I guess I'm kinda lucky, in the UK we don't have this (every single person you meet gets a tip) culture. I don't have to work hard for tips.

1. 'cos I know I'm unlikely to get any, the pulic here wouldn't recognise or respond to the signals.
2. I try and make sure I get paid well enough so I don't need them. ($100 per hour MINIMUM.)
3. I don't wanna beg for money when I'm already gettin paid.

WRONG Merlinuk!!!!!! Working for tips is NOT begging. Here in the U.S. it is a very common way of being paid. i.e. Restaurant servers often make $2.10 an hour the rest of their income is tips. A lot of the servers I work with make U.S.$100 to 150 a night in tips which is a good "middle class" income if the are working 3 to 5 nights a week.

Also it is common to tip at Xmas time people like the postman and dustman (garbage collectors.) My ex-wife, and my present girl friend, often tip their hair stylist ($10 to $20 TIP.) It is a cultural difference between UK and U.S.

Peter

Wow all these !!!!!'s ouch. I'm well aware of the cultural difference and have stated such in other posts. But when you read all these posts from young up and coming magicians asking how to get tips and methods to encourage tips (like wearing button badges, I suppose - no offence intended), sounds like blatently asking for money. I know it's purely a cultural thing but I'd rather have a decent wage for what I am doing from the restaurant manager than have to rely on customer kindness to make up my wage. I've been to NYC on a few occasions and will be there again in March. My wife and I have to go through this strange routine of filling our wallets with small bills to cover tips. If someone is getting paid to take my suitcase to my room I don't see why I should have to pay them as well. People should be paid a decent wage in the first place. But hey I love the U.S. (I proposed to my wife on top of the E.S.B.) and am looking forward to staying there in March. No offense intended in this post Peter, just the views of a foreigner from across the pond

No offence was taken. I just wanted to point out the different cultures and the way you look at tipping vrs the way we look at tipping.

My tips, and any good magician, equals your fees. Not all the time, I have had nights where I made $9 in four hours. I try to forget those nights but the memories live on. Of course I do charge the restaurant a fee for my being there so it is never a total loss.

I would be lost in the UK trying to busk on the street while on vacation which I do here. Paid for every vacation I've had in the last 6 years doing street performances for tips.

Peter

I work nights as a bartender, and get paid of course, but a bartender salary is not much. The tips are always more than the salary, and I know that without the magic, my tips wouldn't be half of what they are. So I guess you could say that magic pays a couple bills, and bartending gives me a place to do magic.

Anyway, there is a big difference between European tipping practices and US tipping practices. All in all, I'm glad that live in place where people feel obligated to tip.

Cheers Peter. You'd go down a storm at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. I did some 'street' a good few years ago. It was fantastic. I met a magician from Amsterdam, he was staying at a really good hotel, mainly on tips from busking. Go on Peter, the challange of Edinburgh awaits you.

try coming to dundee to do street magic

yid get yir heed pand in wi a brick


LOL
dundonians are scary but thet arent all like that, me as a prime example

TUSCAN, you might want to write that again for our english speaking members

BELIEVE ME

even i have trouble translating it sometimes, and ive lived there all my life!

Bascally what Tuscan said was that if you attempted to perform street magic in the city of Dundee in Scotland "you would have your head hit with a brick" - a sensible warning perhaps.

Mt. Airy NC was mentioned earlier, I go to school in Winston-Salem, not too far away, and have no idea if $150 for 2.5 hours is reasonable or not. A "reasonable" rate all depends on the venue worked. I'm sure a high-class suit and tie type establishment would probably pay more than your local burger joint, and tips would also be better. Also, some restaurants allow performers a set hourly or evening rate, plus tips. Other places decide that they don't want their performers receiving tips, so I'd imagine the flat rate would be higher than if one were also accepting tips.

Speaking of N.C. one place to get big tips is in Highlands. There are plenty of restaurants, but you would do well there. My family (In-laws) has a summer home there, Cullosaga Club to be specific, and I go there about 3 to 4 times a year. Never performed, but most of the people there are pretty high dollar. There are places in N.C. that the prices are in line with NYC, and Highlands is one based upon cost of living there.

That's my two cents

In the UK I'd probably get around $300 for 2.5 hours. If it was a regular gig then probably $250. This would be a set rate as I wouldn't be getting tips.