Closeup magicians face competition from clowns, who perform so-called “pocket magic” as they stroll around fairgrounds and festivals. Strolling clowns charge a range of $110 to $160 per hour in the lower mainland, British Columbia. However, the “clown business” is trending down, due to Hollywood movies invoking a horror image of white-faced clowns. Even corporate functions sometimes prohibit “white-faced” entertainers with clown-costumes, due to illogical fears by their office staff. Kids, even those aged 11, will sometimes refuse to go near a balloon twister who is wearing a clown outfit with the traditional red nose.
Birthday magicians, on the other hand, face stiff competition from “balloon artists” (aka “balloon twisters”) who also perform magic shows. Balloon artists in the lower mainland charge $50-$250 an hour for their artful sculptures. Some professional magicians in BC wage a silent “war” with balloon sculptors by also performing balloon twisting, as part of their service.
Even more confusing, to parents, are traditional white-faced clowns, who have a second persona, as “magicians”. The dual persona is shown on their landing webpages, where the consumer is asked to choose between, for example, Gizmo the Clown, or Joseph the Magician.
Probably most magicians can twist a balloon sword for kids. That's quite easy. However, parents and event organizers should be aware that only very few, perhaps only 10 people, balloon artists/magicians can create: A spiderman in under 4 minutes; a Toy Story space character with an outside bubble head, or, the definitive test for balloon-sculpting, a lovely Ariel mermaid. Furthermore, only one group of Vancouver kids entertainers has been able to show a pair of Super Mario balloon sculptures on the Internet. (Magicians in Vancouver are probably dismayed that this “secret information” has now been made public. Most birthday magicians have been making balloon dogs and balloon swords for decades.)
The newest competition to magicians' services comes from roving “spa for girls” vendors @150/hour, critter shows (e.g. Mike's Critters), Elmo, Mickey, and Minnie mascots @75/hour, and photo booth operators @300/hour.
How are magicians in Vancouver fairing against the competition from outside their industry? One way is to gauge the number of Facebook “Likes” for Vancouver birthday entertainers and service providers. On this day, 3 February 2012, here are Facebook “Likes” (think of Likes as votes) based on public fan pages:
Birthday magicians, on the other hand, face stiff competition from “balloon artists” (aka “balloon twisters”) who also perform magic shows. Balloon artists in the lower mainland charge $50-$250 an hour for their artful sculptures. Some professional magicians in BC wage a silent “war” with balloon sculptors by also performing balloon twisting, as part of their service.
Even more confusing, to parents, are traditional white-faced clowns, who have a second persona, as “magicians”. The dual persona is shown on their landing webpages, where the consumer is asked to choose between, for example, Gizmo the Clown, or Joseph the Magician.
Probably most magicians can twist a balloon sword for kids. That's quite easy. However, parents and event organizers should be aware that only very few, perhaps only 10 people, balloon artists/magicians can create: A spiderman in under 4 minutes; a Toy Story space character with an outside bubble head, or, the definitive test for balloon-sculpting, a lovely Ariel mermaid. Furthermore, only one group of Vancouver kids entertainers has been able to show a pair of Super Mario balloon sculptures on the Internet. (Magicians in Vancouver are probably dismayed that this “secret information” has now been made public. Most birthday magicians have been making balloon dogs and balloon swords for decades.)
The newest competition to magicians' services comes from roving “spa for girls” vendors @150/hour, critter shows (e.g. Mike's Critters), Elmo, Mickey, and Minnie mascots @75/hour, and photo booth operators @300/hour.
How are magicians in Vancouver fairing against the competition from outside their industry? One way is to gauge the number of Facebook “Likes” for Vancouver birthday entertainers and service providers. On this day, 3 February 2012, here are Facebook “Likes” (think of Likes as votes) based on public fan pages:
Facebook “Likes” | |
| Anderson Chow Entertainment magician | 0 |
| Clown Around with Korki | 1 |
| A-Star Art Parlour Face Painters | 2 |
| Rent-A-Pony | 9 |
| Flower Princess Spa | 9 |
| Mr. Bubbles the Singing Clowns | 15 |
| Cinemazoo animal shows | 18 |
| Ray Wong magician | 33 |
| Lutini the Magician | 55 |
| In the Company of Fairies | 73 |
| Fun with Composers' Birthday Parties | 75 |
| Hoopla photobooth | 122 |
| Trips for Kids Vancouver | 134 |
| Feel Fabulous Mobile Spa | 139 |
| Corycatures caricatures | 168 |
| Butter photobooth | 242 |
| Le Studio photobooth | 428 |
| Photobooth Vancouver | 541 |
| FaceBox photobooth | 783 |
| Vancouver Children's Festival | 824 |
| Bobby the Magician | 1628 |
