An Annual Night of Magic
Every year in Eastern Virginia on the Sunday before the Super Bowl, Harold and Diane Wood host a party. This has been the case for many years. This party started as a way to bring a few local Magicians and Jugglers together to celebrate and share in their passions and to help the various local organizations to socialize. The event started out in Harold and Diane’s home, and eventually grew too large. The Wood family now hosts the event at the Marlbank Cove Club House located at 111 Lookout Point, Yorktown, VA. The Club was a wonderful facility with a large meeting room, a recreation room with a pool table, a lovely kitchen and several smaller rooms, set at the end of a neighborhood in historic Yorktown. The event draws 50-60 people, from all over Virginia and from many other parts of the country. Many are members of the International Brotherhood of Magician’s Rings and Society of American Magician’s Assemblies. Harold was at the entryway, sporting a purple suit jacket and fancy, colorful bow tie and that wacky expression. Everyone was asked to bring a special dish for the pot luck dinner and the kitchen was already packed with tasty delights of all sorts.
Harold introduced himself and asked if I would be willing to perform something after the meal. Harold wrote my name down and we got to know each other briefly. Most magicians are never strangers, least not for very long. As Julie and I began to mingle it became obvious this was a very welcoming group of folks. As everyone sat around eating, chatting and getting to know each other the entertainment began. In corners of the rooms, in hallways and nestled against the kitchen counters, Magicians shared with each other the secrets of our special trade.
My evening brought me to a corner of the room where a kindly old man by the name of Santa was sitting, munching on some delicacies and trying to keep them out of his ample white beard. Turns out Santa spends much of his time when away from the North Pole, in and around Richmond, VA where he travels about the region performing children’s shows whilst his elves are fast at work producing those wondrous toys for Christmas. Santa took out a deck of cards and of course had me select one, remember it and place it back into the deck which was cut repeatedly and you guessed it my card was selected from the deck. He and I exchanged several variations of the old “Pick a Card” routines. Including one of my favorites where spectator deals out each card and calls it out truthfully, until they arrive at their card (which they have been told to lie about), and the performer states true or false for each card. This has gotten me more than one confession from a criminal while sitting across from them at the interrogation table, but it is always an amazing and powerful effect when done in front of an audience.
Julie and I continued to mingle, roam the house and gorge on fine food for the next couple of hours. Meeting folks and shopping at a couple of vender tables set of with all sorts a magic memorabilia, everything from stage effects to close up tricks which were brought for sale. There were historic posters, a temple screen, die box, boxes of sponge balls, thumb tips, eggs, silks, appearing canes and many more very reasonably priced treasures.
Harold kicked the evening off and then introduced each and every performer one by one. Jugglers, Magicians, Mentalists and Comedians one and all; card tricks, stage magic and feats of amazing skill and balance were demonstrated with practiced expertise typical of the many hundreds of combined years of experience gathered inside the Cove Club that day.
Juggling was amazing, this entertainer even got several people from the audience involved. He had two boys actually keeping a spinning pie pan and a lasso going for quite some time; while he was amazing folks with his own skills of dexterity and comedy. This was followed by a spectator being blindfolded, while he thought that three very sharp objects were being juggled over him. In reality the audience got a barrel of laughs at his expense.
Classic effects were performed for everyone’s enjoyment and amazement. One of the local IBM Ring members took out the Linking Rings and showed that when done well, even if everyone in the audience know’s how it’s done, it is still an effect that can bring down the house. He brought a unique patter and it was obvious to the entire audience how much he enjoys performing the classics of magic.
I chose to adapt the PATEO Prediction into a card routine. Shuffling two separate decks, I had four audience members choose different cards from the red backed deck. A blue backed deck was then shuffled and four cards were chosen from this deck. A different spectator chose one of the eight selected cards randomly and I wrote a prediction on the back and gave it to a different member of the audience. I chose a last spectator to assist me in eliminating the remaining cards one at a time by alternating 2 selecting and eliminating one with me. This is a truly amazing effect which can be done with various random borrowed items. It is impromptu, packs a lot of participation and is a lot of fun to do.
Santa preceded to do a rattling ping pong ball which would work for every child in the audience, but not for him, followed by a root beer bottle with a penetrating cap and ending with an appearing cane.
One of the local teachers of the arcane did fanciful card tricks, one of which incorporated a Magic Eight Ball. He had a number of flourishes and fans, and a lot of audience participation. This was followed up by a performance by one of his students and perhaps one of the youngest performers ever in the history of this dinner event. There was a wonderful rope routine performed by one of the local fellas from Chesapeake, VA. Harold had a wonderful floating glass of water suspended from a pencil and ended the night with a great straight jacket escape while riding a unicycle. There were several other wonderful performers and a great time was had by all. Hopefully Harold and Diane’s Pre-Super Bowl Dinner continues to grow and draw even more friends we’ve just not met yet. For details of the next event stay tuned or check with one of the local Magic Clubs in the Hampton Roads area.
Julie and I met some really magical people. The night brought the beginnings of friendships, mystery, magic and mirth I certainly believe that magic brings people together and is a motivational tool in so many ways.
Business Methods for Aspiring Magicians (Continued - Final Segment)
Business cards are a must. Ensure these go to existing and potential customers. Giving existing customers a few extra business cards can pay dividends as they refer you to peers, friends, family, neighbors and other professionals in their industry. Never leave your home or office without a few business cards. Keep some in your vehicles and in your planner or portfolio. Business cards are inexpensive and can be printed nicely on a home or office printer. These are my most successful marketing tool.
When meeting someone for the first time, introduce yourself, and hand them a card. If time permits, do a card prediction, a simple pick a card and the card they selected is actually printed on the back of the business card. This will help the customer remember your magic when they see your card. If they tell you they already have someone, just ask them to hang onto your card in case their regular entertainer can’t perform for them. You don’t want other entertainers feeling as if you’re trying to poach their clients and you often have no idea what the relationship is between them and their client.
If a new customer calls and you’ve not actively prospected them, it’s a good idea to ask them if they have used anyone in the past. If so, ask a few questions, to find out why they’re interested in you. Where they unhappy with their previous entertainer? Did something go wrong in their performance? Was it just not the type of entertainment they thought it would be? This might help determine if your show is correct for the customer. A show for a local motorcycle club might not go over well if you perform the same act you did for a church group. Never disparage another magician’s act. It’s a good idea if you can determine who their last performer was, to give the entertainer a call before confirming a booking. Sometimes, the customer still owes their last entertainer for work they did. In cases like this, don’t commit unless the customer pays in full, in advance, in cash.
Asking questions of a new client can also assist in developing a show that is tailored to their needs. Is there a theme? What is the organization’s or groups mission, or purpose? What is the age of their participants? Is it a religious organization, if so what religion? Keep a record of every customer, and list the effects you perform in your show for them. This will be crucial when they call you to do another show. Change the act up so the audience doesn’t see the same act you performed before.
This hopefully provides some starting points for an aspiring magician to begin their professional career. When I was figuring these things out 50 years ago, there wasn’t a lot available for me to reference. Most things were done by trial and error. It is my hope to prevent some of the mistakes made by a young teenager who barely knew how to perform a few tricks, let alone run a business.
Business Methods for the Aspiring Magician (Continued)
Everyone must find their way of growing a customer base. Schools, churches, clubs, hospitals, nursing homes, restaurants and organizations are common employers of magicians. Developing a contact at the local newspaper, television and radio station doesn’t hurt, publicity is your friend. Cultivate relationships with reporters, television and radio personalities, managers, owners and civic organization officers. Invite them to your shows whenever possible. Busking at other events such as fairs, markets and public streets is also a good way to gain clientele. Busking will help you hone your skills, giving you the ability to see what works or doesn’t, and you will make a few dollars while you hone your magic skills. Be sure to check with local governments prior to setting up to ensure you’re in compliance with their laws and ordinances.
A rule of sales is to concentrate on existing customers rather than searching for new customers. For beginning magicians this is not an option, until you’ve established yourself or found a niche. Once you start performing for paying customers, give them some of your cards and ask them to refer you to others. When you become established in a particular genre, exploit that, taking full advantage of it. Your reputation will grow within that genre more rapidly. Develop a known class of prospects whose addresses you can obtain from directories, web searches, and from satisfied clients. It’s important to keep a data base and reach out to repeat customers and event coordinators prior to their various events. Keep a record of which acts were performed and ensure the routine is different each year.
A mailing list and email list will be instrumental in building your business and retaining repeat customers. This is particularly true if you manage your own bookings, these lists will be an important asset. Keep the lists up to date. Add names from news articles or event flyers. Promptly make updates when changes are identified and most importantly ensure the spelling is correct. Keep notes in the customer’s file. Names of spouses, children, hobbies, and other things of interest that you can review before reaching out to a customer you may not have spoken with or seen in a year or more.
Draft an introductory letter describing your services, and how you might assist your customer in obtaining their goals. This might require tailoring to specific customer bases you intend to prospect. This letter may be sent via direct mail or e-mail to potential clients. Use a personally addressed envelope, this has proven to be more successful than preprinted ones. This same letter draft can be e-mailed to potential customers.
Design a pamphlet, this might be included in a letter, posted on bulletin boards, or attached to an e-mail. Plan your mail/e-mail campaigns around your travel plans, for example if you know you have a show to do in the southern part of the state or country, on a specific date, start reaching out to other potential customers in that immediate area, working your way outward from your initial booking. If this renders additional bookings in the area, this will increase income while reducing the travel expense ratio to income. Just ensure how you divvy travel and other expenses across multiple customers is done fairly.
Advertising in the phone directory is often a good thing, just don’t spend money needlessly. A one line advertisement with your name and number under entertainers or magicians is typically all that’s necessary. Advertising in magazines is expensive. Once you’ve established a niche, it might be worthwhile to look into advertising in a trade journal or professional magazine if one exists for your particular customer base, just ensure it’s worthwhile and doesn’t become an unnecessary expenditure.
Newspaper advertising can be less expensive and some papers will publish a business section where local businesses can advertise. Start advertising in your local paper, then if you find you’re traveling to a specific community often enough and wish to expand your customer base in that area, look at advertising in their local paper. Chambers of Commerce or other business organizations may be good resources for you to obtain new customers, it’s a good idea to stop in and check them out when you travel to a new area.
Do As I Do With Two Decks
This effect is from a book by Bill Tarr, called 101 Easy Magic Tricks You Can Do. It is on my recommended reading list for all Magicians.
The effect begins with the Magician having a spectator choose one of two decks of cards. Once chosen, give them the option of changing. Then explain you want them to do exactly as you do. You may begin with a few simple shuffles and flourishes (they may not keep up).
Once both decks have been completely shuffled, glance at your bottom card (this is your key card). Switch decks with the spectator, and have them select any card in the middle of the deck, you will do the same. Have them show their selected card to the rest of the audience. Place both cards on the top of their respective decks, and cut the deck. This puts the key card on top of the spectators selected card, in their deck.
Now switch decks with them again. Have them go through their deck and pick out their selected card, but tell them not to reveal it to you yet and that you are going to do the same. As you go through the deck you now have, you select their card based on the key card (your selected card doesn't matter). The key card will be to the left of their selected card as you go thru the deck from top to bottom. Each of you places your selected card on the table face down On the count of three you both show your selected cards to be the exact same.
The Top Hat and Wand
It all begins with an idea.
The Top Hat and Wand is a Blog about magic. It’s a place for Magicians and those aspiring to become Magicians. There is a plethora of information out there on the mechanics of how to do magic tricks but tricks don’t make a magician. Whether you wish to pursue a career as a magician full time, augment your income as a semi-professional or simply entertain colleagues, friends and family hopefully you will find my posts here helpful. Future posts will cover business tips, effects, techniques, “tricks” of the trade and how to build some effects yourself if you wish. Enjoy!
Business Methods for the Aspiring Magician
It all begins with an idea.
Most amateur magicians begin by doing magic for friends and family. These typically evolve into free shows, and there is nothing wrong with doing free shows for friends and family.
Many amateur and professional magicians will perform on social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok or YouTube to name a few. These are great marketing platforms and a good way to let others know what your talents are. Many performers make a large portion of their income thru these or similar platforms. During the pandemic many performers used Zoom, Discord, Skype, FaceTime or other platforms to reach their audiences remotely.
As word gets out, amateur magicians will expand these shows and begin to perform in person, while continuing to preform for free. These are good and desirable if performed for your close friends and immediate family or organizations to which you belong. Charities may also be legitimate, provided all parties who are involved are donating their time and talent. Fund raising is big business and fund raisers typically spend a lot of money to raise money for their cause, they can be a very lucrative market which is often ignored or overlooked by businesses.
Free shows destroy business that you or other professional magicians depend on to make a living. When you perform shows for free, people naturally devalue your work and worth. Because they paid nothing, they assume it is worth nothing. This couldn’t be farther from the truth, but it is how the human brain works. Whenever services are provided for free, provide a bill at your normal fee and discount it as a donation. This provides proof for a tax deduction, and the customer will know the true value they are receiving.
Determining how much to charge is always a perplexing challenge, particularly for a new professional magician. Consider what your time is worth. It takes practice; trial and error to develop routines that flow together; the cost of props; costumes and clothing; set up and tear down before and after the performance; milage, meals and per diem; and consumables (flash paper, OOM, balloons, even cards as they wear out with frequent use).
It is better to be performing than not performing, else you wouldn’t be a magician in the first place. Price may be dependent upon the customer’s budget. Less for a private party than for a club; less for a small group than for a larger group. If performing in a theater, is there a percentage of ticket sales? Busking is another way to bring in income, just ensure you are familiar with the local laws before you start busking.
Once you set your price, don’t lower it. Better to perform for free than to be someone who can be beaten down. Better to uphold your reputation and quality of your performances than to perform for a lesser fee. If you’re competing with other performers for a job, never attempt to underbid them or meet a lower bid. The only thing you have to sell is the quality of your performance. If there are other magicians, who perform professionally, see what the market is for performers. Note, just because someone has been doing something longer than you, doesn’t mean they are better than you. Remember, your time is just as worthy as someone else’s. If a potential customer tells you they already have someone, just leave them a card and ask them to consider you if their regular entertainment isn’t available for a future event.