Space rental, tent rental, plus a dozen or so large metal prints, on which I insist.
Correct. If you buy a tent, the total investment actually approaches $3K+.Yes, it is a gamble, at least until you find out what sells. There will be shows where you would sell nothing, especially if you are only selling large pieces. Having something smaller, say prints on paper, 13x19, matted and bagged, might help you pay for the booth fee at least. Then again, I heard stories of people selling $20K over three-day shows, though those stories seemed to be firmly in the past, before the Great Recession. Selling around $2K - $3K per show is I think considered quite a success these days.