I hope you will take this post seriously, as it is on a topic that is very serious, and most don't like to talk about. The topic is death.

Several members of my magic club recenlty helped a widow out. A long time member and friend passed away. At the widows' request, we got all the magic stuff out of the room he had dedicated to magic in his house. The stuff will all go to the club or to auction, with the wiodow getting a tax credit. The job was a pain in the ess and will continue to be a pain for a while as we store, sort catalogue and sell the material. I helped the widow out, and would gladly do that again for any freind if and when the need arises.

I am not going to live forever, and I told my wife a similar story as to what to do with my magic equipment. Give it to the club for a tax credit seems like a fine idea, especially since if she sold it herself, she would a) have no clue as to the value and b) not know what the stuff is anyway.

Here is my issue. I am almost 54 years old. If my genetics take after my mom, I have another 20 years or so, assuming no illness or injury taking me early. If I take after my dad, I may have another 40 years. We never do know when the time will come do we?

So here is the issue. What to do with my escpae material once I am gone. Giving it to the club is a complete waste. No one there besides me cares at all about escapes, and some of the equipment, Ian's for example, has gaffs that I am not all that keen on sharing with non EA people.

The obvious answer is to take on an apprentice. SUre, but finding someone who will be interested in escapes, be true to the discipline, and use the stuff is another question. Steve Baker wrestled with that one for a while, worked with a guy some of you know and that fellow lost interest and walked away.

Later Steve found Andrew Basso. Steve was very pleased to pass on his experience, equipment and techniques to Andrew. Do remember though that Andrew was an Escape Artist before he ever met Steve. Did Andrew benefit from Steve? No doubt. Would Andrew have gone on to success without Steve? Very likely. Still their relationship worked to mutual benefit.

I am not Steve Baker. If someone is already an Escape Artist, I may have a little to teach them, but I have never been on TV, nor performed in front of thousands of people. (hudreds yes, but not thousands like Steve.)

So this is my issue. DOes anyone have any thoughts or ideas for me? As I said, please take it seriously.

Thanks.

That's a hard question to answer, in a modern age where pretty much everything is on the internet certain secrets need to be kept but not lost.

Taking on an apprentice is a good choice, but as you have said can be be a difficult decision as the apprentice may not be as committed as the teacher.

Nobody should be put off showing or passing on anything they have achieved be it in front of hundreds or thousands or even just in front of the mirror. skills/techniques and knowledge should be shared amongst like minded people. but should be protected from free distribution i.e. the internet.

I've read and acquired a lot of manuscripts and instructional materials over the years, so maybe documenting everything into a notebook to pass on to a chosen group or person could be the way?

Well there is your mistake right there...!!!!




Oh darn it you were expecting me were you not!

I will read it properly and reply soon -its a good topic and with all the "carp" in my "study" my wife would not know the half of the value of any of it. If Kondini out lives me Carrie has been instructed to seek him out! He knows it all! Well most anyway!

James you make a good point about a notebook - in fact I like it so much I am considering doing just that! Not sure it will be legible or splet wright but I like the idea!

Thanks James.

Cliff I will consider your quandary longer.

It might help if you let us know what you have. Rare material, common? etc.

With me, I catalog my better Houdini material so it will be easy to auction. The low-end material I sell off.

You raise some interesting points. It seems that I will need to revise my will. My first thought would for my wife to take it to the magic shop with whom I have a pretty good relationship to sell on consignment.

I have a list of people that I TRUST - that my family has access to.

It lists the contact information for the specific person/people that are welcome to come & take what they want...because I know that they know the item's value, and who would appreciate them....and/or who else would appreciate them. It's the closest thing to my "Magic WILL".

i.e. It states:
My Magic books go to...
My Handcuffs go to...
My Magic props go to...

Otherwise, I've heard too many stories of families who simply toss out the items, because they have no clue what they are, or whom to give them to.

I'm more interested in my stuff being appreciated & going to a good home...rather than having a family member try to sell them.

And if you live alone, in say, an apartment...the landlord wants nothing more than to clean out your place as quickly as possible (i.e. toss it all in the dumpster)...and move the next paying tenant into take your place.).

You die..the landlord loses rent money. If they don't know WHO to call for your items...into the dumpster it goes.

Sell it all before your time because as time goes by, the people you know fade away.

Yes....
As someone both wiser and richer than I once said, "He who gives while he lives, also knows where it goes."

Yes.

Sell it while you're still here.

Here is a plan.

The things you have are only on "loan" to you till you die. Figure out how long you are likely to live. Let us say it is 10 years. Divide what you have by 10. Sell off one tenth each year going forward. Selling the least cherished items first. This number can be revised going forward as conditions change. You also get to use the money while you are alive or do with it what you want.

We convinced Larry Weeks to sell off Houdini's "The Grim Game" while he was alive in a way that the world will see it forever, rather than it hiding in the next collectors black hole until they die.

Or you can donate it to our Houdini Museum in Scranton, PA a 501 C-3 Non Profit. A tax write off. We are making provisions for the museum to live on.

Dorothy and Dick