How do some readers get 50$/ 10 min reading at renaissance/psychic fairs?

Hi,

I ask myself how some people get fees like 50$ for a ten minute reading at renaissaince fairs/ psychic fairs without being "famous", when other readers charge 10$ for the same time, sigh...

What do they tell people so they say yes to that price? Does anybody have an idea?

Thank you for any clue into that direction
Tarotiana

That would greatly depend on the size of the fair. I have never seen a reader at one charge $50 for a ten minute reading though at larger ren. fairs I have seen readers charge that for 30 minute readings.

When I have worked at ren. fairs the fee was $15 for 15 minutes. If I had a steady stream of customers the entire day that might have been profitable but the clients came and went rather sporadically. For me the reason to do the gig was to get to be at a Fair for the day and enjoy the setting and getting to play "dress up." Larger fairs draw larger crowds and if you lowball you will spend your day doing many unprofitable readings.

I think you can charge a bit more for a psychic fair because all attendees are there explicitly for the purpose of getting readings, your job isn't to convince them that they want one, just that they want one from you. At a ren fair few customers came with the intention of getting a reading and you are hoping they spend their money on you instead of on a trinket vendor.

Hi,
Hi Shade,

60 $/Eur per hour seem to be a typical price for many renaissance fair readers, which I consider too low, compared to the costs a renfaire usually produces.

Especially if the renfaire is small, and if you only sell 2 and a half hours per day...

About the psychic fairs: I liked that the fees there can be much better. What I did not like was working with 23 other people glancing into the future....and some of them offering readings for 5 Eur, in order to generate clients for their phone hotline...

And with 400+ Eur for a booth at psychic fairs, hotel costs, and cost of transportation the costs can be really so painfull, that even when you produce quite a high turnaround, your income can be next to nothing... So psychic fairs are not my favourite places...

But thank you for your input

IMHO - The bigger the faire (and the number of people that will go to it) the bigger the price.

Like Shade said ~ people going to a psychic faire are expecting to part their silver with a psychic, whereas people at a Renfaire may part their silver for the jewelry/crystal/trinket vendors so you have to pull them in your direction.

Remember too - people see price=worth, so if you under-price yourself people see it as 'lesser worth.' If other readers at the same faire are $50 and you are $30 - they will view that as someone whose readings are poor, has no experience, isn't very good, etc, etc, not that 'that one is cheaper - let's go see her.'

You cannot make these judgments without a little experimenting to see what the market will bear; it may take a while of pricing yourself too high or too low.

Remember, too, that the higher prices are to deter the deadwood and attract serious Querents, not the bikers who had too many beers.

Agree with tarotbear.

Thank you Tarotbear,

that really strengthens my thoughts of raising my prices. This weekend I will work a renaissance fair that is said to have 15.000 visitors between friday and sunday evening.
(But I do not know how many tarotreaders we will be.)

I usually charge 20 Eur for up to 7 minutes, which is still only 20 Eur for up to 10 min, as people need a little pretalk, and a minute to pay. So that amounts to only 120 Eur per hour with a max of 4 to 5 hours beeing sold on saturday and sunday, and only 2 or 3 on friday evening.

If I do not find a lot of competition next to me working for 10 Eur/10 min, I will try to raise my prices to 30 Eur for 7= 10 min, and see what happens

I also thought of buying one of those electronic photo frames, and glueing some leather, wood ect. to its edges so it looks like a "magic mirror". Then I can put a slideshow of my newspaper articles and sreenshots of tv appearances, photos with city majors and me etc there. I somehow have the feeling this could help set me appart.

How do you people feel about that?

tarotbear said:

IMHO - The bigger the faire (and the number of people that will go to it) the bigger the price.

Like Shade said ~ people going to a psychic faire are expecting to part their silver with a psychic, whereas people at a Renfaire may part their silver for the jewelry/crystal/trinket vendors so you have to pull them in your direction.

Remember too - people see price=worth, so if you under-price yourself people see it as 'lesser worth.' If other readers at the same faire are $50 and you are $30 - they will view that as someone whose readings are poor, has no experience, isn't very good, etc, etc, not that 'that one is cheaper - let's go see her.'

You cannot make these judgments without a little experimenting to see what the market will bear; it may take a while of pricing yourself too high or too low.

Remember, too, that the higher prices are to deter the deadwood and attract serious Querents, not the bikers who had too many beers.

Click to expand...

Tarotiana said:

I also thought of buying one of those electronic photo frames, and glueing some leather, wood ect. to its edges so it looks like a "magic mirror". Then I can put a slideshow of my newspaper articles and sreenshots of tv appearances, photos with city majors and me etc there. I somehow have the feeling this could help set me apart.

How do you people feel about that?

Click to expand...

I think that's a great idea - but will there be electricity to plug it in? It is a good thing to have 'away' from your table, so that others can view it while you are doing a reading.

Yes, there will be electricity. - I have to hide everything that looks to modern like electric cables, but I also think it is great if people look into my "magic mirror ;-)" while I work. So they have something to do while they wait, and they will be nicer if they ask for my price, after they have seen some of my credentials. At least I hope so

tarotbear said:

I think that's a great idea - but will there be electricity to plug it in? It is a good thing to have 'away' from your table, so that others can view it while you are doing a reading.

Click to expand...

Be sure to put a sign over it that says 'Look Into My Magic Mirror' or something like that - play it for all it is worth! Put a holder with business cards in front of it!

ETA - I got it - put a sign on the frame that says 'Look into my magic mirror to see my past; look into the Tarot to see Your Future!'

Tarotiana said:

Hi,

I ask myself how some people get fees like 50$ for a ten minute reading at renaissaince fairs/ psychic fairs without being "famous", when other readers charge 10$ for the same time, sigh...

What do they tell people so they say yes to that price? Does anybody have an idea?

Click to expand...

I feel it is all in the marketing, and your choice!

I have went to psychic fairs and saw a reader post
$90./hour SHOW SPECIAL

Waited and called her house the next week and
she quoted the same price.
She is a very good reader but $90. is her price
fair or home but...
who would know the difference, if they never inquired???

Stand your ground,
name your price &
do what you know how to do!