OK, I'm gonna give the phone psychic thing another go... done it before, I understand Tarot cards, and my background in psychology and counseling, common sense and intuition make me a viable candidate.
Last time I did it, was maybe 10 years ago... most of the action is after 11 PM PST, so staying up late is sort of required. Also, you can have your line open ALL day, and NOT get a single call. So, after a few months, there's a tendency to give up.
One thing I noticed, was the calls from Canada were a lot more interesting and intelligent than the calls from the USA... there is something to the "dumbing down of America". Got a lot of calls from "hood rats" after they "cashed their checks". Also, you get calls from perverts. And a LOT of calls from manipulative women, trying to control their men, children and everyone else. (I don't have a lot in common with those women, so it's hard to "relate")
But anyways, I think I'll add that to my bag of money making tricks, I can maybe use a headset on the road, and it will give me some people to talk to! I'm a little older and wiser now, so I think maybe I know the game, and can handle it a little better!
GENECOP said
05:40 PM Mar 19, 2013
Lucky Mike said
06:09 PM Mar 19, 2013
Mastering one road making money machine is Difficult......adding several gets frustrating because you start to eat up your personal down time.
Seeing that you are one of the family , Im sure you would want me to be Honest.....
In several states Psychics are illegal. or must be registered. so if you decide to stay a month in the wrong state and answer the phone you are doing business there and could make for a bad day.
to collect your money it must be done electronically or thru the phone company , either way there is going to be problems
I know you just started out and money is tight..... you have had some great ideas for money making and there are many more out there
you just need to put them in motion and give them time to grow and you to fine tune them
IMHO......reading tarot cards and predicting ones future might work but, not so well in the RVing lifestyle or at the local campground without issues........I always want to see people succeed ,I like it even better when they prove me wrong just to increase my knowledge.
if one of your micro business's is having problems creating income pm me. there are several of us out here that work the Flea's and shows that can help......2 heads work better than one and maybe thru a small network without creating competition for yourself we can stream line it into a cash machine. ( it could be just location!!)
Hina said
06:43 PM Mar 19, 2013
I'm already handling several micro-businesses, all online right now, which are doing pretty good, all things considered. (To the webmasters, Panda, Penguin, alogorythms, "social media friends" And the tax man takes at least 35%. )
Down time? What's that? I'm already figuring on having to "cash out" just about every minute of the day.... just paid almost $600 in monthly bills, Visa, Sears for my tires, Sprint for phone and internet, with more to come.... already living pretty minimal.
So "monetizing" my phone might help a little, and it can be interesting. I wasn't planning on going "live", I'm sort of done with dealing with people and their problems in person from my day job. Just an idea.
I haven't started the flea markets yet, as I am still working my weekend "day job" as a "counselor". That will have to wait until the big break, when I say bye, bye California, hitch up, and drive off into the sunrise! I'm still trying to research and map out the fleas, and I'm just not sure of how much I can actually earn with that... $100 a day? $50? $200? $500?
Any info on fleas in the West and Southwest would be helpful. Once I leave California, expenses will be cheaper ($200+ a month for Cal. income tax on my online biz! Put that towards gas!)
Lucky Mike said
07:32 PM Mar 19, 2013
for events and Fleas
fleaportal.com artscraftsshowbusiness.com
for RV events gsevents.com
bigredoes said
07:48 PM Mar 19, 2013
What I NEVER understood about Psychics is this.....if they are truly blessed with Psychic powers shouldn't they be calling me....
Hina said
08:44 PM Mar 19, 2013
Well, I found that being a phone "psychic" was mostly common sense... Client: "He used me, abused me, he's married, he never calls, but I love him so much, what should I do?" Me: "Umm, dump him, and move on?" Of course, if I were a Romani gypsy, it might be different, but I'm only an RV gypsy!
Lucky Mike said
08:44 PM Mar 19, 2013
Depending on your merchandise and the market you are working profit varies....
a small out of the way market for me
small market 25 for the booth space I make 250 to 400 per day
good market High traffic 50 per booth 600 to 1000
decent craft fair 100 for booth 600 to 2000
large craft fair or pow wow 250 per show 2000 to 5000 per show plus off site ordering
I operate 3 skill craftman type booths......depending on the show or market Im at I try to be the only one doing my craft and the bigger the show I will select the one with the highest volume & pricing.
People like to pay for custom work.......people like to watch you make there product and give them more than they exspect!!
give them a show.....with a product that just amazes them , they will buy it !!!!!
(I should have sold Snake oil or sham-wow clothes)
I work normally 2 days a week at a market or show.......durring the week probably 3 hours a day preparing product for the next
Once you get involved you will meet different vendors , they in casual conversation will let you know where the next show is or the better markets.
research old products or crafts.......some of these flooded the market and went away because everybody was selling them.....now that product has a little secret....no body is selling it , so you get to corner the demand market on it before other vendors try to jump in and cut the price and flood the market again.......BE Different.....BE Unique.....and you will BE Profitable!!!!!!!
Hina said
08:52 PM Mar 19, 2013
Thanks Mike, I've been browsing Flea Portal, but some of those state listings are out of date, and I've been following up by email and phone to see how's still in business.
fleamarketeer said
09:29 PM Mar 20, 2013
Hina,
Can't help you with the "phone psychic" stuff but I printed this thead (also saved and emailed); and showed it to a number of vendors. Everybody wants to know exactly where Lucky Mike is selling and exactly what it is he sells!
Seriously, "Lucky" Mike is undoubtedly a very hard worker. Most lucky people are. His sales figures (even assuming the figures are gross sales) show this. He is likely the most successful vendor I've heard of in several years. You should certainly contact him for further advice.
I do not give more than a few trusted friends my sales figures. A rule of thumb among those with whom I do share information is that, these days, a VERY good market, show, or event returns about 8-10 times your rent- gross. Normal, average markets are much less- often much, much less.
Based on your posted $200 monthly CA income tax just on your online business and the CA 2012 tax tables, your busines has a NET of about $50,000. I'm sure it's a bit under that because of you other income and the graduated tax rate. That anyone can come up with that income figure is one reason I never put any dollar figures on the internet. In any event, I don't think you're likely to do anywhere near that at flea markets or shows.
To be totally honest, since you're making that much part time, you're WAY out of my league! But if you need more than that on the road, go for it.
Have you ever thought about giving seminars? No, I'm not being a smart alec. That is a great deal of money from "micro-businesses". It is one heck of a lot more that most are netting from the internet or flea markets or both. I know wholesalers with warehouses that don't net that much.
Best of luck,
fleamarketeer
Hina said
12:48 AM Mar 21, 2013
Sorry, don't even have a gross of $50,000 on the online business. Between the feds and the state, I think they take almost 1/2 what I make, leaving me with about 1/2 what I need. But I figure, if I can earn enough to live in California, I can take that and live anywhere, for sure!
Terry and Jo said
04:26 AM Mar 21, 2013
Perhaps, but would the other states have a similar "customer base" with which to operate? Fewer people might limit one's income.
Terry
Hina said
04:50 AM Mar 21, 2013
Not with the online biz, that's world wide.
Terry and Jo said
02:26 PM Mar 21, 2013
Hina wrote:
Not with the online biz, that's world wide.
Duuuuhhhhh!!!
Dumb comment on my part. I was thinking overall, including your possibilities of flea markets and such and actually missed the word "online."
Sorry.
Terry
WestWardHo said
10:08 PM Mar 21, 2013
Hina, just stopped at a rest stop & got into a conversation with a great couple whos been full-timing 20+ years. They sell fresh squeezed lemonade at events, horse shows, car shows, etc. they buy lemons whereever they are from food wholsalers. Haul a small trailer behind their rmotorhpme and have made a living with that & funnel cakes forever. Just a thought for you as i would think the fresh squeezed part would require much inventory or investment.
FWIW!
Sherry
Hina said
03:19 AM Mar 22, 2013
Thanks for the thought Sherry!
NWescapee said
08:08 PM Mar 22, 2013
Hina - my husband is an artist, we do many fine art and higher end arts and craft shows, have been doing that for about 8 years now, in WA/ID/OR and CA. Booths that always seem crowded, busy and have non-stop selling opportunities include gourmet food vendors and artists who create yard art. Even if you don't have time to create the products yourself, if you can find the events that allow you to sell without being the creator of the product, you can make a pretty decent return.
Gourmet foods seem to sell great at the art and wine events we participate in. You mentioned that you are currently in Northern CA, there are several art and wine events in your area this spring including events put on by organizations such as California Artists, Pacific Fine Arts and other groups. I think PFA event has one event that is art and speciality pre-packaged foods that is in the spring. I would suggest you attend a few of these events, see what's selling, see which booths are empty, etc. Might give you some ideas.
We know several people who make various forms of yard art and they make a killing at home and garden shows, plus sell well at arts and craft shows. Booth fees for home and garden shows can be pretty high but I know one couple who just completed both the Seattle and Portland home and garden shows and sold over 20K at the 2 events. Again, it wouldn't hurt to attend a few events to get ideas.
Booth fees can vary based on if you are the creator or just a reseller of a product and some shows have restrictions on not allowing products that are not hand made to be sold. The advice given up above regarding making 8-10 times booth fee? For us, for most shows that would be a good show, we average $350 for booth fees which in this economy can make it very difficult to hit 8-10 times booth for all shows, and several of our shows are booth plus commission. I think most of are getting used to the new norm of 5-7 times booth for most shows and then we get one or two shows a year where we knock it out of the park and buy the really nice bottle of wine to celebrate!!
Hina said
09:08 PM Mar 22, 2013
Food for thought, NWescapee! I'm definitely on the "go art" team, but have a small right, and can't haul too much. So one reason I'm going with jewelry. I have quite a few pieces of Peruvian silver wire stuff, as well as some nicer stuff from China. It's a matter of finding a good jumping off point to make the start. I thought "monetizing" my phone might also bring in a little silver!
Ravenlotus said
05:15 AM May 12, 2013
Hina,
You can always do Renaissance festivals. That's what my husband and I are going do. I also do psychic readings and dream analysis. I never thought about doing phone readings. Good idea! Thanks.
Hina said
03:57 PM May 12, 2013
I've thought of Ren Faires, could be fun to play dress up! If you want to get started with your own phone psychic line try going with Keen. It's free, no interviewing or middle men. But you either have to pay per click to get on top of their listings, or self promote through websites, in person. If you do live readings, you could have business cards with your Keen line to keep in touch with your live clientele. I have my Keen listings set up, but have been moving and too busy to put much attention to it.
OK, I'm gonna give the phone psychic thing another go... done it before, I understand Tarot cards, and my background in psychology and counseling, common sense and intuition make me a viable candidate.
Last time I did it, was maybe 10 years ago... most of the action is after 11 PM PST, so staying up late is sort of required. Also, you can have your line open ALL day, and NOT get a single call.
So, after a few months, there's a tendency to give up.
One thing I noticed, was the calls from Canada were a lot more interesting and intelligent than the calls from the USA... there is something to the "dumbing down of America". Got a lot of calls from "hood rats" after they "cashed their checks". Also, you get calls from perverts.
And a LOT of calls from manipulative women, trying to control their men, children and everyone else. 
(I don't have a lot in common with those women, so it's hard to "relate")
But anyways, I think I'll add that to my bag of money making tricks, I can maybe use a headset on the road, and it will give me some people to talk to!
I'm a little older and wiser now, so I think maybe I know the game, and can handle it a little better!
Seeing that you are one of the family , Im sure you would want me to be Honest.....
In several states Psychics are illegal. or must be registered. so if you decide to stay a month in the wrong state and answer the phone you are doing business there and could make for a bad day.
to collect your money it must be done electronically or thru the phone company , either way there is going to be problems
I know you just started out and money is tight..... you have had some great ideas for money making and there are many more out there
you just need to put them in motion and give them time to grow and you to fine tune them
IMHO......reading tarot cards and predicting ones future might work but, not so well in the RVing lifestyle or at the local campground without issues........I always want to see people succeed ,I like it even better when they prove me wrong just to increase my knowledge.
if one of your micro business's is having problems creating income pm me. there are several of us out here that work the Flea's and shows that can help......2 heads work better than one and maybe thru a small network without creating competition for yourself we can stream line it into a cash machine. ( it could be just location!!)
I'm already handling several micro-businesses, all online right now, which are doing pretty good, all things considered. (To the webmasters, Panda, Penguin, alogorythms, "social media friends"
And the tax man takes at least 35%. 
)
Down time? What's that? I'm already figuring on having to "cash out" just about every minute of the day.... just paid almost $600 in monthly bills, Visa, Sears for my tires, Sprint for phone and internet, with more to come.... already living pretty minimal.
So "monetizing" my phone might help a little, and it can be interesting.
I wasn't planning on going "live", I'm sort of done with dealing with people and their problems in person from my day job. 
Just an idea.
I haven't started the flea markets yet, as I am still working my weekend "day job" as a "counselor". That will have to wait until the big break, when I say bye, bye California, hitch up, and drive off into the sunrise! I'm still trying to research and map out the fleas, and I'm just not sure of how much I can actually earn with that... $100 a day? $50? $200? $500?
Any info on fleas in the West and Southwest would be helpful. Once I leave California, expenses will be cheaper ($200+ a month for Cal. income tax on my online biz! Put that towards gas!)
fleaportal.com
artscraftsshowbusiness.com
for RV events
gsevents.com
Client: "He used me, abused me, he's married, he never calls, but I love him so much, what should I do?"
Me: "Umm, dump him, and move on?"
Of course, if I were a Romani gypsy, it might be different, but I'm only an RV gypsy!
a small out of the way market for me
small market 25 for the booth space I make 250 to 400 per day
good market High traffic 50 per booth 600 to 1000
decent craft fair 100 for booth 600 to 2000
large craft fair or pow wow 250 per show 2000 to 5000 per show plus off site ordering
I operate 3 skill craftman type booths......depending on the show or market Im at I try to be the only one doing my craft and the bigger the show I will select the one with the highest volume & pricing.
People like to pay for custom work.......people like to watch you make there product and give them more than they exspect!!
give them a show.....with a product that just amazes them , they will buy it !!!!!
(I should have sold Snake oil or sham-wow clothes)
I work normally 2 days a week at a market or show.......durring the week probably 3 hours a day preparing product for the next
Once you get involved you will meet different vendors , they in casual conversation will let you know where the next show is or the better markets.
research old products or crafts.......some of these flooded the market and went away because everybody was selling them.....now that product has a little secret....no body is selling it , so you get to corner the demand market on it before other vendors try to jump in and cut the price and flood the market again.......BE Different.....BE Unique.....and you will BE Profitable!!!!!!!
Thanks Mike, I've been browsing Flea Portal, but some of those state listings are out of date, and I've been following up by email and phone to see how's still in business.
Hina,
Can't help you with the "phone psychic" stuff but I printed this thead (also saved and emailed); and showed it to a number of vendors. Everybody wants to know exactly where Lucky Mike is selling and exactly what it is he sells!
Seriously, "Lucky" Mike is undoubtedly a very hard worker. Most lucky people are. His sales figures (even assuming the figures are gross sales) show this. He is likely the most successful vendor I've heard of in several years. You should certainly contact him for further advice.
I do not give more than a few trusted friends my sales figures. A rule of thumb among those with whom I do share information is that, these days, a VERY good market, show, or event returns about 8-10 times your rent- gross. Normal, average markets are much less- often much, much less.
Based on your posted $200 monthly CA income tax just on your online business and the CA 2012 tax tables, your busines has a NET of about $50,000. I'm sure it's a bit under that because of you other income and the graduated tax rate. That anyone can come up with that income figure is one reason I never put any dollar figures on the internet. In any event, I don't think you're likely to do anywhere near that at flea markets or shows.
To be totally honest, since you're making that much part time, you're WAY out of my league! But if you need more than that on the road, go for it.
Have you ever thought about giving seminars? No, I'm not being a smart alec. That is a great deal of money from "micro-businesses". It is one heck of a lot more that most are netting from the internet or flea markets or both. I know wholesalers with warehouses that don't net that much.
Best of luck,
fleamarketeer
Perhaps, but would the other states have a similar "customer base" with which to operate? Fewer people might limit one's income.
Terry
Not with the online biz, that's world wide.
Duuuuhhhhh!!!
Dumb comment on my part. I was thinking overall, including your possibilities of flea markets and such and actually missed the word "online."
Sorry.
Terry
FWIW!
Sherry
Even if you don't have time to create the products yourself, if you can find the events that allow you to sell without being the creator of the product, you can make a pretty decent return.
Gourmet foods seem to sell great at the art and wine events we participate in. You mentioned that you are currently in Northern CA, there are several art and wine events in your area this spring including events put on by organizations such as California Artists, Pacific Fine Arts and other groups. I think PFA event has one event that is art and speciality pre-packaged foods that is in the spring. I would suggest you attend a few of these events, see what's selling, see which booths are empty, etc. Might give you some ideas.
We know several people who make various forms of yard art and they make a killing at home and garden shows, plus sell well at arts and craft shows. Booth fees for home and garden shows can be pretty high but I know one couple who just completed both the Seattle and Portland home and garden shows and sold over 20K at the 2 events. Again, it wouldn't hurt to attend a few events to get ideas.
Booth fees can vary based on if you are the creator or just a reseller of a product and some shows have restrictions on not allowing products that are not hand made to be sold. The advice given up above regarding making 8-10 times booth fee? For us, for most shows that would be a good show, we average $350 for booth fees which in this economy can make it very difficult to hit 8-10 times booth for all shows, and several of our shows are booth plus commission. I think most of are getting used to the new norm of 5-7 times booth for most shows and then we get one or two shows a year where we knock it out of the park and buy the really nice bottle of wine to celebrate!!
You can always do Renaissance festivals. That's what my husband and I are going do. I also do psychic readings and dream analysis. I never thought about doing phone readings. Good idea! Thanks.
I've thought of Ren Faires, could be fun to play dress up! If you want to get started with your own phone psychic line try going with Keen. It's free, no interviewing or middle men. But you either have to pay per click to get on top of their listings, or self promote through websites, in person. If you do live readings, you could have business cards with your Keen line to keep in touch with your live clientele. I have my Keen listings set up, but have been moving and too busy to put much attention to it.
Let me know how the Ren Faire thing works out!