There is a large museum in Marshall, Michigan that houses a lot of information about magic, magic paraphernalia, and illusions, many of which were the possessions of Harry Blackstone, Sr.  This is the largest museum of magic in the country and it’s open to the public.  If you’ve never visited it, it is well worth the trip.

Their collection is extensive and contains items from famous magicians as well as obscure ones.  And the museum is really a celebration of the art form of magic, as well as the devotion of the magician to his or her craft.

Some of the specific items in the museum are 2,009 heralds, handbills, and window cards, 587 showbills, and over 5,000 programs, 10,000 books, 24,000 magazines, 46,000 photos and many letters.  There are also many sets from old shows, props, and scrapbooks from many magicians.  Including the “Milk Can” and “Overboard Box” used by Harry Houdini himself.

There are over a half million items there that are spread out among 3 floors.  The collection also includes memorabilia from thousands of lesser known artists.  David Copperfield actually calls this museum “one of his favorite places on earth”.

Everything here was put together by the late Robert Lund, a Detroit area writer, who was obsessed with Magic and Magic memorabilia.  So much so that opened the museum in 1978 with the assistance of his wife, Elaine.  Robert studied the art of magic for many many years but soon became clear that he lacked the talent and stage presence to really make a living from the performance side.  So he decided instead to leave his mark on the world of magic by collecting the largest collection of magic memorabilia, determined to collect everything he possibly could from the world of magic.

The museum is housed in a Victorian building which was many things before becoming the museum.  It was immaculately restored by the Lunds.

Most of us are familiar with the traditional types of magic such as Street Magic, Close-up Magic, Stage Magic, Children’s Magic and Corporate Magic.  These are the most common categories of magic, and most magicians can perform tricks and illusions that can fit into all of these categories.  However, there is a less common, more unusual list of magic categories that are fun to explore, or at least research and expand your magic knowledge.

Gospel Magic- How would have thought there was a category for Gospel Magic.  This is actually magic that is used to catechize or evangelize. This type of magic was used in 19^th Century Italy to entice children to go to school, and to go to church.

Micromagic- this is simply another name for close-up magic.  Magic that is done right in front  of, and sometimes even in the hands of a few spectators, and sometimes even one on one.  This is the most intimate form of magic and done well, is incredible amazing.

Theatrical séances- this type of magic has often been misused by con artists trying to make money.  But the actual art form has been used to simulate spiritualistic or mediumistic phenomenon for a theatrical effect.

Mathemagic- often this form of magic is used in children’s magic shows and involves…you guessed it, math problems!!

Bizarre magic- this type of magic uses horror, mystical and fantasy themes in the performance. Bizarre magic is most commonly performed in close-up magic, but has also been successful at performing on stage.  Charles Cameron is known as the “godfather of bizarre magic”.  Although others have significantly contributed to it as well.

Humor is a powerful tool, and one that should be utilized by every magician.  People love to laugh, and when they are laughing they are in a naturally relaxed state.  This is exactly where you want them to be to best enjoy your magic, and so that misdirection happens flawlessly.

Also if you are the one making them laugh, then they are certainly more likely to like you and feel connected to you.  This allows them to be much more open to the magic you are performing.  Their guard is down and they develop a good rapport with you.  This is true with anyone who is a public figure or speaker, and especially true with magicians, due to the fact that there are many skeptics out there when it comes to magic.  The sooner you can win them over the better.  And if you are doing a show that lasts anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours, building rapport should be your primary objective.

Also, humor is helpful when transitioning from one trick to another in your routine.  So developing your patter to include humor is very effective.  If you watch any professional magician, not so much the street magicians but most others, you’ll find that they infuse a lot of humor into their routines.

Equally important is to be cautious as to the kind of humor that you use.  Never use humor that is sarcastic or demeaning to your audience.  This will create a wall between you and your audience.  And once that wall is there it’s quite difficult to bring down.  Often times magicians who are not so confident will use sarcasm, especially if you have any hecklers in the audience.  This is not a good strategy.  It will create an uncomfortable feeling.

A good way to infuse humor is to make jokes about yourself.  This will make you seem just like one of them.  And think about what makes you laugh!  A lot of times these same things will make your audience laugh.

Just the thought of it is magical…. New Years Eve.  It’s the night were we say goodbye to the old and hello to the new.  It’s the reset button on our lives.  No matter how upsetting the previous year may have been, it’s almost like in that one night we get a fresh start.  We set new goals, we have new desires, and even though we will grow a year older in how ever many months, we almost feel younger; sort of newer in that first new day of the year.

New Years Eve is a GREAT night for magicians!  If you haven’t been booked for a show of your own yet, why not take this evening and go see one of the greats?  They all have shows somewhere on that evening.  You may have to do a bit of searching, but chances are there is a magic show in your town, or near you town on that night.  If you don’t have a show, why not call a restaurant and get booked to perform table-side?  It’s a great chance to practice your close-up magic, gain some recognition, and possibly get booked for a show from someone who sees you and loves you.

There are tons of people out on NYE, so get out there and get some exposure.  Restaurants will be packed that evening, so you’ll have no down time if you chose to go this route.  Heck, you’ll even make some money.  The restaurant may pay you, as well as the tips you’ll receive.  Of course, if you are already booked for a show, then way to go!  Have a blast!

Lastly, you can always conjure up your own show on that night.  Create a classy dinner party with invited friends and family, and actually perform a show for them.  They will never forget it.  If kids are your thing, then invite all the kids in the neighborhood for a special NYE kids show.  Your neighbors will love you and it’s a great opportunity to get some referrals.

Seek out the opportunities!  That’s what successful people do.  They don’t sit around and wait for something to happen, they make something happen.  With this kind of energy you will be amazed at what doors open up for you.

We’ve all been there.  You go to place the lighter back in your pocket, picking up the egg, and your hand gets stuck in your jacket pocket.  This leaves you having to shake your hand in order get it out of the pocket. And how invisible is that?  Not very.  This leaves people skeptical, and even if they can’t see the palmed egg, they know something is awry.  Here is a simply way to handle this trick that takes a little practice but will be well worth it.

Have the egg in your pocket.  As you go to place the lighter in the pocket, change the grip to have it between your index finger and thumb. It should be almost parallel with your index finger.  This will free up all of your other fingers to be able to grip the egg.  Scoop up the egg with the fingers, still holding the lighter with your thumb and index finger.  That way the objects will not touch creating noise.

Now drop the lighter.  Your hand will now be gripping the egg, but if you were to pull it out like this, the pocket will get stuck and you’ll have to shake your hand.  So, to avoid the shake, place the egg between your thumb and forefinger, and straighten out the rest of the rest of your fingers.  This will make it easy to pull your hand out without snagging the pocket. As soon as the egg is out of the pocket go ahead and curl the fingers around it in a normal palming position.

The final step to make it seem really natural, is to grab a hold of your lapel and straighten out your jacket, letting you hand then return to a normal position at your side.  This will seem totally normal to the spectator.

The effect of penetration in magic is one of the most astounding, and actually one of the oldest tricks. Every magician should think of having one or two of these spell binders in his or her repertoire.

A penetration trick is one in which one solid object appears to pass through another solid object.  This type of stunt defies all laws of physics and so it can really have a deep psychological affect on your audience.  Nothing grabs attention quicker that one of these illusions.

History is full of examples of this penetration effect, such as ghosts passing through walls, people appearing in locked rooms, the sword in the stone, and so on.  So the illusion that a magician can create is a very powerful one.

A magician can execute these effects using gimmicked props or simply using sleight of hand and misdirection.  And they range from large stage illusions, to pocket size up close magic.  For instance, a magician can walk through mirrors on stage, or dozens of swords can be passed through the body of the assistant.  Or up close, a cigarette can pass through a coin, or a coin through a handkerchief.

One of the most powerful ways to use this magic is being able to take two objects from an audience member and pass one through the other.  You won’t regret adding a few of things mind boggling illusions into your routines.

Most people think that the success of a magician is in his hands.  We spend so much time examining the props, or the sleight of hand, or the beautiful assistants, etc that all make up a great magic show.  But no matter how good a magician is at his or her tricks, none of it determines the success of a magician.

So if you really want to be a successful magician where should you look?  What should you study?  The answer to that is his or her mind.  The success of anyone in life is determined by one thing and one thing only, and that is our thought process.  Successful people think differently than unsuccessful people.  And the same is true for a magician.  So if you want to make it in this field, start to think like the people who have made it.

First off, successful magicians believe in themselves.  They actually think thoughts that propel them forward toward their dream.  They think they can do it, and therefore they do.  They are not arrogant and full of themselves, which is actually an indication that someone DOES NOT believe in themselves. On the contrary, great magicians are very humble.  They are grateful for what they have and what they can do because at their core is a deep belief in their talents and abilities.

Also, a magician has the ability to be single-minded.  Now, what does that mean?  It means that they have the ability to focus completely on their magic, for whatever time they are practicing or performing, they can fully throw themselves in it in any given moment.  Now this is not to say that magic becomes all you think about.  And that it should come before your family.  It just means that even if it’s for 10 minutes a day, you completely devote yourself to magic.

Great magicians, just like any successful person, if very self aware and aware of their motivations.  They know what’s driving them to do what they love to do.  And they thrive on that.  Knowing yourself is key to discovering what motivates you.

Many times people think that the magician is really the source of all the magic.  Partly this is true, because it requires the talent of the magician to pull off all of the intricate, fascinating details.  But in some tricks it’s really the props that are responsible for the effect.  And good props make good magic.  T doesn’t matter if you buy your props or make your props, but everyone knows that a failure with the props can mean a failure in the show.

Here are some guidelines for using props in your magic performance….

Know your tricks- some magicians rely so heavily on the prop that they don’t really know how to best execute the trick.  And vice versa, some magicians don’t know how to fully utilize a prop because they don’t know the trick well enough.    Fully learn a trick inside and out before performing it, with or without a prop.

Avoid buying gimmicked cards or coins- these tricks should be executed without a gimmick.  Using everyday cards or coins creates trust with the spectator.  And getting good at using regular cards and coins first and then moving on to more advanced tricks using gimmicks will provide a great foundation.

Maintain your props- let’s face it, magic props can be expensive, so take care of them.  Besides, good looking props just make you look better.  Keeping a well maintained supply will have you getting more referrals and more money.  This includes keeping your props away from temperature extremes and moisture.  Periodically inspect your props to make sure they are at their best.

Do not skimp- when you are buying magic props don’t let money be the deciding factor.  You get what you pay for and cheap props will not last long or work as smoothly.  If it’s out of your budget don’t settle for something that will break down after a few uses.  Better to save up and get the nice props.  You will be glad you did.  Many magic stores will offer a discount for buying in bundles.  This is always the way to go.  You’ll get more bang for your buck.

Having a successful magic business really has nothing to do with how talented you are.  You can have the most spectacular, mind-blowing show, but that alone will not have your phone ringing off the hook.  What makes the difference?  Marketing and promoting you.  Just like any other business, the business of magic is dependent upon getting your name out there and having the people who need your services come to know, like and trust you.  But before they can know, like, and trust you, they have to find you and know that you even exist.

So how do you make that happen?  Well, there are many ways to promote yourself and they can cost very little or as far as your check book can take you.  There is no limit to the amount of money you can spend on marketing.  But if you simply want to get started there are a few musts that your marketing campaign must contain.

First off, if you don’t have a website, get into the 21^st century and get one.  Whether it’s a mom looking for a magician for her kid’s birthday party or the CEO of a Fortune 500 company looking for a corporate magician, chances are the largest percentage of them will search on the internet.  If you’re not there, another magician just got the gig that you could have.  Also, if you don’t already have a website, don’t try to create one yourself.  Leave it to the experts.  Just like you wouldn’t have just anybody perform magic, it takes years of practice.  Same thing here.  You can get a great website starting at just a few hundred dollars up to thousands, all depending on your budget.  Make sure your website person also knows about social media and SEO and can implement strategies for you.  Your website should also be set up as a blog that you can submit articles to a few times a week, keeping your website fresh and at the top of the search engines.  This is where it’s at in marketing today.  If you don’t have all of this in place, you are missing out on tons of business.  Find a good internet marketer today and start getting yourself an online presence.

Aside from the internet, other ways to promote yourself are:  business cards, brochures that you can pass out at kids’ shows or leave at stores, etc., flyers, videos, and the list goes on and on.  The purpose of these materials is to get your name out there.  Also, the materials should not be about all the wonderful and fabulous stuff you can do, but more about how you can solve the problems of the people who need you.  For instance, the CEO of a company looking for a corporate magician doesn’t necessarily care how many women you have sawed in half, but they do care if you can entertain 500 people at their yearly convention.  See the point?

Have you ever watched a big stage magic show and really wanted to perform the stunts and illusions that you saw?  Some of them are so incredible, so baffling that you probably can’t even imagine how to proceed. Being a magician, you probably have parts of them figured out right away, but other parts seem unsolvable.  And don’t count on the magician to show you how it’s done, you know the oath.

One of my favorite illusions is the famous box trick.  Now there are several versions of the box trick but my favorite is the one where the magician locks the assistant inside, and then stands up on the top of the box with a curtain.  Then, on the count of 3, they switch places and now she is on top of the box and the magician is locked inside.

It’s incredible to watch, but even more fun to perform.  You can find the gimmicked box at an online store or go to your favorite local magic store.  They may be able to order one for you.  The whole key to the stunt is in the lid of the box.  The lid has a portion in the center that folds down, just enough for the 2 of you (magician and assistant) to slip through.  You are able to open it only from the inside.

To add an extra element of difficulty, use a bag with a draw string tie that you can tie in a knot to put the assistant in, while inside the box.  This special bag actually has no bottom, so one can easily slip out the bottom.

This box trick requires a lot of practice.  It also requires that you have an assistant who is small enough, quick enough, and flexible enough to squeeze through the small opening in the lid at lightning speed.  Of course, you need to be as well.  Just think, with a few weeks of practice you can be performing big stage illusions just like this one.  It will add a whole new element to your show!