Wow lots of great thinking - I have to say though the most interesting thinking comes IMHO from Emazdad. The idea of making the knights suit so desirable to the guests at the party is shrewd marketing at its best. Is the knights armour your own creation or have you sourced inspiration from elsewhere?

I know I might take some flack for this but it works for me. First let me say that I really love balloon modelling and can often be found sitting in my house coming up with new designs. I also work with an assistant who can really make some nice balloon sculptures like Daffy Duck, the Road Runner, SpongeBob, Elmo Etc. Our basic show runs for 90 minutes and we get $300 for it. This is our most popular package and as soon as we arrive Maggie starts interacting with the children doing tattoos and making them balloons to keep them out of my hair while I unload the van and set up the show. The kids usually sword fight until show time then I sit them down for the show and tell them "OK, please put your ballons on the side, because we're going to need you to come up and help me during the show, so you need to have your hands free." I hardly ever have to tell them twice. The show runs about 45 minutes and Maggie often has some free time to make some really nice sculptures for the "special child" and maybe a few more if time permits. After the show she supervises the children petting the rabbit and birds and is still available to make a balloon or do a tatoo for any child who came late while I pack up and load the van. We are usually invited to eat so if we don't have to rush off to another show I'll stick around and chat with the kids and the parents while I partake of the cuisine. If I have time I will make some of my specialty balloons that Maggie hasn't quite learned yet like Spiderman or the Hulk or something. On occasion we have even made a special sculpture prior to the party and brought it in the event that the requested balloon takes more time to make than would be practical at a party. (My Dora the Explorer, Bugs Bunny or Mickey Mouse take almost an hour to make). Now I know most of you wouldn't do this but we have become known for our balloons just as much as our magic and almost at every show hear things like "These are the most incredible balloons I've ever seen..."It is not unusual for us to get a tip of anywhwere from $50 to $100 and even went to $120 on one occasion. I honestly feel that a lot of the shows we book are from people who have seen or heard about our balloons, and as I already said, we really do enjoy making them, so this seems to work for us. But I know it's not for everyone
Best regards, Tony Parisi

Hi Tony, I know what you mean, my balloon models pull in a lot of my work, although I don't go to the extremes you do, I work on my own.

A booker sees a good magician who doesn't give out balloons, or who only gives out simple dogs etc,

They then see another magician who gives all the kids balloons, (simple ones for the majority)but uses bigger elaborate balloon models during the show, and has special balloons for the birthday kid.

Who are they going to book?

Emazdad;

You mention that the birthday child gets a much buigger more elaborate sculpture, and the rest get simpler ones. you also mention though that you 'use bigger more elaborate balloons during the show'., Dpo you tie in balloons to the actual routines? if so in what manner?

Tony;

I must say you are certainly reaping the (financial and PR) benefits of spending more time on your air filled creations. May I ask - do you create many of your own sculptures? I have not seen m,any of them in the literature I have accumulated - especially the more modern ones, spiderman and Dora.

I would love to hear more about these! If they are your own Im sure you could make quite a bit selling manuscripts!

Yes I make them during the routine, but I also make some of the parts beforehand so it's more of a case of putting the pieces together. However don't confuse what I do with the large charactor balloons that tony makes.

The best behaved hardest working game player (usually the smallest most reserved boy who has been pushed aside by bigger kids during the games) during the first part of the party gets the large alien balloon which I make once I'm set up waiting for the kids.

During the food break I make the Snort, A large balloon animal that's a cross between a horse and a reindeer and lives on mars. It fits over their heads and round their waist, they hold the reins and it looks like a hobby horse. It's called a snort because it makes the same noise as dad does when he's asleep.
This is made while they are eating and goes to the best behaved loudest magic word shouter during the show. (normally the smallest cutest little girl or a girl who was too shy to come up and help.

During the magic show,

The first helper (birthday kid at a party)gets a clown

The second helper gets a basketball hat, A simple 2 balloon hat done in a baseball hat design with another balloon tied to the front of the peak with a length of wool with a flick of their head they can toss the balloon through the hoop (peak) they love it.

The 3rd helper gets either a penguin, or a plaited circle with a heart in the middle. With the penguin, I make most of it beforehand and then just do the beak during the show and draw on eyes, waistcoat and belly button. The heart in a plait I make during the show.

The 4th helper (birthday kid)if it's a boy gets dressed up as a knight, complete with helmet, shield, battle axe & belt, sword & belt, bow and arrow with quiver. A girl gets dressed up as a fairy with wings, magic wand and happy face fairy flower hat for a crown. Both outfits are made before the show and the kids are dressed up.

All the actual making during the show is done with it's own funny 3-5 minute routine.

If there is not that many kids at the party then I'll make them all something a tad bigger than a dog or sword. But at most parties with 20+ kids, The rest of the kids at a party get dogs and swords which are pre-made earlier at home.

if I find I'm hanging about waiting I don't like to just stand there so I spend my time making a few more different balloons, Flowers, snails, etc.

Some great tips - partially making some of the balloons is a great idea. Thanks emazdad

Emazda,the basebal lcap can you remind me how top make them, I got taughtat Blackpool and ive forgotten! Matt

And also I love the pink pather in the balloncini books. These are great books but a little hard to undestand at times.

Here here - some of the older baloon manuscripts may as well be written in swahili - some diagrams require translation by mensa!

Hi David, I do have a few of my own original designs for some balloons. Maybe about a dozen or so that I haven't really seen elsewhere and I have considered doing a balloon book or video or both some time in the future, but there are a ton of great books and tapes already out there and it's not unusual for me to come up with a design independantly and then find it somewhere in a book or on a video six months later. So I don't see any real pressing need for me to do one right at the moment. The way I usually get my ideas is when I get requests at a party for a certain character that I don't do. Then I usually go home and spend the rest of the week figuring it out. I went through 3 versions of Spongebob before I settled on the current one I use. And Spiderman changed about a half a dozen times.
Emazdad, I love your description of the Snort, and the breakdown of what child gets what. If I didn't have the luxury of an assistant I would be working the exact same way you do.
Oh and Matt, you're so right, those Balloncini books are among my favorites. Happy twisting everyone!!!
Best regards, Tony Parisi

Great comments Toni - unfortunately I'm not sure I have the artistic skill, patience, or time to create balloon sculptures.

I wish I had your creative vision - my kids are going crazy for a sponge bob bolloon figure!