be afraid to think outside the box!
  One of my friends brought propagated plants to trade, and a lot of the plants were accepted as trades by other plant-loving artists. As far as I’m concerned, the sky’s the limit…but DO practice safe trading, because I’m 100% sure you can’t trade dangerous weapons and such.
• Add a personal touch to your trades~
  Something I’ve done since October 2024’s Goblin Market is go over my large washi tape collection and curate a sample based on color palettes, patterns, etc. By rolling the washi tape 10-15 times around a bookmark-size plastic board, it’s a cute way to display the washi tape sample and it’s been a hit with vendors. Other personal things to trade include but are not limited to: personal artwork, stickers, mini crochet plushes, etc.
• Optional – Print out an inventory trades list
  For the most recent Goblin Market, I printed out a list of all the items I carried around my tote bags for trade, making it easier for vendors to scan the list instead of digging through my cluttered bags. The list helped a lot, as items that normally got ignored during last month’s market got snatched immediately. Also, I overheard someone else had a list but with photos attached as visual reference, which is a smarter move than my black-and-white list.
• Post-Goblin Day event item trading analysis
  Similar to a marketing audit, figure out what items worked and didn’t work in terms of trade value, popularity, etc. One example is that for this recent Goblin Market, some of the home good items were sleeper hits while my beauty accessories went untouched. Taking this into consideration, I’m scaling back on beauty accessories and might have to double-down on quirky mugs and creating more washi tape samples.

Trading Tips at Goblin Market

OK, now onto the Goblin Market day itself!

After circling around the parking lot to snag that glorious, walkable spot, it’s time to check out the trading tent first and see if anybody left something that sparks your interest. The trading tent operates on a first-come, first-serve basis, and with so much foot traffic happening at the market, it’s okay to stop by whenever you feel like checking out what’s in store.

Nearby the trading tent and information booth, there’s a bulletin board with “Quests” labeled on it that’s full of pre-written fliers from multiple vendors. Essentially, attendees can look over which “Quest” to do—whether it’s trading for specific items or fetching food from one of the food trucks—and get rewarded with a free or discounted item from the vendor themselves.

This is a fun and stress-free way to achieve a successful trade, like the one Goblin Market I attended where a vendor’s trade quest was simply “Digimon”-related items. A hardcore Digimon fan myself, I had extra posters from a “Digimon” mystery blind box set to trade and got “Digimon” sticker sheets in return, as a reward from LordBoop/Espurr.

Here are some other, simple trading tips to keep in mind while at Goblin Market:

• Important – Look at the vendor’s sign!
  Each tent will have (or should have) a sheet of paper with four blank boxes marked for the following categories: Trade, Bundle, Bargain, and Quest Giver. If the Trade box is filled—either with a check mark or SAT-style with full coverage—then use that as a sign to be open in trading with said vendor.
• It’s okay to simply ask questions
  Going back to the first bullet point, it’s totally fine to ask a vendor if they’re willing and able to accept trades. I’ve encountered some vendors that accepted trades, yet they were too busy setting up their booth without a chance to fill out the form in the first place.
• Don’t take it personal
  It’s already intimidating to ask a vendor for a discount or trade, I get it. Double-whammy if the vendor says “no” outright or isn’t interested in your trade items whatsoever. It sucks, and that’s okay. But don’t take it personally, considering the vendors work hard to create and uplift their small businesses.
• Follow your favorite vendors on social media
  You can find out first-hand what your favorite vendor is looking for/currently accepting trades ahead of time by following them on social media. This is crucial for popular vendors (mostly food-related ones) that carry limited-edition items or have a small supply of goodies!
• Be nice, polite, and have fun!

At the end of the day, this is what matters: supporting small businesses and independent creatives, finding hidden gems after searching for buried treasure (the trade tent), and having an awesome time at Goblin Market with friends.