The BCS did well at the fair and it was back on its feet…But it was late in the season and the Curator, still needing a Bank-roll to survive the winter….made the call…to Book Tulsa….WHY? You ask? Well he could of played out the season at small Festivals and Fairs, played it Safe if you will. However, The Curator was on a Roll or so he thought….He decided…To go for Broke!!…..Well, not exactly …you see, the BCS had scratch in its coffers again, But a winter of “Greeting at Wal-mart” was in the Curators future….Forget the Roll…This is the REAL reason he went to Tulsa….if he HIT…No Wally World….Yet he never thought If He missed….he’d lose everything….

To be continued….

Now if you ever been to Vegas…Las Vegas that is, Then you have probably seen over at the Craps table a ‘High Roller” I mean where folks are crowding the table to watch…Where on each side of the Gambler in Question are 2 High dollar Broads ,you know the type, Vivacious broads, BIG money Gals , Beautiful, Gorgeous Girls…Also Folks tying to get a glimpse..The same folks wishin they could be that Gambler…, who at the Shake of the Dice, Fortunes made, Fortunes lost… Now The Curator Found himself in that position…Holdin the Dice!…There were No Beautiful Gals at his side…Yet there were plenty of Folks watching, Some in his corner, some not…The Curator was No high falutin High Roller, He wasn’t Cool and Collect…He had sweat on his brow, and his right hand had a quiver…They were watchin a funeral….Some thought “Why?” while others screamed “Snake Eyes!!!!”….

To be continued.....

….Now The Curator had a option, you see back in Amarillo when the Fair opened The carnival owner , at Amarillo had stopped by, Looked the BCS over, and said “You can play any of my Dates, in fact, why don’t you follow us to Waco?’ The Curator replied” appreciate that, But I’m goin to Tulsa’ gonna give that Carnival 1 more chance to make it Right”….So, what The Curator knew,That the nay-sayers didn’t….was this…Mr. Murphy owner of Murphy Bros. Exposition had told the Curator, “Look, Tulsa’s my Home town, if they throw you out…I will personaly write you a Check,( 5- figures) plus if you set-up…I’ll reduce the rent…Ok, Kid?”…Now in the US you need 3 things to be successful with a Sideshow…

1. A solid Proposition…(a deal that allows you to make money)
2.A Good Location…
And
3. A solid operation…(a Framed out show and workings that enables the operator to “Harvest” the $$$$)

So our Hero (Sorry) The Curator had 1 of the 3 already in his pocket! (proposition)….So as the BCS headed Northeast he figured,.. He was on a “Roll”……

To Be Continued.....

Arriving in Tulsa, The Curator parks in the parking lot and surveys the Lot looking for the lotman so he can get his loke…The lotman tells him he won’t be able to spot him till later, in the afternoon…So the Curator seeks out Rick West…He finds Rick setting up his 3 grind shows. Rick has played Tulsa for years and asks the Curator if he has his loke yet…When Rick hears the Curator hasn’t, Rick assures him there has not been a Banner front in Tulsa for nearly 6 years and it should be prime…Later, when the BCS is spotted and setting up, Rick stops by and says “Holy Smokes!, I think you have a Winner here!” hearing Rick’s assessment eases the Curators mind as now he 2 of the Formula in his Favor. (Location)

to be continued

Now even though the Curator has 1. Proposition and 2. Location in his favor…He still isn’t Out of the woods…You see, the 3rd , Operation.(His) has never been proven…Sure the Curator framed the BCS from the ground up. However, he is/was a Circus guy, his knowledge of over 25 years in the Circus put the BCS together based on those experiences…A circus is set up like a & 7 course meal, with the Circus guiding the Public to each course. BIG difference when working a Carnival lot…You see a Carnival is not a 7 course meal , but rather a “pitch till you win” (Buffet) and at a “Pitch” the Choices are many and in no particular order with No guarantee. Whereas the Circus has a fine tuned order, the Carnival is every man for himself….
Yet, now the Curator finds himself in a unique situation, Having the “Right” prop and a Prime Loke, But will his operation hold up? Sure, he will make money,(Can’t miss with prop and Loke in his Favor) But will he be able to Maximize his effort and GET big money? (Hit a Homerun)…That question will be only answered when he opens…The Curator sleeps well…everything is set…just waiting for the Tulsa State Fair to open….

to be continued

Murphy Brothers usually hits Houston around October. If you are working with Murphy Brothers in October, and you book Houston, please let me know. I'll come by and catch your show.

Don't worry -- I don't wear my Merlin gear unless I'm working, and I only wear the cup on my head in my Avatar.

Bring your Merlin Gear...I am in Conroe TX right now Thru Sunday...Montgomery Co Fair and Rodeo, ....

http://www.sideshowworld.com/UPFM-OTT.html

The Tulsa State Fair Opens!!…Well, sort-of…Its preview night! All rides are a Dollar…So the Curator lowers his price to a dollar… Rick’s prophesy turns out to be correct, Rick had said “there has not been a Banner front here in six years” and Rick was right! The Folks are pouring in…At the end of the Night, The Curator counts his receipts and is Happy beyond his wildest dreams, however he is cautious, the BCS only charged a Dollar, the Big test will be tomorrow when it goes for Full price…Never the less.. The Curator’s hopes and spirits are finally soaring….

Now it is Friday, the price is $2.00 young or old…it starts out slow in the morning but by late afternoon the crowds appear and the BCS is well on its way… NOTHING could stop it now…or could it!….

To be continued

They way it Looked, the ONLY thing that could stop the Curator now, is Bad Weather… However the skies were clear and the tempature perfect…Friday turned out to be a Winner!…The Curator got a good nights sleep and was ready to roll Saturday morning. When the BCS opened that morning the crowds came…the tent stayed ¾ ‘s full all day. Then at around 5:00 pm… It happened!…Disaster struck!.. How?, What? …Well, the Tent jammed up with people. How could that be a Disaster you ask, You see when the top is full….Sales screech to a snails pace…and the BCS was just getting to prime time…The Curator heart started to pump…faster and faster, by now the line to the ticket box stretched 60’ ft across the Midway! A bead of sweat appeared on the Curators forehead…at first, The Curator thought of pulling some attractions, but he couldn’t, the tent was FULL and that would create a uproar of complaints from the 100’s of Folks inside the tent!…The Curator dialed his phone to call Rick…but the Fairgrounds was packed…the towers were jammed…Money was being LOST…The BCS was rockin but not rollin…HOW could this be? Sure by being jammed up, with Folks lined up to go in the BCS was making Money but losing a LOT of money at the same time!….The Curator tried calling Rick again….

to be continued

Finally, the phone started ringing….just before it went to voice-mail…Rick answered ”Big Night!”, “NO Rick” The Curator replied, “We are jammed up. Dead in the water!” …..Rick said “That’s a good problem, don’t worry I’ll be right over.. and what ever I do or say…REMEMBER, its all Hollywood!” the phone went dead. Now Our Hero (Sorry again) The Curator patiently waited for Ricks arrival…No, that’s BS! .. The Curators Heart raced…seconds seemed like minutes, minutes seemed like hours!…where’s Rick. Where’s Rick was all that raced through the Curators mind! Now The Curator had first met Rick 2 years earlier at the Lake Co. Fair in Crown Pt. IN… They had become friends and Rick being a veteran of shows (over 45 yrs.) had been generous with his vast knowledge…For some reason he took a liking to The Curator and the BCS ..and The Curator thought the world of Rick… However, What could Rick do to solve this problem???. The Curator had no clue. He was on Edge, but deep down he had faith Rick could solve his Dilemma…But How?… Yet, still no Rick…

To be Continued

This reads like a diary or road-journal. Are you considering turning this saga into a book? It would be a good read.

This is a True story as I remember it...Thanks but at the present time I will not be writing a book....Best JZ

In the distance The Curator spotted Rick.. He was headed toward the BCS. Although he was not running (as The Curator had hoped) he was moving at a hurried pace, making his way through the crowd that filled the Midway. As Rick got closer..The Curators heart beat faster and faster.. When Rick was about ten feet from the ticket box.. he hollered “What the Hells the matter with YOU!, Itold you to change the $2 matinee sign to the evening price of $3!!..Geez I go to eat Dinner and nobody listens!, NOW go get that sign!” The Curator leaped from the box and scrambled along the Bannerline, took a hard left to head behind the show to retreive the sign.. Behind him Rick had climbed in the Box and took over. (although in The Curators mind he had taken over as soon as He arrived!). The Curator grabed the $3 sign and sprinted back…changed the signs on both ticket boxes as Rick hollerd, “Hurry up now!” When the last one was in place…A Miracle happened, Well, Not really, but in the eyes of the Curator it did! As you remember, the Lines leaading up to the ticket box extended nearly 60’, But as the Curator put the $3 sign in place ..Nobody LEFT..in fact they just reached in their pockets and pulled out another $1 dollar bill to adjust to the increase they all had just witnessed!...The first people up politely asked Rick NOT to Fire the Curator! Which rick responded back “I’ll think about it” as he collected their money!....

To be Continued

Now Rick continued to work the Box .. while The Curator observed.. By raisin the price to $3 did not speed up the line..Nor did it make the folks inside the tent hurry along faster… However, It did raise the gross 50%...(do the math).. Now this The Curator noticed! Yet it was too simple, yet effective…After awhile Rick left the Box and The Curator took over.. Eventually the night ended, The Day had been Huge for the BCS…The Curator thanked Rick for his Help and slept like a baby….The BCS went on to have the Bigggest Fair of its short existence(up to that point)…Since that fatefull night The Curator learned many “tricks”of the Box to further make the BCS more efficent…What the Curator learned is that workin a ticket Box is a study in itself…I am not talkin about Short change, but rather the difference of maximiseing a Gross under all circumstanses…..Ricks time-worn simple solution opened the Door for the Curator to devote more time in the study of the “Box” and now treats it as a “Art”, a nessasary Art if one wishes to survive into todays Climate, in short “its not just collectin money…But a whole lot more”…
The BCS hit a “Homerun in Tulsa” its coffers were full. The BCS went on to play 3 more Fairs in Georgia with mixed results, headed home for 2 weeks, then Boarded a ship and set sail for San Juan Puerto Rico….It had survived the “Season from Hell”….Along the way The Curator learned the Value of Friends in this Business, He had talked to the “King” who told him “ I don’t Know if we would have survived what you went through” Of course they would of survived! He is the King because they HAVE survived for over 50 years..But it was nice The King said it anyway, Not only is he the King, but a Gentleman foremost. Rick West and the Star Farm operation have been a extreme help in the survival of the BCS over the years and Ricks ear has always been open to the Curators calls…We cherish his freindship and will forever be gratefull for all that he does… The BCS went on to play Milwaukee a year after it was thrown out.. and also returned to Tulsa..Since then it has headed West to find New adventures, make New friends..all while… “Payin the High Rent’……..

http://www.sideshowworld.com/UPFM-LFTSF.html

http://www.sideshowworld.com/UPFM-LFTSF.html

http://www.sideshowworld.com/UPFM-BTF.html

http://www.sideshowworld.com/UPFM-BTF.html

http://www.sideshowworld.com/UPFM-LFTM.html

http://www.sideshowworld.com/UPFM-DMH.html

This is a cool thread. Strikes a familiar chord with all of us that have seen the beauty of the sunrise through a dirty windshield.It always seems the worst jackpots end up being some of our best memories.I guess if we ever had a perfect season with no jackpots at all we'd probably forget what business we are in.Thanks Curator.

Howdy there bossman (curator)! Finally got a chance to register. Just eating lunch and checking out the e-mails. Back to the lot in a few.

Got Shills?

Welcome guys!
Gwyd

I am Glad you enjoyed it....Best JZ