It’s pretty good work if you can get it, which requires some non-trivial investment on your part.
“My Saturdays in December are booked for the rest of my life,” said Bill Dendy, 68, who’s performed as Santa in Dallas for more than 20 years. “There’s not enough people out there that can put on a red suit to fill the demand.”
Between department stores, tree lightings and office parties, there’s no shortage of gig work for enterprising Saint Nicks this year. Despite projections of dampened holiday spending, professional Santas across the state say they’re booked and busy — and billing at rates that rival lawyers’.
A good Santa Claus can charge $150 an hour. A great one can command well above $300 an hour. It’s not unheard of for an experienced Santa to make north of $25,000 between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve.
“The passion and the love of the kids — that’s the number one thing. Now, the monetary value that comes with it is nice, too, and a lot of Santas are on a fixed income,” said Gregg Blanchard, 54, a Klein-based Santa. A middle school teacher by day, Blanchard said the extra cash helps with the less-than-festive car insurance bills and HOA fees.
Why so expensive? Santas are quick to point out that being a convincing Mr. Claus requires a significant investment.
For real-bearded Santas — the industry’s gold standard — looking sharp requires careful beard maintenance, with often daily washing, conditioning and oiling. Some Santas bleach or paint their beards for that snow-white look. Stuart Deacon Jr., 30, a rare clean-shaven Santa, has a yak hair beard he attaches with toupee tape, styles with heated rollers and sets with “a lot, a lot of hairspray” to withstand kids’ prying hands and the Houston humidity.
Then there’s the outfit: red suit and hat, leather boots, a belt with a shiny buckle, perhaps a pair of round spectacles to perch on the end of one’s nose. One good suit can run thousands of dollars, not including specialized dry cleaning that ensures the red fabric doesn’t turn the white fur pink. There’s gas to pump and tolls to pay, especially for Houston-area Santas hopping from suburb to suburb, plus annual fees for background checks and performer’s insurance.
Deacon estimates he’s sunk $20,000 into being Santa over the last decade. But in a line of work where one’s clients are one’s biggest skeptics, authenticity pays off.
“If you’re a kid and you’re looking at Santa Claus and he’s wearing loafers and boot covers, that can’t be the real Santa,” Deacon said.
Dendy, who runs the high-end Santa suit purveyor Santa’s Tailor out of Dallas, said he’s seen his business grow every year since he started it in 2018. He calls his products “generational Santa suits,” made from wool and cashmere, with breathable linings that appeal to Santas in steamy climes. They start at $1,500, and a fully bespoke set can run over $8,000. Dendy said he sold 200 suits this year.
Yeah, that’s all a bit beyond my interest and budget. Ask me again in a few years after I’m retired and looking for something to keep me busy, though. Respect to all those who have the commitment. The embedded image is from the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School, the self-proclaimed World’s Oldest Santa School, established in 1937. That right there is dedication to the craft.