So when your doing bar magic, Whats your go-to effects to get tips out of people? Get them to pull some money out, do something nuts with it and have them give it to you at the end...

I usually do a mismade bill or some sort of bill switch with a vanish at the end and have it appear in my wallet (Signed Bill).. Usually they let me keep it at that point. lol

Just curious what effects other use to pull money from people? What seems to have the most success?

Obviously it always boils down to your personality, if they like you and if they are being entertained. But I am sure people have some sly ways of getting that money from people.

Signed bill to Twinkie utilizing a TT.

I do something amazing, and let them decide whether it's worth a tip or not.

If you think that doing something like having their money appear in your wallet is a subtle cue for them to consider tipping you, I submit that you're deceiving nobody but yourself. I (and many others here) would consider it tacky.

No " trick " will get that result. A good performance and a good rapport might.

I don’t openly ask for tips. However a few months back I was doing a strolling corporate gig, the company gave me ten $10 Bills to magically hand out. So I would borrow a $1 bill from someone, turn it into a $10 bill and let them keep it. They were happy and at the end of the gig I made an extra $10 in singles. One guy actually found me later and tried to give the bill back to me, all I said was "it's yours, I won’t undo the magic"

I never liked asking for tips, no matter how you ask or imply you want a tip the audience always hears "give me your money"

Good for the company.

I did a show for a service company a few years ago. At one point in the evening someone asked for my help on something, I helped, they thanked me, and I replied, "My pleasure."

The boss handed me $10.

(Apparently they have a policy there that if a customer thanks an employee for helping them, and the employee replies, "my pleasure", the employee gets $10.)

Meh, But sometimes you just need extra cash to pay your cox bill... Im not talking about a strolling event for an upscale gig. Im talking about making money.. We all have done it, and if you deny that, you are just as fooling yourself as I am. lol

And yes.. There are tricks to get money out of people that work better then others. I already stated above that no amount of pushing for tips will ever compare to giving them a great show and entertaining them and having them like you and want to tip you... that's besides the point.

I left my morals at the door on this post. lol

If you mean that we have all asked spectators to pull out money in an effort to get a tip . . . well, you're wrong. Speak for yourself; please don't speak for the rest of us.


I looked around and didn't see you stating anything of the sort.


Good luck with that.


Some of us didn't. That was your decision.

Dude if don't like it then don't fallow the thread.

People aren't stupid. They can 'smell" someone's attitude if what they are doing is about getting money.

I think being the best you can be with an emphasis on them being entertained is a good approach. The money will follow.

Dude, you asked for advice. If you don't like the advice you get, don't ask for it.

Funny how you make absurd comments, then try to blame them on someone else.

Kinda hard to judge my attitude and style of play with people if you have not seen me do my thing... Iv never once had someone turn their nose up at me for making their signed bill vanish and appear in my zippered wallet. And of course I offer it back, then move into something else.. I almost always get the tip, leave them entertained and show them a good time, all in playful spirits.

s2000 must just be that rich to not have his eyes light up if someone pulls out a 10, 20 or even 50 dollar bill and you might actually get that as a tip... Well good for him... I'm broke, I light up inside for sure.

Posted: Dec 6, 2012 7:36pm
I asked for advice, Not to point out my character flaws. or to down talk to me about my way of thinking.. Take it somewhere else.

I agree with S2000 100%

I've never demanded tips, and if you don't like the advice then don't ask for it. It's a shame to hear you have no morals, and magic to you is just a away to make a few extra bucks.

It's not that we are so wealthy we don't need the money, it's we care more about the craft and sharing the joy of magic, money earned from doing so allows us to continue doing what we love. We are entertainers not con-men without morals looking for a quick and easy way to part our future employers with their money. You get hired for these "upscale" gigs by earning the job. And the tips received are earned, not secretly swindled.

You should be thankful for the advise we gave you, not give us attitude because it wasn't what you wanted to hear.

Lol

That WAS the advice.

I agree totally with S2000magician.

nevertheless, I've notice that A.waltz gets me tips more frequently than most effects, maybe the guy wants to impress the girl, I don't know.

I'm 100% with Andy, S2000 and Zombie. When you do a trick with money, and the bill is signed, singed, or covered with lemon juice and you give it back to them, if they tell you to keep it....they usually just don't want that disgusting bill back in their wallet. If I recieve a tip, I want it to be from the heart, because they were amazed. I think the word tip is a borderline dirty word. Do you say to a bartender, server, cab-drive etc. "Here's your tip"? No. Not if you have any class. You simply hand it to them, or say keep the change. On my restaurant gigs, if someone asks "Do you take tips", I respond with "It's not necessary, I'm paid very well by the restaurant." Which is true. This does 2 things, it tells them I'm NOT a beggar trying to hustle somebody for a few bucks with a deck of cards. It also tells them that I am a hired entertainer with a special skill, like a piano player who is paid for my skill. However, if someone politely hands me a few bills, I take it and thank them kindly, preferrably they know to be discreet and use the $10 handshake. Even better, the $20 handshake.

Hey Derek,
I'm in it for the freedom (I busk), the fun (for both my audience and myself), and most definitely the money (people keep wanting it when I go to eat & stuff).

Your premise is to get a bill from someone for a trick and then keep it. You want to know what trick will accomplish this best. I gently recommend that in order to make more of that smelly green stuff you change your premise. You blow off the answer you already know is correct (you stated it) with "sly ways of getting that money from people" comment. If you use sly ways they should be in your performance, not the trick selection.

What sly ways, I can hear you asking, in my performance should I use then that will get that money from people? Glad you asked. It's a simple matter of informing your audience that your purpose is to both entertain and be able to eat later on. If you perform well and they know why you are there the money will follow. It's really just that simple and simple is the way you want to keep it. Elaborate plans to extract a bill and then they "allow" you to keep it is not as profitable as an up front relationship where everyone knows the deal.

In your open let people know your intentions and then give them something worth them giving you something.
People appreciate the up front honest approach to the slicky tricky I'm gonna try and put one over on you money wise one.

Good fortune to you in your quest for exchangeable paper.

Well said, FH!

Well I am glad this bullet was stepped in front of prior to my arrival. The point was made far more elequantly, and more polite than Iever could have hoped to.