Balloon sculpture question...

[Bonkers #361]

I buy the mixed bags from www.tmeyer.com. I buy the Carnival and the entertainer bags. I never have had a problem with them. I open the bag and seperate the colors. I think more towards the holidays I am going to buy single colors. It is what you care for. Muti Bags are great for beginners. For a person doing line work I could see how buying single colors are better. Fitz what are your thoughts on this?

[Fitzwilly]

It really depends on how many balloons you use and how specific you are on your colors when you are creating. The assortment bags may have begun as overruns and such and there is some variations as far as actual counts of the individual colors in the bags, but these days Q is very specific on the colors contained in the different assortments.
I buy all my colors in individual bags in part because I like to have a full slate of colors at all times when I am twisting. Also i use both Betallatex and Qualatex, as I prefer some colors in one brand over the other. That way when I am loading my balloon belt I don't have to sort through a bunch of different assortment bags to get the colors just right, all I do is open the color I need and away I go.

[OkiDoki]

Another way to make it more interesting for yourself when children all start to want the same for me is using menuboards. When you use them children tend less to choose what the child before him had but to choose what he wants himself. You sometimes need to help the children with choosing. They are not always that creative in thinking about what they want. I always have about 4 different menuboards:
1: With only very quick to make simple figures
2: With only one balloon figures.
3: a lot of figures up to 3 balloons.
4: figures exept the most common ones.

I also often don't use them but there are also regurly situations it is very handy

[saphireSue]

Same here for me, most kids want what they see first. Last night. initally only a few seniors in the place so I started making different types of flowers and offering them to the ladies at their tables, when the kids came in they all wanted flowers at first even the boys. I use mostly belallatex and I order single colors. Mainly because I want specific colors and certain colors I use more often than others.

My resturant is for one hr every tues at different resturants in the chain. I usually stay over a bit to finish any one extra; if it gets real crowded and I can't see daylight there is some one assigned to help me close of the line... So far it's not been a prob. here, but there's always one or two that come in just as you've packed everyting away. So last night I made up several neat balloons like the mermaid, plane with pilot, rose and kept them in the car, so just as I pack up and 3 more kids came to me I could tell them I was leaving , but I had a few they could choose from, this let me load up my car,and I came in and gave out my extras and left with kids happy, and mangament please.

[Guido]

I use the TMyers.com Pump 1, have been for fourteen years . . . same pump! Reliable, reliable, reliable! I always pack a few spare parts, always, and have used one o-ring and two nozzles in fourteen years. I also keep a purple Qualatex hand pump around for a backup but inevitably it ends up in the hands of a "student" volunteer.

I've seen the Macs and Filberts and like them both. I don't think either is a bad choice. You can buy plans on eBay to make your own but by the time you buy the parts, the plans and pay for shipping and nowadays . . . gas to shop for the parts, you're better off buying one that's already built.

Get a good pump as soon as you decide you like this stuff. You'll be glad you did. Aside from having a great piece of equipment, your customers, patrons and audience will notice you have something they just can't buy at Wal-Mart and realize you are dedicated to your craft.

There are also battery operated pumps, electric pumps and even Co2 inflators that work well. Each serves pretty much the same purpose, inflating balloons, but have limitations. Chosing the right pump for the right situation is the key.

[Fitzwilly]

Well spoken Guido.