Free vendor tool · USD
Show break-even calculator
Know what your table needs to sell before you book it. Add your show costs and expected gross margin to estimate the sales revenue that covers your weekend.
No account needed. Your inputs stay on this page: they are never saved or sent anywhere.
Sales revenue to break even
$1,166.67
Covers $350.00 in show costs at 30% gross margin.
Target rounded up to the next cent. This is sales revenue, not profit.
What could the show make?
Estimated profit after the cost of cards sold and the show expenses above. Assumes the same margin at every sales level.
| Sales revenue | Estimated profit |
|---|---|
| $500.00 | -$200.00 |
| $1,000.00 | -$50.00 |
| $2,000.00 | $250.00 |
| $3,000.00 | $550.00 |
Estimated profit: $250.00
The math behind your target
Break-even sales = total show costs ÷ gross margin fraction. With $350 of show costs and a 30% margin, you need $1,166.67 in sales. At $2,000 of sales, $600 remains after the cost of cards sold; subtract $350 of show costs for $250 of estimated profit.
Margin and markup use different bases. Margin is (selling price − stock cost) ÷ selling price. Markup divides that same difference by stock cost. A $70 card sold for $100 has a 30% margin and about 42.86% markup.
Use a blended margin for the stock you expect to sell. If payment fees vary with sales, subtract their percentage from your expected margin. Put fixed payment fees in other expenses. Unsold inventory purchases affect cash flow, not this profit estimate. Taxes, your time, trade profit and costs you leave out are not included.
At 0% margin and zero costs, every sales level breaks even. At 0% margin with positive costs, no amount of sales covers those costs. This is a planning estimate, not a guarantee of sales.
Plan the target. Track the real show.
Use CardOps to organize your show and record what actually sells. Compare real sales, stock costs and expenses when the weekend is over.