Hello,

Will you hand out a hat for the tips or just put a box on the ground?
What I saw in the DVD or on the street is that the magician hand out the hat and audience put their tips in when he finished his show.
I do it the same.
But my friend ask me why don't I just but a box on the ground to get the tips?
Are you put a box on the ground like a singer or violinist?
and Why?

Thanks,
YuYen

Try it both ways and see.

-Travis

Box/case on the ground = trickle traffic - people watch for a bit, tip when (and if) they feel like it. In the case of statues, they do so in the expectation of getting a little show that otherwise would not take place, but mostly this is passive collection.

Passing the hat (or, more accurately, >taking< a hat round - people want to pay you, not a hat) = an active collection; a set climax and chance for the audience to show their appreciation collectively and directly. At that point they've already stayed for the show and (hopefully) enjoyed it, this is their chance to pay for services received. If you have your hat lines sorted, they even get a little bonus material out of the deal.

I have both. If you look at the pic of my set up I have a tip jar/bucket and then I pass the hat at the end. I have found that I get a few bucks in trickle every show. People that don't have the time to watch my whole show but like what they did see. Then I pass the hat at the end but most people end up using my bucket anyway. The ones that do use my hat seem to want to look me in the eye and tell me they like what I do.

This works where I am working but I'm sure it works differently in different places.

I have a big white 2 gallon bucket on the ground. (Used to hold pickles from when I worked in the Snack Bar at Wal*Mart... when there was a Snack Bar at Wal*Mart *sigh*) I haven't seen too much "trickle." Usually everyone watches the show and as I finish up (usually either Shang-hi Shackle or Cups and Balls) they start dropping singles (with the occasional five and one ten once) into the bucket as they leave.

"Hat or Box??????? Just make sure it's bigger than a teacup. I have to laugh when I see someones hat so small 2 bills fill it. It should be BIG!

HAT! because people know that a street performer passes the hat. it is more elegant.

Unclesamayen:

If using a hat is working for you. Why fix what isn't broken? Don't change something just because someone things that you should. That is unless what is being said you should change isn't working that well.

YuYen
In My opinion, A trickle tin creates the oppotunerty for people to leave not only that they walk into your show to do so, not good.
An action like this will lead others to do so.
Those that leave early rarely tip well any way.

I some times have the odd one walk up to me in the middle of the show trying to tip me.
I will say, Sir/Mam if you watch my show to the end you will want to give me more!
I will refuse the tip as much as I can at this point. This is now a distraction in my show so I bring it back by rebounding it.
I do remain friendly and grateful towards this person at all times, Im simply educating my audience this is not the time to tip and the show is not over.

I don't pass the hat I invite folk to come forward to put their tip in my hat.
The only time I will pass a hat is when part of My audience is on a higher level than I and they physically cannot walk up to me.
Then I have a tow hats. One in my hand the other in the hands of a gent I spotted on the top row and he is taking the hat for me. (this is rare)

If you are going to invite your audience to tip your hat. When you educate them on this point is very important.
As it has bee said by KerryJK, get your hat lines sorted.

Ask your self, what kind of street show are you going to develop, trickle, hat!
Learn how to manage your audience and your hat if you choice that will fit in easier!

A nice expensive tophat

I'm more apt to tip a hat, because a hat seems more sincere and thankful. Plus it is a universal gesture.
A box gives me the feeling of I'll say unmotivated collection effort despite other reasons given for practicality and such. And if it's even painted with "Thank You', I think it's worse.

It's all theory till you try it.

Not really when you see quite a few of the better known street magicians using a hat. True there maybe a small select few street magicians that a box or bucket would work better for. But that is a theory it isn't a proven workable thing as the hat is for a street magician.

Really? So how did the small select few find a box or bucket worked for them despite what they saw the better known street magicians doing?

Not that I want to enter a dispute but my guess is those how use a Trickle in a Magic show have not yet mastered hatting.
Or perhaps they are new to the streets and this seems a good way to start.

A Box or bucket may and will work, but I will never be convinced you make more money over hatting once you have learnt it.

Learning to hat is a very important part of ones show, it is the art street theater and sales combined to perfect delivery.

Get one hat line wrong, having to many jokes can make the difference of a good hat and a fantastic hat or at worse a crap hat.

A crap hat in my experience would be the same if I just had a receptacle on the floor.

The bottom line mind mastering you hat will take years not a weekend, I am still learning to master my hat and I guess I will as long as I work the street.

Once one moves on to a diffrent pitch one has to tweek all their hat lines to suit the new locatio

Hat or box doesn't matter as long as it's in your hand and not out for trickle..remember that they are tipping YOU, not the item you collect in.

Working a lunch crowd on 42nd Street. I put my "begging bowl" on the ground for the trickle. A lot of specs on lunch didn't have time to wait for the close, when I passed the bowl. A lot of them, particularly regulars, would watch a few minutes, take in my patter, drop some change in the bowl and pass on before I got to my close.

I only used one hat line, right before I did my escape, when I was all tied up. I would hop around, joking I needed to get payed up front, before everyone left.

I passed the bowl again after I finished, but didn't speak. Everyone was well aware of the bowl and me keeping one eye on it. A bowl of money on the sidewalk, on 42nd Street is the elephant in the room, it speaks for itself.

A beggars bowl, gee dude no offecne but that lanuage just hurts to read.
Mario

LOL!It fit my character and presentation.

There you go.