Present for the BIRTHDAY kid

hmmmm here goes my opinion:
1) I dont think its "common decency" to provide a gift to the birthday child. I believe that you are hired to do a job.

2) Though it is nice and unexpected it doesnt guarentee you will get hired for next year unless they gave you the deposit right then and there. "oh wow we are definitly having you next year"...well I get that all the time, b/c what i (we) do amazes them. Did you not get that before you gave the gift? (just asking no undertones implied)

3) Ms. Yoko is correcting in that many parents change up the party plans or situations may come up that they cant hire you (out of area, job loss, new addition to family, etc...). Though you May/Will get recommended that's not always a guarentee either.

4) Perry's Idea of a gift thats actually a Marketing tool is awesome! It has all her info on there. If you want to give a "lasting" gift then thats the way to go. I would probably make a reusable grocery tote with my logo and fill it up with goodies. Then when all the goodies are used up, the mom or kid still uses the bag. Constant reminder! But you must make sure you do your budget (assets/liabilities/expenses) as Shanon says. Kristal's gift is awesome too b/c she shows off her ability with minimal cost. Many kids are forgetful and toys come and go so...yeah

5) Also, I love Kristal's Idea of a thank you post card. I have those and send those out. It has Birthday bucks $20 off with a 2 hr minimum booking and and they can use it for themselves next year or give it to a friend. I remember waiting for mail with my name on it total rock star!

6) Cost: so back to the budget thing. I normally do 2-3 birthdays a weekend (and an event but that doesnt count). 3 X $10 X 52= $1560!! Thats money I would rather spend learning new techniques at Fabaic, with awesome teachers (Mark Reid, Pashur, Lucy B, ect... oh wait I AM doing those this week and next year !! ) These techniques and designs will make me a better artist and impress my clients even more. I think my ability will get me hired over a small gift, but thats little thing whether its a $1/ kid item, balloon cake, glitter tat, whatev is an added bonus.

I dont think anyone was trying to put anyone down, but I think they were just making sure you realized what the cost could come out to be BEFORE you invest so much $$. Just to think it through completely.

Peace Love and Rainbow Cakes

I bought a Cricut machine recently and I make one of a kind -personalized tattoo stencils for the birthday child. My last party, I did the little girls name with musical notes around it. She loves music and is very talented in playing instruments. She LOVED the special attention she received with her very own tattoo.
To me, making the children happy and entertained at their party is more then a gift. It makes memories that will last a lifetime.

And I do agree that if it is in your budget, why not buy whatever you want and can affoed for the birthday child. We are all unique in our marketing styles. And I especially love hearing about all your ideas. Gives me great new ideas and I can upscale then or down size them according to my budgets.

You make a very good point glitterfly, very well written. I know when I walk away from the parties I attend I feel good about myself. It's totally not all about the money, how could it be....I have too much fun! Anytime I'm sitting in someones home or joining them at their event, I feel like a guest first, entertainer second. I'm a total giver and putting a smile on a childs face is priceless.

I guess to be fair I should say that I have a full-time medical career, and face and body are just something fun for me to do. My career supports me 100% and my hobby comes as play money. I can TOTALLY understand how every dollar is vital to people who are using facepainting as a career (because it certainly is one). I also know how children come as an extra exspense for those who have them.

I think it's hilarious that people keep posting math problems when I've said a few times now that I price my services where the gift doesnt come as a loss. It was just an idea I felt like sharing...if you can do it, do it! If you can't do it, don't...it's just that simple. You guys are a handfull but I still think you are great as Wolfe white.

I'm killing this thread...I don't want what was supposed to be advice to get picked apart and become something other than fun. If we all agreed 100% of the time, this forum wouldn't be nearly as cool and diverse as it is.

I think it's hilarious that people keep posting math problems

No its not, people that just came and found the thread want to give their point of view too. Its what a forum is suppose to be no?

That is enough of the arguing. Please resume post as adults...

SuzySparkles wrote:That is enough of the arguing. Please resume post as adults...

Did I said something wrong? Sorry I don't get it...

But maybe I'm just not welcome here...

You are very welcome, it just seems as though everyone is arguing in this thread and it is my job to keep the peace so to speak... It wasn't aimed at you or to anyone in specific... I am just asking people to post in a friendly manner and to stop the bickering so that everyone can have a good time posting their ideas about what to do that is a little extra special for the birthday child. That is all.

I think the thread is friendly, nobody is insulting people or so.

And btw, Spectrum on her last post came with a really important information that change everything about the thread. She does her Face Painting passion as a hobby... not as a career (ok i don't like that word, but anyway). Then, yes, i then can understand her point of view, but again as a career... its a huge waste of money.
I'm not arguing at all and I don't think anyone else was.

I understand that there can be a different outlook when it's career vs hobby (opposed to even career vs hobby-that-I-want-to-be-a-career), but I'm still unsure about why you feel like a guest when you've been hired?

Do you show up, get a drink, have some food, chat with everyone, then at some point say, "Oh, you know what - I've got my paints! Who wants to have their face painted?" or do you show up, set up, and start to paint?

(No arguing undertones meant!)

I have brought presents to parties... Nothing like 10 or 15 dollars... but I have brought like a $5.00 barbie. Most parties make me feel like a guest, most practically shove food down my throat and I have become friends with a lot of people who have booked me... If I had the money to do so I would probably get each kid a gift but they equally like getting the 'birthday girl/boy' glitter tattoo that they get and usually walk around showing everyone I guess everyone is different...

Back to bringing presents for the birthday child:
Back when I 1st started off, I'd take a gift. Usually something from the dollar store. Now, however I don't because so may cheap dollar store items have high levels of lead or use paint that is unsafe for kids. I decided against gifts at this point & really can't afford to take a $15 cut into my business by getting the nicer gifts.

I know what you mean about the food Suzy, I go back and forth with should I, shouldnt I, I usually will take a slice of cake when they bring it to me, but I'll just let it sit there until I'm done doing what I'm doing. I think it's interesting to see how each party goes. I'm pretty sure that I've packed on atleast 10 pounds this past year from Birthday parties alone. Darn them and their cakes. I'm a sucker for that super sweet buttercream bakery icing, as a kid I use to dream about falling into a pool of that stuff and having to eat my way out. Gotta get back to work...sometimes I wish Monday was part of the weekend, but then Tuesday would be the problem! Hope everyone is having a good start to their week!

i absolutely agree that at birthday parties, it is a great idea to make the birthday person feel a little extra special. usually their family is the one hiring you, and it goes a long way, but also, the birthday girl or boy shouldn't feel like something else is upstaging their day. no one likes that.

i know lots of facepainters bring like, a sparkly plastic tiara for birthday girls, or a cool bandanna or foam crown for birthday boys to wear on their heads. I like the idea having something small and cheap, but fun because it's just for them. a slap bracelet or cool key chain, or something. Oriental Trading Company would be my source for this, if I did it!

Right now all I am doing is carrying a pack of knock-off silly bands in my kit in case a child becomes upset about something and needs cheering up, or for those kids that always arrive very late to the party, and run up to you in a group just as you are done and leaving expecting or demanding to be painted. sorry, silly bands and stickers all around and i'm outta there!!!

i don't want to be argumentative, but i totally disagree with the idea that you are a guest, though. you are not a guest as the party, you're not participating in the fun festivities that the planners have provided. you ARE part of the festivities!!! you're there to do the best job possible, make the kids and parents feel special (especially birthday person), which may or may not include a little surprise. the planners aren't offering you the comforts of their home or anything, and i very rarely get offered a plate of food (and even then i refuse at least once before accepting graciously when they insist).

if your given prices are US dollars, i definitely think that doesn't make business sense. it's way too much and kind of strange to give such a gift to a kid you've never met. i think that if you want to keep giving a little surprise to the birthday person, you should check out orientaltrading.com so you can buy little gifts in bulk and not spend so much money per party. i don't do this as a career either, just for fun and to develop a skill, make a little extra cash to supplement my paycheck... but it's like taking 10-15 dollars off you're price if you're spending that much per party! and definitely stocking up before hand on little surprises everyone would like will help save time as well.

Perry Noia wrote:I've found that a colouring page or small colouring book with your contact info plastered all over it, along with the little 3 packs of crayola crayons for ALL the kids at the party... go over VERY well. While your $10 gift may be very well received and they'll remember that "the face painter" gave it to them.... where did their card go? what was their name again? oh well....

A magnetic card that will stay on the fridge (costs you about 50 cents), a two page double sided folded in half and stapled colouring book (about 40 cents), and a 3 pack of crayons (depending on where you get them, about 25 cents)... for less than a buck a kid, they ALL go home with my info plastered on everything and the colouring book gets stuck up on the fridge for a while.

Just something to think about. The birthday kid won't be for another year, the rest of the kids at the party could keep you going every month until then!

very smart! i love the magnet w/ your info idea, especially if it's got a cute enough photo on it that they WANT to keep it on the fridge!!

when I first started, I gave dollar store prizes to the kids (because that's what my mentor clown did)... I gave them to ALL the kids (special birthday kid stuff comes in the form of bringing them up to the "stage" and doing a little schtick with them)... problem was, it took a long time for them to pick through all the toys, it didn't really help market me at all and I was constantly having to run out to find crap to keep in the goody bag.

So, I fell upon the idea of colouring pages/books and crayons. It's about the same cost per child, but they are all the same so they are fast to hand out, they are strictly marketing but they are fun for the kids. Photobucket seems to be down right now or I'd post a sample of what I do. Totally not trying to be a huge sales person here or anything, but if anyone would like me to make a colouring page for them, I like doing the characters

Perry, I'm looking forward to seeing pictures of the coloring books!

these are photocopied front and back onto two 8 1/2 x 11 pages, folded in half and stapled on the fold. I can get it all done professionally for about $40 for 100 of them ... I imagine the cost per book would be even less if I did more at a time but that's generally all I can afford in one go. I've done the folding and stapling myself, but I've found that the cost isn't that different to have them do it and it saves me a lot of time. I have to update these now to have my new website url on them, I'm running low on books now anyway. (and no worries, my old url still works for my site, I'd just rather be advertising the new one).

Perry that is a great little book!

thank you!!

I'm sorry, but a face painter is no more a guest in my house than a plumber is and he doesn't buy me presents either.

Although he does present you with a bill.

Ba-DUM-dum!

[snicker]

And sometimes if your lucky....a little crack. hahahahaha

Wish I had some kind of character so I could get one of these but I just have my logo for the business, and its not really fun I really want one! lol

I just want to offer a very friendly, very small suggestion.

I think it's smart to thoroughly read the entire postings, take time to comprehend them, then perhaps if needed....re-read them before posting responses.

A couple of the responses to my posting here have totally missed the point of the original post. Please take the time to read the original posters replys before just reading the most recent reply and responding. It looks as if some people have just logged in and started typing for the sake of typing.

I'm not trying to tell anyone what to do and I was certain not everyone would agree with my idea, but sometimes just taking time to read the original posters responses will clear up any misunderstandings and save you many keystrokes.

I'm not one to get into altercations with people, especially people in other states or even other countries, but if you are going to take the time to post your opinion (which I enjoy reading very much) atleast have respect enough for the poster of the topic to read their responses before suggesting that their ideas are pretty much worthless. I know that we don't all have to agree 100% of the time, or even like each other...but I think the forum alone and each and every person does deserve respect from each other.

I have been busy this weekend so, just coming in late on this topic. I do what perry does. I drew up a little book.Mine should be made smaller I think though...it would save me money. I drew pictures of our family and then give them out to the kids. This did bite me in the butt about a month ago, because I told the mom we handed out coloring books.But, we did not have enough so I had to go buy coloring books. I wasted $20 bucks at the dollar store.

But usually, I keep better track of my orders for them. I don't usually give the birthday child a big gift,but, in our magic sow I present a small $1 toy from the chic pan before the real magician does the show. LOL. We also hand out candy for the party kids but, this an get expensive so sometimes we just do that for the birthday child.

I always send a email to the parents after the event to follow up. I did buy some cards to mail to kids but I have not done that yet.