Tips $$$

[Mermaid Margo]

Hello everyone. :] I haven't been able to find a thread with my specific questions about tips, so here they are. (If there is one somewhere, please direct me, and I apologize for posting this).

I'm talking about putting a tip or donation jar out while I'm on a state beach taking pictures with everyone. Is this allowed/legal? This might be a stupid question, but I've tried looking it up online and I can't seem to find anything. This is my first time dealing with self-promotion and during my last few visits to the beaches, people have told me that I should have a tip jar, or that I should even charge for pictures, (I wouldn't do the latter, though I am curious about who I would have to approach to discuss such things).

Can anyone offer me some advice?

[Mermaid Wesley]

Welllll..... I think it counts as busking. I'm pretty sure you're not allowed to busk on public beaches, but you should check for your area

[Raayvhen]

Yep, you gotta check the local busking laws.

Talk to city hall, you might need to get a licsence.

[Mermaid Margo]

Alright, thank you!

I feel silly, but I didn't even know that "busking" was the official name for that kind of thing. ^^'

[Raayvhen]

No worries, I didn't either until a couple years ago.

[Lostariel Telrunya]

If you are planning on charging for things like pictures, you will need a license. I live in Canada, so it might be different for you, but here you can get a busking license for free, which allows you to ask for money legally and do performing arts in public areas. If you want to make mermaiding a small little business, it is always a good idea to get a license, and then you can use it for other things like busking if you play an instrument or sing.

[Kishiko]

I'm curious, what's the rules on this for minors?

[Raayvhen]

I wish I could tell you. As I suggested earlier definitely check with your city hall.

[Lostariel Telrunya]

Here you have to be 18 to get a license, but if you have one you are allowed to have one person or any age accompany you legally.

[Kishiko]

Here you have to be 18 to get a license, but if you have one you are allowed to have one person or any age accompany you legally.

So let's say my dad got the license, I could legally accompany him and make tips? (Assuming it's the same law here)

[Mermaid Galene]

We are also planning on busking as a mermaid and pirate. Busking laws are tricky to ferret out. It's usually legislated, if at all, on the local level. So for us, the rules in Minneapolis are different from the rules in St. Paul, which are different from other towns or cities. It can be extremely hard to get a solid answer on what is or isn't allowed. I think most people who busk a lot just give it a try, and if they get asked to stop, they stop.

[Princess Pearl]

However, in some municipalities busking is considered the same as panhandling or begging, and can be a ticketed offence. Check with your city hall.

[Raayvhen]

Yep here I think it's a $150 fine

[Meilyn]

I highly doubt anyone would try to stop you though. You're a Mermaid, not a human. <3

Even as a human, when I was 12, homeless, and kinda sorta but not really pan handling for 5 bucks (I limited myself) for a meal to last me a few days, I was near city hall, and official buildings and no one said a thing or tried to stop me. I see homeless people all the time doing it near busy intersections and even police stations as well as official buildings. They don't seem to get in trouble as well.

I think unless you're just really hated by someone, you should be okay. A license to busk just sounds silly to me as I used to live off of tips, but that's just my perspective on it.

Success is non existent if there are no risks taken.

[Arella]

Mermaids don't have to abide by silly human rules :) (but really just check the regulations of the city)

[Mermaid Galene]

Another thought on busking: Many municipalities prohibit commerce activities on public property, including selling any good or service, without a license. And in some cases, "transient" sellers or solicitors are prohibited altogether.

But...

I have not seen any laws, in the towns/cities where I've researched it, prohibiting someone from wearing a costume, playing an instrument, and/or singing a song, as long as no money is collected and it's not loud enough to disturb anyone. So, in theory, it should be perfectly legal to lie around in your mermaid tail (and, in our case, perform our original music), and then just have a stack of business cards or postcards available, should anyone choose to pick one up.

[Mermaid Wesley]

yes thats what i do :), i have wanted to have a "leg fund" jar for tips sitting out (feel free to steal that idea btw) and maybe ill head up to venice beach to do it since i know theres tons of buskers up there..... hmmmm... must look it up :)

[malinghi]

yes thats what i do :), i have wanted to have a "leg fund" jar for tips sitting out (feel free to steal that idea btw) and maybe ill head up to venice beach to do it since i know theres tons of buskers up there..... hmmmm... must look it up :)

Oh man, I love the "leg fund" idea. Have you tried this out yet?

[Mermaid Wesley]

No I'm too worried about it being illegal! lol I'm going to soon I hope.

[Mermaid Margo]

Thanks for the advice guys...I think I'm just gonna march down to city hall one day and say, "Hey, I need help figuring all this stuff out." Just getting a license and everything because it seems so complicated. Probably isn't and they'll end up looking at me like I'm an idiot, but too bad. I'm twenty. I don't know this ish.

[Mermaid Galene]

Many cities/towns have their city ordinances online. From those you can often figure out what's legal and what isn't. Studying my local ordinances told me that we can't busk for tips here, but there should be nothing illegal about singing and having our promo postcards available for pickup.

[Raayvhen]

I think that at the least, even if you don't need permits, that the people at your city hall will appreciate the fact that you asked instead of just going and doing it.