Sample
labelWhile the old fashioned pen and ink method of completing the TM Sales Cards works very well, you can quickly and easily create paste-on labels for the cards which will speed up the process. I use WordPerfect, and the instructions here are based on that word processing program, but I am certain that MS Word has identical processes. So open your word processor.
Just to assure you, these cards are NOT seen by the general public. They are for the exclusive use of Train Mart personnel.
Page: select Avery label #8160 (1" x 2 5/8")
Font: Select an easily readable font such as Arial , Tahoma (the one being used on this page) or Verdana.
Page numbering: Select 16 point (large) font and set up your page numbering so that your Seller's Code is followed by a hyphen and a page number. Each of the labels on a sheet of labels is a separate "page" and so will be numbered sequentially. If your Selller's Code is 34, then your seventh item would have this seven as the page number on the seventh label on the page: 34-7; that is your "Sale Code" for that item. Set the page number position in the upper right corner of the page. Exit the page number dialog box.
Font size: Set font size to 10 point.
Header: Set up your page header with your first and last name with left justification (and if you wish a 0.25" left margin, to keep it distinctive from the text you will be adding below). Use the name you gave when you received your Seller's Code.
Body of label: Select left justification. Here is where you write a short description of your item. For example: Athearn SP black Overnight 40' box car. Press Enter.
Price: Select right justification. Enter the price you wish to charge for the item. For example: $3.00. At the end of the show, if it sells, you will receive $2.70 for the item. Please do not use odd pricing, like $3.37 Use increments of no less than 25¢. Press Enter.
Getting ready for the next label: Select left justification. It is important to have the left justification on this label, then press Enter or Hard Page (Hpg - in WordPerfect: Ctrl-Enter). See the sample below.
You may have to do some fiddling with line height and spacing to get everything to fit on the label, especially the first time you set up the system. But it is worth it. Print two copies of the labels. Paste a label in the box outlined with dashes at the top of the Seller's Card and the same (from the second copy) label on the receipt area at the bottom of the Seller's Card (similar dashed box)
If you are really familiar with word processing, you can set up a data sheet (*.dat) using a table with three columns. Column one is the item number, Column two is the brief description of the item as it will appear on the label and Column three is the price for which you wish to sell the item. Prepare a form label (*.frm) and merge columns two and three into the label and you not only have all the labels prepared, but you have a sheet on which you have all your items listed sequentially
Remember that each of the items you are selling must have a label or sticker attached to the item which matches the number on the Seller's Card. Please be careful to not destroy the value of the item by using permanent labels, but you also do not want the label falling off during the Expo. Do not put your name on that label. Be sure the price on the item matches the price you placed on the Seller's Card. String tags are often very useful.
Sample
label