• CONTACT US
  • VISIT THE MAGIC SHOP

How to Buy Magic Tricks – Common Problems and Mistakes – Advice from Alan Rorrison

by Merchant of Magic Leave a Comment

Alan Rorrison

As magicians, we love to buy magic tricks as soon as they are released. Large super market style magic shops aim to offer the widest range of magic, as soon as it’s released.

Each day, the What’s New Section gets another batch of magic books, DVD’s and magic tricks to tempt you. How you react to that, is very important to your development as a magician.

We asked magician Alan Rorrison to give some advice to magicians that will help them improve their magic. Alan wanted to talk about buying magic tricks that you don’t need, and we think it’s very good advice:

 

 

 

Do you buy Magic tricks like Pokemon?

You don’t have to catch them all! It’s OK to collect magic, but that’s not going to make your magic better. Jumping from the latest new magic trick to the latest magic book, then over to the new Blackpool Magic Convention releases, just distracts you from serious practice.

Don’t buy magic tricks on impulse

When you decide to buy magic tricks, make it because they will fit your style and your act. Because it’s new, can be a terrible reason to choose any magic tricks. Be selective, and pick your magic tricks with care and put thought into it. If the only reason you are interested in buying a magic trick is to know it’s secret, it’s nothing more than a puzzle to you.

Buy magic tricks that are right for you

The best magic shops keep a huge back catalog. That’s not an easy thing for magic shops to do. Older tricks get forgotten and don’t sell in great numbers. Shop space is expensive, so small hobby dealers tend to only stock what’s new and ‘hot’ and clear their inventories once the hype is over.

6 ways to save a lot of money when you buy magic tricks:

1) Back Catalogs

Find a magic shop that keeps a large back catalogue. Magic shops that keep all the old tricks allow you to have it all to choose from.

2) Adverts hiding as magic product reviews

Seek out reviews that don’t have a sales agenda. It’s pretty easy to spot when a magic tricks review is really an advert or infomercial for the dealer selling it. Seek out reviews for older products that are tried and tested and not being reviewed just prior to an exclusive launch or after a magic dealer has bulk purchased stock.

3) Search in the right places.

Search magic shop websites by price, name or style, NOT by the date the magic tricks were added to the catalogue.

4) Two questions to ask yourself when you buy magic tricks:

Ask yourself: Is this the type of magic effect I would like to perform? If the answer is yes, ask yourself: Is this the best possible version that has ever been created?

5) What’s the magic shops priority?

Email or phone the magic shop to ask the dealers opinion before you buy magic tricks. They want a happy long term relationship with you as a customer much more than they want to make a one time sale. Good magic shops are staffed full time by professional working magicians and are told to give customers their real honest opinions of the tricks they stock.

6) Advice from outside the project

Seek out the opinion of magic dealers that don’t have a vested interest in the magic tricks they stock. There is nothing wrong with wanting to buy magic tricks from manufacturers, but make sure you get a second opinion. Creators of magic tricks love their work and are, quite rightly proud of it. You can get valuable advice from talking to magic creators, but also consult magicians that are not so close to the project, and can discuss the alternatives with you.

Found this interesting? Leave a comment and share it with your friends:

{"Bottom bar":{"textstyle":"static","textpositionstatic":"bottom","textautohide":true,"textpositionmarginstatic":0,"textpositiondynamic":"bottomleft","textpositionmarginleft":24,"textpositionmarginright":24,"textpositionmargintop":24,"textpositionmarginbottom":24,"texteffect":"slide","texteffecteasing":"easeOutCubic","texteffectduration":600,"texteffectslidedirection":"left","texteffectslidedistance":30,"texteffectdelay":500,"texteffectseparate":false,"texteffect1":"slide","texteffectslidedirection1":"right","texteffectslidedistance1":120,"texteffecteasing1":"easeOutCubic","texteffectduration1":600,"texteffectdelay1":1000,"texteffect2":"slide","texteffectslidedirection2":"right","texteffectslidedistance2":120,"texteffecteasing2":"easeOutCubic","texteffectduration2":600,"texteffectdelay2":1500,"textcss":"display:block; padding:12px; text-align:left;","textbgcss":"display:block; position:absolute; top:0px; left:0px; width:100%; height:100%; background-color:#333333; opacity:0.6; filter:alpha(opacity=60);","titlecss":"display:block; position:relative; font:bold 14px Georgia,serif,Arial; color:#fff;","descriptioncss":"display:block; position:relative; font:12px Georgia,serif,Arial; color:#fff; margin-top:8px;","buttoncss":"display:block; position:relative; margin-top:8px;","texteffectresponsive":true,"texteffectresponsivesize":640,"titlecssresponsive":"font-size:12px;","descriptioncssresponsive":"display:none !important;","buttoncssresponsive":"","addgooglefonts":false,"googlefonts":"","textleftrightpercentforstatic":40},"None":{"textstyle":"none","textpositionstatic":"bottom","textautohide":true,"textpositionmarginstatic":0,"textpositiondynamic":"bottomleft","textpositionmarginleft":24,"textpositionmarginright":24,"textpositionmargintop":24,"textpositionmarginbottom":24,"texteffect":"slide","texteffecteasing":"easeOutCubic","texteffectduration":600,"texteffectslidedirection":"left","texteffectslidedistance":30,"texteffectdelay":500,"texteffectseparate":false,"texteffect1":"slide","texteffectslidedirection1":"right","texteffectslidedistance1":120,"texteffecteasing1":"easeOutCubic","texteffectduration1":600,"texteffectdelay1":1000,"texteffect2":"slide","texteffectslidedirection2":"right","texteffectslidedistance2":120,"texteffecteasing2":"easeOutCubic","texteffectduration2":600,"texteffectdelay2":1500,"textcss":"display:block; padding:12px; text-align:left;","textbgcss":"display:block; position:absolute; top:0px; left:0px; width:100%; height:100%; background-color:#333333; opacity:0.6; filter:alpha(opacity=60);","titlecss":"display:block; position:relative; font:bold 14px Georgia,serif,Arial; color:#fff;","descriptioncss":"display:block; position:relative; font:12px Georgia,serif,Arial; color:#fff; margin-top:8px;","buttoncss":"display:block; position:relative; margin-top:8px;","texteffectresponsive":true,"texteffectresponsivesize":640,"titlecssresponsive":"font-size:12px;","descriptioncssresponsive":"display:none !important;","buttoncssresponsive":"","addgooglefonts":false,"googlefonts":"","textleftrightpercentforstatic":40}}
  • 6 Free Magic Tricks From Jay Sankey
  • Anniversary Waltz Free Magic Download
  • Approaching Magic Practice Ebook
  • Approaching Tables Ebook
  • Recommended For Magic Beginners
  • Cagey Tutorial
  • Choose Magic Set Kids
  • Cloud of Smoke Free Ebook
  • Double Lift Project Free Download
  • Duplex Free Magic Download
  • Epoch Free Magic Tutorials
  • Electric Touch Free Ebook
  • False Shuffles and Cuts Magic Download
  • Faster Than Light - Magic Download
  • Finger-Exercises
  • How to Break In Playing Cards
  • How to Learn Magic Tricks
  • Tips for Leaving a Magic Gigi
  • LSQ Ebook - Free
  • Magicians Fees Ebook
  • Mistakes in Magic Ebook
  • More Icandy
  • The One Minute Magic Business Ebook
  • Pitfalls Magic Family and Friends
  • Safe - Free Magic Ebook
  • School of Cool Free Download
  • Sleight of Hand Beginners Course
  • Split Free Magic Video Download
  • Self Working Card Tricks Vol 2 Download
  • Sweet 360 Free Magic Download
  • The 80's Called Download
  • Self Working Card Tricks Vol 3
  • Think Tank Free Magic Download
  • Turnover Pass Free Download
  • Self Working Card Tricks Download
  • Understanding Misdirection Free Ebook
  • Watch It Free Ebook
  • Wedding Exhibition Guide for Magicians
  • Confidence For Magicians
  • The Indian Shuffle
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Filed Under: Card Magic Tricks Tagged With: Buying Magic Tricks, London magic shops, magic advice, Magic Shop, magic shops, Video Podcast

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

GET WEEKLY UPDATES

Get Free articles sent to your inbox that will help you, your magic, and your performance.

Thanks! You have Subscribed.

SEARCH THE BLOG

GET A FREE MAGIC TRICK


GET A FREE MAGIC TRICK

Download your free magic trick FINK courtesy of Ben Harris.

Fink is an interesting effect: a crazy concoction of Luke Dancy's GRAB, Ben Harris's Through the universe backwards, and Fandango. Created by Kyle MacNeill

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST
Read Our Privacy Policy

RECENT POSTS

  • The Best Magic Tricks of 2018
  • How To Make Money Doing Magic
  • Top Three Trick Decks For Beginners
  • How Magicians Create A Winning Atmosphere For Magic
  • How to Stand Out as a Magician

FIND US ON FACEBOOK

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER

SEE WHAT’S JUST ARRIVED TO THE MAGIC SHOP

SEE WHAT'S JUST ARRIVED TO THE MAGIC SHOP

THE MAGIC SHOP

  • TESTIMONIALS
  • BEGINNERS START HERE
  • GIFT IDEAS
  • MAGIC SETS
  • CARD MAGIC TRICKS
  • CLOSE-UP MAGIC TRICKS
  • MAGIC DVDS
  • MAGIC BOOKS
  • COIN MAGIC TRICKS
  • PLAYING CARDS
  • MIND MAGIC TRICKS
  • MEET THE TEAM

SEE WHAT’S COMING SOON

SEE WHAT'S COMING SOON

PAUL HARRIS SECTION

PAUL HARRIS SECTION

CRISS ANGEL SECTION

CRISS ANGEL SECTION

ELLUSIONIST SECTION

ELLUSIONIST SECTION

JAY SANKEY SECTION

JAY SANKEY SECTION

Copyright © 2019 Merchant of Magic Ltd All Rights Reserved.