Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Interesting reading from a 1969 Amusement Business, the "Bible" of the industry at the time.

3 comments:

Wade G. Burck said...

Note the figures 750.00, 1500.00, and 2000.00 being thrown about. Does anybody care to compare to todays salary? The most I ever got for working an elephant act was 500.00 in 1981. My last elephant salary, while not performing, but at the winter quarters supervising was 350.00 in 2006.
Wade

Casey McCoy Cainan said...

I took the Culpepper elephants in 94 for 700.00 a week and 25% of the ride. It topped out in 2000 at 1,200 and 25%. I think Mike Swain had a similar deal there.

Wade G. Burck said...

Casey,
I think the general consensus is that rides pretty much did away with decent elephant acts, and doesn't have a lot to do with training and standard of an act. It is on a par with a percentage of the coloring book sales.
If Mike Swain had a similar deal, then we are to assume the deal is for anybody who wants it regardless of experience. Not that Mike isn't experienced, but it doesn't seem like it has changed much since 1969.
Wade