G&L Magic: A Dealer with Integrity

"Wow!" That's all I can say is "Wow!" I love it when a
magic dealer exceeds my expectations. Given the sad state of
the magic resale business, it's so unusual when you come
across someone with integrity and who over-delivers. Let me
explain.

Last month I bid and won a combination of a side table with
Viking base and a gravity box from G&L Magic on eBay. I have
purchased some of their tables in the past and always
thought they looked great and offered great value when you
consider the cost of the base to begin with. Greg (the G of
G&L) also produces many different props and sells used and
new magic. He usually bundles custom made props and tables
with packaged goods, and you can frequently get a bundle of
good stuff for a great price.

Well, when my stuff arrived, I liked the table and base but
I did not want the gravity box. I already invested in a
really expensive one last year and thought I would just
resell the new box. Unfortunately, it did not work, so I asked
him if I could return it and if I could get another table
top. He said no problem.

A few weeks went by and yesterday I received a huge box.
Surely this was more than a table? It was! It was a new
table PLUS a new base (so now I have a matching pair of
custom made side tables) PLUS he sent me four other tricks
"for my trouble". These four other bonuses easily added up
to $100.00 worth of props and included:

- A One Way Forcing Deck
- Gilligan's Prediction
- Impossible Card in Bottle
- Mikame's Mystery Key Holder

I was and am still amazed by the stuff he sent me with my
table. I just expected a table top not another base! Plus
all this stuff including a Mikame collectible magic. So now
you know why I am saying "Wow".

I have only played with the Mikame effect and it has become
my new favorite toy. It looks so good and it fools me when I
look at in the mirror. I am astounded by how cleverly made
this prop is.

It reminds me of the fun I had when Tenyo first came out
with the Zig Zag Cigarette back in the 1970s. I saw it and
was fooled immediately and even when I bought it, the
illusion was so good I fooled myself for hours on end. Same
thing with the Mystery Key Holder. If you are looking for
something new to add to your close-up or stand-up act then
this would be it. Golly. It is amazingly made. Don't think
twice. Trust me.

Don't forget, search on eBay for G&L Magic. Here's his
current offerings:

http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/magidaddy_W0QQ_nkwZQQ_armrsZ1QQ_fromZR9QQ_mdoZQQ_sopZ1

Until next time,


Steven

Juggling Knives and Loose Change

Here's some quick reviews and thoughts about how to improve
your business.

First, I finally received a new set of Juggling Knives.
Ever since I saw Penn juggle them with the Asparagus
Cultural Society, I knew I wanted to learn how to do this
feat. I already know basic club juggling, so this should be
relatively easy to master once I get past the fear of large
metal pointy objects falling all around me.

Unfortunately, the first set I purchased for $69.00 on eBay
arrived with cracked wooden handles. I asked for a
replacement and the vendor quickly agreed to do so if I
would return the initial set for examination. I did, they
apologized and credited me for my return postage, and then
they sent me a new set. These were perfect and came with a
carrying case.

After practicing for a few minutes I quickly realized that
the handles hurt when I caught them. They were hard. I
started talking to my 9 year old son about my problem and
he suggested we visit the local tennis store his Mom frequents
to pick up some foam tape they use on tennis rackets.

After taking my knives out of the bag, and seeing the shock
on the tennis store owner's face, he settled down and made
some suggestions. We bought the tape and off we went.

Then I realized these cheaper knives needed some type of
rubber bumper on the bottom to avoid splitting the handles
when they hit the ground. I knew what I was looking for,
but did not know where to begin. We wound up in Home Depot
searching in vein for some type of rubber washer we could
screw into the base of the handle. Finally, a Home Depot
employee led me to a rack and pulled out these little tiny
once inch gaskets.

A few minutes later, I was home, taping and screwing in the
rubber gaskets. Bingo! For the extra $14.00 I spent, I had a
set of juggling knives that looked great and felt great. And
I still saved a ton of money over buying the more expensive
$138.00 set of professional knives also available on eBay.

Now to practice without taking an eye out.

I also received my new Loose Change Chop Cup from Colin
Rose in the UK. I bought mine off eBay for $75.00 because
it promised you could produce a stack of loose coins at the
conclusion of the routine.

Well, the cup arrived and it is a thing of beauty. It's
smaller than I expected -- maybe 2.5 - 3 inches high. It
comes with two balls and a sack and that extra gimmick
required to produce the stack of coins.

Unfortunately, the gimmick comes in multiple sizes and the
seller was not sure this was for U.S. coins and frankly
neither am I. I contacted Colin Rose directly for
assistance and he promised to make sure it works fine if I
send him 20 pounds to cover postage and his time. I want to
make sure I have a working effect and will probably do this
next week. But it kind of bugs me.

When I tried to produce the coins, I found it would not
work with a stack of 18 nickels without the gimmick
dropping from the cup. Nice production. And when I was able
to dislodge the coins, I had to use a lot of force, and that
kind of destroys the effect for me. So the jury is still out
on this one.

The materials I ordered for my Frame Fantastique idea
arrived, but I am having a difficult time putting the
pieces together to make this work. I'll let you know how
far I get next time.

On the sales and marketing side, I've begun to hear from a
bunch of you about your web sites and your questions about
sales letters, email communications, and promotion.

One thing I will continue to hammer through your head is
the need to put your email follow-up on auto-pilot. To do
this, you need to write a series of email messages and
schedule them for delivery through an autoresponder
service.

If you can't afford to hire me to write your email series,
go buy this product to help you right now:

Email Follow-up Creator Pro

Some of you have asked about the best way to use Google
AdWords or Yahoo Ads to compete in your local marketplace.
Here is the best ebook on the topic and the one I make all
of my clients read:

Agency AdWords Revealed

And lastly, if you can't hire me to write your sales letter
or improve your web site content or marketing collateral,
please consider this tool:

Push Button Sales Letters

Until next time,

Steven

New Effect Reviews and Fresh Ideas for an Old Trick

Greetings, fellow magi. Steve here with a few updates of
interest. After my debacle with the Appearing, Floating
Microphone and Gecko, no one wants to buy it from me on
eBay. Not only that, I have been unable to sell virtually
any of the items I recently relisted. Oh, well ...

Been trying to find a Frame Fastastique for some time. This
was a clear Plexiglas frame that displayed four silver
dollars. You remove the coins, cover the frame, vanish the
coins and the coins reappear in the frame. I saw Jose de la
Torre use this in a coin routine back when I was the VP of
the IMPS in NYC. It looked great. I've been wanting to
recreate the routine, but not even Mario Carrandi could tell
me where to find a frame.

So I started searching for coin dealers to see what I could
find in available coin displays, figuring I could gimmick it
up once I got it. Finally, after months of searching, I
found a family that specializes in making coin displays. I
ordered one to see how it goes, along with spare parts, and I
will try my hand at recreating the gimmicked frame next
week. Wish me luck. If it works out well, I may start
taking orders for them.

How far can you carry a running gag without it falling? For
those of you who have been following me for years, you know
I am obsessed with spring raccoons and yearn to put
together an entire MC act with running gags including doing
a Take Apart Vanish, Mini-Blamm Production and Raccoon
Levitation. How about a Raccoon Wringer? Was speaking with
my friend and master woodworker, Thomas Clark, and we may
take a whack at one of these. Only problem is I need to
find a flat raccoon. Thomas recommended I bring a picture
of a raccoon to a sign making shop and have them create one
for me. That's a pretty cool idea.

I just received a new rope routine I stumbled upon. It's
called 3 Way Traveling Knot by Gay Llungberg and it's dated
2006. Back this summer, when I saw Justin Flom perform in
Branson, he did a traveling knot with one spectator. He tied
one end of the rope to the microphone and the spectator held
the other end. Then he cut the rope, tied the ends, moved the
knot about two thirds of the way, untied the rope, retied
the rope, moved the knot towards the spectator and then let
the spectator untie the rope. It looked quite good.

I know Pavel has a complex and very expensive version of
this effect, but this one cost only $29.95 so I took a
gamble. Surprise, it is not crap. This is easy to perform
and should please the crowds. I am anxious to try it out on
my kids.

Also got a set of juggling knives for $68 from an operation
called El Paso down in Texas, but two of the wooden handles
were cracked when I received them so I sent them back and
am waiting for replacements. Hope they are better next time
around. What makes this set a steal is that you also get a
heavy canvas bag that you can wear on your belt. Good deal.
While better knives exist, they typically surpass the $138
range.

Can I juggle? Well, my friend, Scott Morris, started teaching
me three ball juggling back in the 1970s, and then I taught
myself from there, working my way up to rings and clubs. I
bought torches but eventually sold them and finally opted
to try my hand at knives. If I don't blind myself, this
should be a fun addition.

Also received the original Ammar Topit Book, his original
VHS tapes, the original pattern PLUS Carl Cloutier's Topit
Pattern. Now all I have to is lose some weight, so I can fit
in my suits and ask my wife to start cutting and sewing.

More soon,

All my best,

Steven

Magic Duds

Good morning magic fans. Hope all is well in your
respective part of the world. As I continue to develop
routines for a potential MC/table hopping gig here in
Tulsa, I am always lurking for good deals on eBay.

Today I want to tell you about two things you might want to
stay away from on eBay or elsewhere. The first is the
Appearing, Floating Microphone Stand and the second is the
Cut-No-Cut Scissors from Bazar de Magia.

I thought an appearing mike stand that floats could be a
great way to open an evening. You look for a mike, can't
find one, so you produce your own. Then you make it float.
Seems logical.

But the second I opened this package I knew I would be
disappointed. From a distance this probably looks great but
from a foot away, the mike stand looks too thick. The silver
pipe appears to be about 4 inch around. It's big.

As to its ability to float, all I can say is you better
have really long and strong fingers. The traditional Zombie
gimmick is too short and the included foulard is too big.
The net result is a mike stand that floats about a foot
away from one end of the three foot square cloth. Looks
silly.

And considering it is largely made of a tube of mylar, it
is extremely heavy. The gimmick slides into a hole wider
than a cigarette -- it is a loose fit -- so you get this
kind of swaying, dancing mike stand effect which looks,
frankly, like the stand is hanging on something, which it
is.

A big disappointment and reposted to ebay faster than you
can say "Omar Pasha".

I also have been working on a cut and restored rope routine
where I actually place the rope in the spectator's hands --
bold but helps sell the fact the rope is actually cut in
two pieces. I remembered back to my youth, which is getting
harder to do these days, and remembered seeing Bob
McCallister do a cut and restored rope routine on Wonderama
with a variety of different gimmicked comedy scissors.

You can buy this collection of scissors from Bazar de Magia for
over $300.00, but I thought it might be wise to check out
their basic Cut-No-Cut scissor before further considering
the entire set. Good move on my part.

Again, maybe it is the size of my hands, but I could not
open or close this scissors with my right hand. Even with
two hands it was difficult. Oddly enough, I could work the
scissors with my left hand only. Even then it took some
working at it before I could do it semi-reliably. Bottom
line: I understand the gimmick must be made a certain way
to prevent a spectator from ruining the effect, but Lord,
what's the purpose of making the scissors so tough to open
or close if the magician can't do it either.

I've reposted a bunch of things to eBay, so take a look at
some bargain basement merchandise.

I've also been developing my own web site to promote myself
as a magician. This is a real challenge for me since I have
no referenceable act or business. I'm just another rank
amateur, so I've taken a more personal approach, sharing
pictures and anecdotes about my life in magic. It's still a
work in progress, but it's coming along. You can check it
out here:

http://www.sophisticatedsorcery.com

Your comments are welcomed.

Until next time,


Steven

Importance of Character/Review of Departure

Good morning, folks. There is a great article in this
month's MAGIC magazine about comedy magician, Mark
Kornhauser. He is a character-based performer with dozens
of different personas -- one for every imaginable occasion.

The article got me thinking again about who we pretend to
be when we perform. What I have frequently seen are
magicians who emulate popular comedians. For example, back
in the 70's when Steve Martin was big, everybody was "wild
and crazy" and when Robin Williams was big, everyone was
throwing in "Nanoo-Nanoo" or the occasional "Shazbat!"

Younger, less experienced performers tend to fall into this
trap because they have not fully developed or become aware
of who they are. The resulting performance tends to become
a poor imitation instead of an original success.

The old adage about us being "Actors portraying magicians"
rings true for me. I know when I perform I tend to try to
be myself though I find myself quicker with the wit and
more the Mr. Professional Magic showman. I become more of a
wise guy and jokester, and the magic is almost a by-product
of the humor. I spend more type kidding around with people
then I do performing magic. In sharp contrast to my
sarcastic and witty performing persona, in my actual daily
life, I have become more introverted as I have gotten
older. So performing is becoming harder, more of a
challenge, more of a stretch.

I also find myself going on auto-pilot when pressed to
perform magic. I'll ask for a deck of cards and do the same
4 card tricks: Cutting the Aces, Ace Transposition,
Ambitious Card and Folded Card to Mouth ("sleight of
tongue"). It's a 10-15 minute set and it flows and I know
exactly what to do and when to do it.

Being able to put the technical part of my performance on
auto-pilot means I have more time and flexibility and focus
to banter with the audience. I can spend time trying to
entertain and less time worrying about what I have to do
next from a technical perspective.

But performing magic on auto-pilot can also endanger your
performance. It can come across as stilted, overly
rehearsed or robotic. You need to be careful. You don't
want to lose your edge.

As I begin to work on building new routines and acts for
future work, I find myself wondering more if I should try
to develop some characters like Kornhauser. I know what I
can get away with and what fits me. I tend to get a sudden
rush of ideas and then I have to consider what's
appropriate for the most likely type of audience I might
encounter locally.

For instance, I started getting an interesting idea for a
mafia magician who basically threatens spectators when he
gets the trick wrong, borrows money and then asks for
interest, and then even switches places and makes the
spectator perform for him (OK, Magic Boy, you think magic
is easy -- amuse me!).

I envision Andrew Dice Clay meets Mr. Magic from Little
Italy. A playful bit with an assistant standing on the
side, dressed in typical gangster suit with arms folded,
acting an enforcer for the magician: "When Mr. Magic says
'Clap!' you clap, get it? You want me to hurt him, boss?" I
also envision this magician character using a lot of
expletives: "Pick a card, any 'f--king card at all!" In the
right nightclub (East Coast/West Coast) it could work and be
very funny BUT it's not appropriate for Tulsa, OK.

Then I started thinking of a hypnotist character called
Will Power who comes out with a bag of Pepperidge Farm
cookies and talks about how he can use his "will power"
(think melodramatic - straight face - over the top arched
eyebrows delivery) to help people stay on a diet and lose
weight. Meanwhile he polishes off the entire bag of
Milanos. A gag with maybe some simple cold reading jokes --
"I knew you would say that because I am -- Will Power." This
might be more appropriate and could work as an MC bit
between acts. More appropriate for local performances.

And so, I will continue to ponder this and I recommend you
consider the possibilities for yourself. Look at the
success of Rudy Coby and his mad scientist or Jeff
McBride's masked man of mystery. Characters can be very
strong, very entertaining and help build a brand to
differentiate you from other acts. And differentiation is
what counts in any business. Plus it's easier to market
yourself when you are truly different from the next guy
listed in the Yellow Pages under "Magicians/Clowns". Think
about it.

Reviews
========

Recently, I bid and won on a magic table from G&L Magic
(aka Magic Daddy). I really like these guys. They are a
magic shop and manufacturer and tend to create less
expensive knock-offs that look good and function well.

A few years ago I purchased a roll-on side table, and liked
it so much that I asked if they would make me a second one
and send me some new bases with chrome trim to match the
trim on the tables. No problem and very affordable. I
suggest you check them out on eBay. They are a dealer and
manufacturer who will give you good value and good service.

I recently received Derek Robert's Departure (aka Ring
Flight). What makes this version markedly different is that
the reel is built into a car alarm fob. I had previously
purchased and used HotTrix version which had the reel
hidden in the key, but it frankly looked odd to have a ring
hanging from a key. Departure is more logical, and it is an
everyday object people carry. Most people to not carry key
wallets anymore.

The gimmick is well constructed though the entire fob is
black, even the buttons which are normally white or grey,
red and blue. I am probably going to try painting these by
hand with some acrylic paint to add some realism. I don't
know why he didn't go the extra mile and add these details.
It would make it look more realistic.

So overall, though this is a more logical gaff, it does not
look 100% authentic and ungimmicked. On a scale of 1-10, I
give it a 10 for concept but only an 8 for delivery.

The other thing which is somewhat troubling is the
double-sided carabiner clip that is attached to the gimmick
and to which you attach the borrowed ring. The clip, while
easy to engage, is longer than the car alarm fob. I would
much rather see a smaller clip for this purpose. It looks
unusually large and suspect.

Until next time,

Steven