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illusionsfortheblind New user 10 Posts |
Let's say it's a slow day and you stop a group, 3 people, a few people stop but don't stick around. By your last trick it's just the main group of 3. What hatline do you give, or any at all? Do you assume theyll tip you without saying so, do you drop a subtle hint, or do you give your normal hatspeech as you would for every show?
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Yellowcustard Inner circle New Zealand 1334 Posts |
Never assume they know how to pay. Always do a hat line. Yes I tune it down a bit, but still point out no one pays me to be here apart from you. You may also want to consider have a tip bowl out and run a trickle. Quite days I do 5 tricks a on repeat. And after every 2 effects I point out the tip bowl.
Enjoy your magic,
and let others enjoy it as well! |
Zauberman Veteran user 314 Posts |
If you're good and you connect with them...you often don't need a hat line. They will want to give you $$$.
To solict for cash directly with only 3 people....comes off a bit as begging. It sounds like perhaps the area you are working might not be so great. |
JoeJoe Inner circle Myrtle Beach 1915 Posts |
The less people there are, the more awkward the speech. I have "levels" of hat lines depending on how invested the audience is, ie: if they don't really care about what you are doing, they are not going to tip you anyway so there is no need to ask.
For small groups where hatting is awkward, "borrow a bill" ... tell them you will show them a trick, and give it right back to them. Then show them a trick, and give it right back to them. If it was a good trick and you did a good job, they will most likely give it back to you for one simple reason: it is more work to put it back in their wallet than it is to hand it back to you ... people are just lazy like that. If you don't think that works then do this to prove it to yourself: when someone is about to put a dollar in your tip jar, tell them they don't have to ... if their wallet is still in their hand they will more likely put it back in their wallet, but if you wait until after they put their wallet back in their pocket they will more likely just put it in your jar anyway ... I've done this long enough to tested that out and know it is truth. I think I even mention in my Crowd Goes Wild lecture to wait for people to put their wallet away before you tell them "oh that's okay, there is no charge today" ... they go ahead and tip, and everyone that heard me say that sees them, and they all start going for their wallet too. If I didn't put that in there, I should have. http://magicjoint.com/pages/magic-shop/t......d-promo/ -JoeJoe
Amazing JoeJoe on YouTube[url=https://www.youtube.com/user/AmazingJoeJoe]
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D. Yoder Veteran user 376 Posts |
My tip box has a sign that says, "Thank you for supporting the Art of Street Performing." The sign on my table has Paypal and Venmo info. Other than saying something about this is how I make my living, I don't hat small groups when I am working a trickle.
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ed rhodes Inner circle Rhode Island 2885 Posts |
I had a hard nosed cop once. My agreement with the city stipulates "no direct solicitation for funds." He claimed my having written; "thank you" on the bucket constituted a direct solicitation! Some days you can't win.
"...and if you're too afraid of goin' astray, you won't go anywhere." - Granny Weatherwax
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noland Veteran user 350 Posts |
Quote:
On Aug 29, 2019, ed rhodes wrote: I had a similar experience once--only I had the word "contributions" written on my tip jar. After a cop informed me that that single printed word still constituted solicitation in his view (and wasn't allowed), I simply taped a five dollar bill on the front of the jar in place of "contributions". That worked! |
ed rhodes Inner circle Rhode Island 2885 Posts |
Clever!
"...and if you're too afraid of goin' astray, you won't go anywhere." - Granny Weatherwax
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bcstoner New user 24 Posts |
Some cops just don't understand. Fact of life.
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ed rhodes Inner circle Rhode Island 2885 Posts |
Quote:
On Aug 31, 2019, bcstoner wrote: To be fair, some cops see their job as keeping the street traffic (vehicle and foot) moving smoothly. Any thing that might effect that, threatens their viewpoint. Depending on how narrow their viewpoint is, effect their response.
"...and if you're too afraid of goin' astray, you won't go anywhere." - Granny Weatherwax
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J Burke Whittaker New user 35 Posts |
Quote:
On Aug 29, 2019, noland wrote: Do you live outside the US? Seems to me if not your constitutional rights may be being violated. No local ordinance can supersede the Constitution of the United States. Just a thought... |
noland Veteran user 350 Posts |
Quote:
On Sep 11, 2019, J Burke Whittaker wrote: The incident I described (cop objecting to the word "contributions") occurred in Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia, USA. The city has since relaxed the enforcement of some of its restrictions, including the foregoing one. You're right--the First Amendment right to free speech would seem to apply here. The problem when confronting cops enforcing local ordinances restricting speech, is the cops have the power. Of course, if you are prepared to fight them in court, maybe by enlisting the ACLU, you may prevail. But this isn't a quick or easy thing to do. |
kcmagic1 New user 78 Posts |
Noland, that is a great point!! Not only is it a long drawn out process, it makes it rough on everyone. Cities have implemented laws because of street performers who just don't care, almost to the point that they are looking for a confrontation. Not just with magic but in all forms of street performing. The best thing to do is to try and obey the local laws and not look for a confrontation.
Designer of the 1000-G cups - the most durable cups in magic www.kristiancharles.com/1000-g
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Kozmo V.I.P. 5473 Posts |
Just talk to them....dont turn it into something....not that I know anything
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Jerskin Inner circle 2497 Posts |
I've lived near the Third Street Promenade & Venice Beach for over 30 years. I've seen a lot of street performers. Most only once.
The ones I see all the time, no magicians lately, all get a crowd before actually doing anything. There was a guy at Venice for decades who walked on glass. I loved watching him draw a crowd. Breaking up a bunch of bottles got people's attention. I saw both Kozmo & Gazzo on the Third Street Promenade which was fun. Those guys know what they're doing. Where were you performing?
GrEg oTtO
MUNDUS VULT DECIPI |
Illusionsfortheblind2 New user 11 Posts |
This was a while back, I kind of have it figured out now, this was when I was starting to make $50 a day, and I still am, the season is ****
It's called a soft hatline. Basically you don't go all "I'm going to hold my hat out for donations, blah blah" You just perform your tricks, I don't go beyond 2 tricks unless they are really fun and enjoying the magic, I'll do a finale. But throughout, you sprinkle lines that get it into their heads, you're not just doing it for fun, you're trying to make some money. For example "I'm going to make you do the magic, if you do good, I might even tip you instead" Then at the end I just thank them for watching, and hand a business card, no mention of money, they will tip or they won't, if they don't, they won't tip if you ask... If it's been slow all day, I'll just leave a hat on the floor with money, so they'll get the idea right away. If I'm not building crowds, this is the way to go for me, one group at a time, leave a hat on the floor, 5 bucks at a time. When you do this, don't think about the money, just learn to "hang out with people" just perform, if they tip, cool, if they don't, that's okay. |
ed rhodes Inner circle Rhode Island 2885 Posts |
I like that. I try to do that with the pizza place. (The park doesn't work anymore, the zoo bought out the carousel and they don't want me there.)
I do stuff for the people sitting in the pizza place and they come out and tip me without any "hat line." Not a lot, but I'm having fun.
"...and if you're too afraid of goin' astray, you won't go anywhere." - Granny Weatherwax
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