One source for a linking ring routine is David Ginn's book, "The Comedy Linking Rings". Only $5.

That was what I started with many years ago.

Here's a link to his website: http://www.ginnmagic.com/.

Look in the "small book" section of his website for this title (he has two areas with his books in it).

- Donald

P.S. I use a 10" set.

Donald,

Thanks so much for the suggestions. My show is currrently feels really vanilla. I am doing spongeballs, professor's nightmare, Miser's dream, comedy card rise (Ammar), Card to silk, Blendo, Bill in Balloon, Bill Switch (where the old $1 bill by grandmother gave me changes into a $5, you know, inflation) which I give the birthday child, and production pan. This is all wrapped around a show where my character Manni Magico(who has a thing for M's) works with Miguel the mindreader who happens to be a miniature Manchurian mountain monkey... who is also mute. Miguel provides the comedic moments by abusing Manni at every opportunity. The whole show feels ok and has gone over well, but I just think that maybe with a couple of different effects that are really eye popping, the whole thing might lift to the next level.

Den,

I agree that with $100 you can put a show together, (that's about the props in my show would retail for). I guess to a certain extent, my question is in the long run, are all of the "best" (most booked and higly paid) performers bringing $2000-$3000 in props to a birthday party?

HI,
Personaly I use 10 " with a Klamm locking key I used a std key for about 12 years and that's what I would recomend to start (a locking key is a nice refinement once you can do the outine inside out in all conditions it just allows a few fineses for those of us who care for it) personaly I use 5 rings .I would recomend looking at the Whit Hayden routine as a starting point for a good interactive funny routine .
phillip

I'll tell you , yes, lots of full timers are bringing $4000 worth of equipment to a party. I'm not speaking for those who have posted on this board, but I know some entertainers in my area that do.
Even though you don't need to do that. So don't start out with a lot of stuff. Build up slowly. You build up and then you reduce to find the right balance.
I'm actually hauling less stuff to a party now than I was a year ago.
Although it is difficult to clearly ascertain the marked benefits of having a lot of equipment it does show your client that you are really in the entertaining business and it gives a bit of weight to your presence.

I've sometimes thought of insinuating that I have $$$$$$ worth of equipment but it's all micro sized, mostly nano-robots.

Oh, yeah, my suggestion for spending $100. Have you got a magic looking suitcase and table?

Hey,

Great posts! I can't believe I didn't think about vanishing bandana. I love this routine and it kills at every party. The kids think it's funny and the adults request this more than some of my large illusions! Best part? It's a whopping $30. You HAVE to be able to make the faces and totally cut loose with it though.

I bring about $2000.00 worth of props to my b-day parties BUT I started with a couple hundred dollars worth. Things like the magic coloring book with crayons, mis-made flags, a cute D-lite routine, a vanishing silk using a TT. Things like that. I didn't mean to end up with a $2000.00 b-day show, it just happened. Everything Chance Wolf put out, I bought and now love to perform. It makes for a really great looking stage (even in a living room). His props just look wacky and colorful. Remember what kids love...messy, colors, funny themes, the magician making mistakes and so on.

I just took all the money I made at these little shows, and re-invested it in props that worked for my show.

As for your question, mis-made flags works with anyone above about 5 years old. As long as they know what a flag SHOULD look like, you'll be fine. Keep us posted on what you decide. There is a ton of cool stuff out there. Find what works for you!

Keith

Hi David (mannimiguel) -

Depending upon what you are looking for, something larger-scale might be nice, such as linking rings. It might be time to bump up the scale of the show, depending upon your preferences, and what you think your audience's preferences are. But I am not saying that the material you now have won't play on a living room scale.

I am curious as to what type of blendo you are doing, and what exactly you mean by that. Some people mean different things when using that phrase. Is it self contained, or are you using a prop, etc. Does a child help? Does it result in a picture silk, or a multi-coloured silk?

When I looked at your show outline, two thoughts immediately popped into my head:

A paper tear might make a nice addition, perhaps a hat tear. Can be interactive with lots of comedy wands and making-the-child-the-magician moments. I know you already do a give-away, but this is still another possibility. Or a torn and restored newspaper, such as the Gene Anderson version (in the book, "Newspaper Magic", and also taught on DVD). I don't see any paper magic in your show. I am not saying paper magic has to be in every show, just it is something not in your current show.

Another item that could be added could be one "sucker" trick. Some possible ideas are die box, pizza oven surprise, hippity hop rabbits, fraidy kat rabbit, run rabbit run, etc. You might even be able to adapt some of the tricks, to be about your monkey. For example, with a little bit of effort, you could turn run rabbit run into run monkey run. Of you could put a drawing of a monkey onto the disk for pizza oven surprise (instead of the pizza picture), and have the monkey end up on your back at the conclusion of the routine.



Do you know that Sammy Smith once sold a prop / routine called Chico the Chimp? That might be a possibility, as well, fitting in with your theme. If you can track one down (I found a few listings out there using a google search). It had a little bit of the look / don't see theme to it. The monkey picture disappears from it's card, then re-appears hanging on your back. Here's one listing I found for it, with......t Magic.

Even the banana / bandana routine fits with the theme of your show. You could refer to your monkey.

Note - I am not insisting that you have to play off the monkey angle more, these are just ideas that seemed to click with that sub-theme in your show.

- Donald

P.S. Some of the tricks I mentioned, I do not perform in my own shows, I have just seen them performed by others, to great success. And some I do perform personally.

I just took all the money I made at these little shows, and re-invested it in props that worked for my show.

The above is a good suggestion from Paraguppie.

I believe it was Donald that recommend buying some books, dvd's etc. and I would also encourage this route. There are a number of birthday dvd's out there and if you watch the Café you will find one or more for a great lower price. I would also strongly recommend that you read Silly Billy's book "Seriously Silly." Not for everyone but his theory of performing for children is invaluable. Some don't like his character but remember this is his character and doesn't have to be yours.

Another trick I really like is Simon Star which you can find on Barry Mitchell's site. This is simplicity at it's finest. A TT, a large silk with a a kiddies space picture and a small silk with the Simon the star character. Add a duplicate Simon and a little box and you have a whole story to tell. I haven't included this in my own show but will soon. I'm thinking a sound effect of a rocket launch as the kids all go on the holiday space ride with Simon. I plan to write a rhyming poem and this along with some royalty free music from Arthur Stead's CDs you have a whole routine using a TT and scarf!

Smartini

Donald,

Thanks again for your thoughtful post. I am definitely looking for something a little bigger and linking rings might be a good start. To this point, the four favorites seem to be Linking Rings, Vanishing Bandana, Mismade flag, and Axtel Drawing board.

The paper tear suggestion is a nice one...I haven't done any of this so I'll have to look into it.

Smartini,

Thanks for the idea about Simon Star. I'll have to look into that too.

I like the Quentin Reynolds 5 minutes with a pocket hank which I will hopefully be testing out soon. That will cost you $30 includeing hankerchiefs. If you need 5 minutes added to your show.


-thank you

Keep us informed on how things go...keep reposting as you try things, acquire things and so on

I would second David Ginn's Comedy Linking Rings routine. I use it in my kids shows: you pretend to teach one of the children how to do the linking rings, but all kinds of funny things go wrong. It's interactive, funny, magical, and adults also like it. 4 year olds might be a bit young for this one, but 5 year olds and older appreciate it.

Have just gotten "Kandu's Comedy Carton". It goes for the $85 - $95 range. It is a good, solid, FUNNY,FUNNY routine using 2 helpers for your time frame (5 - 7 minutes).
Go to Hocus-Pocus and search "Kandu". I see he has 5 effects with them and I plan on getting several others.
Aragorn TM

You might want to get some props to enhance a trick...like a breakaway wand and fan. Or nesto wands...bonggo hat...jumbo comb...bang gun...wilting flower... etc.

Another effect that I like is What's Next...you start with this effect right out of the box...add something like Matthew Johnson's (from lecture notes) excellent ryhming patter story and some appropriate royalty free music from Arthur Stead and you have a whole routine...throw in a little fictional narrative as an intro and you have a real poetic story about your first trip to the magic shop...i've now also added the Instant Magician tuxedo effect from Kevin James (or from Ken Scott...I like the former because it packs smaller) and a hat for an audience helper who becomes the magician in a small piece of magical theatre

look at the development of this effect and you can see how the effects that people do can grow, evolve and truly become our own that you will be proud to perform

Smartini

Mannimiguel,

Let me suggest Ton Onosaka's Fishbowl Mysteries and No Tear Kidz. Both props plays well for the age you mentioned where audience participation is needed. Also, try to make up your own patter besides from the one supplied with the instructions. Good news is, you get to spend less than a $100 for both props. But you end with a strong impact for your audience.

Sal

I think anything that you can do to make your show look and be more professional is going to achieve this...the best props you can afford, the best routines you can create, the best rehearsal time and so on all add up to a more professional show that gets a bigger paycheque...nice to see you at the lecture last night!

Smartini

Good to meet you Smartini, I'd love to see your show sometime. I am currently working on linking rings, I have just purchased a Wacky Worm, I am awaiting a Vanishing Bandana and I am looking seriously at an Axtell drawing board. No, I'm not into the really big time props yet, but I think my show will benefit from even these modest additions. I'm also going to explore how my musical abilities (as I am a music teacher) can be brought into play to become as Silly Billy would say "non-fungible".

I think the music aspect is an excellent idea...this is who you are...I taught reading and now science...this is who I am...non-fungible...sounds like something you need athletes foot for...also, don't follow up on my advice about doing simon star...wouldn't match your character unless you moved to Alberta!

Smartini