One Price at Festivals

I have a festival coming up, and I wanted to narrow my selection and make things easier by charging one price...$5. I currently charge 3, 5, and 10. Does anyone else do that, and what designs do you offer. I am from a very small town in NC, and they cringe at $3! But booth rent went up, so...5 dollars would make it much easier and faster! Any help, pics, suggestions..?

Denise Cold has posted some really really good information on this topic.

I live in a small town and do $5 a face. I've never had a problem! I usually have to close the line at even that price.

I did a whole post on how well my $5.00 faces did over $10.00...especially if you already have a "cheap" area. Just make sure that you are only doing designs that take 3 minutes or less to paint (about 5 minutes total.) Don't you dare try to do full detailed faces and only charge $5.00 because you are stealing money away from yourself. Consider having your "show off" full faces on a birthday flyer that you can hand out...say something like "if you thing these are great, you should see what I can do at parties!"

My most popular $5.00 designs are eye designs. Girls, teens and mommies love them and they are quick compared to other designs. You can beef them up by adding a little something and teardrops on the other eye to match or if you are in a hurry just do the one eye.

I'll see if I can find the post...
http://www.facepaintforum.com/t11159-and-the-winner-is500-faces-10-to-1-little-long?highlight=faces

My cheap faces are $5 & my full faces are $10. But I live in a pretty big city. It's usually dependent on the size of the festival.

I used Denise's idea at a school this year...worked like a charm...did 5.00 faces less change to give back, and it worked so much better than having different prices...I use different prices at the festivals I do.

What has been working for me (thanks to my fabulous festival buddie) is $8 per face. I have a variety of designs out, most of them pretty quick ones, a few full faces, and some eye designs, but...they kid gets what they want, and I find I waste less time with kids negotiating with Mom over which of the cheap desings they can have. Surprise to me, sometimes kids pick the really quick and easy ones anyway, because that is what they want. It might not work in some places, and I do have a festival or two in more depressed areas, and I charge 5 and take down my slowest faces, but one price is so much easier, in my opinion, than multiple prices.

We don't put our prices up either, they have to ask, and very few walk away. Engaging them in conversation almost always results in someone getting painted!

Thanks you guys! I appreciate all the feedback! I'm going to go for it. I'll let you know how it goes!

I did ONE event where I (reluctantly) charged $2 for some faces... I heard more darn complaints about the price at THAT than I have EVER heard at $5 and $10. Raising your prices will be one of the best things you've ever done. I've also really simplified the faces on my sample boards for pay per face.... it allows me to go faster and simpler as necessary and people are pleasantly surprised if we have time to fancy it up a little more.

Isn't that the truth Perry? No one seems to blink at a flat $8.00, but some used to complain when it was $5, $8 and I had $4 tattoos. Now, tattoos are $5 and facepainting is $8, and I think it raises the percieved value. It also shortens my line a little, but if you are still busy all the time, it does not matter, and everyone is happier.

No bigger complaints though, than the free to the public ones...whine, whine, whine about how long they waited. I wish I could fix that one by making more money! Teeeheee...

I had one regular friday night street fest this summer. As I was new and VERY nervous and my area not very ...prosperous? I started my first night with a simple 3dollar faces with 1 dollar check/hand art. I had so many problems with deciding on prices, parents haggling, people not paying, complaining about the line, trying to grapple for bills for change,.......Ugggg!
It wasn't till I just put out just 4 then 5 dollar faces and stopped advertising hand/cheek art that I was able to get a hold on the situation- I enjoyed myself a lot more , and didn't have to deal with 1/2 of the problems ( and problem parents). I was even able to close up shop at a reasonable time ( no more parents with 3 year olds telling me they have been waiting for hours---- at like 11 pm! -- get your kid to bed lady, a flower on her hand isn't that important!!!)
Ooo, sorry for bitching but... I think you get the point.