You have the table, the art is ready, and the convention is weeks away. The decision that decides whether your table is full is not which manufacturer you pick — it is the date you place the order.
For acrylic charms, keychains, stickers, badges and posters, plan on 5–7 business days of production after payment plus about 4–12 days of duties-paid fast shipping: order at least three weeks before the convention. Canvas and sewn bags need 12–20 business days of production, so allow six weeks. A show four weeks out is still workable for acrylic and stickers — and very tight for anything sewn.
01
Why the order date matters more than the supplier
Fan surveys put convention attendance among anime fans at roughly four in ten, and the biggest U.S. shows keep setting records — Anime Expo reported more than 410,000 visits across four days in 2025. Tables at popular shows are oversubscribed: a ten-year seller retrospective documented one alley at 1,500 applicants for 87 tables. Whatever your share of that crowd, stock only sells if it clears customs and reaches the table before the doors open.
The most common failure we see is not weak artwork or the wrong product mix. It is discovering, four weeks out, that production plus shipping no longer fits — then paying for rush, or worse, for inventory that ships after the show. Sellers who plan backwards from the convention date rarely end up in that corner.
02
How long does custom merch actually take to produce?
At Glintmade, production of Glintmade custom acrylic keychains, charms, standees, stickers, badges, posters and T-shirts runs 5–7 business days after payment, and a paid sample runs 5–7 business days as well. Sewn and woven bags take 12–20 business days, because cutting, printing and sewing are sequential steps.
One detail that surprises first-time sellers: orders designed in the online editor do not have a separate proof step. The editor preview you approve is the production reference, so approval time is your time, not factory time. Only bulk and OEM orders agreed by email go through a formal pre-production proof, and their production clock starts after you approve it.
| What you are ordering | Production after payment | Fast shipping window | Order at least |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acrylic charms, keychains, standees | 5–7 business days | about 4–12 days | 3 weeks before the show |
| Stickers | 5–7 business days | about 4–12 days | 3 weeks before the show |
| Badges, posters, T-shirts, phone grips | 5–7 business days | about 4–12 days | 3 weeks before the show |
| Canvas and sewn bags | 12–20 business days | about 4–12 days | 6 weeks before the show |
| Paid samples | 5–7 business days (sewn: 7–12) | about 4–12 days | 4 weeks before the show |
03
How long does shipping take — and who pays the customs bill?
Fast-track shipping runs about 4–12 days door to door and standard service about 8–17, depending on destination. Every destination you can pick at checkout ships DDP — duties paid — to 68 countries and regions: the price already includes freight, import duties, taxes and customs clearance, so nobody is asked for cash at the door on delivery day.
That matters more in 2026 than it used to. Artist communities now compare suppliers by whether shipments arrive tariff-free, because a unit price that looks cheap can stop looking cheap after a customs bill. Whenever you compare manufacturers, compare the delivered price and the calendar together, not the unit price alone.
04
Count back from the convention date
Take a Saturday convention six weeks away. Payment on Monday starts production the next business day; five to seven business days of production wrap inside about a week and a half once a weekend is counted. Add 4–12 days of fast shipping and the boxes land two to three weeks after payment — leaving the same again as real buffer for artwork fixes and customs weekends. Sewn bags should already be ordered by then.
Two habits keep the schedule honest. First, upload print-ready art: 300 DPI files with clearly named layers for white ink and cut lines keep the clock short. Second, decide sizes early — our keychain size guide and sticker size guide list every option with its price, so the choice does not stall the order.
05
What if the convention is only four weeks away?
Acrylic and sticker orders still fit comfortably: five to seven business days of production plus fast shipping is a two-to-three-week pipeline end to end. Order today, build and approve the editor preview the same day, and the runway holds.
Rush production exists for genuine emergencies. It needs written confirmation, it can carry an extra fee, and it never skips quality checks or a proof an order actually requires. It also cannot compress sewing — a bag order that needs 12–20 business days will not become a one-week order by asking. If the date is truly impossible, change the product, not the promise: charms and standees from one piece — stickers from one ten-pack — still make the show, and the bags can wait for the next one.
06
While you wait: a week-by-week checklist
For the stock itself — how many pieces of each design to bring — the artist alley inventory planning guide walks the whole calculation, and the convention calendar keeps the next deadlines visible.
- Six weeks out: sewn goods ordered; artwork finalized at 300 DPI with clearly named layers.
- Four weeks out: acrylic, stickers and printed goods in production; editor preview approved the same day.
- Two weeks out: delivery address confirmed for show week — a hotel front desk is not a receiving dock.
- One week out: packed by price tier — stickers at $2–5 carry the volume, acrylic charms at $8–12 carry the margin.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can I still order custom keychains a month before the convention?
Usually yes. Acrylic keychains and charms run 5–7 business days of production after payment, and fast shipping adds about 4–12 days, so the full pipeline is two to three weeks. Order immediately with print-ready artwork and approve the editor preview the same day you build it.
Do I have to pay customs on merch shipped from China?
Not on the destinations offered at checkout: all 68 countries and regions ship DDP, so freight, import duties, taxes and customs clearance are already inside the shipping price. Other destinations are quoted individually before you pay.
Can a late order be rushed?
Rush production is available for eligible products. It needs written confirmation, may carry an additional fee, and never skips a required proof or the quality check. Sewn bags cannot be compressed below their 12–20 business-day production window.
SOURCES
Official sources and further reading
Event details can change. Use these organizer-controlled pages before purchasing tickets, booking travel or acting on an application deadline.
