Title: The Jam Auction featuring Jack Nyberg
Medium:DVD
Arena: Historical/Carny/Hustle
Available: Don Driver, themagicpitch.com

This last summer there were two things that I wanted to do if I could get away from the wife. One was to go and talk Don Driver into letting me help him pitch and the other was to go see Jack Nyberg do his jam auction. I wasn’t able to go but thanks to Don Driver I can now watch the entire pitch in a real setting with real customers. This is, to my knowledge, the only complete film of the jam auction and being done by not only the best at it but one of, if not the, last pitchmen working the jam. It should be noted this is the US version of the jam not the British which is a much meaner animal. The film was shot by Don, who looks great by the way, much healthier than when I last saw him, at a fair in Kentucky. It is shot with a hand held camera but Don did a great job and the sound is very good considering everything. Jack is clearly heard and understood, very nicely done. The pitch itself is about two hours long and is a thing of beauty to watch. Don opens and closes the DVD by discussing the terminology used and explaining aspects of the jam so it is easier for those not with it to follow.

What is a jam auction? It is a pitch show where items, slum, are given away and the crowd is conditioned throughout the almost two hours of the pitch so that when the big dollar items come up there will be people ready to hand over the money, and that is the reason for the whole thing in the first place. It is an odd mix of showmanship, hustle, and pure sales ability brought together in a fascinating way. You will see people giving Jack twenty bucks, swearing not to want it back, and not knowing what they were going to receive or even what they have received! You’ll see the way he gathers the crowd, talks to them, gets them all on his side and the strategies used to condition the crowd to do as he wants. Not only is this an interesting film but it will give you ideas on how to build a crowd, work them, and have them give you their last dollar at the end. It also is a historical record of a type of pitch that use to be fairly common at large fairs and now exist pretty much only when Jack is working or on this DVD. I have been around a bit and knew the pitch and watched as it all fell into place.

Who will want to get hold of this DVD? I’d say anyone working the street, hustlers, carnies, those interested in any of those things and those that care about the history of our art and the sister arts. Jack opens with a magic trick that never really occurs, I advise you get Don Drivers video on building a tip to learn more of this type thing, and how a well scripted and practiced delivery can work to hold the crowd. If Jack can hold them for two hours I think you can learn to hold a crowd for your twenty minute street show. Who won’t like the DVD? Those just interested in learning tricks and entertaining your friends at school. There is nothing overtly taught here, but the lessons are clear. I want to thank Don and Jack for doing this project. I’ve always wanted to see it, in particular since seeing The Gee Whiz Kid, and it was worth the wait. Forget tricks for a moment, this is a journey into a world most would love to try but will never come close to. I still want to see Jack work live, but I’m happy watching this a few times to really understand it all as much as possible. A great DVD set (there are two discs).

Hey, if Don is seeing this I have a question. I watched the DVD again ( I love that Jack!) and I was wondering if you hooked your camera into Jacks sound system because the sound is so good I can't believe you had a little camera boom mike working.

Hey Santa,

Just the built in mic with the camera...but its a Sony.

Thanks ...

Don

What was in the box, he sold for 20.00 dying to know that one!!

I never asked him...I have seen that pitch so many times it just dosen't bother me what he sold them.One thing for sure,what ever it was he didn't pay more than five bucks for it.

Don

Good question Sir T! Don, I figured he brought in over a grand, how many pitches will he do in an average day?

Five or six two hour pitches a day.Jack just takes like a 5 minute break and hes right back at it.

Don

Very cool. This is something that you need to watch for the psycology used by Jack. He eventually establishes that he expects people not to play games and if they say they are going to pay for something they mean it. By doing this a lot of guys would buy nothing for their money rather than back away from an agreement, you know, being stand up. He also gets them on his side, it is just facinating.

To save others some time -

The site is http://www.magicpitch.com and the link to the product is:
http://www.magicpitch.com/catalog/produc......s_id=346

Ah dude, make 'em search. I remember seeing a jam auction many years ago... I think carnivals should have it all, freak shows, jams, all of it...

Sven pitches etc are still going strong - why the near extinction of the jam auction?

Cheesewrestler,

I guess you never watched a Jam Auction.You should,its a bit of a con.

Don

It is a great con! The best part is you get to watch the entire thing take place unlike cons where you might do it in phases.

?

Hey wait, I didn't mean any sort of slam or flame or whatever. I haven't ever watched one because I've never had a chance to. Whereas I've seen plenty of svens, at flea markets, ren fairs, etc. (Let alone 3CM, which I used to see on every corner along Lower Broadway back in the day.)

is it that there's like a serious crackdown on jam auctions? or just for some reason the techniques haven't been passed on? ("ya gotta know somebody who's gotta know somebody"...)

seriously - is this something somebody could do? or is this video the last surviving historical documentation? (And that alone would give it value, according to my rich uncle from Fiji...)

again - no offense intended!!!! just looking for information.

I think a lot of fairs just won't allow 'em cuz people complain after the fact.

Cheesewrestler,

You said: "again - no offense intended!!!! just looking for information."

That never crossed my mind.You first asked:"why the near extinction of the jam auction? " and I said because its a bit of a con.They have been run out of most fairs.And my saying you should see one was to let you see for yourself whats its all about(and to try and sell another DVD) Jack cleaned his pitch up some,but its still a Jam pitch.

I made this DVD as a history of the Jam Auction pitch.Its NOT meant for someone to watch it and go out and open a Jam Auction.You can't learn a pitch like this from a DVD.You would have to work as a back up guy for several years before you could even come close to doing a pitch yourself.The pitch is that complex.

Hope this helped understand what I was trying to say.

Thanks for the post.
Don

Anyone that has read this thread and has not tossed Don some mazooma is a mark. All anyone needs to know is that they must BUY THIS DVD SET FROM DON...NOW. It is a wonderful, wonderful thing. The Jam Auction the most amazing magic show I have ever seen and it consists of one trick...the transformation of casual fair goers into big spending marks. Watching Jack Nyberg work, separating those people from hundreds and hundreds of dollars, was so beautiful it almost brought tears to my eyes.

BUY THIS NOW!

Thank you Don.

Todd, I couldn't agree with you more! I got the Jam Auction last week and have watched it several times. You can pick up something each time you view. Jack Nyberg is a master at building the tip, getting them committed and taking then them off. Its facinating to watch the crown get hoked into it.

Don, Thanks for presearving this piece of history.

Muggs

Thanks guys,glade you all like it.

Don

Here yo have it;
http://www.chefanton.com/scoundrelsstore/whats_new.htm