The words below came in the Denny & Lee newsletter (Denny Haney), it's well worth a read and worth your serious consideration.


"It is really amazing how many magicians tell me how expensive magic is. It really depends on how you spend your money as to how expensive magic is. I'll never forget when Mike Rogers lectured here at our studio many years ago. He held up a little $10.00 paperback book titled The Art of Magic by T. Nelson Downs and made the following statement: "If someone were to take this book today and learn what is in it, they could tour the world as a professional magician the rest of their life."
And yet, we seem to always be searching for the Holy Grail, that next new miracle that will make us a star, that latest "hype" trick that makes people on the street run away from us. Virtual reality internet shops (the ones that don't really exist) and websites that prey on the new or younger beginner magicians are making a lot of money selling instant downloads, DVDs, and so called "Street Magic" to those who just don't want to read. This is what makes magic expensive.
YOU can make the choice. YOU do not have to follow the hip hop magic crowd. Have you ever seen Al Goshman, Don Alan, Del Ray, Bert Allerton, etc. perform for real laymen?? By laymen, I don't mean young people on the street who have never seen magic before in their life. I mean people who do travel and stay in nice hotels. People who have real jobs or are executives in business. People who go out to dinner and dress nicely when they go out. These are the people who pay a nice fee for you to perform. These are the people who have seen lots of entertainers in their time and know a good one when they see it.
Some of the greatest magical entertainers and creators have published their life's work in little paperback booklets that seem to be totally ignored by young or beginner magicians today. Everything is YouTube, Instant Downlaod, or DVD.
You are missing some of the finest magic ever published in these paperback books.
You can either follow the crowd and do what every other "cool" magician is doing OR you can look into some of these works and do things that are different, things that make an audience ENJOY what you are doing.
Anyway, that is just my thought on it. I could write dozens of pages on this subject but I will keep it short and just throw some of these booklets at you. Please take the time to read about them. You may be surprised."



In the newsletter Denny gave a list of paperback books he has for sale for around $10, some less. You can see for yourself on the website http://www.dennymagic.com

Nice share, Vic, and how very true. A whole multi-million dollar industry has evolved selling us "instant" magic that is "instantly" on YouTube for free and for all the world to see and know the secrets to. It seems no one wants to work for the good stuff anymore.

Reminds me of a quote I like from "A League of Their Own" where Dottie Hinson is quitting the team:

"Jimmy Dugan: Dottie, if you want to go back to Oregon and make a hundred babies, great, I'm in no position to tell anyone how to live. But sneaking out like this, quitting, you'll regret it for the rest of your life. Baseball is what gets inside you. It's what lights you up, you can't deny that.

Dottie Hinson: It just got too hard.

Jimmy Dugan: It's supposed to be hard! If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard... is what makes it great!"

For me, the practice, the gradually getting better, the having a skill no one can just "do" without putting in the same effort, the "hard" ... is what it is all about...

Jim

Vick, you make a good point. I myself am a digger for knowledge. Some of the tricks I use in my show put into play some really old secrets. It's crazy to see how some of these(simple) secrets can still fool.

I don't have a problem with the youtube generation of instant magicians. Laymen can tell when they are watching a skilled performer!

By the way, I ordered Lovick's Reparation from Denny a few years back. I asked Denny if he still had a copy, not only did he have one he also gave me the whole history on the effect! Denny is a great treasure to our community!

I didn't say it, Denny did


For me when I read to learn the effect I own the effect, learning it from video you may not knowing copy the presentation or style of the performer.

Admittedly when I read Vernon's "Symphony of the Rings" (which Denny had for $10) after reading, rereading and reading again I did watch Vernon do the routine on You Tube, but the part I couldn't get came to me when I was out on the patio having a smoke. Because I read the work



mandarin - You're spot on!

Very True.

Im actually glad that when Iw as starting I was a poor kid It forced me to learn palms and slights that I still sue today, rather then relying on props. When I DID spend some money on a prop I really explored it and learned it well because it was a significant investment.

Now as an old guy with more money and less time, I have to fight my urge to "buy my way" through it because (a) that doesn't work and (b) you end up with a large collection of unused unpracticed junk that way.

I agree. I am a paramedic. I love this job with all my being, but it is not a profession you will ever get rich from. I have to count pennies for each and every paycheck. I would rather buy a book and learn multiple effects, then shell out the same amount of cash to get a video and/or gimmick to perform just one.