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Frosty Loyal user Texas 245 Posts |
No, not Frosty the snow man! Hello everyone! I'm very excited to be here! The coffee and donuts smell real good! I've been reading the café for some time now but couldn't sign up because of my email. Now that I can, I'm glad to be able to be part of the Café.
I was born and raised in Venice California where I was bit by the magic bug at a very young age at a magic show. I can still remember how unbelievable it was when I witnessed the magician pulling coins out of other kids ears and made shiny steel rings magically penetrate right through each other. It was real magic through my eyes.. later growing up as teenager moved to Los Angeles and I found magic books in the library. I was so excited of my discovery and I checked out every book I found on the subject. Then while browsing through the yellow book I found out of a magic shop in Hollywood Ca. I jumped on my bike and peddled for hours till I got there. I walked in and I could almost hear angels sing. I felt I walked into sacred ground (I actually wanted to kiss the floor). My heart was pounding real hard with excitement. A magician from behind the counter asked me if he could help so I asked for an amazing trick that was easy to do and not too expensive. There I bought my first trick. It was a Svengali deck. It was the most amazing trick I've ever seen! Forward ten years or so and started pitching that amazing deck at sidewalks and later found out of swapmeets as they are called in the west coast. Later move up to fairs, festivals, car shows, flea markets and others... I live in Texas now. I'm still pitching magic slum out of my pitch joint after over 20 years now and as old pitchmen say : "still going strong!" Sorry for going on too long but The Magic Café is another exciting place to be! Thank you and Have a great day! |
DonDriver Inner circle 1790 Posts |
Hi Frosty,I to am an old Svengali pitchman.Did it for over 30 years and made a good living doing it.I'm retired now and live the lazy life.Welcome to the café.
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Mary Mowder Inner circle Sacramento / Elk Grove, CA 3659 Posts |
Welcome Frosty,
I'm curious, do you still think about other Magic after work? You've probably launched more than your share of young Magicians, have you run into any later? -Mary Mowder |
Frosty Loyal user Texas 245 Posts |
Hello Don! Thank you for your welcome! Not many legendary pitchmen like yourself left in the pitch world... I collect everything and anything related to pitching slum. I bought your VHS tape and then bought it again in DVD just to see the king walker in action. Your videos are amazing! Just one tip I got from your video tapes and my turns almost doubled! Thank you for that!
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Frosty Loyal user Texas 245 Posts |
Hello Mary, thank you for your welcome as well! I'm always think of magic even after work. Its a passion of mine. I believe many kids have been influenced into magic from pitching but being that I'm not always in the same location its difficult to tell. I've had many repeat purchases from the same kids because they lost or wore out their tricks etc... they also come back to purchase other magic but I only pitch no more than four tricks. I usually direct them to a magic shop or the library.
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Frosty Loyal user Texas 245 Posts |
Here is a picture my boy took while having fun in front of my tip!
Click here to view attached image. |
Frosty Loyal user Texas 245 Posts |
Here's one more while storying my tip right before the turn! Sorry for the re-posting.... I'm still trying to learn how to use the Café!
Click here to view attached image. |
DonDriver Inner circle 1790 Posts |
Nice looking joint...with a nice looking tip.
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Frosty Loyal user Texas 245 Posts |
Thank you Don! I'm working on building a table top riser over my 8 foot table I use with a little more flash printed around it. I'm thinking of making something collapsible using hinges like the method you describe on your videos. I had a box on top of my table but it was not collapsible so that was a problem. You can barely see it on my avatar. I'm usually under a tent as I mostly work outdoors. I'll post a picture on the Step Right Up section when I'm done to see what others think.....
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DonDriver Inner circle 1790 Posts |
Please do Frosty...sounds good.
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Mowee Loyal user 239 Posts |
Frosty if Don says it is nice looking...he outta know. He is the king. (You may want to get his pitch information.) Where in Texas are you?
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Frosty Loyal user Texas 245 Posts |
Hello Mowee, I agree! Don has done the grind for many years and it shows in his pitch videos and all the advice he freely gives in this forum.... I'm a little more than a forty miler. I work a radius of 200 miles or so centering around San Antonio, Austin and surrounding areas but will travel further if need be....
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DonDriver Inner circle 1790 Posts |
The pitch business has changed since I started some 40 years ago.Today its good to be a 30 miler,forget 40.Travel has gotten way too expensive.I remember when Motel 6 started out.The "6" was for $6.00 a night.I forget how much gas was back than but less than $1.00 a gallon.
Don |
Frosty Loyal user Texas 245 Posts |
Yes! Travel has gotten too expensive. I sometimes get a hotel/motel when I'm a few hours away and am too tired to drive back or need to be there again the next day. Its been more than once I've slept in my truck while on the road just to save a buck! But man, 6 bucks! That must of been nice! I'm also raising a family of 6 so being close to home is a must!
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Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
Hey! That means that you have "6 -- count 'em" -- 6" potential "sticks" ("shills" for you really old timers!)
My dear friend, the late Roy KISSELL, who was later a dealer in Detroit, got his start as a carnie. His dad, back then, pitched SvengaliS. Roy wrote a series of articles in Linking Ring about 40 years ago. He titled it "From the back of the truck", I think. Roy told of how his dad would make up stock from "donated" used decks from the back room at Legion, VFW, and DAV club rooms. His dad even promoted instruction sheets from printers. Roy was an "authority" on Guess Your Age & Weight joints, AND, a darn fine magician. I often went with Roy to swap meets, to look for potential stock for his shop. I remember when he found a carton of about 20 gross of gadgets for moistening envelope flaps. The flea market guy was selling them for twenty five cents, and, they were selling like COLD CAKES! Roy asked, "How much for the whole box?" THAT GOT ATTENTION! The jointer was glad to red light the complete stock. I think Roy got 'em for a nickel apiece. As we drove back to his shop, I asked him, "Whatcha gonna do with them?" Roy smiled, and said, I'll rip out the sponge, spray 'em flesh colored, write up an instruction sheet, and sell 'em for five bucks! They are "now" plastic "Paul Fox salt gimmicks!" Only "us carnes" will understand!
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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M. Tesla Regular user Coral Springs, Florida 154 Posts |
While the amount of water has remained static, the amount of Tequila and Triple Sec available for making Margaritas has expanded enormously. So you see, we have made progress after all. ~Anonymous
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Frosty Loyal user Texas 245 Posts |
Hey Dick, now you got me thinking LOL! I've used my kids as lumber before but only had them stick the joint one at a time..... Maybe it would of been better if I used more of them at once! (why didn't I think of that?) I tried to have my older kids pitch as well but it seemed it was torture for them so they went off to get regular jobs and continue their education! I don't blame them.... my smaller ones are a little too young right now but might give it a try in the near future. Best!
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MarloFan93 New user 42 Posts |
I too spent 7 years pitching Svengalis for a living, and doing some monte on the side. Would love to talk to you more about pitching and Svengali work in general.
Good to have you here Frosty! Welcome to the Café. |
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