In your opinion what were the best stretch of years to be a Mobile DJ? Or are we in them presently?

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Taso made some Interesting points. DJs today can have many more things to offer to clients then in the past. That can be a good or bad thing.

It can be bad for those who don't offer frills. That can limit them as to how much they can get paid. So to get paid a good amount (What that is depends on your definition of good pay) may require one to work extra hard at selling themselves.

He did say that you really need to stand out to get paid nicely. Especially since the invention of the computer DJ. It has more people becoming a DJ and to the people just at an event we're working look super easy what we do.

As for the frills thingsto offer to clients that depends on if you can afford to buy such things or rent those items. The next big step is not just having those things but knowing how to sell those things to clients. Of course you're not going to get every client to buy those things. You just need a good percentage being sold at a price making it worth the investment.
Way to regurgitate what has been said on this forum 100’s of times how about you answer the question
 
As to pay .. remember, that a $30K-$40K business in the 80s, is close to $90K-$100K today. So if someone truly grossed $100K in the 80s, that's close to grossing $250K today, and that would be at or near the top for mobile work.
 
At some point DJs also became wedding coordinators to a degree which doesn't have anything to do with spinning music. Someone got the idea to start doing that and eventually every DJ was expected to do the same. That is kind of an add on as a service offered. MCs have also been add ons for a long time which most DJs do as a second duty. In a way, DJs have had to do more work to get the same amount that they were getting in the past. There was a time when one could be just a DJ and still get plenty of work.

While not officially, DJ's were always "wedding coordinators".
We have to do that job in order to better do our own.
Probably why most DJ's prefer to NOT work with an official planner/coordinator.

Personally, I enjoy being part of the planning stage.
Offers me a feeling of being a little more in control of the day...
and better understand what the client is looking for.
 
As to pay .. remember, that a $30K-$40K business in the 80s, is close to $90K-$100K today. So if someone truly grossed $100K in the 80s, that's close to grossing $250K today, and that would be at or near the top for mobile work.
I'm not discounting that, I'm just saying to what extent did they need to work in the 80's to make that possible. I don't know what the avg dj price was in the 80's but something tells me that even with inflation, it's hard to match the avg of what some of the dj's are able to make now as we've become more used to production based services.
 
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To the few that have referenced me on certain topics... to quickly address them. I personally am well aware of 2 things... 1 that anything can happen to anyone at any time and 2 I can't do this forever, and that with age, business will be affected. The first part I don't let get to me... if that was the case, I'd never get into this having that fear. The second part is one that is an obvious but can be prepared for. Taking care of your body is an important item, and I do my best physically to do so with exercise and somewhat of a diet. The other part is... saving/investing. I have been doing this for many many years now... putting a portion of my income aside, investing in my 401k and other various investments for almost a decade now.

From my experience I got busier with age (48 this year). I agree there will come a point but you have a long way to go if you play it right.

There is more work AT the event, but that's what a crew is for. FYI I don't even know what a love story even is, so I can't relate.

Love story was one of the original upsells I believe around the same time as the chocolate fountain and they are both in the same place now. The big difference between the chocolate fountain and the love story was people didn't spend hundreds and thousands learning how to upsell a chocolate fountain ;)
 
Truthfully, the way my Wedding Reception Worksheet was designed enabled the Bride and Groom to select the program and music the way the wanted the flow to go on their special day. From the moment guests entered the Reception area I had complete control over the flow, well that is until the photographer happened to insert "special" group photos at the most unlikely point of the reception program. The photographer and floor captain were provided outlines and timeline when they entered the Reception area. I would explain to the photographer that I would notify him/her prior to making the announcement of the next item of the Program, and then follow-up by alerting the guests of what was about to happen next, like B&G 1st Dance, etc. There were some weddings where I did take a "backseat" to the Wedding Coordinator. On several occasions when SHE (coordinator) was in charge, the Bride would come up to me and ask when the next element of the program would happen. "Sorry, your wedding coordinator has not made me aware of it, but I will gladly find her and let her know that you are ready." I hate it when the Coordinator doesn't have time management skills.
So, I guess aside from just playing good danceable music, I was MC, Wedding Coordinator, and Valet to the Bride/Groom. Of course, I know for a fact that each time there was a coordinator, the Bride had provided her with a "draft" of the finalized version of the Program...and I provided her one as well when she arrived. So, one can see that not all DJ are manual "jukeboxes". And, when you throw Monogram project and Up-lighting into the mix, this single operator (me) seriously earns his money. Hidden cost: Big lighting jobs when time for setup and tear-down are limited, family helpers come into play...and are paid $$$ accordingly. My son often time was my roadie...and would come at the end to help take down lighting and equipment. When you are in you mid-60's or older it is a necessity to have help at the end of the night. He didn't mind coming at 11:00 or 12:00 pm just to help load-out...$50-$100 for 30 minutes of work. At that time of night you want dependability. LOL...and he was always there. Mad" money, he would say and I would counter let your wife know so I don't get backlash.

Hope I didn't de-rail the topic. Maybe this was an eye-opener for the younger DJ. Oh, each Bride and Groom received, at the end of the Reception, a typed copy of Reception Program that included the Special Dance music played and their Must Play and Would Like Played songs.
 
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While not officially, DJ's were always "wedding coordinators".
We have to do that job in order to better do our own.
Probably why most DJ's prefer to NOT work with an official planner/coordinator.

Personally, I enjoy being part of the planning stage.
Offers me a feeling of being a little more in control of the day...
and better understand what the client is looking for.
I did several weddings as a solo act back in the '90s. There was never any planning or coordinating involved. I'd just show up, set up and play music. Someone would let me know that I should take a break when needed.

Looking back, those were all pretty much non-traditional wedding receptions. None of them were young couples that wanted to do the bouquet toss etc. I also didn't do any planning for first couple of weddings I did as a DJ. Once I got with an agency (2005) hard copy planning forms were used.
 
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...if one maintains their physical appearance, youthful performance excitement, and face-to-face personal skills.

Yeah....chemo kind of changed my appearance. Lost most of the hair permanently and could not (still can't) get my weight back up.

I was 256 lbs, went down to 175 and back to 192 where I am today.

I didn't lose skills, but I felt my new looks were not made for "being out there", hence I decided to retire from the DJ biz.
 
Yeah....chemo kind of changed my appearance. Lost most of the hair permanently and could not (still can't) get my weight back up.

I was 256 lbs, went down to 175 and back to 192 where I am today.

I didn't lose skills, but I felt my new looks were not made for "being out there", hence I decided to retire from the DJ biz.

At least at 192 you are not "over weight", and being below 200 lbs is good for your cardiovascular health. I am up over 240. Trying to lose weight, but proving to be difficult. I would love to be 205 to 210 lbs...That is my target weight.
 
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I disagree that all DJs today are the same, and there is no difference between DJs any more. DJs are still very different in many different ways.

You need to get out and see more DJs :)
Go watch at least 40 different guys in yoru area and then tell me if you don't return feeling like you were watching the same guy 40 times.
 
You need to get out and see more DJs :)
Go watch at least 40 different guys in yoru area and then tell me if you don't return feeling like you were watching the same guy 40 times.

Well, I have seen some pretty crappy DJs who sit down, and don't even talk on the microphone. They play music as in one song after the other, and not exactly seamlessly mixed. , and I have seen DJs who put on an amazing performance.

Some DJs have no clue about oldies while other DJs hardly know anything about today's music. Some DJs are mixologists. Others can scratch like nobody's business and incorporate it into their performances...Some over do it to the point that they take away from the dancing atmosphere while others put just enough scratching into their shows that it creates a good uniqueness.

Some DJs sound terrible on the mic, while others have a very good radio quality voice.

Some DJs dress poorly, while some dress "OK", and others come dressed in a high end attire.

Some DJs have DMX controlled well thought out light shows. Others have quality lights in sound active mode. Some others use OLD, OLD effect lighting that may have been high quality 30 years ago, but is ancient looking today. And then there are some DJs who use spencer gifts level light effects.

Some DJ's sound equipment sounds terrible. Others have an adequete sound, and then there are those that sound phenomenal!

I can't say that every DJ is the same at all.
 
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At least at 192 you are not "over weight", and being below 200 lbs is good for your cardiovascular health. I am up over 240. Trying to lose weight, but proving to be difficult. I would love to be 205 to 210 lbs...That is my target weight.

Over weight has a lot to do with your height. I'm 5'7" and 194 is too heavy. I'd gotten down to 182 but have packed it back on. Man, trying to get skinny after you get older sucks rocks.
 
I just looked up BMI .. for a 5'10" person (myself), the CDC defines "normal" body weight range from 129 to 174 pounds. In my absolutely fittest days (age 20 and working out daily during the summer) I was 170. I left college at 188 and was in pretty decent shape. I think there is a missing tangent in the calculations .. body type, muscle level, whatever. I'm sure I'm overweight at 205, but there's no possibility in getting under 175 without looking gaunt.
 
I think those numbers from the CDC were figured out like 40 years ago, LOL.

129 lbs for someone who is 5'10 is not normal.

My friend is 6'0, and was down to 172 a few years ago. To me he was looking too skinny. He weighs like 200 now, and thinks he needs to lose weight. I have over 40 lbs on him...to me he is normal weight.
 
I just looked up BMI .. for a 5'10" person (myself), the CDC defines "normal" body weight range from 129 to 174 pounds. In my absolutely fittest days (age 20 and working out daily during the summer) I was 170. I left college at 188 and was in pretty decent shape. I think there is a missing tangent in the calculations .. body type, muscle level, whatever. I'm sure I'm overweight at 205, but there's no possibility in getting under 175 without looking gaunt.

I'm 5' 11", and weigh 204. Trying to get down to 195. But even though I once weighed 235 I never had a big gut. 195 was the weight I liked to be at when I played organized basketball in my mid 20's. That was when I was in the best shape of my life. I know I'll look a little saggy in the face and neck at that weight, though. That's just the way it goes at my age.[emoji1]

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I just looked up BMI .. for a 5'10" person (myself), the CDC defines "normal" body weight range from 129 to 174 pounds. In my absolutely fittest days (age 20 and working out daily during the summer) I was 170. I left college at 188 and was in pretty decent shape. I think there is a missing tangent in the calculations .. body type, muscle level, whatever. I'm sure I'm overweight at 205, but there's no possibility in getting under 175 without looking gaunt.

I'm 6'3" and 250 with a bit of a gut. My doc tells me I should be 175. After the heart attacks I went to 195 and I looked like I was dying I can't imagine 175
 
I'm 6'3" and 250 with a bit of a gut. My doc tells me I should be 175. After the heart attacks I went to 195 and I looked like I was dying I can't imagine 175

My oldest brother is 6'3 and he has lost a lot of weight over the last 2 years. He is down to 218, and he is really starting to look like "too thin". He weighed 345 at his highest. He quit eating fast food almost entirely. Hit up the tennis courts. He has been solely eating smaller meals at home. He has not been down to 218 since he was 21 years old and he is 50. I saw a picture of him about 6 weeks ago when he was at 225, and I thought he lost a bit too much weight, LOL.