Do you offer hand outs at the end of the show? If so... what are they?

I normally offer candy from my dove pan, but I was wondering whether it should always be wrapped candy? and should I worry about allergies? Thanks all...

-Brad

Giveaways

Here a list of items you might consider for your show...

Eveybody loves something for free, especially kids. Make sure each one has Your name and Phone Number on it.

• Magic Kit
  
• Goody-Bag: with Candy, Puzzels, Tricks etc.
  
• Coloring Pages (Caraicature of You of Course)
  
• Optical Illusion Cards
  
• Trading Cards
  
• Business Cards
  
• Million Dollar Bills
  
• Puzzle Pages
  
• Assistant Certificates
  
• Magic Wand
  
• Mini-Magi Booklets
  
• CJ Johnson's Magic Book for Kids
  
• CJ Johnson's How to Make A Birthday Party Sizzle
  
• Ed Harris Mystery Dollar (See Eric Paul)
  
• Big Bucks
  
• Magic Club Membership Cards
  
• Fortune Telling Fish
  

Hi Brad:

Giving candy is okay, but there are some better alternatives. As Dennis mentioned in his post, the Fortune Telling Fish is terrific (and cheap). It's the little plastic fish that curls up on your hand. It's been around forever, and isn't really magic, but kids LOVE, and I mean LOVE it.

Another good give-away is the finger trap. Again, been around forever, but kids LOVE it. You can buy both these items by the gross from Oriental Trading (oriental.com) and many other places.

These items are a bit more expensive than candy, but their perceived value is much, much more.

Ron Reid

I never hand out Sweets at parties, I think the kids get a big enough sugar injection at a party as it is, and you never know whether one of them is diabetic or has a hyper reaction to the sugar. At a convention a couple of years ago there was a lecture by a guy who said he gives out smarties, he keeps them in a tin labeled "VITAMINS", How irresponsible is that? The kids may go home and think Mums vitamins are sweets and help themselves.

For a 2-Hour I give out between 20-30 small prizes which are small toys, rockets balloons, bouncy balls, ccars, braclets etc.

I get them from a wholesaler so each prize is quite cheap. in fact it cost me less than 3 quid to give out 30 prizes, the kids have something they can play with when they get home and lasts longer than a sweet. At a 1-Hour show I give out colouring pictures, with my number on them. They colour it in Mum puts it on the fridge my numbers is there to see.

I also carry business cards for the adults and A% colour laminated posters to stick on the notice boards of all the halls I perform in. (They only stay there until the next entertainer at the hall swops it for his.

HI,
I agree with Emazdad, here in the Uk you are frowned on by many parents if you give out sweets. infact it's probably the number one question I get asked by people enquiring about full parties. I give out Pencils, rubbers (erasers),rulers,stickers, and FT fish as prizes for games ext and Balloon models and Magic sheets (a4 printed 2 side sheets with puzles, optical ilusions, jokes and rolls to a wand)during/after the magic show.
Phillip

Funny business isn't it? I seem to be the only one who has sensed parents don't want modelling balloons that have been in someone's mouth, yet we still give sweets (Sugarland - like a chewy Opal fruit) without problems or any comment at all! We used to find that small plastic items, rubbers (erasers) etc. (especially those horrible flavoured ones) used to go in the mouths of very small children anyway, so worked on the theory it's safer to give them something that is really edible! The few Jewish kids we see these days (we used to see a lot when we covered North Manchester years ago) - the parents have to provide Kosher sweets themselves. Kids with allergies usually know what they must not touch (and quite often bring their own party tea in a bag) - though it's wise to say: "if you are not allowed to eat sweets (candies) you must tell me". Re: giving anything else, I guess it all depends on your necessity to advertise and what stage your business is at. We just leave a few bright yellow A5 flyers in a prominent position, - parents either take one or leave them! We'd step up publicity if we sensed that someone new and really good had started trading in our area. As it is, it has been status quo for a long time now.

Entertainers in our area tend to leave each others publicity in church/village halls alone - apart from anyone too pushy or a known undesirable.

Fortune Telling Fish

The comment about other enterainers sremoving each others cards was meant to be a bit of fun, but it fell into the old, sarcsm doesn't ravel well in print trap, unless of course you put the smily after it, which I forgot.

Re: posters, cards at halls, noticeboards, window sills in halls etc. I think it's something we all do - more of a calling card than anything else, but we've come across entertainers that DO move everyone else's publicity Clive,- so is in fact reality! Unless you have publicity at venues arranged with the hall hirer, secretary etc. (which we do at several), and they deliberately direct potential bookers to it, then it maybe just gets lost in the jumble sales, guides, scouts, and multitude of other 'bumf' at these places, and probably attracts little attention. Coming back to sweets though (candies) we do not give, and refuse to give on anyone else's behalf, anything on sticks, or boiled sweets or gum. We've also heard of entertainers throwing large quantities of sweets at audiences - which we don't approve of, as it can cause eye injuries, as well as encouraging the law of the jungle amongst kids. To answer Brad's original post: yes, I do believe candy needs to be in the manufacturers wrapping, and maybe always keep the bag or box handy so anyone who needed to could read the statutory ingredient notice.

What about making, and handing out, sugerless candy? This helps with the sugar-high, and is ok for diabetics (my daughter being one).

Although this comes with a risk too. Several parties ago, I made candy (sugarless suckers/lolipops). When I make my candy, I never put in the usual ingredients. When I ask for suggestions, I get the usual answers (sugar, food coloring, etc.). I pretend to hear wrong, and say "Did someone say hot Tabasco sauce? What? Vinegar too? Oh no, not a pickle! Ok, if you insist!" By now the kids are all grossed out, but having a great time.

A few minutes after handing out the suckers, as I'm packing up, one little girl comes up to me and says "I told you that you should have added some sugar -- these are yucky!"

So much for Dollar Store candy! I'll have to find some "tasty" sugarless candy.

Brian

I have trading cards of myself (always wanted my own baseball card). Kids seem to like those.

I get them from http://www.superstarperformers.com


I do the sweets in the dovepan instead of a cake, and I have found that as long as they are wrapped sweets like suckers (lollys) parents don't seem to mind.

If your going to hand out candy after the show, I always make sure it is wrapped. It is safer that way and the parents can feel a bit more at ease with it.

I also hand out:

- Coloring flyers that have myself and my wife on it. Kids can color it at home and it has our information on it.

- Assistant Certificates - These are a great way of saying thanks to the kids for helping you work your magic.

- Postcards - These are similar to trading cards mentioned above, but they are a bit bigger, have our poster on one side and information on the other. They also work really nice for signing autographs after the event.

Hope this helps.

Neale,
Just looked at those "Superstar Trading Cards". Their awesome. Am making up my order for 2500 as we speak. Thanks lots!!!
Yours,
ATM
aka: Bob

To me, the best hand out is still a colouring sheet.
Because:

a) its cheap cheap cheap
b) it doubles as advertising
c) it stays around longer then a toy. (I still have colouring sheets I did as a child)
d) parents will LOOK at it.
e) you get a full colour brouchure for the cost of a B&W one!

I also have baseball style business cards I give out. I had my own design printed in bulk in Thailand. If you get enough of them done they are also very very cheap. I am a bit more careful who I give them out to now because they seem to go straight in the mouth as well. I try and save them for the goody bags.

If anyone wants advise on getting cards like this printed super cheap in Thailand PM me. I get all my printing done there now & it costs me much less than half what I would pay from my local printers.

Bob..you're welcome! Check mine out under the 2001 series.

Going to have a new one done for 2004 as I don't have the beard anymore (or hair for that matter)

I'm sure I've mentioned this in countless other threads but I'm working on putting out a booklet with some of my children's magic routines and this will have a few giveaways in them. Again, I don't quite know when this is coming out but I'll keep you guys posted.

Also, after the book comes out, I'm going to make coloring sheets, mazes, etc. available to the magic public. I'm working with a friend of mine who is also a cartoonist and this stuff is good! I'll keep you guys posted on that.

I love the idea of giveaways TIED to a routine.

Nicholas,

If you don't mind me asking where do you find the colouring sheets that can be customized?

I use a visible colouring frame, and the picture that comes out is the same as the kids get as colouring sheet with my name in,exept its not coloured.
These are great as you can put your deatails on and kids can colour them and you can say to the kids tell your mommy that magic matt said if you put it unde your pillow their will be 50p their.
Matt