Smirkus’ In-Kind Wish List

Smirkus Wish List

“Oh No! I just threw one of those away!”

The wide array of circus acts, the constant call to astound and amaze our audiences, and our highly creative crew of fun-loving roustabouts requires that we use a number of things you might not think to find in a circus.

★ A fifteen-foot foam whale with a functioning blowhole? Yep. We used one of those.
☆ A baby pool converted to an ice-filled cooling station during hot shows? Check.
★ Soaker hoses to spread water over the top of the tent for evaporative cooling? Standard issue.

The outlandish and unexpected is our stock and trade. So is the familiar used in unfamiliar ways. I wish I had a rubber chicken for every time we have gone out and purchased something only to have a Smirkus fan tell us, “Oh, I just threw one of those away. I wish you had told me.”  

So here goes. This year, we thought we would ask first… buy later. We’ve compiled a list of:

  1. Ordinary things we are pretty sure we need.
  2. Semi-expensive digital-type stuff… Electronics that we hope you just upgraded from and don’t know what to do with the old one.
  3. Extras from your garage, shop and shed: Tools and materials that our crew use to create the one-step-away world that we invite our audiences to run away with us to.
  4. Really big honking equipment. Seriously, we are talking about the kind of vehicles that need traffic horns that go honk.

Read this list for the fun of it. If you have anything you would want to donate, we can provide a tax deduction, and a wading pool full of appreciation. If you see something sorta close to what’s on the list, let’s talk.

Somewhat Regular Stuff:

★ Electric range
☆ Toasters
★ Chest freezer
☆ Wheelbarrow
★ Garden cart
☆ Picnic tables and park benches
★ Industrial and domestic sewing machine(s)
☆ Clothing display racks
★ Umbrellas
☆ Single/Twin mattresses for trouper and bunk trailers
★ Vacuum cleaners

Last Season’s Electronics:

★ iPad Air Wi-Fi 16GB
☆ iPhones: 5s or higher
★ Nikon D5500 or similar SLR camera
☆ Nikon/Nikkor lenses
★ SB800/900 off-camera flash
☆ SD cards: 32 GB or higher
★ Plasma Screen TV/Monitor
Fender Passport PA System
★ Retractable movie screen

Tools:

☆ Safety Equipment, including eye, ear, and respiratory protection
★ Standard Hand and Garden Tools: wrenches, screwdrivers, socket sets, paint brushes, rakes, shovels, trowels, hoes, etc.
☆ Woodworking Tools: air/nail gun, staple gun, sander, circular saw, jigsaw, router, cordless drill/impact kits, blades and accessories for all tools
★ Assorted bolts and fasteners – extra credit given for organizers and identified sizes
☆ Unopened paint
★ Bench vise
☆ 10, 12, 14 gauge extension cords

★ Tool Storage: cabinets, toolboxes, and rolling cases to keep these goodies in swell condition
☆ Masking, duct, electrical and painters tape
★ Foam for building props (another 15’ whale, perhaps?)
☆ Steel – angle iron, flat, tube
★ Plywood – assorted sizes and grades
☆ Wood – assorted sizes and grades – standard and pressure treated
★ Propane tanks for the Pie Car and RVs

Monster Trucks and Such:

★ Pickup trucks: 1 ton or larger
☆ Box trucks: 16′ and 26′
★ RVs and campers, either tow-behind or coach
☆ Bobcat A770 / Skidsteer
★ Golf cart
★ 75+ kw Generator
☆ Compressor: 80 cfm, tow-behind

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