Joe Ades…The Peeler Guy has died.

The KING is dead.

The peeler guy has died and the city will never be the same…

It’s a sad day for ALL street buskers every where…


Joe Ades wore hand made, $1000. suits and worked the streets selling Potato Peelers. He sold the peelers for $5. each and made a FORTUNE working the streets. He lived on Park Ave. in a real nice apartment!

He usually worked Union Square but every now and again he would pop up in other parts of the city. I got to meet him a few times and watch him work…he was THE KING! No other street performer would come a fraction close to pulling in what Joe did.

I told him he was amazing and that I had never seen anyone like him ever. He told me he was a “grafter”. He had an English accent, so I thought he said “grifter” No, “I’m just a grafter from Manchester.”

People threw money at him. He could easily pull $1000. a day without breaking a sweat.

I already miss the guy.

May he and the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.


http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cf......=5517907


:cheers:

Judging from media exposure, I guess he really was a NYC celebrity:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/03/nyregion/03ades.html

http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2......man.html

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26976442/

http://newyorkdailyphoto.blogspot.com/20......ler.html

A grafter is what Americans would call a "pitchman". Totally different from a grifter. Wasn't there always a bit of a question as to whether it was the peelers or his wife that afforded him the lavish lifestyle? (Not that he wasn't selling a lot of peelers. But maybe not quite THAT many.).

This is another good article on the guy:

http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/featur......er200605

It seems fairly well documented that he was selling tons of peelers for many years. Along with other things over the years. He also had several wives. He certainly lived life large.

I'm telling you from my own two eyes. I don't know about his wife, but this dude would crack off about 50 - 100 in just a short time.

There's a thing called "Jam auction" where you get the crowd worked into a frenzy, and then sell them.

Joe had a CONSTANT frenzy around him at ALL times.

$1000. a day? I have no doubt he could make 2,000 - 3,000 if he wanted.


There will never be another Joe Ades...never.

The Vanity Fair story mentions that his 4th wife was a lady of independent means, and it seems the Park Avenue apartment was hers to begin with.

But he still sold tons of peelers.

You should get Don Drivers DVD if you want to see a real Jam Auction.

I know he sold tons and tons of those things. I also know guys who could sell circles around Ades. lol! But he was something of an institution. RIP Mr Ades.

Any vids of him in action?

Yes I think so, on Youtube. Sorry I don't have the links but you should be able to find it pretty easily.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCUct4NlxE0

One of many on YouTube.

Great vid! Master of his craft! The King!

Would have loved to see what he would have done with a Svengali deck!

I wonder where he bought his peelers from?

Trey

Ron Popeel?

Pitch-men like that are loooong gone from the modern American landscape... And that's our loss.

He married into his money, but still made a nice chunk.

I never got to meet him. I wonder what his wife is gonna do with all those left over peelers?


B.

Thanks. Enjoyed it. His charm sold the goods.

These guys use an awful lot of produce during the day.

Bobby Reynold's Pen Pitch was still the best I've ever seen and you didn't need the groceries.

The true master legend, David Walker (in his 80's) has gone from pitch items to one of my Zibits and 'sells' it with a non stop spiel as well...amazing to listen to.

But when you really listen to these master pitchmen...there isn't anything MOST of the performers here in this thread couldn't duplicate...the secret is to make it sound FRESH everytime...(and finding cheap vegitables? )

Just in case anybody is interested a grafter,in England,means a hard worker.
Cheers,Ray

Amazing, and fun to watch! Thanks for the link.

Jam-auctions are very much a dying art-form. In a very real sense, the pitchman is 'charm-dancing' with the crowd's nature and assumptions. Done well, the attendees will part with their money happily and never look back.

Many years ago, I worked jam-auctions with Ed Hagins and his pal Bill Scalfe who are masters at building these rare sorts of pitches. As far as I know they are still at it...two of only a handful in the United States, I believe.

Observing Ed and Bill flex their knowledge of crowd-psychology is nothing short of amazing...and educational. I'm not the least bit surprised if Joe Ades was living well.

Warm regards,
Mick Ayres

I don't know if you were counting...but he pulled $70. in 5 minutes work!