Is anyone else out there tired of the hyped-up marketing techniques used to advertise magic? "HIGHLY VISUAL magic!!!" "This one KILLS!!!!" "Clever handling makes this one easy, yet fools EVERYONE!!!!" I know I'm going to make some enemies on this one, but I feel these types of magic cliches are only trying to bait the average Joe who wants a cool trick to show his friends; they are meaningless to magicians. Last time I checked, ALL magic is visual, so spare me the fluff. There is a certain website out there that has been beaten to death on these boards, so I won't mention the name. But it is the worst as far as overusing cliches familiar to magicians to market their effects: clever handling, packs small but plays big, mindblowing magic, etc. Perhaps I'm just maturing in my magical journey, but personally I find this stuff a little insulting.

Or maybe I just woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

The term "visual" as applied to magic usually means that the effect happens before your eyes as opposed to under cover. If you are reading a marketing write-up... this sort of distinction is something you would probably want to know.

Or you could just ignore the hype. Magic sellers are in business to make money and they do it pretty well.

I used to buy all the FISM hits, also things that people described like you just stated.

I don't anymore.

Why? Most of the FISM stuff I have is difficult to handle, can't be examined and has awful reset times.
I'm starting to realize that FISM is about impressing magicians, not lay people.

The same goes for most tricks. They're trying to market them to magicians.

The best tricks out there are the ones that any lay person could do. Cause the makers know it has to be THAT easy.

Robert Bloor

To answer your question, I'm with you. I'm totally tired of it. I think I speak for most of us when I say "No more hype, please!"

Over the years I've lost literally thousands and thousands of dollars to the hype. Problem is, nobody is there to monitor this advertising, and to keep the hype in check.

Have you ever purchased an effect, and believed the adds, only to find that when it arrives, it requires a jacket, and you just happen to be the clod who doesn't wear one when performing? You've just blown a wad of cash for something totally useless to you, when if they had only told you the full truth in the first place, you could have been redeemed.

Would that be to much too ask of these advertisers? Just to let us know in the adds what performing conditions the effect is best suited for. You know, is it for platform , stage, close-up, walkaround, etc? Most of the time, they don't give you a clue. that's cruel.

Basicly you are at their mercy, and left to conjecture.

Yes, to answer your question, I am tired of it.

Yes... but also no. If the advertiser lies, it is one matter, but if not, then he should do all he can to correctly describe how it is perceived. In my opinion.

It is a fine line for marketers. They want to write up an effective story to sell their products, but at the same time, they need to not oversell or omit pertinent information as to mislead the buyer.

I too have purchased many useless, worthless, overpriced, and unworkable "magic" tricks/gimmicks. Everytime I think I've learned, someone comes along with more clever advertising and I shell out more money. I need to remember, there's no such thing as real magic, as some of these advertisers lead me to believe. Sorry for unloading, but can't a merchandiser just be factual?

For example, here's a link to a card thru window effect called Meeting Point. Now if any of you has this product and have effectively used this as described on the advertising, please let me know. This thing is junk in my opinion.