Burlingame Raises Prices To Keep Ahead Of Rising Costs

Ed Burlingame, owner of Pride of Texas Shows, Beeville, Texas, is somewhat of a renaissance man.

He owns a record publishing company, Texas Carousel Records, and agency, Stage Of The Stars, in Beeville and is preparing to open a Route 66 Carousel Park in Joplin, Mo., in May 2002.

The carnival business comes first, however, and Burlingame has raised his ticket prices slightly this year to combat increased overhead. "Expenses are crazy.

"The economy has been a little tough at some places. My attendances may be down but grosses are right on target, or better. Raising the prices a little bit has enabled me to do that. I'm not saying we draw as many people. I thought we'd starve last week until we had a very big closing Sunday.

"When we get the weather, we make money. We've probably had more rain that we need, and not as much as we're going to get," said Burlingame. He spoke by phone Aug. 14 from the Five States Fair in Liberal, Kan.

"I just got off the phone with another big county fair in Texas, which is giving me the contract for next year." He played the Finney County Fair in Garden City, Kan., for the 22nd straight year. "Everything was wonderful."

The entire Pride of Texas show will be booked at the Sept. 7-23 New Mexico State Fair, Albuquerque, with Frank Zaitshik's Wade Shows. "We went in with some pieces last year and are happy to be returning with the whole show. It will be a jump of about 500 miles for us from southern Oklahoma," said Burlingame.

"I'm proud that Frank asked us to come. I feel real privileged he asked us. He's a class act. We'll have between 28 and 35 pieces there.

"I have to count and see what I've got," said Burlingame. Zaitshik stated, "Ed even has our colors this year. He did a great job for us in 2000, was easy to work with, and we're glad to have him back."

The carnival plays most of its spots in Texas, along with Kansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. Asked about help, he laughed and said, "I have to hire humans to work. I meet any problems that come along and deal with them."

Burlingame raised the price of his individual tickets this year from 75 cents to $1, with each ride requiring two or three tickets.

"I get from $10, once in a while, with a Coke or Pepsi can promotion, to $12 or $15 on bracelet nights, depending on the number of hours."

Burlingame said he runs the pay-one-price bracelet option for unlimited rides every night.

For a couple weeks he said he thought he was going to be able to afford fuel. "In Kansas, I paid $1.39 a gallon for diesel and I saw yesterday it's $1.43. That's like when you're a kid and something scares you. You find out there's always something worse.

"I was scared of fuel prices until I figured things could get worse. That's when I decided to raise prices. With fuel prices up, people will stay in town more and come to see us more often.

"As far as DOT [Department of Transportation], that's in our budget. You might as well include those costs in it if you're moving stuff across the road, just like insurance." Burlingame's insurance is with Haas & Wilkerson.

He is buying the park from Bill Amix, who ran it as a hobby, with his son. "You have to know the business. I hope the hell I do."

He paid $5,700 for a fiberglass gorilla that is six feet, six inches high, and six feet wide, and a fiberglass elephant that is 12 1/2 feet high from Joe's Convenience Store of Buffalo, N.Y.

"I passed on an English bulldog. We'll have 12-14 rides there, a huge arcade, go-karts, a 36-hole miniature golf course, batting cages, food area, and 40 trailer spaces. It has a beautiful building with 20-foot extensions on each side and a big party room. Pepsi is kicking in some money."

While Burlingame spent time at the park, the show was being run by his son, James, along with General Manager Johnny Cayer and Bill Ritter, who keeps everything moving, according to Burlingame. "James does whatever I need."

New this year for the carnival are a Power Surge from Zamperla; Landslide and Whale ride from Wisdom. "Betty is the boss. The office is run by Philip 'Choo Choo' Coover and Sammy Moss is our concession manager."

Speaking of Betty, who he called his best friend and partner, Burlingame said that love and marriage are like money in that they both go away — sometimes. "In marriage, do like they tell you, and it works out."

He was happy that acts he represents, Jaque Lynn and her sister, Elena, have been signed to a record deal by a well known producer. "Things seem to be picking up," he said. The season ends the week after Thanksgiving at a shopping center promotion, "that they call some kind of festival, in Laredo, Texas. I don't think we have ever put a real name on the damn thing."