A few were talking about speed. What would you consider an ideal speed? A sword I can make in several seconds. A mermaid I am still timing myself at 9-12 minutes (which I find terribly slow - anyone know average?). So I can run a threshold of times but it seems like it would be difficult to entertain the most patient child along with the line for 10 minutes while I make a mermaid which is why I currently don't do that sculpture.

That is why my sculpture are mostly 2 minutes or less. On my DVDs Bad to the Balloon #1 & #2 There is line working stuff that is very creative and wanted by the public.

#1 has a great mermaid I can make it in about a minute now.

PM me if your interested about more info on this

I have "Bad To The Balloon" Vol. 1 but have only had a chance to watch it once through and have only made the dolphin hat. Your mermaid is slightly different than the one I learned so I will be studying it as well and will let you know my time.

If you want to increase your take home pay you have to consider the amount of money you make per hour, not per sculpture. I've met a lot of good twisters who cut their speed in half because their purples are mixed in with their blacks, or two or three kids per hour get to the front of the line and just stare at you blankly when you ask them what they want. You can twist a sword in several seconds, but what percentage of the time are you twisting? Of course you still have to be entertaining and polite but cut out the stuff nobody's enjoying.

Also, don't let your line end. If you're going to be standing somewhere working for tips it's much easier to get someone to join a line that's two or three people long than to walk up when nobody's in line.

In a couple of discussions people have mentioned having a line for $5 tips, presumably shorter than the regular line? That is just weird on so many levels.

Well I worked a street fair tonight and put some of these useful ideas to the test.

Firstly I had two white boards with multi colored lists of my "menu" and "today's specials"... most importantly though I wrote "ask me about children's parties" and "recommended tip $5" on the boards, I figured that it is better to have a written menu rather than a photo menu since it would encourage the parents ( who carry the money) to accompany their child in the line to read the options for them, sneaky huh.

Next I got rid of the tips bucket entirelly and took tips by hand, putting them into a waist bag. This gave me the opportunity to hand each parent my card as well.

Also I put a few $5 bills into my hat band, just a subtle reminder.

The result? As I said in my first post I usually take home about $200 at the end of a long day's non stop twisting. Tonight, in two hours, I made $190 and only stopped twisting in the final hour of the fair so that I could do my magic busking show and make a little more money.

It's certainly not all about the money.... but this was a good night.

Thanks folks for all your advice.

tom

I don't like the recommended tip bit but the tip bucket is bad it encourages change not bills.
We have bags we hang from our belts with a ring to hold open the top, the lining has cash printed all over it. It works.
get a pump! my tips drop when I don't use a pump. plus you can have fun with the smart A** who calls you a cheat. hand them a balloon and take one your self an say go! Twist them a doggie and give it to them and remind them that the av. tip for a mouth inflated dog is 10$.

keep the line, the kid mosh pit is bad in soooo many ways.

Never pay to perform. If you are selling that is a different story. You should try to get payed. cutting the event a brake if you take tips and only if you think it is worth it. or tell them if you do well in tips this year you will cut them a better deal next year. booking a year in advantce is not a bad thing and if the tip are good it will be worth the small bit you nock off the price.

8. ( don't make balloons for people who aren't there; I.E. "I have three grandkids at home who would just love...")

AMEN

As Mark made note hats. The smaller the kid the bigger the hat. I love hats!

Hi Pokie-Poke,

I agree with your reservations about the recommended tip bit but it stems from two things...

1) my wife overheard a conversation about me at a festival last month where one parent asked another where to get a balloon hat and the other said "over there, they are only a dollar!" and

2) watching another twister in my area working a festival with a menu and a recommended tip... and getting it.

Gave me food for thought, sure it doesn't feel right ( but then I'm not just twisting poodles and swords, not that I wouldn't mind) but when I do my street (busking) magic show I ask for fives ( and sometimes get them) and I feel that it amounts to the same thing ( I only felt stiffed once last night after I made four BIG models [ for a line at least] and got a $4 tip).

Kept my line tidy last night too... far fewer hacked off parents.

Love the idea of smaller kid- bigger hat... just because it's funny, will do that for sure next time.

Oh, just ordered a pump... hurrah!

Once again folks, thanks for your tips on tips!

tom

I saw A shirt I really liked.. it says //

"tip your twister
.... the doggie you save may be your own"