Mall Santas Are Cashing In This Christmas

Debbie Nance

I remember fondly visiting the mall Santas when I was a little girl. The memories are sweet and the pictures are treasured. Although, some of my couture in the 70s wasn't anything to brag about. Have you heard what kind of salary the jolly elf is making these days?

How Much Mall Santas Are Making

The Sun Sentinel in Florida says a shortage of mall Santas in the Sunshine State and beyond is driving the price up. Santas are taking advantage of the shortage by charging as much as $400 an hour. That's roughly twice as much as last year.

Many mall Santas are getting $675 for two-hour appearances at parties. The average Santa will work 70 times during the holiday season. Some are so in demand that they have a minimum charge of $850. Wow. And others are doing in-home visits on Christmas Day for $930.

Ok, so I understand making a personal house call on Christmas Day warrants a hefty price tag. But when it comes to the other fees the mall Santas are charging...not saying they don't earn it. It just makes me think, "hmmmm...could I make my belly shake 'like a bowlful of jelly?'" It might be worth a try at those prices!

By the way, these mall Santas are the real deal. No fake beards or shabby, faded red suits. So, start growing out the facial hair and dry clean the suit. You could be the next up for a promotion!

Christmas mall Santas

Debbie NanceEditor

Debbie Nance is the afternoon co-host along with her husband on "The Charlie and Debbie Show" at WSOC, Country 1037 in Charlotte, North Carolina. She has been with the station for 18 years. Debbie is a CMA Award winner for Radio Personality of the Year. And, she has worked in radio for 40 years. Before her current afternoon position, Debbie spent more than a decade as co-host on morning shows in several markets across the Southeast. As a content creator for Country 1037, Debbie writes articles about food, new restaurants in the Carolinas and travel experiences.