Shows can be great fun, but it is usually more complicated than simply laying out your work for someone to buy. You are about to launch a retail business. Each state is slightly different and I've not done California. However, the organizer of a show should be able to tell you what the specific requirements are with respect to licensing. Typically you will require a state vendor's license. Make sure you ask the show management if any local licensing is required. The licenses will normally come with instructions as to what the sales tax rate is and how to pay it. Generally you have to file a sales report after each show and then pay the collected taxes. Here again it is different for each State, some immediately, some quarterly and some semi annually.

Once you get over these complications you will find the show circuit a great way to get feedback on your work and maybe to make some sales. If you have a web site, make sure you feature that address in your booth and collect email addresses from visitors so that you can notify them as you update the work you display on the web and let them know when you are going to be in another show.

Good luck!!!

You might contact the show promoters and see what they have set up for CA sales tax. At some shows, the promoters work out a deal with the CA Franchise Board for special sales tax deals. If you are going to be selling in CA, it is pretty easy to get a resale license and with small amounts due, you can often get it set up so you pay one time a year (but if you do this, you better have the $$ available when it is time to pay as the sales tax police in CA are pretty terrible if they want to be (and they always seemed to be looking for a fight when I was doing business in CA,,,,, now I get to deal with the tax folks in WA??????!!!).