|
|
ninjaduffy Veteran user UK 332 Posts |
Hi all
I currently live in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK, and have been very much into magic for a long time yet I only started to learn magic myself a year ago. I practice a lot. Anyway, so I could have another excuse to practice more I told my lovely wife that I was going to start a little Svengali stall. What can I say; it's fab. I got a folding table thingy from argos, a nice cover, a few hundred packs of cards and out I went. I must also add that I made a few dozen "two card monte" packet tricks with my own instructions and bagged them up. These I give out free with a pack of svens. What fun I have in the street here in shrewsbury performing to whoever stops, selling a few, performing a few other neat effects with cards, coins TT etc. I just want to say get out there and do it. If you ever perform on the street GET SOME SVENS TO SELL. As a result I have had conversations with other magicians, owners of pubs and venues plus a few possible bookings. I also got the stall out at a free music festival in Cambridge recently and blew some people away, plus sold a few packs. In the UK it is worth getting a license but this is only £12.50 a year available from your local police station.... The point of this post? Well, why should I have all the Fun. Kev. Shrewsbury. |
Rupert Bair Inner circle ? 2179 Posts |
Why do you just sell svens? You could make so much more. How much do you sell them for? I don't buy the 'Cheap' deck because they are all 9h (i think). When a kid shows me their deck I can show them mine and it's diffrent.
What is your license for? Street selling or busking? I'll go to Shrewbery someday and everbody will have these cards! Matt |
ninjaduffy Veteran user UK 332 Posts |
Make so much more how?
|
Hill Inner circle 1164 Posts |
Ninja;
May I ask where you buy thr Sven decks? |
Rupert Bair Inner circle ? 2179 Posts |
So much more money by selling more magic effects.
Matt |
ninjaduffy Veteran user UK 332 Posts |
I wouldnt know where to put it all magic matt. The sven stall is small, very small, but in my case I can fit 100 packs of svens? Now if it ever did happen that I sold all of them in one day, I would be rich.
100 x £2.50 equals.................. mmmmmmmm. I think the most I have ever sold is about 15. (but its great fun anyway). |
MagicalPirate Special user Shamokin, PA 828 Posts |
Magic_matt is correct the more magic effects you sell the more money you will make. The best places are fairs and festivals. In the winter months you can work out a deal with the malls to keep working year round. Your stall should be at least 3 metres square so I don't see the lack of space for more merchandise.
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%. |
ninjaduffy Veteran user UK 332 Posts |
My stall is 80cm by 100cm....
the only way is up |
cardtricks New user 46 Posts |
You do not need more than a few products if you are good. You can even make a good living with one item if you know what you are doing.
On the other hand if you don't really know what you are doing the more stuff the merrier. |
Magic Grandpa New user 45 Posts |
Magic Grandpa Here:
Yah, many guys sell only the Svengali deck or Magic Mouse. It's better to do one thing so well, everyone has to have one because it looks so easy to do.
I'm old as dirt; that's why there's no picture of me.
|
MagicalPirate Special user Shamokin, PA 828 Posts |
My stall is 80cm by 100cm....
That's less than a square metre. I'd say you need to get a bigger stall. When I do shows here in the states the stalls generally run roughly 9 square metres I use 2 of them to put up my tent. You must have to cram yourself in there pretty tight. You the table and all the stock thrown under the table. Even then you probably stick out of your stall. Stay with the Svens till you can get a bigger space. 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%. |
cardtricks New user 46 Posts |
One advantage of having a lot of stuff is that the extra "flash" attracts people.
However it can also be a disadvantage because it attracts people too strongly. Sometimes you can't get rid of them. If you only have one or two items when you have finished there really is nothing left for them to watch and they have to go away. When you have a lot of stuff you can get time wasters hanging about waiting to see everything and then buying nothing. You don't want that. The art of selling magic in a vending situation (not a maigc shop)is to attract interest and hold it for a while.Then you determine if you have potential customers or if you are wasting your time. You have to use common sense judgement here.If it seems that you have people who are not going to buy you have to get rid of them either politely or rudely. I prefer the latter. |
Doug Higley 1942 - 2022 7152 Posts |
Having done years of Flea Markets and outdoor selling, I'm a firm believer in true specialization. IMHO Too much stuff is just that...too much stuff.
You have a mere 2 seconds to get their attention as they walk by. Make it easy for them to focus and understand what you are about in the flash of an eye. The little suitcase on legs street vendors had it down...specialize...selling Ties? Sell Ties...no time or room for shirts and jackets. Doing Magic from a tiny stall? No room or necessity to also have the Rubber Dog Poop. Have a 2nd stall next to it selling the poop if you must. I applaud your being the Sven guy. You might make a bit more money with also having 'My Favorite Rope Trick' which will lead to also having 'Glorpy' which will lead to having a "The Plastic Bag Of Wonder" 6 trick special deal..."You get all this for just...." Then it becomes real work. You are having fun...THAT is the sound of your reputation building... GOOD FOR YOU! An Aside: I once sold that dopey Witches Fortune Telling Cards (lots of fun by the way) and soon there were people coming by offering me MORE to do their fortunes than I was selling the deck for! hahaha. Great stuff, the outdoor sell.
Higley's Giant Flea Pocket Zibit
|
ninjaduffy Veteran user UK 332 Posts |
Thanks for all the advice.....
I was out yesterday in Cambridge here in the UK. The first hour was rubbish. I went and grabbed some lunch and found a better spot. It got a lot better in the afternoon. Then the manager of the shop I was outside came over to me and I thought I was going to be asked to move on. It turned out he was a magician. We had a chat and he gave me some great advice....Then he went back to work in the shop and wished me good luck! crazy.. still early days on the stall but I will let you kno kev.w how it gets on. |
cardtricks New user 46 Posts |
If you are working Svengali decks in Cambridge and indeed anywhere in Eastern England sooner or later you will come across a fellow named Derek Ward.
He is not a magician but he knows far more about the Svengali deck than anyone on the Café. You are working in the same geographical areas that he frequents. You ARE going to meet up with him at some point. Derek is probably the only TRUE Svengali grafter left in the UK. Try not to collapse with heart failure when I tell you that he sells the Svengali deck for 10 Pounds Sterling and has done so for many years. Go and watch him work and it will be an education for you. I think he worked Yarmouth Market last year. Maybe he is there now although I can't guarantee it. |
ninjaduffy Veteran user UK 332 Posts |
WOW......
I wonder what deck he uses and sells??????????? I will have to track him down.... Thanks for the info. |
cardtricks New user 46 Posts |
He likes to use Waddingtons No 1. He gives away the Dutch Looper and some kind of half a card trick with the deck.
I don't know where he is but sooner or later you are going to bump into him. I expect the punters themselves will tell you about him and where they saw him. |
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Tricky business » » My little Svengali stall (0 Likes) |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.04 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |