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  • How Much is Too Much?

    Just thought I would throw out a topic. How much is too much to charge.

    On the High Side around here its about 20 bucks through a 15 minute haunt...and thats not including VIP charges. Thats strickly 20 bucks and only one haunt plus i belive its 2 bucks to park.

    On the low side weve got 10 bucks for about a 45 minute walk through woods and they put on 5 minute "skits" and about a dollar to park.

    Is one haunt getting greedy and charging over a dollar a minute or is the other haunt charging too little?

    But it comes as a question of How much to charge to get in to see your masterpiece
    Jesus loves you, but everyone else thinks you're an asshole.

  • #2
    Tater this is a GREAT question, I have decided to make my combo ticket for this years event a bargain price of $250,000.00 Just Need to sell ONE TICKET!
    Here in MI we have haunts that are 24 + vip but they are multiple attractions, you make a evening out of it.
    I think that haunt owners Know what their events are worth and judge them accordingly, of course every now and again you get a weeniewadhauntowner, that cares for nothing less than the money aspect of the business and overcharges for his event, and people leave with a bad taste in their mouths about the industry as whole, way to go weeniewads!
    Our attraction will be 20 this year, it will consist of a High quality 10,000 sf main attraction, and a 5,000 secondary 3D event, Next year the price will rise for two more events, ans well as the third year.....The only problem is by year five we will ten attractions and not be able to squeeze more cash out of the customers......
    Buried deep beneath Darksyde acres Haunted house In Michigan I'm the Best at what I do, What I do Isn't very NICE!

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    • #3
      In Memphis we did a combo ticket for $15 two haunts - 3-D and Dark.

      Both together took approx 20 minutes. Or you could buy one for $10.

      In Chattanooga Ruby Falls we charge $20. Trip lasts about 30-40 minutes from beginning to end (except on busy nights) Being a National Tourism attraction and we work for them - they set the price.

      The quality of the show, is more important that length in my opinion. One attraction i know of lasts nearly and hour - but you are begging to leave from boredom by the 20 minute mark

      If you go too cheap $10 or $7 people don't expect much and may bypass you for the $20 event - Yet the $10 haunt may end up being a better quality show. Ok so I'm sounded like a lawyer in closing statements The best gauge is to see what everyone else will be charging. If you spend $10k plus a year in props, new effects etc. I say raise the bar and price - If you are doing the same show and minor improvements - stay close to the normal mark. All my opinion and from some experience... If you have a great show and have been charging $15 and have numerous nights where you have an hour plus wait - go to $20. If you are charging $15 and only have 1 or 2 nights of hour waits... you need to raise the bar before raising the price...

      Build a great haunt and they will come over and over Build a haunt and they will come once....

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      • #4
        Yep! Totally market specific. The history of haunts in a market drive the price, and if you are new to a market that is what shapes your ticket more than anything.

        Ideally you are on par with everyone else, a little bit more or less depending on what you offer. Year by year the price creeps up like everything in this world.

        Get it wrong by over or underpricing and you could hurt yourself.

        Thanks!

        Ben
        NETHERWORLD
        Ben Armstrong
        NETHERWORLD HAUNTED HOUSE
        www.Fearworld.com
        www.NetherworldNetwork.com

        Comment


        • #5
          Or if you have time you can just stare at each potential customer, one at a time and say, "Whatcha Got? Nooo, that ain't enuff, what's in your other pocket?"
          When someone is picking through or fumbling too long with their wallet I tell them, "Just hand me the whole thing, I'll give you back what you need to get home."
          Anybody ever had a drunky offer to pay seven times your ticket price to join the next group?
          Did you take their money?
          Did you eventtually give it back and not allow them in because they were too drunky?
          I took his $75.00
          His friends said, "Ask for your money back , dum-azz!"
          I gave it back.
          I know either his friends or the bartender eventually got his $75.00 anyway.
          I really didn't want him in my house or in my face.
          It was fun!
          hauntedravensgrin.com

          Comment


          • #6
            This is great question tater, my answer is strictly based off of quality.

            What exactly falls under quality?

            Time
            Design
            Acting Skill
            Makeup
            Costuming
            Special Effects (Lighting, Music, Animatronics, props...)
            Atmosphere
            Other various aspects..


            Of course, in order to make your haunt the best it can be it gets a little costly. If putting in that extra penny is what it takes to gain your haunt a great reputation among the public, then so be it. If you can achieve that great reputation customers WILL come along with their extra spending money (and they will return the following year, maybe even with more friends and family).


            So I guess what I'm trying to say is that, the quality of your haunt should indefinitely reflect the price. Your customers know if they are being ripped off or not. If you can get your customers to say "That was amazing!" or something along those lines, they wont be thinking about the price of the haunt, they will be thinking about the experience.

            In my opinion its all about quality:

            Time- "Man that felt like forever!"
            Design- "Do you remember that coffin room? That was awesome!"
            Acting Skill- "Did you guys see those two schizophrenic twin girls? They were amazing!"
            Makeup- "All the characters looked so real!"
            Costuming- " ^ "
            Special Effects (Lighting, Music, Animatronics, props...)
            Atmosphere "Man that place was so creepy!"


            If you can get your customers to leave your haunt saying those things (or something similar) they wont be thinking about the money they just forked over.


            How much is too much? well...How good is your haunt?


            -Jonathan Kersten (Corpse)
            Last edited by Corpse; 03-04-2008, 01:53 PM.
            sigpic

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            • #7
              You may have 99 out of 100 customers love your showplace and yet someone will always have to be negative and somewhat hatefull . Sometimes it will just be the green-eyed monster, Jealousy, or it's evil twin Utter Stupidity (not a "cow" thing)
              Some have not liked my place because I did not pander to their common expectations but then why should I? If they want or need such common items to give a show a positive rating just go to another place that does that and wallow in the "same-old-same old". Roll in it, get real smellly, grab a beakfull, throw it up into the air over your head as you grunt aprovals.
              I'll have my camera recording it all, OK?
              Time and work to even erect the simplest production take alot more energy and time than any average person wants to give it, even if the show is very "Stink-o" and excessively lame. This is why I give anyone , no matter how the show turns out alot of credit for trying and of course they will be learning, getting better as the years pass by...
              hauntedravensgrin.com

              Comment


              • #8
                Well, I have an easy solution.

                Ask them what their annual household income is and charge accordingly!

                I joke, but also its true. High-income places you'll be able to charge a higher price for (generally). Low-income... well they will pay anything for a good time. Mid-income, they want to be in the High-income, so they won't want to pay anything.

                Or, charge whatever will pay the bills, plus give you a 10% or higher return.
                Ben
                Tustin Haunt, Tustin CA
                www.tustinhaunt.com

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by bodybagging View Post
                  Tater this is a GREAT question, I have decided to make my combo ticket for this years event a bargain price of $250,000.00 Just Need to sell ONE TICKET!
                  Here in MI we have haunts that are 24 + vip but they are multiple attractions, you make a evening out of it.
                  I think that haunt owners Know what their events are worth and judge them accordingly, of course every now and again you get a weeniewadhauntowner, that cares for nothing less than the money aspect of the business and overcharges for his event, and people leave with a bad taste in their mouths about the industry as whole, way to go weeniewads!
                  Our attraction will be 20 this year, it will consist of a High quality 10,000 sf main attraction, and a 5,000 secondary 3D event, Next year the price will rise for two more events, ans well as the third year.....The only problem is by year five we will ten attractions and not be able to squeeze more cash out of the customers......

                  "weeniewadhauntowner" - Thanks, I needed to laugh that hard this morning!
                  www.mindseizure.com
                  www.myspace.com/mindseizurehauntedhouse

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Sorry to back to yall so late The haunts are in the same city and same area....Tops 5 minutes apart
                    Jesus loves you, but everyone else thinks you're an asshole.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Price versus value (percieved value?)

                      Why would a small KIA cost less than a Rolls-Royce?
                      Is the Rolls 50 times better-built?
                      I have told some people whining at the front of my house that this is a custom-built item, you will not see another one anything like it, so pay up!
                      hahahahah!
                      But it is.
                      Maybe price should also be in part baased on a uniqueness factor too?
                      I mean really, if the customer has seen a large percentage of what you have got to show them it would sort of depreciate the value of this "Entertainment" experience , wouldn't it?
                      Maybe the saving factor is not many 14 yr. olds travel a great distance and will see a large number of haunts?
                      Sort of like pre-TV, pre-DVD when a 5 yr. old movie could be a first-run big deal at the local theater.
                      In 1967 a small theater not far from here was showing a 4 year old Elvis movie that had already been on tv as a first-run movie. As a nowhere , backwater and last place to get movies it was discouraging to take the time to go to see a movie and see it again on NBC's movie of the week a week later.
                      Of course that small theater had a big board painted white that folded down to make a part of the screen and you could esily be in any movie they were showing, just sit up straight and there was your silloeutte!
                      You think I'm making this stuff up?
                      Nota.
                      hauntedravensgrin.com

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