I guess me too. I have a full time job and still practice magic on my spare time.
I love performing for my family and friends. But I love magic that much that's why I still strive to give effort to it.

It saps the confidence when your practicing your second deal and your 13 year old daughter says:
“Dad if I you, I would stick to bottom dealing”

If anyone wants to adopt a child give me a bell.

Great question. I am right with you. I always enjoyed magic, and picked it up more seriously two years ago after reading The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. I particularly like coins, and practice and read quite a bit, (taking into consideration a family with 3 kids and a job.) I just put together a 10 minute routine that I started showing some neighbors and my local IBM. I got great responses, and my next goal will be performing for my son's birthday party next year. It was an great feeling seeing my neighbors' jaws drop and say "No way! How did you do that?" and hearing the genuine applause at the IBM (as well as "I have no idea how you do that!" I think it's a great hobby!

Vernon, Don Alan, Eugene Burger, Bert Allerton, and Goshman, in his early years; all SAT at a table. I may be wrong about the term, but I wouldn't call that tablehopping. Some tablehoppers say they have to work with no table space at all, standing in between the patrons' chairs. That is the style of performing I am referring to.

But, I must confess, I have no experience with restaurant work and I know very little about it...only what I read in the tablehoppers/strollers section of the Café.

Best regards,
Glenn Godsey

Glenn Godsey,
Vernon did NOT normally sit at the tables, as he did his C&Bs standing...some of the guys here must have seen thah picture where Vernon performed at some restaurant, what restaurant, I neither can recall, but I have that picture here somewhere..can't recall where it was published, but I suppose it was in one of his later books.
The other mentioned performers did mostly do sit-down magic, but f.ex. Eugene Burger IIRC, also did walk around /strolling magic at parties..

Yes, that's true, but the C&Bs is the only table routine that I ever saw him do standing. Of course, he did the rings and the ball and cone standing, but those are "stage" routines. I personally only spent maybe 6 or 8 hours with Vernon and he sat the entire time, but maybe I shouldn't assume that this was always the case.

Best regards,
Glenn Godsey

Reis O'Brien, I only spend an average of 30 bucks a year on magic-related items. A deck of cards here and there, a Misled for fathers day, 5.50 dollars worth of 50 cent pieces.

My wife might be annoyed with my constant practing, but she would never slam my magic budget when her hello kitty collection dwarfs my collection in comparison.

I just don't feel like I have the personality to perform magic. Could be wrong, but patter just doesn't roll off my tounge.

You don't nned to explain your interest in magic to anyonebut yourself. We all do magic for our own, usually VERY personal reasons. I've worked in a magic shop, performed closeup and standup, done trade shows, restaurant work, and just for friends. Nowadays, I practice daily and rarely do a show. Why do I continue to practice? I get great personal satisfaction from the intellectual stimulation and from the feeling of accomplishment when I learn to so something new. It's just plain fun! And fulfilling on a personal level. I can set a goal for myself, and, without anyone judging me, work at it until I feel I've reached it. It is great escape for me - cathartic. I feel better after dealing a couple hundred seconds! I know that sounds ridiculous to some folks, but that doesn't matter. If I feel better for having done it, that's all that matters. When I stop liking the practice, when it ceases to engage me mentally, then I'll know it is time to change my approach, or my hobby. But as long as you feel good doing what it is you do, keep it up...

Best, PSC

Ok lets try to agree on some terms. A magician who moves from table to table in a restaruant, even sitting at each one is what I mean by tablehopping.

Eugene Burger may hate the term, but that is simply symantics now isn't it? For purposes of THIS discussion and this one only he tablehops.

Don DEFINATLY table hopped. So did every one of us at Schuliens. We sat at every table.

I hope this helps Simon.

Back to the original question.... again I say, enjoy magic as a hobby if that is all you want to use it for!

Good Luck

Danny

I have loved magic since the '60s when I watched Mark Wilson's "Magicland Of Alakazam" every Saturday morning on CBS. I have never performed except for family and friends and magic still intrigues me, but only as a hobby. I practice mainly with cards and coins but I enjoy all facets of magic. I get personal satisfaction just from learning new sleights and effects and I have always loved reading about magic's rich and colorful history. I grew up reading and daydreaming about famous magicians such as Houdini, Kellar, Thurston, Blackstone and many others too numerous to mention. Magic for me is a stress reliever and fiddling with a deck of cards does wonders for me. As stated previously we all have our reasons why magic intrigues each of us and why we practice incessantly...some with goals and some without. I believe we are all unique, some were born to perform and some were not and yet others invent...but we all have one thing in common, LOVE for the art.
<<<KRaZy4kardz>>>

Good thread. I picked up magic from reading a fiction book where the main character does coin sleights, and moved on to cards and stuff from there. I started out as an "armchair magician" of sorts, practicing only because it was cool. Thing is, you will get so used to the sleights that it will only be a matter of time before you show someone your favorite trick/routine. Even if you're not "going pro" or taking it seriously, try it out sometime.. its a real adreline rush, and the first really good reactions you get are just GOLD.

It's just a matter of time before you feel comfortable in front of different audiences. I think most of us can relate to that, first time jitters. But eventually, you can push through with it. Be it with your family, friends or total strangers. Good luck. And keep practicing more.

This is an interesting thread.

I think another good one would be -

Anyone practicing like performing mad with no intention of practicing?

;)

Yes, most do, at least the majority

Icicular,
I do the same thing. I have a ton of books, videos, and tricks that I bought just to study. I have a magic club that I helped start a few years ago (and is still going strong) that I perform for when I get a chance to go back to it. People love to watch the items that I do outside of the club, but I just kinda feel like I don't want to push magic on anyone. I know how annoying it can be to hear "hey watch this" when you really aren't in the mood to see magic or the timing isn't right. Now if the time for me is right, lets say playing cards and topics come up (cheating or magic) or someone asks to see something, then I try to pull off some good routines. In other words I choose my battles carefully.

I love to study magic and gambling techniques and am happy as a lark when I sit around and practice for hours. I like to watch magic videos just to see the presentations that are centered around a routine as well as to watch a performer. I bought the Bill Malone videos just to watch him and ended up learning a great deal of magic and about his method of presentation. I could watch the performance part of them all day long and not ever get tired of watching. In other words, I love to watch magic routines as well. My wife gets a little frustrated with me also when I sit down with a deck of cards while watching tv and the endless shuffles and cuts continue for a while. Your not the only one.

A.T.

Like many, I do not make a living performing magic, but when it is time to relax, I love practicing, studying, reading, collecting, and routining magic. Because magic is a hobby, I haven't worried about performances. When you get comfortable enough, however, you will naturally perform from time to time for others in your life and people you run into. Since you are so new to magic, don't worry that your performances are practice sessions. Don't worry if they are always practice sessions as long as you are happy. I'd be surprised, though, if over the years you do not start to perform for people on some informal basis. I think it has to do with your comfort level. ... Magic is a wonderful hobby, with so many facets. My wife is into scrapbooking, and I've been working on a Magic Scrapbook of my own to organize my effects, notes, and routines for my children someday if they are bitten by the bug. I've also been spending a lot of time working on close-up routines and thanks to the Magic Café have been experimenting with pocket management. (Something which has been surprisingly non-intuitive and challenging for me). So I may perform a Parlor show only a few times a year, and I perform close-up routines occasionally. This is only a part of my enjoyment of magic. Do what you enjoy and don't worry about it.

Icicular
I do a lot of illustration work for a living and magic for me is a hobby with some semi-regular/irregular (lol) paid table hopping work. As a professional illustrator I don't look down on people who just draw or paint for a hobby without ever feeling the need to turn pro.
In fact I know some people who draw for fun and could do a better job than I ever could! and I'm sure that there are some excellent hobbyists on this forum. I for one would love to see you do a trick, just because I love magic and everything to do with it. As long as you are enjoying it, keep buying the books. I know I will.



I bet that is relevant to every married guy on this forum.

A friend of mine is a film buff, he loves watching movies, reading about them, knows a lot about the history of cinema, cinematography, special effects, acting etc. but has no intention of joining the film industry! If you enjoy reading about the art of magic and practising for your own amusement then go ahead. I don't think everyone who's into magic are necessarily performers.

I am like you Icicular. I spend a lot more money than you though. I love doing magic but I have no idea whether I want it to be my career or not.

I love practicing magic, but am like you, I don't know if I'll ever perform. I would like to do the hospital/nursing home tour someday though.