i have been thinking about doing magic an friday and saterday nights in my down town area.
i am going to set a hat down for tips. the only thing i am worried about is some one running by and stealing my hat full of tips.

has this happened to any one before?

Oh yeah. It happens quite often at first. One other thing, here in NM, they don't like buskers just yet. People are working on it, but not yet. You will probably get hassled.

To answer you, just be ready to chase someone down.

I dont leave my hat on the ground. My top hat stays on my head, as I hit new groups of people, or as a crowd cycles, I will toss out my money line, hold out my hat, empty the hat right into my back pack (which never leaves my shoulder) and the hat goes back on the head.

Hat on the ground implies begging in the minds of some people. If you have a table, put it on the table instead.

Robert Bloor is a busker from Albuquerque, NM and he is very successful there.



Before you start busking, stay in school and learn English and spelling. I have talked about this for several years now. We can only judge you by your posts. When I see a post with spelling mistakes and failure to follow capitalization rules, I get the impression that you are too lazy to run spell check, so how in the world can you have the energy to practice magic.

Busking takes practice, practice practice until you can do the tricks in your sleep. THEN, and only then, you have to start rehearsals. You rehearse, rehearse, rehearse until you can not in any way screw up even if you are being harassed. If you can't take the time to spell check how can you take the time needed to prepare for busking.

Just setting the hat out looks like begging.

I tell you what at 17 years old you may not have the stuff yet, and I don't know how well A.P.Ds mounted unit would take to a minor in the immediate vacinity of places like Maloney's, Sauce & RAW. (As frankly 4th & Central is the primary spot to pull of a street show).

Either way, it's your call. Refine your act as paddy suggests. Whatever you do, make sure you're safe about it.



Have to disagree with the esteemed moderator. Unless perhaps he'd enlighten us with first hand accounts of having his hat stolen from him. Otherwise I say this is just talkie talkie.

-Robert

nail your hat to a bench or something. and always empty the cash into your pokets if you get the chance.

If you remember Jesse here in town, we decided to give it a shot at the Spring Crawl a few years ago. We had someone go for the hat then. It really depends on how you have your crowd situated. We put the hat on the ground but we weren't doing a full fledged street show. I'd imagine that in a normal show, you wouldn't have any problems. I had no problem at the state fair, but that's a different environment during the day.

Hi Robert,
We're simply trying to warn the kiddies here that busking is serious business and to watch out for themselves.

Gazzo has had his hat stolen on occasion. Now he has his "keep" tied to his table so if someone tries to snatch it they'll be dragging the whole setup down the street. He tells a great story about someone who warned him about having his money out. Gazzo took him up on the challenge and the next show the guy walked off with his money, hat and all. Of course he was nice enough to bring it back as he was trying to prove a point. My point in all this is simply to say "Yes, it can happen."

Heck, even Jersey Jim (I think that's his name) had his hat stolen (not the money, the actual hat itself).

Another thing to remember is that Robert is more imposing than a younger guy. Not by much, he did move to South Florida and all, but that's another story.

You saying I'm fat?

And actually, I'm only in central florida for now. I still do work in Albuquerque.

-Robert

thats hasnt happened once to me yet,

i guess i will though

ive been setting a hat there for tips and doing tricks every week for about 3 months and it hasnt happened, guess it matters the area as well

How much have you been making a night when you busk?

o...um

well, i set up a table, and stop people, and show them tricks, without the hatline and i just have the hat there

i would say about 20-40 dollars depending on the tricks i perform and such.

Glue the hat to the gruond:P