I keep bouncing back an forth between trying to decide on pitching Svengalis or Pitching some kitchen gadget on the weekends for part-time chee$e. My main focus will be farmers markets and higher end flea markets.

Although I'm sure I could pitch both (alternating the weekend), for some reason, I keep coming back to conclusion that pitching the kitchen gadget (vegetable peeler) is going to be better in the long run. But maybe, I'm just overthinking it.

I have Don's Sven pitching DVD as well as some other pitches I've gathered and it's pretty easy to find a pitch for the peeler too - here is one I found that is pretty good http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-F-THID2rY&feature=youtu.be

I'm not a magician, so magic in general is not the appeal for me. I'm just looking for something with good margins that people are likely to buy.

Anyone care to share their opinion (good or bad)?

Jason --- If you don't care what you pitch, then pitch whatever you are comfortable with. Just make sure it's small, packs easily, is inexpensive to buy and reasonable to sell (definitely under $10 for an impulse buy).

One thought --- at most flea markets you will find a dozen people selling jewelry, and the same for knitted items, soap and such. But in my ten years of pitching magic tricks, I only had one time where another guy was selling tricks at the same show. Fortunately, he was doing the floating card and I was selling worms and Svengali decks, so we weren't in direct competition. Most places will not give you an exclusive, so you need something that will set you apart from the competition and draw a good crowd. The peeler might be a good idea; it's certainly been done before and is a proven pitch if done properly. There is a company that specializes in pitching kitchen gadgets, but its name escapes me at the moment. Don Driver probably knows what it is, and hopefully he or somebody else will post that info for you.

I thought the peeler demo you had was pretty good. The guy kept up a good running patter and he handled the peeler gracefully and well. I didn't watch long enough to see how he turned the tip (asked for and got the money). I thought he could have benefitted from a mike and a PA, and also could have spoken a bit slower. But the chef's coat was a nice touch (you can buy one at any uniform store for about $20).

Best of luck to you, whatever you decide to do. Pitching is fun and a good way to make a few extra bucks. SETH

Thanks Seth! I think the gadget company you are referring to that Don knows is USJesco. I have a regular 9-5 day gig right now, so I'm not really interested in traveling around like I believe it the requirement for product demos with USJesco.

I like the idea of being the only person pitching a particular product. I've certainly never seen any magic pitches at any of the larger flea markets I've been too. But then again, I haven't seen anyone selling peelers/slicers either. As you mentioned, seems like peelers/slicers might have a wider audience if pitched correctly especially at farmer's markets as it's a product that complimentary product to the vegetables. I also know that farmer's market managers are quite selective about the type of vendors they let into their market - especially if it's in a more affluent area.

I don't know. I'll have to think about it for a minute. Great feedback though, thanks again!

BTW, in my opinion flea markets are a tough place to sell new merchandise, because (1) everyone else is usually selling used stuff and (2) people are looking for bargains, so they don't expect to pay full price. However, fleas are a good place to practice and hone your pitch, because the table fees are usually low (but so are the profits).

But if you want to draw good tips and make some good money, you're much better off working street fairs, festivals and similar events. At these types of shows, people come with money and expect to spend it. They also want to be entertained, which a good pitch will do. Although the table fees are higher at these shows, the foot traffic is usually better and the take should be better, too.

I think your idea of the peeler/farmer's market pairup is a good one, and you ought to pursue it. And after everyone within a 40-mile radius has bought a potato peeler from you, you can start selling Magic Worms and Svengali Decks! <grin> SETH

Update: Just in case anyone is thinking of taking a crack at pitching a vegetable peeler, I've done a little research and hopefully it will shed some light on the economics of it all.

Most people are aware of Joe Ades (R.I.P), the guy who was selling these bad boys in NYC. Well, the company that makes these Zena Swiss says that "The peelers on yellow cards are not available anymore". However, they can sell you something similar but your min. first order will need to be 6,000 pcs (which equates to $1.26/unit). And that is a tad bit too much IMHO to test the waters on this item.

Your next step would be to find a few domestic distributors. Lee Distributors in (NY) and Houseware Warehouse (FL) are distributors of this product. You could also go with Rosenhaus (NJ).

Finally, you can find wholesale lots of these on eBay/Amazon too. If you wanted to start with small quanties just to test the waters, this would be the way to go in my opinion. And by small qtys, I'm talking 12 - 500 pcs. Still you are going to be paying $2.59 - $3.32 per unit. And therein lies the dilemma, the margins.

I'm thinking if you want to sell these at any of the venues I've mentioned (farmer's markets/flea markets), you would really need to keep your pricing down to $10 (as SethB mentions). Obviously, that's an even a smaller margin per unit than selling Svens. So I suppose you have to weigh the pros/cons of the type of venue, the potential customers you are selling to, and how many units you think you can move on any given day.

Hopefully this helps anyone else who is interested.

You can see the late Joe Ades in action here: http://tinyurl.com/nk9to7e His peeler was made by a different manufacturer in Switzerland, I think. I have one of his make and it is a delight to use. My chef son thinks his one is great. I think it is a good pitch item.

I would think that $2 is about the top reasonable wholesale price for a $10 retail pitch item.

By the time you factor in shipping costs, State and Federal income taxes, FICA payments, liability insurance, plus your table fees, gas and travel expenses, that's really what you need to make in order to come out ahead, in my experience. And if you also have to pay sales taxes, that's another 5%-7% off the top. (I always found it easier and faster to just include the tax in the price. Who wants to charge and collect $10.70 on every sale, and have to stop and make change, etc.)

It's a shame you can't obtain these peelers somewhere at a good price in a reasonable quantity (say about 250-500 to start). SETH

Seth,

I agree! Although the prices I mentioned above ($2.59 - $3.32 per unit) includes shipping, it still doesn't include all the other stuff like taxes, table fees...etc that you mentioned. I've reached out to a few other people who pitch these things to see if they could recommend any other distributors or even if they would be willing to sell me some of their stock (since I'm not in their same geographic area), but the pricing on these is pretty much the same. So, unless I'm willing to order direct from the mfg, I don't see how this is going to work.

Plan "B" would be to try to sell at a higher price point, but for this item, I just can't see it happening.

Plan "C" sell a somewhat different widget all together! lol - I found some dual blade peelers or some 3-in-1 peelers that are a step up from this. The dual blade like this (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71QhvYqROPL._SL1500_.jpg), run about $6 wholesale and the 3-in-1 like this (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41bN8AZ8RIL._SY300_.jpg), run $10-$11 wholesale, so these would need to sell for $20 at the very least.

Update #2: Ahhh HA! I found them in stock at Lee Distributors for $1.76 each (including shipping)....this idea still might work after all.

BTW, some people may wonder why I listed "liability insurance" as an expense. The simple fact is that anything can happen at a show. Your tent can blow over onto someone or their car. Somebody may slip and fall on a carrot peel in front of your table, or trip over an electrical cord at your pitch that you didn't tuck in as well as you might have. Someone may cut themselves on a potato peeler, a little kid may swallow a Magic Worm . . . . and on and on. Even if the claim is totally baseless, you could spend thousands of dollars defending yourself in court. And if they do have a valid claim and there's a judgment against you, the money comes right out of your pocket if you have it, or your future earnings if you don't.

I once had a kid fall off a stepstool I had placed in front of my pitch table so the little tykes could get a better view. When he stepped down, the stool slid out from under him and he fell. Fortunately, he was more embarrassed than hurt. But that's when I decided to spend $250 a year for a $1 million dollar liability policy, which included product liability as well as personal liability. I slept a lot better at night after that!

I also found that a lot of the bigger shows (particularly municipal, county and state-sponsored ones) will not book you without proof of your own liability insurance. So as they say, don't leave home without it. SETH

Oh man, you are killing me Seth! This is getting more expensive by the minute

On a sidenote, I took your advice in another thread about getting a 3' x 6' banner (from halfpricedbanners.com), and I received mine yesterday. This one is for pitching Svens http://i1350.photobucket.com/albums/p775......6aiy.jpg - the pic doesn't do it justice though, those guys do great work!

While $250 may sound expensive, it's actually pretty cheap. That $250 annual premium works out to about $20 a month. So if you only pitch every other week, it's only costing you a ten-spot for each show. Additionally, I'm pretty sure that the insurance premium would be a tax-deductible expense. It's not a big deal, but it can save you an awful lot of problems.

BTW, I don't work for any insurance companies and am not an insurance agent! I just liked to cover my backside when I was pitching and suggest that others do the same. It's something most people don't think about --- until after they have a problem and then it's too late. SETH

I've been pitching kitchen gadgets and other products for years. $250 per year for liability insurance is a steal. You expect the best at the shows, but always plan for the worst. And, yes, that premium is tax deductible.