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DonDriver Inner circle 1790 Posts 
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Markmagic
I agree with you 100%.10 minutes is just too long.My pitch is just 5 mimutes and it works good. Not only is it better for todays tip that dosen't want to stay still for too long,at half the time you can get twice as many pitches in a day witch adds up to $$$$$$$$$$$ If anybody wants squirmles wholesale,email me at: pitchmandondriver@hotmail.com Don |
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Jon-O the Great Elite user 493 Posts
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Every time I watch Don's video, I see something else that I'm not doing or not doing exactly right--or DOING that I shouldn't. Little mannerism or phrases that make it work BETTER. Last nite was watching it again, as I copied the DVDs and picked up stuff I either missed before or forgot. I was surprised at how much I learned--AGAIN.
As I have mentioned, I hate to put the cards in the kid's hands because they are soooo sticky and yucky looking. I do the "all different and all the same" myself. But doing it Don's way DOES seem better because 1) it gives a feeling of ownership AND 2) shows that they ("...anybody...") can do it. I guess I just gotta make up my mind and do it. But UGH!! those FILTHY hands!! Is there a solution to that? Seth, you didn't upset me. I was just disagreeing with your statement that a $10 "impulse" item might be hard to sell, while the strippers I sell are a $20 "impulse" item and they are easy (for me) to sell. (After 14 years they SHOULD be!) Of course, I mostly sell strippers to adults, while I've sold the cards mostly to kids. Again, I guess the "proof is in the pudding". I used to tune Weber carbs, changing venturii, rods, jets, etc. People would ask..."What will happen if I do so-and-so?" The answer is always "suck it and see". Well, I'm gonna...you know.....;-) I've seen people doing the worms at shows and marveled at their handling. But most of the guys I've seen have done it for years and seem so adept at it. I am reticent to try it until I can do the DL so people don't say "Oh look, he has 2 cards...". Then I might. Jon-O |
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TKD27 Elite user Wallingford, CT 458 Posts
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I'd love to do the worm, but it really is hard to get. All magic is like that at first, I guess, but I don't know where to start. Does anyone know of a good resource to learn the handling of it (other than Don't video which is more pitch-related)? Or do any of you guys have any tips to practice with?
Connecticut Kids' Magician, Matt Matthews (formerly known as Matt The Balloon Man)
Magic Shows, Face Paintingand, Balloon twisters. |
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DonDriver Inner circle 1790 Posts
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TKD27
Watch and study these vids http://www.magicalpets.com/ This site is on ever Squirmle package so the kids that buy one can go and learn some moves. That's Carl and he owns the name Squirmle.He'll be on QVC with them this Sunday December 9th at 6:00 AM Eastern LIVE. (yes I said AM ) |
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SeasideShowman Elite user Myrtle Beach, SC 443 Posts
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Geez,
6:00 AM? On a Sunday !! Now that's a tough pitch ... Cap'n Mike ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I didn't care if they were laughing at me or laughing with me ... as long as they were laughing" - Unknown
www.MagicAtTheBeach.org "I'm with it" |
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sethb Inner circle The Jersey Shore 2719 Posts
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TKD27 -- Don's pitch DVD provides a very good wholesale source for the Magic Worms. That source also sells a TREMENDOUS 45-minute "training video" that will teach you ALL the moves, including the "jump through the hoop" stunt that just kills. The video also includes the complete pitch, plus lots of good tips for prepping and handling the gaff (such as, a little cornstarch goes a long way).
If you are pitching the worm or planning to, you need this video. But Don's "kissing move" on his DVD is still the one that really brings in the money --- when they see that, the five-dollar bills really start landing on the table! SETH
"Watch the Professor!!" -- Al Flosso (1895-1976)
"The better you are, the closer they watch" -- Darwin Ortiz, STRONG MAGIC |
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markmagic New user KY 51 Posts
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Some people get upset, when they open the worm, and discover a fishing line. They can't see your invisible thread, but the fishing line is pretty obvious. Anyone else have a problem or comment on this.
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sethb Inner circle The Jersey Shore 2719 Posts
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Quote:
On 2007-12-08 01:46, markmagic wrote: Some people get upset, when they open the worm and discover a fishing line. They can't see your invisible thread, but the fishing line is pretty obvious. Anyone else have a problem or comment on this. Your concern is a valid one, and I wondered about it myself. However, I think the answer is that the pitchman needs to use IT to show what a great trick it is. But I can't sell a worm with IT, because most people would break that IT line in the first 10 seconds of trying to use it. It takes practice and skill to use IT properly, something most 10-year olds don't have right off the bat. So I sell my worms with a very thin monofilament leader line, which is much stronger but frankly, is also pretty invisible under the right conditions. And, I also include information in the instructions that explains how to substitute a very thin black thread once the buyer learns all the moves and becomes used to handling the worm. I have sold hundreds of worms over the past two years, and have only had one occasion where a woman wanted her money back because "there was a string" in the package. I'll take those odds any day. SETH
"Watch the Professor!!" -- Al Flosso (1895-1976)
"The better you are, the closer they watch" -- Darwin Ortiz, STRONG MAGIC |
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mota Inner circle 1658 Posts
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Actually that package with fishing line almost got me into a knife fight. I was working a flea (Trader's Village in Grand Prarie, Texas). I had a good tip going when this tattooed guy storms in front, throws down the worm and screams he wants his money back.
Normally I do this without a thought but this guy was ape and I reacted. I always tell the buyers to not throw anything away until they are sure they haven't thrown away the gimmick. Of course, his kid (cowering in the back) had torn open the package, thrown everything away except for the worm and then told his dad it didn't work. So I asked the guy where the rest of it was and that his kid had thrown the gimmick away. He got even madder and went for his pocket...so I went for mine. He froze when he realized I had a knife too. I have no doubt he would have tried to stab me if I wasn't carrying also. I threw him a five and he retreated swearing at me in Spanish while I made observations about his swimming ability. Kind of wrecked the pitch. That package with the fish line was an endless source of headaches for me...the complaints were non-stop as it didn't come attached and wasn't what I used. It got to the point where I stopped pitching the worm as the headaches were just too much. There is a solution: Use the worm Don Driver hooks you up with. You can pitch it straight out of the package using the gimmick it comes with. That gimmick is already attached and works great as is. You don't need to give lame excuses why you use something different or triple-tie the bag so they don't open it until they get too far away to complain (as the maker of the fish-line worm recommends). If I had Don's worm I would still be pitching the worm. It eliminates every problem I had. At some point I may get the taste out of my mouth of that experience. If and when I do I will be using the worm Don recommends. I highly recommend dumping the stock with the fish line (I did) and getting Don's recommended worm. I never had a thousand dollar day with the worm like some but I had days over seven hundred and four hundred dollar days were common (and that was with the fish line worm). My wife and I ran two joints, side-by-side. She covered the Higley zbit and I pitched the worm. Both drew large tips and one joint fed the other. We did real good. |
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sethb Inner circle The Jersey Shore 2719 Posts
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Mota, sorry to hear about your problem -- that's a pretty amazing story, but as we know some people are just totally nuts.
I have seen Don's worm and I agree the gimmick is quite good, probably better than the mono leader. It is probably about the same strength and thickness, but it's darker, I guessed it was Kevlar or something similar. I also liked the eyes on Don's worm, too, although I though the body was a bit on the thin side by comparison. Basically, each version has its assets and liabilities. However, I have been pretty successful with the other worm and still have a pretty good stock of them that I would need to run through first. I also agree with your refund policy of making sure that everything is returned complete and in saleable condition, although I would probably make an exception for someone with a knife or gun! I also keep some extra gimmicks with me, because you are right, some of the kids throw away the package and the gimmick and then complain that it doesn't work. I still say the worm is a pretty good and clever trick, but I don't what people expect for $5 -- something powered by nuclear energy? SETH
"Watch the Professor!!" -- Al Flosso (1895-1976)
"The better you are, the closer they watch" -- Darwin Ortiz, STRONG MAGIC |
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mota Inner circle 1658 Posts
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I would inoculate against this in my pitch...I would say something like this:
"This uses a gimmick...it is a simple gimmick, so simple it is embarrassing. I first saw this gimmick in second grade in a magic book at the school library. You are going to open the package, look at the gimmick and go, "That's it?" Yes, it's that simple...and watch what it can do." That section worked great for me...they would open it, find the string and go, "well, he did say it was simple." With that section in there I pretty much eliminated beefs about the gimmick. |
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Jon-O the Great Elite user 493 Posts
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What a neat idea!
Jon-O |
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sethb Inner circle The Jersey Shore 2719 Posts
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Very good idea, Mota -- I agree.
Of course, the irony is that most good magic tricks are also simple -- the Linking Rings, the Cups & Balls, Cut & Restored Rope, Color-Changing Knives, just to name a few. It is the handling and the routine that sells the trick. The same thing is true here. SETH
"Watch the Professor!!" -- Al Flosso (1895-1976)
"The better you are, the closer they watch" -- Darwin Ortiz, STRONG MAGIC |
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DonDriver Inner circle 1790 Posts
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That dosen't happen often to me but when it does I say:
" This a magic trick not a miracle...and isn't it wonderful it only takes a thread to make it work and you don't have to buy batteries or plug it in...why now that I think about it,it is a MIRACLE..to think of all it does with just a small piece of thread...what a magic trick...its amazing...don't you think?" Don |
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Jon-O the Great Elite user 493 Posts
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I hate to disagree with a pro, but doesn't covering IDEA of the "gimmick" FIRST usually preclude HAVING a problem with the "gimmick" later? Isn't the best defense a good offense?
I know you do it in your DVD. You cover the objection before it happens. That's why we say, "It's a trick deck, a mechanical deck...." So when my DL is not the best and some little kid says, "Hey, you got 2 cards..." I can say, "Well, I said it was a trick deck and I have no talent or ability..." and keep on going. What my "bumble-fingers" and a "trick deck" have in common, I don't know but at least I'm reminding them it's not a regular deck and I have no talent! ;-) So when they buy it and see the key cards, hopefully they remember I said it was a trick deck. Of course, if they forget that you described the "gimmick" at the front of your worm demo and DO come back upset, THEN you can use your response. Maybe you need 'em both! Jon-O |
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DonDriver Inner circle 1790 Posts
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Jon,
You never tell them how the squirmle works NEVER,for that matter I never "really" tell them how the deck works in the pitch.I cover all this in my DVD. I only say this if they come back and are upset when they find out the squirmle works with a thread (I have no idea what they think should make it work),and they rarely ever come back. Don |
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sethb Inner circle The Jersey Shore 2719 Posts
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Don is right (as usual), you don't explain the secret.
Even in his Svengali Pitch, although Don does show the short card, he does it to bring the tip in closer, but he doesn't explain that there are 23 more just like it, nor does he give away the DL. Saying that it is a trick deck and explaining how it actually works are two very different things. The secret is part of the purchase price of any magic trick, which is why most tricks are usually nonrefundable (except to irate mothers and customers with knives!). In addition to keeping the Magician's Code, not giving away the secret makes business sense, because lots of people buy the deck or the worm just to find out how it works. You may smile at this, but I know that plenty of magicians, including myself, have done exactly the same thing when buying from a magic dealer. So when people ask if the worm works with body heat, static electricity, magnets, string, batteries, gravity or whatever, I just say "That's a good guess," which doesn't admit or deny the method. SETH
"Watch the Professor!!" -- Al Flosso (1895-1976)
"The better you are, the closer they watch" -- Darwin Ortiz, STRONG MAGIC |
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Brent McLeod Inner circle 1792 Posts
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Quote:
On 2007-11-06 18:56, Tom Riddle wrote: Great advice from the master!!! I show the deck during the demo & it really is the selling point of may short promo routine that I must perform about average12-15 times an hour so over an 8 hr day that's a lot of pitching !!!! NZ is new to Svengali pitching , no one is doing more than what I do as I am aware, I work 2 days a week at markets & usually 1-2 days on the street which suprisingly works well between certain hrs-I am becoming well known at my regular pitch now as well as the market -sun I sold 54 decks at $10 a pop in 3 hrs which for here is actually very good, the only way to sell 100 decks a day is to get in to the show expos without spending a fortune on rent!! The thing that is annoying is I have to spend 1-2 mins showing some people how to work the deck which I shouldnt do but the sale would fall through so need advice on that one from anybody In conclusion show the cards all to be the same! Funny thing is even after telling people 3-4 times its a trick deck they still ask if they can use the cards at home etc........... |
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Jon-O the Great Elite user 493 Posts
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I’ve written before about the sense of “wonder” the kids have when they see the tricks with the cards. I’ve changed Don’s pitch just a little by adding the DVD at the end and using one of Mark Lewis’ lines on the 1st trick, “Choose a card from my left hand, you look at it but don’t show it to me. Now you’ll remember that 9 of Hearts, won’t you?”
WOW!! What a response that gets. Some people look at the back to see if it’s “marked”. But I ALWAYS get a reponse of some type. “How’d you do that?” “I told you it was a trick deck, remember?” A couple of kids came by yesterday, I did the pitch, they had no money and left. One (a vendor’s son) came back a few hours later, almost at closing, with, I assume, his Granny. “Will you show her?” “Sure” So I did the pitch again, changing the last trick by having the 9 inside a card box. I had run out of DVDs by then and the price was down to $5. The kid said, “Well I’d like to buy it but my dad says I can’t. If I buy it, he’ll get mad.” Long face. I thot he had brought the Granny so SHE could buy it but she just stood there. So I said, “Hey, it’s not the end of the world, kid. I’ll be back at this show again and you can get it then. And I sure don’t want your dad mad at you OR me.” And the Granny just stood there. Then they left again. I’m really starting to tear down and they came back. The kid said, “Would you take $4?” “No, but I PROMISE I’ll be back next show.” “Well, I guess I’ll take it.” He threw a rolled-up $5 on the table and I gave him the set. The Granny whispered to me, “His dad didn’t want HIM to buy it, so I gave him the money.” Now the question is, Should I have given them to him for $4 or free, as a reward for his persistence or just as I did?” “Is a puzzlement!” Jon |
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DonDriver Inner circle 1790 Posts
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Your a pitchman...take the money.
Don |
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Posted: Dec 6, 2007 01:56 pm 
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