Marty:

Don't let these guys fool you. You MUST have a hat. It's in Section II Paragraph 37 of the International Busker's Handbook. It states:

"When passing a hat, an actual hat must be used. It must be ISO 9001 compliant. Buskers do not call it 'passing the pail' or 'passing the bag.' "

So there you have it.

Pete, you have pointed out a key element to the whole "hat thingy",,, you have got to ask. I do not like the perfromers who are trying to belittle the crowd or shame them into donating. I personally feel that a good hat follows a good perfromance. That is not to say that you don't have to let the audience know how and why you do what you do.

One of the lines I hate the most...."Kids if your daddy doesn't give you 5 bucks to put in my hat, he doesn't love you". I have heard that line several times, and it makes my skin crawl.

If you have ever seen Andrew Elliot who performs as Jardu... he has some of the funniest stuff. He is an aussie who perfroms as an east indian fakir.. he sets up a hat line about specs getting run over by a taxi, driven by his brother , with his money still in their pocket,,, It is funny, funny stuff.

Whether you are working the street or anywhere else, the hat line is of paramount importance. I worked on my hat pass line for three years before I really got it honed to the point that I needed it to be. I watched other performers to see how they did it. Then I gathered bits of "hat business" and reworked them.

I finally had something that was highly personalized. And it worked very well for me.

Since the hat line can make a major difference in the amount of money that goes into your hat, it makes sense to work on it just as much as you would a routine.

It should be truthful.

I have seen at various party stores, a very large felt top hat. It is red and black, the black are stripes and on the center are the four card suits. It is a very cool looking hat, though it would have to fit your persona.

This is the same hat you can find it Walmart for Saint Patricks, 4th of July, etc.

Should I be able to find a photo, I'll post the link.

J

Also, a hat will do what it is supposed to do -which is to keep the sun off your head...

Another nice feature, to be sure.

One major consideration is that whatever you pass, be it a hat, a bucket, a bag, a pillowcase, it must be strong. It's going to take a beating.