HAGGLE: day three
Vital Statistics
- Performance time: 150 mins
- Number of performers: 1
- Number of audience members: 20 participants (approx.), 25 voyeurs (approx.)
- Items sold: Novels, play texts, clothes, an interpretive dance, a love song, a rocket lamp
- Clashes with the authorities: 0
- Money earned: £35.47
- Student debt offset so far: 0.013%
Significant moments
I discovered the tactic of throwing in performances to material sales to sweeten the deal — so, for example, I got a better price for a book on offering to do an interpretive dance on the current state of British politics. This allowed me both to work in more absurd performances (ably demonstrating my saleable performance skills) and to get more money.
I was given the useful challenge of targeting my pitch to each passing potential customer, by guessing what kind of thing they would like, or which I could persuade them they needed. Love or hate? Stuff or song? Hat or scarf? My patter and amiable sales pitches have got more refined; I can now get money out of 1 in every 5 people I make stop (as opposed to those who stop of their own accord), and I can ruthlessly ditch people when I realise they have no money they’re willing to spend, rather than waste performance on them. One difficult probably is successfully spinning more than one person along at once: often I’ll be working a mark, only to try and grab another and lose the first. Very frustrating.
As expected, my prices are starting to drop considerably as it becomes more and more urgent to get rid of stuff. I have two weeks left, and come next fortnight it’s going to be crazy.
