You're not kiddin',Derrick. I did'nt even realize how much it was until this post made me add it all up on paper.....what's even more amazing is that my wife actulally let me go into this business knowing all this...she must be an angel playin' hooky from heaven!
Chris

$750 - almost all of it in 3 props:

In a Flash Rabbit Production
Axtell Drawing Board (plus boom box for the Axtrax tape)
Viking Chinese Sticks plus three kid-size costume jackets my wife sewed.

Add slum prizes and a stock of $1-$2 inflates as birthday-kid prizes, add maybe another $150.

My equip for an adult show is practically nothing - $50 maybe - and for picnics and holiday shows, you got balloons and face paints for maybe $200.

We all have our show visions, some invision walking on stage with a small case of fun and amazing bits of buisiness others invision a stage full of colorfull and flashy fancyfull thingy's, unfortunatly my vision cost a little more than others but I am doing what pleases me and my audiences, as I am sure we are all doing. I also don't like a lot of magicky looking things but my Kyber Kobra from CW was a bit pricy (and looks like a snake basket not a magic prop until you bring out the snake anyway) and chair suspension, Jig Saw, straight jacket, cardsword, etc... all look like everyday sort of things not too flashy or magicky looking.. and portable sound system it all added up. my point is it does not matter how much your show cost's do YOUR show, if we all started walking on and doing ropes and cards for 45 min. lets face it magic would die a slow painful death.

I write this because it appeared to me that some were feeling a bit superior about the low cost and what they could do with next to nothing... or maybe felt belittled by those who could afford to spend more, I don't think the cost or lack there of has anything to do with it as long as you are following your own vision for your own show.

IMHO
Rich

I don't think so Rich. I would never consider taking on some of the jobs that you could easily do. Also I doubt you would bring all your gear to work in a living room, which is my domain.
Steve V

My biggest items are my sound system ($4k) and my backdrop ($500)...then the clothes (if only you knew how expensive that got...I have all kinds of period outfits for different gigs throughout the year...and replica hats are expensive!), my most expensive things onstage are my axtell puppets and my Gazzo street cups...everything else is in the $150 range...
Chris

Steve, actually we do bday parties at homes with all our stuff and if you have seen us you know this is a real feat of logistics as both of us are big guys, but of course it does not require sound or other such things, but we have our center case and one or two other tables depending on 30 or 45 min set, and a lot of bumping into each other, but we are never at a shortage for referals we have to turn down or refer off many bday requests now a days since we are regularly performing out at Gerry's in Martinez and getting a lot more adult and corporate stuff(what we prefer to do) but our kids show has been the cornerstone of our business for a lot of years.
there are lots of times (mostly when I am lugging our show up somebodies stairs) that I wished we had a out of pockets type show... but it just would not be us so to each his own and as I said before do what works for you at whatever cost...
Rich

Good think you are as far North as you are....that way I don't have to crush you all when I become the dominant force in magic here. I'd love to be able to rig up a great sound system and the good cases and all that good stuff. You work as a team with someone? I'm trying to figure out of we have crossed paths before.
Steve V

I am one half of the Flying Calamari Brothers we have been performing here in the Bay Area for around 13 years now (including the South Bay until we are crushed, let me know how that dominant force thing works out for you...)LOL... I know we have spoke a few times here at the Café and you have checked into the Northern Ca. thread... and I know Scot from the OMC (you said you and he are aquainted) but I don't know if we have met.
Rich

Scott! Good guy. I'm the fat magician with a beard you may have seen.
Steve V

Okay, does anyone else have a problem with this guy using a bday in his kid shows?

Hah!
Steve V <---gets doodads joke

My most popular show is also one of my cheapest to replace - about £2000 total, most of that is my sound system, costume, and table. The rest is props. My most expensive show adds up to about £5000 in props alone, but I charge twice the price for it. I have the policy that the more expensive the props, the more I charge for the show. In my alternate life as a photographer I had a similar philosophy - if I needed a £5000 lens for a shoot, the price would be much higher.

I've recently thought about putting together a birthday party "lite" show. I certainly don't want to charge less for it. Maybe charge more for my current one. I think my internal issue with really trying to pack flat and play big is the feeling that I'm not giving the best performance I'm capable of and that I'm willing to settle for lesser show simply because I don't want to take the time and effort to set up my larger, heavier, bulkier props. Does this sound familiar to anyone?