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The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Step right up! » » The Tarot Pitch (1 Likes) Printer Friendly Version

Logan Five
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Inner circle
Northern California
1433 Posts

Profile of Logan Five
I live near a high-tourist traffic area/areas. I find myself also in need of some extra cash. I don't know if anyone is doing this..so I'll take any advice that you can give me. I have a strong background in reading the tarot. In fact I have been a reader off and on for the past 20 years. I mostly use tarot & psycards. I have never done short readings for clients i.e the $10 for 10 mintues kind of thing, most of my reads last about 40 minutes.

So, what I am thinking about doing is going into some of these tourist areas and offering a " free " ONE card reading, just to get people interested and to draw a crowd. I plan of doing a very breif reading to the spectator..and at the end of the reading, I start to describe the card they selected ( I plan on forcing the card, I am a sleight geek, so for me this is not a problem ).

Then at the end of the read..I will pitch my three card reading which I want to charge $10 for or, my five card reading which I want $15 for.

For those of you experiencing with pitching;, do you think it's possiable for me to get $10 or $15 for each reading? Just from a passer-by on the street? I did do a search on Docc's Psychic Pitch here on the Café, but not much came up. I could attend those psychic fairs ( which I have done in the past ) but I would also have to pay a fee to the fair and compete with other tarot readers for business, which doesn't interest me.

So what do you think? Do you think this will work? Do you know of anyone doing a psychic/tarot pitch on the street? Is asking for $10 or $15 too much? I do plan on getting Don Driver's materials on pitching the TV Magic/Svengali decks..can you recommend some published books or tapes that will help me? I am starting at square one here, any advice would be helpful.

Thanks in advance.

Rick~
Self concept is destiny..
DonDriver
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1790 Posts

Profile of DonDriver
Hey Rick,

First you have to find out if doing reading or pitching anything on the street is legal or not where you intend on doing it.

If it is legal I would dress the part to look like you know what you're doing.

Than I would get a TV try table,nothing to big,cover it with something Gypsy looking and have a simple sign saying " Reading's $10.00 " and just stand or even sit on a bar stool behind where you are set up and keep laying out the tarot & psycards as if you were doing a reading.If you are set up where tourist are walking by they will stop just to see what you are doing.Sometime the LESS noise you make the more it attracts people.( curiosity killed the cat kind of thing)

Also if you get my Bulding a Tip DVD your see its better not to look up.I go into the psychology behind this in the DVD.Let them stop and ask you.

Let me know how you make out.

Don
Logan Five
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Northern California
1433 Posts

Profile of Logan Five
Thank you for your advice. I will also check out your dvd's on building a tip and on the Svengali deck.

One of the places I am interested in ( Fisherman's Wharf in SF ) does require a license but I have no idea on how to get one or how much it costs. I will have to check on the other places that I am interested in pitching as to regards of having a license or not, or..if there are laws regarding fortune-telling or giving readings.

In the past, I have seen the local police tell some of the local street merchants that they need a license or a permit to sale their wares on Market St in downtown SF. But the same people sell there stuff week after week. So, I'll need to do more research.
Self concept is destiny..
DonDriver
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Profile of DonDriver
Hey Rick,
I'm guessing when doing a reading its a one on one pitch.You don't want to build a big tip of 20 people.Thats why I said keep it low keyed.Let them come to you.Trust me,just having taort card out on your table will get their attentition,well the ones you want and the sign will tell it all.

Also don't have different prices it just confusses them.Have one price "Reading $10.00" Give them a 2 minute line of B.S.( less if someone is waiting) and move them on...NEXT !

Don
Michael K
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Hazleton, PA
249 Posts

Profile of Michael K
I have to agree with Don. One price, one product, one sign. K.I.S.S. = Keep It Super Simple.

Also why gather a large tip and then you are only able to give one reading at a time. You've got it made for the first guy, then...folks are not going wait until you are finished with the first guy, let alone the second or third.

Get whatever legal paperwork you need and get out and try it. As Don said, a small table, a tall stool, a tablecloth, a sign, proper attire, and your cards. What have you got to loose? A day spent outside talking to folks? The price of a permit? All of these seem to pale in comparison to the knowledge you will gain. But who am I to say, I am the master of too much research and not enough doing.

Michael
sethb
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The Jersey Shore
2841 Posts

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Quote:
On 2009-01-28 Janus109 wrote: For those of you experiencing with pitching;, do you think it's possible for me to get $10 or $15 for each reading? Just from a passer-by on the street? Rick~

Rick, I could be wrong, but I think you are getting pitching and busking confused. Although both involve drawing a crowd with some sort of performance, there is a basic difference.

If you are paying for the right to sell at a particular location, then you are pitching, which is an actual business. You have a right to be there and nobody can tell you to stop or to "move along." If you are just setting up somewhere and asking for "donations" (even if there is a specific amount requested), then that is busking, and you are at the mercy of the cops and the crowd. You have said that you don't want to pay any fees, so it sounds like you would be busking, not pitching.

And as Don said, you have the additional problem that many cities have ordinances that either prohibit fortune telling for a fee, or require a mercantile license (a few bad apples spoiled it for many, I guess).

Having said that, I'm sure it's a viable idea, I think some people would be willing to pay $10 for a tarot reading, and I'm sure it would draw a good crowd of rubberneckers. But you do need to work out these issues. SETH
"Watch the Professor!!" -- Al Flosso (1895-1976)
"The better you are, the closer they watch" -- Darwin Ortiz, STRONG MAGIC
Cholly, by golly!
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251 Posts

Profile of Cholly, by golly!
You really, really need this book:

http://www.deceptionary.com/webster.html#tarot

THE TAROT FOR FUN AND PROFIT by Richard Webster.

Lots of money-making ideas in there.
cassius2m
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New user
Simi Valley, CA
68 Posts

Profile of cassius2m
I think this would work on the street in a high-traffic tourist area like San Francisco.
I spent the past summer/fall doing short palm readings at the very few flea markets in my area. I charged $5 dollars for a short reading between 3 and 5 minutes. I never tried to go higher with my price mainly because I didn't want to lengthen my reading time.
Wasn't a big gold mine for me but it did bring in some money when I needed it and it was a lot of fun. I will probably pitch decks instead next time around. Just wish there were 2 of me so I could do both. Maybe 3 so I can use my Higley too.

-Clay
Hernan
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Regular user
San Francisco
126 Posts

Profile of Hernan
The Roma work beside me on the wharf all day.
I don't think it would be healthy to work too close to them.
They are near Johnny Rockets and down by Jerry at Hooters.

Normally, it is my experience that, readers just sit on a chair and hit up everyone
walking by. You will have to culture yourself to do the same. I have never
seen a reader gte hassled in SF by cops, but if you are in the wrong spot,
the locals will hassle you.

I would reduce the props you need to the bare minimum. A chair and little more.
You can offer the chair to the readee, but the roma rarely do.

The weakness in your plan is the lack of a after-sell strategy and pitch cards
or books. You basically could build a 6 figure buisness from the wharf
if you saught to harvest long term customers and not focus on 10 $ readings.
There are resources available to you to build a great business, but I am not at liberty to share them in a public forum.
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