Doug, if you do a book on this, I might just buy it.

I'd promise, but now that you know I want it, I don't know what you'll do with the price.

Oh, yeah! $47 for the mark with the weird hair! Just $5.73 for everybody else!

Haha...I wasn't even thinking about sales...more just having an accurate record for the trade and insiders... Unless sold as a biz plan/manual, then it would be fair to those who wanted to do the store and not just for the casually curious.

Would seem like a fun project...as if I need another one.

Guesser.jpgguesser.jpg

Click here to view attached image.

As you can tell, I have a lot of research on the methods behind some of the gaffs employed. So I can happily contribute, but regarding the building of a tip and hooking them in, I have no practical experience. Only--what I remember as a kid. It was a show, indeed. There MAY be a recording on one of Ross's bally tapes, but I don't think so.....

Building the Tip... There is enough knowledge assembled here on the Café to build a Woodstock-sized tip! No need for a full on pitch, more an attention getter (like Don' dollar bills)... I would prefer a running gag commentary of the folks who pass by (nothing to get you a punch in the mouth, though). Would depend on the prize level, though... Personally, I would opt for a better shelf and anchor there. If I could gather a decent-sized tip, the sky's the limit on what could be done to make it entertaining, rather than just another boring booth on the midway...enough so to win a $3 hit.

Don's building a tip method will build a mob on a deserted beach. Another thing I've noticed on building a tip that no one seems to have caught on to is using the worm.

When you pitch the worm, you will build a large tip just playing with it and running it over your hands. I've used it to sell the worm, but there is no reason you couldn't just use it to build a tip and go right into your pitch.

Just as a point of order-
Truth in advertising and so forth...

Because of the advanced age of some (you know who you are) who've been showing a keen interest in this, would it be more accurate to refer to it as "Fool the Geezer"?

Haha...Guesses FROM the Geezer are a real crowd pleaser... He's seen All and Known All...step up and see if he has any left... These days he just sees a few and knows one or two things, so it's YOUR chance to take home a prize... Can he guess your weight? Your Height? Where you live? Where you have lived? He'll guess when you were born and the actual date and circumstances of your...ooops...we'll leave that one out!!! One dollar a guess, folks...look at these beautiful prizes you will Win... A New Car! A New Plasma TV! A Beautiful Black Plastic Pocket Comb!

Doing this on and off before Strange Show came along...just guessed the age (Swami method). Very seldom hit the button, but leeway of three years either way seemed feasible.
Set up >>> Over the top garb (Eastern dress like Alibaba). Stood on an upturned milk crate. No swag as such, just a board with the lettering and a couple of dozen cheap (25p) "Silver" charm necklaces. That way, I could lose every time and still make a profit on each.

Never shout out the age...bent forward for them to whisper in my ear. (Doing the dirty work was easy in this position.) Tear off the prediction sheet from the pad, fold it into four, and let them open it.
Average a couple of gross of that gave a good days wage.

Ken

Many different ways...that is quite good. Thank you for sharing, Kondini.

Back in the early 70's when I first began as a guesser, I was told of a guy who guessed names on the old Dell and Travelers Shows using a nail writer. I have also heard of the other gaff mentioned for birthday month using the Jan, Jun, and Jul 11-month trick. However, these methods are not used very much today, if at all. The whole idea is to build your tip and sell merchandise in disguise. For me this has always been a very upbeat joint. Flatter the ladies, keep people smiling and keep them coming back for more. I have played the same 4th of July spot for 28-conceutive years. One cannot rip anyone off and keep coming back year after year.

The backend gaffs,and mops have their share of guessers,,,all without fail use a swami. Only trinkets as giveaways, no slum to push.
At Nottingham Goose there are usualy three units but all are run by the same family.
They appear as the evening draws in aiming trade as the adults and drunks start to appear,,,much on the same lines of putting a striker by the beer tent!!!!

Beer in >>> wits out,,,,they egg each other on and have no idea as to the money they are spending.

Ken

Lovely Ken... Just gotta love it.

btw, for any who cares. abigkahuna is now abigkahuna/1 seems I lost a password and the account was sent up on a very old email no longer in use. so if anyone has been pm ing me these past weeks. that's why I haven't answered.

ciao

abigkahuna/1