Trade Wars Zine Market 2025
DATE: Saturday 26 July
LOCATION: School of Design Innovation, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 139 Vivian St, Te Aro, Wellington NZ
TIME: 12 pm-4 pm (Accessibility hour 11 am - 12 pm)
This event is free to attend. No registration is required.
Stallholders apply here. The application form will close on June 21st. We'll inform you of the outcome by June 30th.
Our Winter Zinefest this year has a special theme. The theme is: Trade Wars.
Here at Wellington Zinefest we dislike Capitalism, so we are dreaming about a sci-fi future where people trade things they love.
Everyone tabling at the Trade Wars Market will have at least one object on their table which is open for trades.
So if you make zines, you can come and trade your zine for other zines!
If you don’t make zines, you can bring other objects to trade.
And look, you can still use money. We live in a society etc etc, zines will still be for sale for cash dollars.
But this market prioritises trades / swaps / barter / banter.
Examples of things you could bring to TRADE for ZINES:
Other zines, seasonal produce, trading cards and ephemera, really good jokes, prints.
Big thanks to the Creative Communities Scheme for funding.
STALLHOLDERS APPLY HERE
THIS APPLICATION FORM WILL CLOSE ON JUNE 21ST.
WE WILL INFORM YOU OF THE OUTCOME BY JUNE 30TH.
Stallholder Info
What to have on your stall
- Every table must have at least one zine that is open to trades. Zines can also be sold.
- Zine-adjacent ephemera (such as stickers, prints, badges) can also be marked 'open to trade' and/or sold.
- At least 51% of the stuff on your table should be zines.
- We will still have accessibility hour at the start of the market (low stim, less crowds).
- Items sold at Wellington Zinefest must adhere to our Code of Conduct, which prohibits the sale of material which is deemed discriminatory or offensive. R18 content is fine as long as it adheres to the code of conduct, though bare in mind that there may be children at the market. We recommend you sticker any R18 content.
Applying for a table
We always get more people wanting to table at our zine markets than we can fit, so for this market we are asking you to APPLY and we will GET BACK TO YOU to let you know if you've scored a table.
This is so that we can make sure this market is full of zinesters who want to embrace the 'Trade Wars' theme. Your application will be prioritised or deprioritised based only on your adherence to theme.
THE APPLICATION FORM WILL CLOSE ON JUNE 21ST.
WE WILL INFORM YOU OF THE OUTCOME BY JUNE 30TH.
If you don't get a table, you can still bring your zines (or, anything) to trade at the fest!
Stalls
We'll provide tables and chairs for you to use for your stall, and we'll have these set up before you arrive.
For this market, only groups / clubs / distros can request a 'full' table. We're trying to fit in as many individual zinesters as possible. Let us know on your application form.
If you have any specific accessibility needs, let us know on your application form.
Each 'stall' is half of a large trestle-style table. The tables are approx. 1.8 m wide, so your stall will be approx. 0.9m wide.
There's only room for two people, max, on each stall. We'll have plenty of extra chairs if you need them.
Venue
We're lucky to have the support of our hosts, Victoria University of Wellington Te Herenga Waka - School of Design Innovation Te Kura Hoahoa.
The venue, and its bathrooms, are wheelchair accessible. Because it's the center of town, parking can sometimes be tough to find, so if you're driving do allow time for that.
Arriving
- Stallholders are asked to arrive from 10 am in preparation for an 11 am start. You'll have the time between 10 and 11 am to find a stall and set everything up.
- Tables will be allocated as you arrive in the morning, so if you really want to sit next to a particular friend, come early and bags the table you guys want. We won't be doing a seating chart before the event, EXCEPT for zinesters with accessibility needs. Let us know on your application form.
- The market closes officially at 4pm, please pack down your stall in a timely manner afterwards :)
What to bring
The key things for you to bring are your zines and a cash float. We also recommend bringing some signage which describes the names and prices of your zines. We'll have trading stickers for you at the market!
People often pay with bank transfer, rather than cash, so some signage with your bank account number on can be really helpful.
Stallholders often like to decorate their stalls with table coverings and stands. These aren't essential but they can be fun. You can check out photos here of Zinefest Weekend 2024 if you'd like some inspiration.
Lastly, we'd recommend bringing some snacks and water to keep you going throughout the day.
Cancellations
Understandably, sometimes our stallholders need to pull out of participating in the market for various reasons.
With enough notice, we can offer your spot to someone else. Please contact us at wellingtonzinefest@gmail.com
FAQ
- What if someone offers me a trade I don't want?
Say no. You are welcome to decline a trade.
However: Consider being open to receiving a zine you would never usually read, or a vegetable you would never usually eat. Broaden your horizons.
- What if someone turns down my trade?
Gutted, but all goods. "Offer but don't push it"
- How do I know which zines are open for trades?
We will print out 'this zine is open for trades' stickers for each stallholder to put on the zine(s) on their table.
But also - just ask! Even if there is no sticker, this is a trades-focused market.
- How do I know what my zine or object is WORTH?
There is no answer to that question.
- How do I know my own worth?
Look into the eyes of a loved one.
- What not to bring to trade:
Anything that could make a massive mess. small mess is okay.
-What is accessibility hour?
This is a chance for any visitors who can't attend when our markets are crowded. We'll have no music and try to maintain a low-stimulation environment.
We ask that our stallholders keep this laid-back atmosphere going by not hard-selling any of their work during this hour
-Will there be a community table?
Yep, watch this space!