Why You Should Buy a Lot of Magic Tricks

I looked at the email in horror.

It read:

Hello Cris,
Your show times will be:
9:45 to 10:40
10:45 to 11:40
And 11:45 to 12:40.
Thank you!

Ugh. That left me with only 20 minutes after the last show.

Then I would have to drive 30 minutes for my second school of the day. Once there, I’d only have 30 minutes to unload and set up for a 2:00 show.

That’s tight. Too tight.

I had booked this school after the client gave me a vague idea of the times he’d need. Then another local school contacted me, hoping for a show on the same day.

Once the first school finalized their (much later than expected) showtimes, my day got considerably harder.

As I write this, the two gigs are a little under two months away. I’m already working on the show outlines for each.

Each gig must have effects and routines that set up fast, break down even faster, and still thrill three different age groups of very rambunctious kids on their last day of school.

But I have a secret weapon at my disposal.

Both schools chose to book my “Magical Mayhem” show. It’s my non-specific, non-educational show for ‘just for fun’ events.

Most of the time, my work in schools involves educational shows.

In those shows, each effect or routine has to illustrate or convey an important lesson or concept. They’re fun to do, but the set lists of each are ‘locked,’ meaning I can’t just swap out effects on a whim.

Not every trick works for every message or show. At least, not how I do it.

“Magical Mayhem,” however, doesn’t have those concerns. Other than my levitation, which I use to sell the show, I can put whatever I want into this show.

That means I can outline a show that sets up fast and breaks down faster.

And with over a dozen school shows, I have a very deep roster of effects to choose from.

Having a huge collection of magic effects requires a lot of knowledge, money, and storage space.

Plus you have to keep track of which effect lives at what location. More on this in a minute.

But the idea of having a big collection of tricks might sound counterintuitive. After all, isn’t the goal to have a solid, tight show and master that show?

That’s the dream, of course. I recall the late great Eugene Burger lamenting the fact that his repertoire was too big.

I think at the time he had something like 30 routines.

Eugene’s philosophy was the smaller the repertoire, the more you can master it, perform each routine effortlessly, and elevate your craft.

Wonderful idea in theory. And I maintain much more realistic for a closeup magician. After all, most closeup magicians perform for 5-10 minutes for small groups at a time.

Me? I’m performing 45-minute stage shows. That’s a lot more material.

Of course, some stage folks like the great Mac King worked hard to get a consistent gig where they can perform the same show each time for a different audience.

Me? I’m performing at a different school or library each day.

Still, having just one show topic would mean I’d only need to polish a dozen or so effects and just offer that show.

But my market makes that a lot harder. I’ve found that schools prefer different topics. So to maximize my possible bookings, I need to offer different shows and topics.

Going full circle, that means maintaining a big list of possible routines and effects.

In this case, with these two tightly scheduled gigs, I have a large collection of goodies to consider. It’s nice to have options.

My message today? Unless you absolutely hate an effect you bought, keep it. Don’t sell it. Don’t throw it out.

You never know when that effect may save your butt.

I’d love to just do my set school shows til the end of time. But sometimes something weird happens.

The client might combine grade levels in a weird way. I’ve had schools give me grades K, 1, and 5 before.

Or schools that can’t give me the full 30-35 minutes I need to set up.

My other main market, libraries, is riddled with even more potential potholes. Since the shows are open to the public, you don’t know what’s going to come through that door.

So, save your tricks, even if you don’t have a place for them in your current show or shows.

I used to sell all the stuff I wasn’t actively using. If something didn’t fit into my roster of theme shows, out the door it’d go. I’d help it find a new home on eBay.

But now I keep it all. As long as the new trick isn’t junk, it stays in the trunk of tricks that currently do fit into my existing shows.

There’s another reason you’ll want to hold onto those effects.

Your preferences may change. New ideas pop into your head. How you judge an effect may change. Or something you use a lot may break and you might need to make a last-second substitution.

Case in point: A few weeks ago, I wrote about the Signed Card to Shoe routine I’ve been performing to great effect.

It’s SO strong that it’s the one effect adults ask me about after the show.

I purchased the effect, “Sole Snatcher,” several years ago. At the time, I was disappointed in the method, which involves adding a gimmick to your shoe.

“Pffft,” I thought at the time. “I don’t want to alter my shoes.”

I put it in the ‘eBay box’ of potential effects to sell. And there it sat for a few years.

Until recently, when I got it in my head that I REALLY wanted to add a Card to Shoe to one of my shows.

“Sole Snatcher” turned out to be perfect. I’m so glad I never sold the thing.

Of course, sometimes we don’t perform an effect because we can’t think of a proper presentation.

I’ve written three books, each with fun, commercial routines that I’ve been performing for years. Nothing in these books was created just to put in a book and sell.

I encourage you to check out each book:

Cause & Effects Vol. 1 HERE

Cause & Effects Vol. 2 HERE

Cause & Effects Vol. 3 HERE

The best part? Each is a download, meaning you could be learning new, proven, professional routines in mere minutes. I am working on a fourth volume, but that’s a little ways off.

Have a great week!

--Cris

P.S. By the way…whenever you’re ready, here are 5 ways I can help you grow your magic business to book more shows at higher fees:

 
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4. Work with me privately.

 
Need help in multiple areas? I can help you with your website, direct mail, email, or other marketing strategies. I also offer consulting services for crafting magic routines or even entire shows. Want to find out more? Shoot me an email at cris@theprofessionalmagicianclubpro.com.

5. Check out my extensive line of magic routines and marketing products

I have several professional routines, marketing courses, books, and other resources to boost your shows and make booking shows easier and more profitable. Check out my line of products HERE.

To find out more how I can help you book more shows at higher fees, click the button below to see my list of services.

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