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CarpetShark Special user 576 Posts |
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Mb217 Inner circle 9520 Posts |
Y'know Shark, this is an interesting post on a variety of levels beyond the little old pill box and coins left by the great Tommy Wonder. I guess it's just a bit of his stuff from his magic act, and I see he has quite a bit of it up for sale now on the website. It all made me wonder as to what happens to all the magic stuff you collect over the years, where does it go? It seems on the higher levels like a Tommy Wonder here, that an estate sale occurs and all your stuff goes up for auction. Most times people selling the stuff don't even know what it is, just off-loading it for as much as they can get. Nothing wrong with that I suppose but it feels a bit sad.
On the lower levels, I guess our stuff just gets boxed and left somewhere in the house, a drawer, closet or attic, maybe to be discovered one day by someone, maybe not. What's going to happen to your stuff? Are you leaving it to some relative, budding magician, a magic friend, etc.? Are you donating it somewhere? We do accumulate great deals of magic stuff from over the years, what are you planning to do with it? Will you leave it somewhat catalogued so that others might know what the heck it is, what it's for and how it was used? Or do you just leave it to be figured out or not? I have a lot of coin magic from over the years, just wondering about it here... Just askin'. Would be nice to leave it to some interested person who might get something out of it. But just wondering what you think here, what you gonna do?
*Check out my latest: Gifts From The Old Country: A Mini-Magic Book, MBs Mini-Lecture on Coin Magic, The MB Tanspo PLUS, MB's Morgan, Copper Silver INC, Double Trouble, FlySki, Crimp Change - REDUX!, and other fine magic at gumroad.com/mb217magic
"Believe in YOU, and you will see the greatest magic that ever was." -Mb |
Ray Haining Inner circle Hot Springs, AR 1907 Posts |
At age 65 and because of the large amount of magic--tricks, books, DVDs--I've accumulated, I've been thinking a lot about this lately. I'm not sure. Because the re-sale value of magic is not so good, except for an occasional item here and there, the ideal would be to find a talented young person to give everything to. Finding such a person is the problem, at least for me. But I think at some point I'll be more active looking for one.
Good question. |
george1953 Inner circle Mallorca (Spain) 5943 Posts |
What we have amassed over the years has very little value to anyone not interested in magic. It would be nice to leave it to somebody who would use it and appreciate it. The biggest problem is finding such a person, especially as I live on a small island most of whom would be unable to understand instructions in English.
By failing to prepare, we are preparing to fail.
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harris Inner circle Harris Deutsch 8812 Posts |
Consider donating it to the youth program associated with your local S.A.M. or I.B.M., or F.C.M.
You don't have to wait, you can "thin your herd" now. That's what I have done over the last few years, with plans to give more in the future. Harris still 2 old to know it all
Harris Deutsch aka dr laugh
drlaugh4u@gmail.com music, magic and marvelous toys http://magician.org/member/drlaugh4u |
CarpetShark Special user 576 Posts |
I posted the link about T. Wonder's coins for sale as I felt it was, well, odd and sad in some sort of way. This guy was an accomplished magician, yet his bits and pieces are being sold online. Mb, you hit the nail on the head: it IS something we should be thinking about, right ?
I'm not so sure. Over the years we collect all sorts of stuff that to us, is of great emotional value. As George said, unless it goes to a budding magician, it's of little use ('cept of course the rarer coins, silver etc.). To answer your question Mb, I will leave my treasures to my grandson, in the hope that one day he will develop a love for coin handling like his grampy did. |
Mb217 Inner circle 9520 Posts |
"This object once belonged to my brother Tommy Wonder and is now up for auction. I am not able to answer your questions, I honestly have no clue of what I am putting up for auction here. What you see is what you get....What you get is tiny purse, a pill box that fits inside the purse, and 6 coins. There are two coins that fit together..."
Yes, I found it all sorta sad, that in the end it all comes to 43 bids for $530 bucks for your stuff as described by a brother that seemingly has no idea of what his famous brother was doing outside of just being famous for magic. At least that's how it sorta sounds. Shark and Harris, you guys make some good suggestions on what to do with what someday we all will leave behind as to our magic. I still don't have anyone to leave my stuff to. Wish I knew an interested kid that would treasure my stuff as I do, wish it would inspire, amaze and teach someone as it did me almost from the beginning to the end. Just the same, R.I.P. Tommy Wonder, there is no price on the magic you brought to the world. He was as good at this stuff as anybody…One of the best. Much Respect. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdjEphrI43s
*Check out my latest: Gifts From The Old Country: A Mini-Magic Book, MBs Mini-Lecture on Coin Magic, The MB Tanspo PLUS, MB's Morgan, Copper Silver INC, Double Trouble, FlySki, Crimp Change - REDUX!, and other fine magic at gumroad.com/mb217magic
"Believe in YOU, and you will see the greatest magic that ever was." -Mb |
harris Inner circle Harris Deutsch 8812 Posts |
Side note.
Has anyone received and magic or related items in this way. I was blessed with some magic as well as a traditional ventriloquist figure. One lot was from a gentleman who through a google search found me right here on TheMagiccafe.com
Harris Deutsch aka dr laugh
drlaugh4u@gmail.com music, magic and marvelous toys http://magician.org/member/drlaugh4u |
Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
Yeah! At 82, I am giving much thought to this, also.
Over the years, I bought the estates of a number of old friends. Some items, I kept, of course. --Either to use, or as a token of remembrance to an esteemed, cherished old friend. Some props were given to young friends, to help them as they were "starting". Some, I sold on an auction site, or at "swap meets". A few "collectors' items are carefully packed away, either to be passed along when I get booked for the "grand tour", or possibly sold, "one of these days". The working act is a big "challenge"! Instrinsically, maybe a thousand dollars worth of props and gimmicks, in one 13" x 20" x 8" case. Probably, it will be given to some serious, youngster. Most of my young "mentorees" now are working and have their own props. As Jack Benny said to the "mugger" in his famous bit: "I'm thinking it over." My sister (only heir) knows, somewhat, the value of of my props, books, and assorted "sams" ("flot" & "jet").
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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RobDougherty New user 89 Posts |
This has become a fairly interesting topic actually. Though I'm nowhere near a professional magician my main source of income is as a musician and I have guitars which cost/are worth £2000+ individually, never mind as a whole, alongside around £4,000+ of other equipment and peripherals - I guess in terms of cost I'm closing on 15k or more. I guess I always assumed that "when I go" (which will be a long way away I hope) that my loved ones would just hold on to my gear out of sentimental value or the like. It does strike me as a very similar situation - should none of my descendants be interested in music (or magic now for that matter, only just started but I've already spent a small fortune on things) I'd imagine the monetary value of my gear would be a very tempting windfall to anyone who got hold of it and that actually makes me kind of sad. I guess I'd do my very best to pass all the stuff on to someone who both loved it and could use it...or get a large crypt and take it with me ha! I don't like the idea of people just selling stuff on when we go though.
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Ray Haining Inner circle Hot Springs, AR 1907 Posts |
Once it happens (death, that is), I don't think I'd care either way.
Tommy Wonder is still among us, with us. He never left us. And I'm sure he doesn't care what happens to his props. |
Quentin Inner circle 1020 Posts |
I have been to many magic sales and auctions where the collection of a deceased magician has been sold, usually at rock bottom prices. 9 times out of 10 the family just wanted that 'junk' out of the house.
When Ricki Dunn died his brother just dumped almost everything in the skip and wondered why Ricki had so many wallets. Most laymen can see that there is some value in musical instruments as they are easily recognised common objects. Not so with magic props. |
Ray Haining Inner circle Hot Springs, AR 1907 Posts |
There's a difference between props which we would use and historic props, collectible items which we would never use. Recently, there was a Pawn Star episode where somebody brought in the vanishing bird cage used in hundreds of performances by both Blackstone and Blackstone, Jr. Nobody knew what it was worth. (They were also unaware of how it worked.) They brought in a magician who gave his opinion, but I felt he low-balled it for such an historic item.
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RobDougherty New user 89 Posts |
Ray, I get that feeling on a hell of a lot of the valuations on Pawn Stars, I often wonder if the "experts" are getting an off-camera commission on some of the items considering how low some of the prices they pay are. I was thinking, in terms of magic "collectibles" does the value inherently go up if it previously belonged to a famous/respected magician or is it more to do with the effect/prop itself? I recently went to an antique book fair and saw a number of small, leather-bound magic books that were running in the thousands of pounds cost-wise (really wish I'd had the money lol), would these books increase in value if they were proven to have belonged to a big name?
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Ray Haining Inner circle Hot Springs, AR 1907 Posts |
I'm not sure. Also, I've never watched "Pawn Stars" and can't remember how I happened to be watching that particular episode.
I would think owning a small prop that belonged to a great such as Tommy Wonder would perhaps be a nice source of inspiration to contemplate. I once handled Leipzig's stack, and it gave me chills. The fact that perhaps one can pick up an item such as this for cheap gives those of us who are not so rich a chance every now and then to indulge in something like this. |
RobDougherty New user 89 Posts |
I can definitely see the benefit of the inspiration, I'd certainly find a lot myself if I owned something previously used by David Roth (my magical "hero" so to speak.) If nothing else I'm sure such an item would make a fantastic talking piece to any magical friends one might have. It makes me wonder at the potential in a "magical item redistribution" business where magicians could "bequeath" their collections so that later generations could enjoy those little gems.
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