Okay I was reading through everyones post and some had great hats and some just decent hats. What is the average hat. I know that depends on location and etc. But I'm saying to all who answer this what is your average hat in your general area?

My average Downtown Detroit during a festival is $17 for ten minutes.

In this area the average hat is a baseball cap.

That's an interesting figure, Dynamike. Didn't you just get out for the first time a week ago and did two shows? Seems like a very small sample to average.

Although over $100 an hour on your first time out must be nice...

LOL

Yea you are right Splice. I only did two 10 minutes shows so far street busking.

Well, keep at it, you'll draw a nice salary

Thanks.

I'm partial to a nice Fedora.

No one else has an average?

As a general rule not many people are going to answer that one. . . kind of like asking, "where are the good places to perform?" Why would anyone wish to share this information with you? It just wouldn't be in anyone's interest to do so.

Sure, sometimes, someone will give a number. And sometimes they might even be honest with you. Usually though, if anyone is going to tell you a number you can assume one of two possibilities (not always but usually). . . if the number is high, they're probably full of crap, if the number is low, they're probably trying to scare you away. Good pitches are guarded and telling you an average hat is going to be a clue about what/where a good pitch is.

And besides all that, good hats are going to be different on different pitches at different times. An average hat in February in New Orleans is going to be very different from an average February hat in Boston, and both are going to be very different from an average hat at any given time anywhere else. It's also going to be different for the size of the show, what you're doing, and who you are. Gazzo's average for a full circle show is very different from my average for a sidewalk close up show. I'll leave it to you to figure out which one is bigger (hint: not the guy writing this). Good luck.

Mark

PS Mike, I'm not necessarily putting you in either category. I just don't know you or your pitch.

PPS Bowlers and fedoras seem pretty average to me. . . wear a cowboy hat.

PPS Sorry, I'll go pull that stick out of my nether regions now.

Hi Mark,

My average hat is $300 for a 20 minute show and you know what pitch I work. But then, I'm not a very honest guy.

Perhaps a better question is how much is the average for a day's work? Danny Hustle says a hack can make $200 in 8-10 hours at an average pitch. Correct me if I'm wrong Danny.

Koz was recently quoted on this forum that a pitch on the beach in Southern CA (can't remember if it was Venice or Santa Monica) was worth $300-400 a day if you're good.

This sounds like great money. Now $450 a day is $117,000 a year, working five days a week. That would be a great pitch, no? Do you think something like this exists 12 months a year? I doubt it. Buskers have weather to deal with and travel. Let's say you have that kind of pitch for six months out of the year. Now were are down to $60,000 a year. Let's take gas money, food and lodging out of that equation. Even if you sleep in your car or crash at a friend's home, you are going to have to shower at a hotel once in a while. Now you have to buy some rope, pay taxes (if you're into that) and other expenses you might incur. That $60,000 is looking more like $30,000-$35,000 (if you're in a 28% tax bracket). That's if you're good with an ideal pitch! Tom Frank recently made a coin video because "He couldn't get a crowd to save his life." I consider Tom Frank to be a good busker.

I think this is why Jimmy says in his book that you will have a tough time supporting a family on a busker's earnings. Easier if you're single. Many buskers supplement their earnings on the street by doing kid's shows, private parties, etc. Now there's a mental picture. JimmyTalksAlot doing hippy hop rabbits. Sorry, Jimmy.

But then a spool of rope costs $30, $4.00 a gallon for gas, but doing what you want...priceless.

Magic 924...I see you are a new member here and you look pretty young. I perceive you might be considering busking. The street is great and I encourage you to get out there, but go to college if you have the opportunity.

Wayne,

I don't know, you're about as honest as they come. But obviously, I must be doing something wrong cause I'm not making $300 a hat. . . heh heh heh.

Thank you, by the way, for the image of Jimmy and the rabbit. Now I must go bleach my eyes.

Mark

PS I do like your hat.

I've always had such a variance that I can't even recall an average. Maybe 30 to 60$ in a four hour period +/- maybe? San Francisco isn't a great place to go for "The Big Hat", though. So I've been told, so my experience tells me...

Maybe in a huge circle show, but I've never had any luck with those. My show is small by design. It keeps me under the radar.

Everywhere is different. If you get the spot at the end of Fanual (sp?) Hall in Boston they crowds can be great and I've seen the magician there pull in amazing hats. I can't think of where Gaddy could pull the same crowd in SF w/out the police breaking it up.

The reason I ask is I just got into the American comedy institute in NYC and I'm moving there. I don't like normal jobs but I figured with the area being NYC making enough to pay my living expenses and start paying off the loan for school might be possible. It would take roughly $2000 a month to do all that. But I figured start by busking maybe do some restaurants and private parties and I might be able to have an income doing something I'm into. I love making people smile. Magic, comedy whatever I don't care but you can't live for free so I gotta pay the bills. I just wondered if it's possible to do so in the NYC and surrounding areas.

Well, I can't argue with your motive. Is it possible? Sure, why not. Anything's possible. Actually, if you're doing parties and restaurants, as well as busking, you'd probably be fine.

There is an American Comedy Institute?

Hi Magic924,
so much of a good hat depends on the venue. Is it somewhere where people are going from point A to point B? Is it somewhere where people are out for a good time? My experience is that you'll make more in the second even if there aren't as many people.

If you are starting out and serious as you appear to be, the main question is "can it support me while I study and learn?". In a big city with good weather I think it can if you are single. But you've got to hustle.

I'm in a big country town in Australia. You can really only do street magic here on the weekends and at festivals.

In a big city or if you move around a lot (as I did when I started) you can do it a lot more.

Hope it helps.

I don't want to sound like a broken record but the information you seek is discussed at length in Jimmy Talksalot book, "To Lure With Spectacle and Our Mysterious Society".

http://www.leapinglizardsmagic.com/lure_with_spectacle.htm

Among many, many other variables it depends on the type of show you do. The question really cannot be answered.

In his lecture notes Chris Capehart breaks it down by the numbers so that he made 1500 dollars a week busking in NYC. Looking at those notes now, I see that he was really busting his arse -working the streets 10 hours a day and moving to different spots for different crowds at different times of day.

He had a family to support and a house to pay for, so I guess he really had to hit the streets HARD.

Far too much real work for this lazy californian, but the allure of 1500$ a week cash money is certainly sweet...

I suppose if you put your mind, heart and soul into it you could probably make a go of it too.