I an 16 years old and I have just been asked to do a kids show. should I charge less that an adult since I am under age? Now keep in mind that because I am sixteen I do not concider myself inferior to an adult where skill is involved. but should I expect less pay because of my age?

I would say no, your age is irrelivant. IF you have a good saleable show charge the average price of your area. Be sure you can deliver though.

Youth is something you may have to overcome, but I don't see why you need to charge less, if that really is the ONLY concern.

Having said that, one way you might consider overcoming that one perceived drawback is to charge a little less in order to establish yourself. The fact that you were "just asked" implies that this is your first show, and that concerns me more than your age.

But remember, Copperfield was teaching magic to college kids when he was 16, and was doing magic theatre in Chicago at 18 so ... GO GET 'EM!

P.S. I wonder if Shirely Temple or Mickey Rooney ever charged less than adult actors when they were under 16?

The other thing I would say is you mentioned that you are "skilled." I am going to make an assumption here--and you know what they say about asumptions--so here goes: being "skilled" I am going to guess you meant you are technically proficient at magic. This does not mean you are ready to do a show or that you are "skilled" at entertaining. Entertainment is the main job. I'm not saying you're not a good performer or a good entertainer. I just wanted to make that distinction.

Jim

When starting out it's ok to charge less than others, whether you are young or old.

If you get a tip above your asking price then you might be getting a signal that they valued your show more than the quoted price. (That seems to be the case here in Australia where tipping is not a common occurance)

Thank you very much. yes this is my fist childrens show and a was planning on asking for less until I feel I have become comfortable with the kids. I have done close up shows and the people seem to have been entertained and I have gotten great remarks after but I don't know if the kids will find me entertaining. I have a 7 year old neice and she allways wants me to show he something. she finds me entertaining and I hope the rest of the kids will too.

I would forget about what to charge because of your age, that makes no difference. It's the quality of your show that counts. If it's your first show, then you shouldn't really go out charging the same as your professional magicians in your area as your show won't be perfected with the quality it needs for high fees. I would sugest charging enough at the moment to cover all costs and 50% of the going rate. Every six months increase it by another 5% until you reach the level your confortable with.

Good luck, I hope you've practiced it loads, just relax and enjoy the experience.

Billy

I would also recommend Silly Billy's book if you want to continue with children shows. Good luck and have fun.

Jim

I charge $100 for 30 minutes of magic and balloons for all kids. By the way I'm turning 16 in a month. If you don't do a lot of kid shows, don't charge a lot.

I charge $125.00 for a 30 minute show, when most in my area are charging $150 to $175.00. I am finding that after the show's that people are writing their checks out for more then my asking price, which is nice.

Fish, get lots of information AFTER the show. Find out if the customer thought it was worth every penny. Find out what you can improve. Depending on the results, charge more on your next show. Find out the worth, then keep going up till you find the perfect point. You'll never know if your right or wrong until you ask the guy who pays for it all!

BTW I'm still a teen (barely) and have charged as much as $300 for a 35 minute Bday show. And they loved it. I might go up on the next one?

Good luck!

This is why I include a sase and a simple multiple choice evluation form in my thank you kits I give to the client after every show. It means a lot to them to receive a nice gift and a thank you letter and they can fill out the form at their convenience. It is a great way to see how you are doing and to also gain some great quotes you can use in your promotions.

Kyle