Are you looking for something to buy that person who just seems to have everything? Or maybe they have no interests and seem kind of boring. Or maybe it’s that brilliant kid who seems too have outgrown toys and he certainly doesn’t need anymore video games. Then the perfect solution is to buy them magic tricks. Watch their eyes light up as they open such a unique and fun gift.

There are quite a range of magic tricks out there. There are some very expensive ones that make really nice gifts, but there are also reasonable ones to fit anyone’s budget. Keep in mind that in this industry, the higher quality tricks do have the higher price tag. But that’s ok, any price range is sure to bring fun.

Head on into a local magic store with that particular person in mind. Magic store personnel are usually extremely helpful and won’t hesitate to show you the tricks. Don’t expect to be shown how it’s done until you actually buy it though. Online magic stores are great too. You can browse many different types of tricks, from coins, to cards, to larger illusions. Just let that perfect gift come to you for that particular person.

There are also full magic kits with a range of different tricks. These are great for kids, as it give them a little taste of everything, and will certainly keep them from getting bored. Keep in mind that most magic tricks require time and effort to put together and learn. Some kids aren’t quite ready for such difficulty and can get frustrated. Make sure the kid is mentally ready for such a task as you want them to enjoy it vs. get angry and frustrated

Magic is the gift that keeps on giving. Once they are interested, you will never have to worry about what to buy them again, you can just keep adding more and more tricks. It also creates years of entertainment and fun, and you get to be the recipient of that.

Ever stop to think what determines your success as a magician? Some people think it’s the clients, the economy, your talent, your marketing, and on and on. These things are great to have but they are not the biggest indicator of how successful you are going to be.

Your success has nothing to do with the state of the economy….nothing to do with having the best marketing, and certainly nothing to do with how talented or smart you are. For an example on the last one, have you known people who are really really smart but aren’t very successful? And conversely, have you known people that aren’t very smart who are extremely successful? The answer to both questions is YES!

Why is that? What really determines the level of someone’s success? Well, many studies have proven that there is one thing that separates the very successful from the not so successful……it’s their thinking. What do you think about the most? More importantly what are you thinking about YOU the most? Most people are unconscious about their thinking habits about themselves. Studies show that the majority of our thinking about us is negative.

Have you ever noticed yourself thinking “I can’t do this”, “They are way better than me”, “I’ll never make a lot of money being a magician”, “I’ll never get hired for that gig”? Most of the time we are very unconscious about our negative thoughts, and our positive ones for that matter. We just walk around be unconscious most of the time, wondering why we don’t have everything we want.

The problem with being so unconscious is that our lives are created by whatever our most predominant thoughts are. If you think you won’t succeed, you won’t. If you think you’ll be outrageously successful, you will! It’s as simple as that. Your thought process is the single most powerful tool for you creating the life and career that you want.

Can we learn to be more positive in our thinking? The answer is yes! Our negative thoughts came from years and years of conditioning. And so in order to change them, it requires some conditioning as well. Some ways of conditioning your mind to bring you more success are: Visualizing how you want your life, your career, a particular show or opportunity to turn out. Doing this everyday will give you a lot more energy.

And another tool is to take time everyday to acknowledge your successes. We are usually way more focused on what we didn’t accomplish vs. what we did. Write down and acknowledge 5-10 things that you accomplished everyday. What you focus on expands, so the more you focus on the good, the more good will come to you.

Can you believe it?  Halloween is only 3 months away.  This is the magical time for magicians if you really think about it.  If you are a magician and you aren’t taking advantage of the Halloween season, you are missing the boat.

First off, marketing yourself as a party magician for Halloween parties is a great way to bring in extra income during the month of October.  If you do kids parties, take it up to the next level and bring a whole Halloween theme to your show.  Send out special flyers, market yourself on social media, send out postcards and you may find your phone ringing wanting you to bring more fun and adventure to someone’s Halloween party.

Now once you have a few bookings here are some ideas for bringing the Halloween spirit to your performance.  Wearing a Halloween costume for your wardrobe is fun.  Consider dressing like the grim reaper, a werewolf, Count Dracula, or a mad scientist.   Wear those fun, spooky contact lenses to make your eyes appear evil.  They come in numerous colors and designs and have a lot of shock value.  Also trading out your traditional props for something with a Halloween theme is a simple and easy way to transform your show.

Now, let’s say you didn’t get any outside bookings to perform at a party….then why not throw a party at your own house.  This is free marketing for you.  Invite all the kids and their parents in the neighborhood for a sort of magical open house, where not only do kids get to come trick or treat, but they get their own little magic show.  Some parents may be wary of letting their kids come in to your house, so why not do the magic outside on the porch or lawn.  You will quickly become the talk of the neighborhood and the most popular house around.  And you never know, parents and kids may remember you when their birthday comes around.  Make sure to have business card or flyers on hand, or give them a take-home that has your contact information on it.  Always sell yourself…it pays off in the long run.

Ok, so maybe the last time you thought of having a magician at your party was when you were 10.  Or when your kids were 10….whichever is more recent.  But the truth is that if you want to really throw a great adult party, hiring a magician is the way to go.

Sure, adults already KNOW that it’s not really magic, but the beauty of a magician is allowing an adult to become more childlike, even for a few minutes.  If you want your guests to have a wonderful, happy, fun time at your next party….hire a magician and they will be thanking you and wondering when your next shin dig is going to be!

The first step in hiring a magician for an adult party is defining the type of party that it is so you know what type of performer to hire.

Close-up magicians are great for intimate gatherings.  Whether in your backyard or at a favorite restaurant, having a magician do close-up will take your party up to the next level.  At first people may think it’s strange, but if you hire someone with a great personality, pretty soon they will set the whole atmosphere for the party, and people will be following him or her around wanting to see what they do.

Cabaret type magicians are great for a little bit more formal setting such as a club, school, or informal special event.  This type of magician may require a stage or at least a designated area as they will perform some larger affects.

Large show magicians are great for a large, formal event, such as a wedding, an awards banquet, trade show, or such.  These magicians require a stage, lightening, sound system, etc.  They traditionally perform large illusions and use large props in their show.  These magicians demand the big bucks, but they are worth it!  Make sure to hire someone with experience, and a referral is always a great way to decide.

Here are some questions that are helpful to ask when interviewing potential magicians:

How long have you been a professional?

Can I come see you perform before hiring you?

Do you have a video I can see?

What all does your fee include?

Do you have references that I could call?

This trick is for adults only! Want to impress your friends at the bar, or even at a BBQ?  This article is a how-to for making smoke come off of your fingers.  It’s really cool, and so easy to do.  For starters, the most important thing is safety.  Anytime there is fire involved you need to take precautions to make sure you are safe.  So, for this trick, have a cup of water on hand for any accidents, and make sure to completely wash off the residue from your hands once the trick is over.  Got it?  Ok, here’s how…

First make sure you have no dangling clothes or jewelry around your wrists. Now, take a pack of matches and tear off the striking strip, or you can cut it whichever is easier.  It’s a good idea to have an ashtray to use as well.  Now, fold the strip like a hotdog bun with the striking strip on the inside.  Place the strip in the ashtray with the cardboard side up.  Set it on fire and let it burn for a minute or two.  Then blow it out.

Push the strip aside and in the ashtray will be left some brown residue.  Pick up some of it and rub it between your fingers.  Magically smoke will come off of your fingers as if they are burning.  Don’t worry, your fingers are not actually burning.  It just looks really cool and your friends will be impressed.  This effect will last a while, but you can always pick up more residue as needed.

After the trick is over it is imperative that you wash the residue off of your fingers as it can be harmful.

Every magician should know this magic trick…it’s a classic.  And it’s so easy that even the beginner can perform it effectively and gain some applause!  Here’s how it works:

First pick out some spoons to use.  Now don’t use your wife’s fine flatware, and don’t use something that is a part of a matching set.  You can buy some really cheap spoons at a thrift store or a yard sale and not worry about upsetting anyone.  Make sure to pick up several so you have a lot to practice with.

Prepare you spoon by bending it back and forth a few times right at the neck of the spoon.  This will soften up the area, but try not to break it.  Then straighten out the spoon so that it appears straight and unaltered.  Now present the spoon to your audience by pulling it at both ends, you can even tap it on a table to that the audience knows that it’s a real spoon.  If you keep the spoon moving, you will distract your audience from looking too closely in case there is a mark where the spoon was bent.

Now hold the spoon between your index finger and thumb so that the handle is facing you and the bowl of the spoon is upward and facing your audience. Now gently rub the spoon at the bending point for about 20 seconds so that you actually heat up the area.  As you do this you can use some creative patter like you are meditating about the spoon, or applying your psychic powers.  As you do this, because of the

Bend the spoon or allow it to bend so that it droops over your finger.  Then set the spoon down on the table and get your applause.

There are modern magicians out there that claim that it is unethical to give a performance that has not been honestly revealed as clever and skillful deception.    However, other magician’s feel that in theatre there is not need for explanation.  This viewpoint was solidified in the words of magician, Joseph Dunninger…”For those who believe, no explanation is necessary; for those who do not believe, no explanation will suffice.”

These diametrically opposed opinions have led to some conflict amongst magicians over the years. However, one can’t ignore the fact that there are conjourors out there who are using conjouring techniques, not for magical performance, but for personal gain of some kinds.  These are the ones to look out for.

Fraudulent mediums have long taken advantage of poplular belief in paranormal phenomena, in order to achieve financial gain.  They especailly prey on the greiving, having them believe they are in contact with those who have passed.  These people are so emotionally charged that these cons find it easy to victimize them.  Sad but true.  From the 1820’s to the 1940’s during the sprititulism religious movement, there became a great interest in seances.   Fraudulent mediums would tap into these beliefs and conjour up table knocking, table rising, slate writing and other such effects, which they contributed to the likes of ghosts or spirits.  Harry Houdini the great magician actually devoted much of his career to exposing such fraudelent and hurtful operators.

Con men and grifters may use such techniques for fraudulent goals.  Cheating at card games is an obvious one.  The card trick known as The Three-Card Monte is an old favorite performed by street hustlers, who lure the victim into betting on what seems like a simple proposition: to identify, after a seemingly easy-to-track mixing sequence, which one of three face-down cards is the Queen.  Another example of this same thing is the shell game.  Where con men or women lure innocent bystanders into a game that appears to them at first as one that you can’t loose.  But this is all apart of the illusion.  And though most people are aware of the shell game scam, it still remains active today and thousands of dollars are lost every year by this scam.

Admit it, as a magician you have always wanted to learn how to pull a tablecloth out from under a place setting of dishes without spilling a drop!  We have all seen this hundreds of times, but have you ever really tried it?  Maybe you have and the results were a disaster, or at the very least a very angry mom or wife because of the mess you made!  Well, you really don’t need to be a magician to learn how to really do this, and do it well.  In fact it’s so simple that once you master it you’ll want to do it everywhere you go.  Dinner parties just got more interesting, right?  Below are the how to’s for this classic trick.

First, you must practice of course till you fully get the feel for this trick.  To help you practice, use a table that is smooth and has sharp edges.  Choose a tablecloth that is perfectly flat, with no bumps or wrinkles.  Lay the tablecloth over the table so that it is flush with the edge that you are not pulling from, and any slack or excess is on the side that you are pulling from.

Now, when you begin learning this magic trick you can use plastic dishes.  But keep in mind that they are actually harder to use because they are so light.  Weight makes the trick easier so to help, add some fruit to the plastic plates.  Don’t use liquid in the beginning, because…well, you get the picture.  Now arrange your dishes in the center of the table.  Start with a few dishes and gradually work your way up to more.

Now comes the fun part.  Grab the tablecloth on the pulling side and bunch it up in your hands until your hands are up against the edge of the table.  Now, in once quick movement pull hard on the tablecloth but the key is to pull down, not out.  Pulling out will send the dishes flying.  This downward movement takes much practice to accomplish at the right speed and angle.  But you will be amazed at how easy this feels.

Once you have practiced till it feels like second nature, start to use heavier dishes.  And eventually graduate into a fine china place setting.  You can even start to add vases of flowers for a really amazing effect!

There are some props in magic that you must purchase in order to get the best quality and it really makes a difference.  But there are a few of them that you could actually make yourself.  This way you could practice a certain trick and decide how you like it, and how you could use it in your show before purchasing the real thing.  A double walled magic bag is one of them, and many magicians have this in their repertoire.  This bag will help you make things disappear, appear, or transform.  Below is a simple way that you can create your own at home.  This works really well and is great for practicing.

First take 2 bags, they can be paper, or cloth.  And cut one so that it is about 3-4 inches shorter than the other.  Now place the shorter bag inside the longer one.  Line up the top edges so that the shorter bag is about 1 inch lower than the longer bag.  Now glue the 2 longer sides together and 1 of the shorter sides.  If your material doesn’t have sides, then glue together about ¾ of the circumference together.  Once the glue has dried, there should be a tunnel (the part you didn’t glue together) where you could stick your arm into.  Now your prop is ready.

To make an object appear, place it in the “hidden” lower part of the bag before your show.  Hold up the bag so your audience can see that it is empty.  They are really looking into the shorter bag that you have placed on top.  Then reach your hand into the lower bag and pull out your prop!  It magically appeared from nowhere according to your audience.

To make an object disappear, you simply do the opposite.  Show your object to the audience.  Place it into the bag (the lower compartment) and then show the “empty” upper compartment to your audience!  You can also make objects transform using 2 different props.  Have one in the bag already and show one to the audience.  Throw it in the bag and reach in and pull out the second prop.  Or have your audience member reach in and pull it out for an even better effect.

Want to really freak out your best friend?  This is a trick that is bound to shock, but it’s now for just anyone.  We suggest to do it on someone you know well, or you may even bring someone to tears.  The whole effect is such that you interrupt someone listening to their I-Pod.  You then cut the cord to their earphones, show it to them, and then once they are done freaking out, you magically restore it back to new.  Here’s the how-to:

First cut a loop of white wire approximately 6-8 inches in length.  One key to this trick is that your wire must be the same color as the I-pod cord, or obviously it would not work.  Hold this cut loop in your right hand with the ends pointing toward your fingertips so that no one can see it.  Also, hold a pair of small scissors under your left arm.

Now, approach your friend and ask them if they have heard about the new I-Pod feature.  Tell them that the new I-pod cords have the ability to regenerate themselves if cut.  Of course they won’t believe you so when you actually appear to cut their cord they get extremely nervous.  You can also just skip any story and just walk up to them and appear to cut their cord!  Depends on how well you know them.

To appear to cut the cord, what you do is grab their cord, and make a look with it in your left hand (the one without the actual “trick” wire in your right hand).  Assure your friend that you know what you are doing and no harm will come to their I-Pod. At the same time stuff the ends of the “trick loop” into your left hand, which is now holding your friend’s real cord.  Make the trick loop stick out and tuck the real loop in so that it looks like you are holding their cord.

Now, holding up the “trick” loop, go ahead and cut it.  You must move very fast or else your friend will pull away the wire and reveal your trick.  Hold on tightly to all parts as you revel in their shock.  Now take the cut cord back into your right hand and appear to “fix” the cord.  Use some creative patter and good acting skills so that they don’t notice you make any kind of transfer.  Explain to them that you are now utilizing the new I-Pod regeneration technique. Pull your hands apart and hold their unharmed cord taught.  The trick cord should now be tucked away in your right hand.  Tuck the trick cord away in your pocket, or other hiding place and don’t let them see it.

This trick requires practice as you certainly don’t want any accidents with this one!