tagkver Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 Last weekend I started demonstrating at a show cave near home, this is going to be a regular thing now. Sales were good and just for poos and giggles I put out a tip jar, for a while nothing then I put a few bucks in it. I made almost as much off the tips as the stuff I sold. Any one else ever tried this or am I breaking any unwriten law. Thanks for any input ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urnesBeast Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 I am doing a demo in a few weeks, I will likely do this. For me, it is not about the cash. It is about knowing that people value what they see. It is the same reason I sell my stuff on Etsy. When people start laying out non-trivial amounts of cash I know I am getting better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marksnagel Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 If you are demonstrating, and people enjoy what they see there is nothing wrong with a tip jar that I can see. You are giving your time, experience, materials to show them something neat. If at the end of the day the jar is empty, so be it. You will have the joy that you entertained/educated/enlightened people with your blacksmithing. If there is something in the jar, great. Thats a bonus to you. Just my 2 cents worth. Consider it a tip! Mark<>< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 I label mine "Feed the Forge" and I read about salting the pot in "Citizen of the Galaxy" back in the 1960's and it does help; as does managing the jar so it doesn't look too full or too empty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drewed Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 If all goes according to plan, I and my brother in-law will be doing some demo work at the local Scottish fest. We hope to be able to set up in the clan area, and not the vendor area ( free vs 200$ booth space.) Because we are not in the vendor area, we can not sell, but the promoter suggested that we could put out a tip jar and say things like, "That hook is free, but a $10 tip would be nice...." Not sure how I feel about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dablacksmith Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 ya i got one ... i call it my 401k plan... and sometimes its all i make when times are slow...and as far as i figure ant a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurlyGeorge Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 I hadn't thought about a tip jar before. But, like was said above, if the folks enjoy watching your demo then there's nothing that I can see wrong with them helping with your time. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 I am gonna use this idea my next demo... I wonder,, since my the contract says the site gets 10% of any of my sales, tips are exempt correct? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 Well if you are in the no-sales area then you have to be willing to *give* it to them if they don't want to "tip" you for it. If it's a quid pro quo with cash it's a sale! (Not to mention that some states still have "pin" laws on the book since prohibition days---you bought a pin for way too much money and the drink was a free gift!) If they want you to demo but not to sell ask them how much they will be paying you and suggest that US$100 a day is an appropriate amount... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holzkohle Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 For about 3 1/2 years I participated in a living history group portraying the 1836 time frame. I was the primary open hearth cook and early on we had very few attendees. After a while, I was feeding 10-20 people sometimes more. If you were there when the food was ready, you were invited to join us for lunch. In order to cover costs which at that time were basically coming from my pocket, I started having a donation kettle on the table. Some days there were very small donations and on others the amount would surprise me. In a short time we had a sufficient fund to cover food costs, which was the intent of the kettle. Jerry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bajajoaquin Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 I label mine "Feed the Forge" and I read about salting the pot in "Citizen of the Galaxy" back in the 1960's and it does help; as does managing the jar so it doesn't look too full or too empty. Ahh, yes. Baslim's extraordinary wisdom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tagkver Posted May 4, 2011 Author Share Posted May 4, 2011 Thanks for the input ya'll, by the way on second weekend of the tip jar I made more off it than my sales! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob S Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 not sure if that is good news or bad news. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tagkver Posted May 4, 2011 Author Share Posted May 4, 2011 Valid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 Tip jar money is 100% profit. Sales you have to subtract cost of goods from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fbcreative Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 If all goes according to plan, I and my brother in-law will be doing some demo work at the local Scottish fest. We hope to be able to set up in the clan area, and not the vendor area ( free vs 200$ booth space.) Because we are not in the vendor area, we can not sell, but the promoter suggested that we could put out a tip jar and say things like, "That hook is free, but a $10 tip would be nice...." Not sure how I feel about that. I would think that the vendors would be upset that you are using a gimmick to skirt the rules and make sales. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chyancarrek Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 Nothing wrong with it, but I've never done it - it's not my style. I stopped doing markets and shows and the demos I work are volunteer efforts. I've never seen anyone put one out - it would be considered bad form. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tagkver Posted June 17, 2011 Author Share Posted June 17, 2011 how would it be considered bad form? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 At most places I take the forge we are all volunteers; however very few of the others have to take an extra day off work to load a forge and equipment. Very few of them have to buy fuel and supplies for the demonstrations. Very few of them have to spend the extra gas used by a vehicle that can haul a portable blacksmith's set up *and* the camping gear needed. Most of them can just show up in their regular car with a tent and sleeping bag in the trunk they day of the event. If they demo they may be using the site's equipment and materials. Any help I get to cover my expenses that are often many times that of other volunteers just means I'm more likely to be able to continue supporting their event! (And I have been told time and again that people at the event have told the folks running it how interesting it was to have a smith there, or that it was their favorite part of the event.) I do not use the term "tip"; but I'm happy to put out a Feed the Forge jar...(actually a metal tin as a glass jar doesn't live long around a smithy in my experience...) What is bad form is to expect some volunteers to massive spend their own funds to support *your* event while others spend nothing! As a class smiths are not overly endowed with extra cash to throw around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyD Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 I have been doing tips for years. Not only is it a great way to passively earn, but, it gives people a way to show appreciation for the, education/instruction provided and ‘The Show’ you put on at an event. Performers should get paid! The best, and biggest, tip jar I’ve come up with is for an Old West Festival. To make the tip jar fit with the festival theme I made a 6 foot long water trough with an old-fashioned, re-circulating hand pump and a small bucket, with the bottom cut out, hanging from the spout. The other end has instructions, as a Wanted Poster, for a coin toss. The kids play all day with the pump, the horses drink, and the adults pitch in coins for a point Reward. Making another one for the Renaissance fair that will be a open visor helmet in a ‘moat’ coin toss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njanvilman Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Not exactly blacksmith related, but I always use a tip jar(an old one gallon Mayonaise jar with a slot) at my Christmas tree operation. I give away candy canes and penny chocolate. I always seed the jar with a $5, several $1's and a few quarters. It works.The general public needs to be taught what to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurlyGeorge Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Here's mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramsies11 Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 i like the idea, if i ever do a show, im putting up a tip jar, ill talk to some tin/copper smiths about making one and ill forge a stand for it, hopefully the work will draw someones eye. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigred1o1 Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 i used to help doing historical glass work at a fair and we worked out that just for the gas and power we were using it was costing us $80 a day just to keep things hot that is not counting cullet having to get there a day ahead of time to set up the furnace get it up to temp and charge it with cullet(glass pellets) so that it had time to melt and have the air bubbles clear this meant that for a weakened show we had a minimum of 240bucks invested and around 4days sins you had to let everything cool before you could break it down admittedly sales were usually good bc people want to buy stuff they see made but with glass there is a 24houre or so waiting period aka the time it takes to anneal so it wont explode down the road anyway we did a tip jar with a little run down of what it cost us to come set up and demo instead of just selling product it had a little sign over it saying "help us keep it hot" as always whenever you see someone tip/donates say thanks and give your little shpeal about how it helps with the cost of doing the demo and is appreciated this can lead to a few more tips so thats my 2 cents on this just be honest and keep your fingers crossed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
civilwarblacksmith Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 I run a shop that is in a grist mill and tannery that dates to 1797. I demo most saturdays there. I also do many Civil War re-enactments, steam shows, festivals and various living histories from French/ Indian- civil war, At each of these events I put out a candle lantern that I turned into a donations jar. For those who do not wish to buy anything can drop a dollar or whatever into the lantern. Most of the events i do, cost me to do them and this helps to defer the costs for the event and gas to get there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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