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12345 Loyal user 222 Posts |
Please help me guys, I've only had 16 months of magic experience, joined my local small town magic club. My car needs to be fixed.
I am starting my door-to-door magic "sales" I will be selling magic tricks door to door (I got lots of experience) $5 for card tricks, only selling two card tricks right now. I need to raise like $2000 by end of November. So far I've made $240 selling my tricks (sneaking on school campus) and showing them the two tricks then saying, "Look man for $5 you could learn this and do this to your friends." Sometimes the school kids say, oh man I only got $3...that's OK, I still sell them. I'm selling a trick my local magic club taught me, where you pick a card and then the card ends up in my pocket or wherever and the Two Card Monte I just need some more tips or advice or whatever. P.S. Please send cash! |
Jordan Piper Veteran user British Columbia, Canada 309 Posts |
There are many other places you could try and sell your tricks and/or perform. i.e. flea markets, grocery stores, the mall, on the bus, etc. To expand the type of items you sell you could make your own Svengali or invisible decks to sell, but be sure you include instructions with all your tricks and maybe a contact number so if people have problems with the trick they can ask you for advice. Good Luck!
P.S. Will change do? |
Pete Biro 1933 - 2018 18558 Posts |
It takes money to make money. Find a wholesaler and pitch Svengali decks.
You can pitch the 3 card monte tricks too. Make sure the trick is EASY TO DO... nothing worse than selling a dad something, he takes it home and can't do it for his kids. Friend of mine made a living pitching "flick books." (like the coloring books where you show the pages blank, then with line drawings and finally all colored in). They were small and cheap.
STAY TOONED... @ www.pete-biro.com
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12345 Loyal user 222 Posts |
Great idea's guys! I'm pumped up and ready to go today! Today I will go out of town like 30 minutes away.
As for flea markets and stuff (I will for sure try that ) thanks. Any other idea's please post ok? or else I will have to rob my bank. |
cardguy Inner circle Queens, New York 1171 Posts |
Hmmm, something doesn't sound right with this. Are you selling written instructions of these tricks, or are you just verbally showing how they are done and that's it? Are you giving credit to the creators of these tricks?
It sounds to me that you're taking advantage of kids who know nothing about magic. Taking their money when they clearly don't have enough. And if you're NOT giving them written instructions, they will probably forget how to do them. And who said these tricks are yours to sell? Are you a magic distributer? Wholesaler? I just don't get what you are doing. If you really want to make money doing magic then get a gig or something. I don't agree with going out to fool people and asking them to pay you for the secret. It cheapens our art, and makes magicians look...well...cheap. I work in the world of sales, so I understand that you have to go out there and find your customers. But you have to do it the right way. Cover all your grounds. Make sure you are offering something worth paying for. You say you only have 16 months experience in magic. That is not enough time to merit yourself as a paid magic instructor (my opinion). I have nothing against people trying to sell magic. But do it correctly and professionally. Don't cheapen our art.
Frank G. a.k.a. Cardguy
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Twisted_Reality New user 64 Posts |
Hey,
Don't rag him down too much ok? It's not like he's selling tricks that FOX hasn't already exposed. If he was selling something that was readily availble on the internet anyway, then I could understand the frustration. Also - isn't sales all about taking money from those who don't have it? - my two
Of course I can float, - can i borrow a jet pack from the audience please?
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Dynamike Eternal Order FullTimer 24148 Posts |
Try selling to others who could make money selling the card themselves.
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Jerry the Great New user 20 Posts |
It seems to me that sometimes we protect our craft way too much. For example, I know full well how the Cups and Balls routine works. But when I see a master perform it, I'm still blown away.
Thousands of people in the U.S. have trick decks that they bought at Wal-Mart and yet wouldn't recognize them in the hands of a pro. I don't know about the rest of you, but our local clubs could use more magicians. If a few kids get bitten by the bug from buying a trick off some street guy, so much the better for us all.
"What's wrong with you people? Haven't you ever seen a fool before?"
Jerry the Great |
Dorian Rhodell Inner circle San Francisco, CA. 1633 Posts |
But are we talking about selling ACTUAL ITEMS with written instructions or are we talking about showing someone a trick and saying, "I'll teach it to you for five bucks." The first one is selling and item and possibly starting the fire for a future magician to be. The second one is flat out PROSTITUTION of our art form. Hopefully we all know and respect the difference here.
Just to reply to a couple of questions and comments: No sales is NOT about TAKING money away from people who don't have it. Sales is about convincing someone that they need something, being able to fill the need, and thus getting them to WILLINGLY part with their money for it. There is not "taking" involved. Secondly if anybody in magic thinks that we protect our art way too much probably doesn't know much about our art. PERIOD. It's the only art form in the world who's sole survival is dependent on the public not knowing. Whether or not something has already been exposed by one jack*** doesn't mean it's ethical and ok for others to do. ESPECIALLY with so little experience. 12345, This is not directed toward you as a person. But it is directed toward your intended actions and the way you are going about it. I would strongly suggest not cheapening the art that so many before us have put a lot of time, effort, thought, imagination, failure and success into for "five bucks a pop." Do the right thing and put a quick little show together. Maybe a fundraiser at a school. Part of the money goes to you. Part of the money goes to the school. You get free recognition which leads to more shows and more money. And in the end you'll be a better MAGICIAN instead of another masked magician or pitch man selling 500-1000 tricks for three to five dollars. Regards, Dorian Rhodell |
wizardofsorts Special user Chicago, IL 935 Posts |
Don't you need a license to sell things, even on the street? It's called peddling and it's illegal here in Chicago and in most places in the U.S.
Edd
Edd Fairman, Wizard of Sorts is a corporate magician available for your next trade show, hospitality suite, client luncheon, or company event. http://www.wizardofsorts.com
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MagicalPirate Special user Shamokin, PA 828 Posts |
Marshall Brodien is a professional and when I was growing up he was pitching magic card decks. I see no difference in this gentleman pitching his tricks and Marshall pitching his. You don't have to be a dealer to sell magic tricks, just a business person. All wholesalers are the same. Show me your resale license and your money, thank you. Magic trick sales is a business like any other. Selling beginner magic tricks is not going to tear down our art. Let him fix his car and then he can go out and get paid shows to perform.
I'm rather insulted by the attitude shown here. It shows a lot of ignorance on the part of those posting. I make a living at fairs and festivals selling kids toys and novelties and see nothing wrong with taking their money for the merchandise they want. They place the value on having the item at greater than having the money. Selling to young people can be an artform all in itself. They have limited budgets and depending on sales I have been known to take the lesser amount than watch a sale walk away. Personally I wouldn't sell magic tricks, it takes too much time demonstrating when I could be collecting their money (and $100 hours keep you busy collecting) and it generally turns into they just watch the show and walk away at sale time and wait til the show starts again to come back and watch. 12345 I wish you lots of luck. Martin
Martin Blakley, CSH, DASH, CMSA
http://www.thehypnoguy.com/HYPNORESOURCES http://www.docgrayson.com/ How To Sell Anything Online http://tub.bz/?r=1z Copyright to my own words retained 100%. |
magic4u02 Eternal Order Philadelphia, PA 15110 Posts |
Selling magic is fine, but I would recommend performing shows in your area. Show will generate more money for you at a quicker rate then just pure selling in the manner you are doing now. Also, in some instances, you may be able to perform the show and then sell your magic tricks in the back of the room following the performance. This certainly would bring in a lot of cash for you if handled right.
I would check out http://www.thedean.net if you are serious about ways to market yourself and get the shows coming in. Kyle
Kyle Peron
http://www.kylekellymagic.com Entertainers Product Site http://kpmagicproducts.com Join Our Facebook Fan Page at http://facebook.com/perondesign |
JJDrew Loyal user Arizona 221 Posts |
I'd say take those two tricks (and a few others if you know them) and find someplace to perform them for tips. Busking or restaurant work is great training for good pay. You'll make just as much money, probably more, and you won’t have to expose how they're done. In addition you’ll get more experience as a performer and less as a salesperson. I learned magic working in a magic shop that hired me because I juggle (everyone else who works there is a professional magician). When I get paid gigs outside the store, I sometimes have to fight off the urge, upon completion of a trick, to go into a sales pitch. It's a weird feeling and a difficult one to overcome...I don't recommend it.
Sell yourself rather than your methods or follow the advice of the folks above and buy wholesale goods and sell them in a licensed manner. Either way you'll avoid invoking the wrath of magicians and/or businesspeople. P.S. Actually, busking can be lousy pay until you get good, but it is terrific training. |
Adam Grace V.I.P. LA, CA 149 Posts |
12345,
You should check out Whit Haydn's book, "Street Magic". It contains a couple of routines you could do at your local mall/ schools when the sales aren't going well. There is one idea that will rake in the cash and you don't have to sell anything... but yourself. Best of luck! |
Vanished Zauberer Regular user Canada 147 Posts |
Go out and buy a book or videos of card magic that are either self working or beginner. The harder the trick, the more money. For 3 dollars, you can give them a self working easy BUT effective trick. For 6 or 7 dollars, maybe something harder but a little more impressive. Play around, and I wish you good luck! Have fun..
"Stress is when you wake up screaming and you you realize you haven't even fallen asleep"
MagicTy www.magicty.iwarp.com |
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