Hard thread title, but I wanted to cover everyone in asking the questions that I will pose.
Does anyone care to venture an estimate of the amount of gross money exchange takes place between hobbyists and escorts per year? Money earned by people on the fringes (such as massage only, dance only, ect) should be excluded form the estimate. The estimate can be based upon personal observation, as my own is based upon.
My estimate is that the average semi-successful provider in this business can get $2000 per week ($200/hr, 2 serious clients/day, five workdays/week) can earn $2,000/week. Using that weekly gross and estimating that the average semi-successful lady works on average 40 weeks per year and estimating that there are (low estimate) 70,000 agency and independent ladies working domestically in the US alone, I come up with 5.6 billion dollars in funds exchange as a low estimate.
a provider yourself.
All kinds of people do all kinds of things for all kinds of reasons. That's what makes the world not-boring, and understanding this is the keystone of tolerance.
Whether it's idle curiousity, a thirst for socio-economic knowledge, or just a fascination with number-crunching, a general question of this type is not an invasion of any single provider's personal privacy, so I don't get the "NOYB" response.
A segment of this market works the street corners, alleys, ect. and we probably out number the 70,000 nationally that you estimate as "profesionals". Myself as an example, will give 20 to 100 BBBJ's a day just to keep up with my habit, (I can't even give the pussy away these days! - maybe I'll have better luck when I get those sores cleared up!) There is usually little or no cash exchanged, (service for drugs only) my efforts (and the countless minions like me)do contribute to this grey-market economy!
-- Modified on 7/4/2005 2:43:08 PM
-- Modified on 7/4/2005 2:50:52 PM
-- Modified on 7/4/2005 2:52:36 PM
The only thing I care about is what happens between me and the girl: Everything else is irrelevant. The analytical approach so many men take to sex never ceases to amaze me. I remember when I was in high school there were always geeks who where trying to calculate their chances with the girls instead of just going for it. There were always rather loose girls, but they were not loose for everyone. The only way to find out was to take her out and try to get in her pants. She might have fucked half of the guys in school, but for some reason she didn’t want to fuck you. No problem: Move on. The next girl might fuck you to death and not even go out with your bud. That’s the way women are and that’s the way life is. Stop crunching number and starting munching pussy. Good luck Alan Greenspan, Albert Einstein or whoever you are.
Many guys would assume that because I am an adult service provider (massage only) that I am pretty "easy" and that their odds with me would be commensurate. Hardly so. I like to keep it hot and concentrated only on someone I am crazy about. Massages are a great way for me to get aroused, and then "take it home to Daddy", so to speak.
So, there is no magical mathematical formula.
As far as economics go...who knows? Just because someone charges a lot per service hour, doesn't mean she is making x, y, or z. Many providers only see a few clients a weekend, as they are very part time and are otherwise occupied with school, career, etc. Also, for every one hour spent "live" with a client, there is an hour or two of emailing and screening (at the VERY least) and hour of makeup and preparation, and an hour of cleaning, re-dressing, etc, afterward...at least for me. So for every "billable" hour, I actually have to work aproximately 4 hours. So, at $200 per massage appointment, I may make a relatively modest $50/hour. This is a very middle class hourly rate when you factor in not only the time, but the expense of advertising, "costuming" rent for incall, linens, misc supplies, etc. For the typical escort, at $300-give or take- This breaks down to $75/hour.
I would be more interested in the percentage of men who actually engage in activity as this is a true barometer of social morals, and our laws are supposed to be dynamic (read:changeable)reflections of those.
Just my $0.02 
Damn I am a wordy wench!
sweetnsoft raises a good point. Why not try to estimate how many men visit providers on a wekkly/monthly/annual basis, what the average fee paid is, and take it from there?
seriously. Until that day comes, I bide you adieu.
the benefit of doubt and assume that is the best you can do.
Just because someone CAN does not mean they want to. Many 'successful', popular providers prefer to only work as little as possible to afford to stay home, pay their bills and not have to work the 'normal' conventional workday grind. This luxury of, on average, only seeing 1-2 clients per WEEK, allowed them to stay home, go to school, work part time, or have another business, or be with their children.
I'm one of those geeks that also asks questions like this. Unfortunately, this one is too broad. A recent study identified 25 different categories of sex workers. My guess is that each category has a somewhat different business model. To figure this out would take too much time from hobbying unless one was doing field research of course.
hmmm....the news story doesn't actually list the 25 categories so I went searching for the article itself; unfortunately access to the piece costs $12...
If anyone wants to spring the cash, check out the link.
They have all the pussy and at least half the money, it's only a matter of time before they get all the money. Just pay the lady!
The question will give us something ponder when they have all the pussy and all the money and they are not giving it away for free. We'll have plenty of time to think about it.
give it away for free because by your definition, we (men?) will not have any money to pay for it. Now, which came first, the chicken or the egg?
you say, "My estimate is that the average semi-successful provider in this business can get $2000 per week ($200/hr, 2 serious clients/day, five workdays/week) CAN earn $2,000/week". Just because someone CAN does not mean they want to. Many 'successful', popular providers prefer to only work as little as possible to afford to stay home, pay their bills and not have to work the 'normal' conventional workday grind. This luxury of, on average, only seeing 1-2 clients per WEEK, allowed them to stay home, go to school, work part time, or have another business, or be with their children.
So the question that I have for you is whether my observations are any less valid than yours?
Man, you're getting flamed for asking a reasonable question. What's going on here?
There are many variables to consider, and your assumptions may have holes in them. But that's a reasonable opening for a question like this. You seem to have limited your discussion to the US, unless I've mis-read. What happens when you extend the logic worldwide? That's a staggering number.
"Never say anything on the phone that you wouldn't want your mother to hear at your trial"
Sydney Biddle Barrows
In this essence :
" never say anything on a message board you wouldnt want your mother to hear at your trial 
"
you would have to be the most STUPID, LAZY person on the planet earth! Any woman in this biz ought to know that they have a "shelf life" with an "expiration date." If a lady doesn't work that cooch hard & long while in her prime and save 75% of what she earns she is going to find herself old, fat and broke someday. No amount of counseling will convince the 20+yo nymphets of this fact but ask a 39yo provider with no other marketable skills and she'll tell you about looking at "the wall" she'll someday hit.
$2000/week?? That's a joke! I got an ATF who commonly earns $2000/DAY! charging $$$/hour. I admire and respect her work ethic and extraordinary discipline in respect to her savings plan. She could teach us ALL a thing or two about money management.
stilltryin25 and DoYaThink; You need to talk to some real professionals and not part-time lazy-butt-amateurs to get proper numbers to crunch. You bet your ass this industry is in the BILLIONS. CASH billions no less. Why do ya' think the "press" is always so negative about the hobby. If the real truth leaks out it could cause a socioeconomic revolution.
Finally someone who's candid. I love your "hit the wall" analogy and hell yes it's true. If you lump the porn industry in here as a form of prostituion then you are looking at least 20 Billion per yer and getting higher every year. As for individual ladies and how much they use it for pay, well that's debatable, but if they are not putting more away than they are spending (a la the 8 year prostitute who cried broke) and have no bankable skills, then fat, broke, and happy would be a luxury.
There could be some of us who don't want to work that cooch hard and long because we are not that in need of money. There are some of us who are happy with making a few thousand a week, not a few thousand a day because we still want to have depth and feeling in our cooch. Did you ever stop to think that maybe, just maybe, this business isn't about money to some of us? I guess not. 
If it ain't "All About The Money" as Cynicalman professes then why are "freebies" more scarce around here then hens teeth?
What are you talking about? What freebies? You mean free sessions?
Whether you make a thousand a month or several thousand a month, this biz is about trading your service for cash. You cannot equate how much that you are making with being half in or out of a hole. I mean geez, do you think anyone will pay you just to look at you (well, i know some will)? It's about Ho-ing and collecting green stamps. Ask Ciara.
Quote: " If it ain't "All About The Money" as Cynicalman professes then why are "freebies" more scarce around here then hens teeth?"
Most people do have jobs for the purpose of earning money, that doesn't mean it's all about the money or that they don't enjoy the work...but how many would do their job for free no matter how much they liked the work?
Also, mos people have some intergrity and certain things they won't do in the course of their jobs. Refuse a client if you don't have the time to do the job correctly, decide that a particular job isn't worth what it would entail, decide not to spread oneself too thin by taking every task available, refuse overtime because they value their freetime away from work, etc. Would you then say that it's only money for all jobs and all people? and if they were to not only refuse to do these things but refuse to do them for free then they obviously don't enjoy their work?
You want to be serious, that's fine, but if that is your platform then try to stand on it. You try and act like this business has to have completely different rules than any other, and that just ain't so, it is a job and like for most of us we choose or jobs based on more than money...but still wouldn't do them for free.
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All I did is jump in this thread saying that if you're going to be a provider you may want to discipline yourself, set some savings goals and possibly work it a bit harder than your current cost of living demands. You & Tig suddenly come in as consummate Florence Nightingales who just happen to adamantly be against pro-bono work.
(now you're probably going to accuse me of trying to solicit free sex)
Many professions offer "pro-bono" services for the humble or overwhelmed. Workers in most every field do favors or offer a "freebie" occasionally to friends etc. To say such practices are anything but rare in the hobby is utter bullshit. As a provider you regularly have sex with men you normally wouldn't even consider having coffee with. You do this because you are well compensated; Not because you're a philanthropist.
It would also be most gracious of you to not always consider a woman who regularly, expertly and professionally does three to four times your volume as "tacky", "Cheap", "risky" "low" or any number of the common pejorative terms used by the chronically jealous and lazy.
AFRS
First, I am not against pro-bono work. Hell, I have had a client have to force me to take money.
I have given freebies to "friends" (people that were friends before they were clients).
I also will offer my services no strings attached, for free to some that can't afford it.
Though, you are correct in the fact that the above mentioned are exceedingly rare indeed, happened for exactly three people to be specific, in thirteen years.
I also, never stated or implied women that work harder than I, or have more clients than I, are tacky, cheap, risky, low, or anything else.
Oh yeah, one other little thing...I'm not a provider.
I am a graphic artist, web designer/master, geek for hire, and persoanl assistant...trained to be a fine artist but do commercial work to make money. I have "prostituted" my talents for cash, but I still work in fields which I get to be creative and which I enjoy...but the fact that I enjoy my work doesn't mean I give it away to everyone,or even most or many, for free, nor does it mean that I won't turn down a job if it is an afront to my artistic sensibilities, or that I don't think I can do justice to, or that will cut into my time with other projects or my figure drawings/paintings, or time with friends.
As I stated in my post that you replied to, those things occur in all jobs...and I was thinking of mine, as well as those of others I know, when I wrote that post and simply applied it to providers as well.
Like I said, why do you try and act like this business plays by completely different rules than any other?
Oh, and the things I stated I do for free or reduced amounts, those are special circumstances, for very good friends, or in cases where I am learning a new skill as I do the job, so no...most jobs don't just hand out free work on a regular basis, hell I have charged friends and aquaintances top dollar for my services, the same rates I charge strangers.
As for Miss Tig's, or any other provider's, giving of freebies, discounts or anything else...just because you haven't gotten one doesn't mean no one does...you wouldn't get one from me in my lines of work either...you would be a client to me though I may enjoy doing the work I was contracted to do.
If you want to be serious, then please do, but once again, you had it in your mind, apparently, that you were replying to a provider so you would chide her for not being like other businesses...only, you didn't see the possibility of the person you were replying to actually speaking of businesses other than providing so you made your grand assumptions.
I don't know if I am a member of the "Pollyanna Brigade" or not but you might be amazed at what I am.
One last thing, thank you for your joke, the chastising was quite humourous, though I can only assume, completely unintentional.
"Mr" graphic artist, web designer/master, geek for hire. What is your agenda for taking my original musing of not being a slacker for a provider and turn it argument ad hominum (sp?).
I was not pointing the finger at you necessarily for the cited pejorative titles but rather addressing the minions of the Pollyanna Brigade who have often in the past expressed their indignant shock that a provider would actually see over 4 clients a day.
Now putting all issues of philanthropy, humanitarianism, part-time / full-time, love of job, quality of life and social stigma aside.
Being attractive, possessing a vagina and earning only $2000/week in this biz is due to either stupidity and/or laziness.
It ain't rocket science.
I replied to your post asking, about if it isn't "all" about the money why "freebies" are rare, pointing out that in all lines of work, even if one enjoys their work, they don't do it for free.
You replied, with the "pollyanna" post, replying to my post and repeatedly writing "you"...crazy me took that to mean you were writing to me.
I had no agenda as to your original post, as I did not reply to your original post about any of the ladies being "stupid" or "lazy". I did not turn that post into an argument about anything as, quite frankly I saw it gross generalisiation, that I chose, and still choose, not to reply to.
You have quite a gift at arguing minutia that is secondary to the central debate. I would have much preferred you to have taken arms against my "gross generalization" and really got us into a food fight.
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So you are saying that a provider who is really busy has no depth in her vagina ? Is that why some providers are complaining "Oh you hit my bladder ?" because their vagina's have lost depth.
MP
I am going by what I have heard of some hobbyists say. I for one would not want a hobbyist saying being with me is like throwing a hot dog down a hallway or having my vagina being refered to as Saddle lips. The thought of having five to seven different men running inside of me seven days a week does not appeal to me in any way or fashion. I see five friends a week many of them repeats and many multiple hours. I have done two overnights in the past week. I do not work during my period. I take off a week every month just to relax and take a break. There is no need for me, Tig, to work every day or see a high volume of men. I just purchased another home so I have a mortgage payment and car insurance that are my largest bills since I have more than one vehicle. I know how to manage money. I just don't want to struggle and I am not. I am not saying that happens to all providers or women in general who work their little friends into overtime but I have heard this from men that there isn't a lot of feeling. I wouldn't know. I don't have a dick to try it and see.