The PST and making money

Do ya think having a PST and charging people to see the sun as it should be
seen is a good idea?

Yes I do---on a street corner or street fair or perhaps a country fair but
it should be really, really cheap. This group will flame up on the mere
suggestion because few of them do any thinking---but, museums and
planetariums charge---why shouldn't you? If you shell out the $500 plus
mount plus whatever---a good handout would be nice---then yes, charge 50
cents a look. Or just put a hat down and take donations---the decent people
will donate more than 50 cents and you'll probably come out the
same---especially if you work with them a little and tune the filter as
necessary to see cool stuff. Do it. The more people exposed the better and
if you need to recover some money, no problem.

Doink

Doink wrote:
Yes I do---on a street corner or street fair or perhaps a country fair but
it should be really, really cheap. This group will flame up on the mere
suggestion because few of them do any thinking---but, museums and
planetariums charge---why shouldn't you? If you shell out the $500 plus
mount plus whatever---a good handout would be nice---then yes, charge 50
cents a look. Or just put a hat down and take donations---the decent people
will donate more than 50 cents and you'll probably come out the
same---especially if you work with them a little and tune the filter as
necessary to see cool stuff. Do it. The more people exposed the better and
if you need to recover some money, no problem.

I'd do the donation hat rather than charging outright. The reason is,
as you say, the more people exposed, the better. If you charge for a
view, people might shy away from that. But if it's a donation, they
might say, well, it can't hurt to take a look, and then when they see
how fantastic it is, *then* they might donate--possibly more than they
would have paid for the view beforehand. They feel better, you feel
better, and you might come out ahead in the income game, too.

--
Brian Tung
The Astronomy Corner at http://astro.isi.edu/
Unofficial C5+ Home Page at http://astro.isi.edu/c5plus/
The PleiadAtlas Home Page at http://astro.isi.edu/pleiadatlas/
My Own Personal FAQ (SAA) at http://astro.isi.edu/reference/faq.html

Doink wrote:
Yes I do---on a street corner or street fair or perhaps a country fair but
it should be really, really cheap. This group will flame up on the mere
suggestion because few of them do any thinking---but, museums and
planetariums charge---why shouldn't you? If you shell out the $500 plus
mount plus whatever---a good handout would be nice---then yes, charge 50
cents a look. Or just put a hat down and take donations

Hi:

Which is what I prefer. Certainly, if this guy wants to charge 50
cents--or 50 dollars--a look, that's his bidness. But...I
dunno...chargng kids to look at the sky just doesn't set well with me,
though it's been done often enough, and probably has got quite a few
people interested in astronomy.

As for money making potential? Don't quit your day job. ;-)

Peace,
Rod Mollise
Author of:
Choosing and Using a Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope
and
The Urban Astronomer's Guide
http://skywatch.brainiac.com/astroland

The one big thing Doink doesn't understand (nothing new there) is that if he
is going to be on a street corner (like someone I could name does offen), he
can NOT charge a fee for looking. To do so put him into the area of being a
Seller/Peddler and that means a State Tax permit to start with ($1,500
deposit too), then a selling permit from the city and/or county and that
means he's going to have to have $100,000 in libilty insuance coverage too.
Only if he OWNS his own land could he set up and charge and even then he'd
need the tax permit and the insuance too.

As a Sidewalk Astronomer, I set up on a Public street corner and I never
charge, I have a Donation cup that people can put something into if they
want, but I do NOT EVER ask for a fee. I am not insured, as I am standing on
one of the rights we all in the USA have, of peacefull assby and I don't
block the sidewalk either, I have my scope near the street itself. As such I
can do what I do and no one can stop me (as one guy has found out!)

I have been told that either in palmdale or Sagus, there is a shop that
sells telescopes and they have a set up for sky viewing and they DO charge.
I've een told this 3 times, so it must be true.

But no one would ever get rich setting up to offer views of the skys, as a
lot of the people that stop at my scopc have no money or just a few pennys
of lose change to offer and many times I'll tell'm to keep the money and
give'm good views of the sky anyway.


--
The Lone Sidewalk Astronomer of Rosamond

Telescope Buyers FAQ
http://home.inreach.com/starlord
Sidewalk Astronomy
www.sidewalkastronomy.info
Astronomy Net Online Gift Shop
http://www.cafepress.com/astronomy_net
In Garden Online Gift Shop
http://www.cafepress.com/ingarden
Blast Off Online Gift Shop
http://www.cafepress.com/starlords
Astro Blog
http://starlord.bloggerteam.com/




"RMOLLISE" wrote in message
ups.com...

Hi:

Which is what I prefer. Certainly, if this guy wants to charge 50
cents--or 50 dollars--a look, that's his bidness. But...I
dunno...chargng kids to look at the sky just doesn't set well with me,
though it's been done often enough, and probably has got quite a few
people interested in astronomy.

As for money making potential? Don't quit your day job. ;-)

Peace,
Rod Mollise
Author of:
Choosing and Using a Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope
and
The Urban Astronomer's Guide
http://skywatch.brainiac.com/astroland

Dennis, what got your panties (or your depends) in a bunch? At least the guy
is thinking...better than begging for car parts on SAA. I see you've caught
the jerk virus too. Stay out of the heat...

Doink


"Starlord" wrote in message
. ..
The one big thing Doink doesn't understand (nothing new there) is that if
he is going to be on a street corner (like someone I could name does
offen), he can NOT charge a fee for looking. To do so put him into the
area of being a Seller/Peddler and that means a State Tax permit to start
with ($1,500 deposit too), then a selling permit from the city and/or
county and that means he's going to have to have $100,000 in libilty
insuance coverage too. Only if he OWNS his own land could he set up and
charge and even then he'd need the tax permit and the insuance too.

As a Sidewalk Astronomer, I set up on a Public street corner and I never
charge, I have a Donation cup that people can put something into if they
want, but I do NOT EVER ask for a fee. I am not insured, as I am standing
on one of the rights we all in the USA have, of peacefull assby and I
don't block the sidewalk either, I have my scope near the street itself.
As such I can do what I do and no one can stop me (as one guy has found
out!)

I have been told that either in palmdale or Sagus, there is a shop that
sells telescopes and they have a set up for sky viewing and they DO
charge. I've een told this 3 times, so it must be true.

But no one would ever get rich setting up to offer views of the skys, as a
lot of the people that stop at my scopc have no money or just a few pennys
of lose change to offer and many times I'll tell'm to keep the money and
give'm good views of the sky anyway.


--
The Lone Sidewalk Astronomer of Rosamond

Telescope Buyers FAQ
http://home.inreach.com/starlord
Sidewalk Astronomy
www.sidewalkastronomy.info
Astronomy Net Online Gift Shop
http://www.cafepress.com/astronomy_net
In Garden Online Gift Shop
http://www.cafepress.com/ingarden
Blast Off Online Gift Shop
http://www.cafepress.com/starlords
Astro Blog
http://starlord.bloggerteam.com/




"RMOLLISE" wrote in message
ups.com...

Hi:

Which is what I prefer. Certainly, if this guy wants to charge 50
cents--or 50 dollars--a look, that's his bidness. But...I
dunno...chargng kids to look at the sky just doesn't set well with me,
though it's been done often enough, and probably has got quite a few
people interested in astronomy.

As for money making potential? Don't quit your day job. ;-)

Peace,
Rod Mollise
Author of:
Choosing and Using a Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope
and
The Urban Astronomer's Guide
http://skywatch.brainiac.com/astroland

Doink wrote:
Dennis, what got your panties (or your depends) in a bunch? At least the guy
is thinking...better than begging for car parts on SAA. I see you've caught
the jerk virus too. Stay out of the heat...



Hey, Doink: I've met Dennis and know him. So, based on the above,
I know which of you is a jerk .. and it's not Dennis.

Phil

SunSeeker wrote:
Do ya think having a PST and charging people to see the sun as it should be
seen is a good idea?



You are fortunate to have the resources and knowhow to view the
sun... share both freely with your fellow man. Inspire people!

What was the last thing you did for free that cost you something Sam? Just
curious. It's usually the ones that make the most "giving" noise that
actually do the least---remember Bill Clinton feeling our pain and then
taking a huge write off for donating his used underwear to charity. Then he
set up a hotline so we could donate money to him to pay for his sexual
assault and perjury legal expenses. Libs are funny! Better to charge the 50
cents.

Doink



"Sam Wormley" wrote in message
news:Ioyqg.19877$FQ1.12459@attbi_s71...
SunSeeker wrote:
Do ya think having a PST and charging people to see the sun as it should
be seen is a good idea?

You are fortunate to have the resources and knowhow to view the
sun... share both freely with your fellow man. Inspire people!

Doink wrote:
What was the last thing you did for free that cost you something Sam? Just
curious.

Just about everything!

o photography
o astronomy
o public lectures
o contributed articles
o etc.

Even in the work place of Iowa State University--serve the students
and the people of Iowa and the world. Of course they paid me for
that work... but the culture is one of service.


It's usually the ones that make the most "giving" noise that
actually do the least---remember Bill Clinton feeling our pain and then
taking a huge write off for donating his used underwear to charity. Then he
set up a hotline so we could donate money to him to pay for his sexual
assault and perjury legal expenses. Libs are funny! Better to charge the 50
cents.

Doink