I am asking for suggestions for givaways at the end of birthday parties............naturally to include phone number and website. For years I have used an origami puppet, as used successfully by the Smartie Artie organization in England, but am looking for a change. Let me have your thoughts!!

I have some sheets of paper with mazes, puzzles, optical illusions, 'what is different' pictures, etc. and all have my email and phone.
Steve V

I've experimented with a lot of things. Right now, I give away bookmarks. I have a fun little bit I do that tells the adults in the room my phone number is on the bookmark if they want to hire me.

I also sell my personalized magic books to the birthday mom instead of goody bags which have my advertising info and contact info. That's the best, because the kids go home with a book that they are more likely to keep and show their mom.

Cheers,
James

I give away paper wands that are rolled up. Inside is a discount coupon, a magic trick, and my contact info of course as well as pictures. I also give away a coloring page of myself and my rabbit. I'm working on a jumbo dollar bill.

I give away the Jumbo Dollar Bill.

You can crate a custom Find-a-word puzzle here:
http://www.edhelper.com/wordfind.htm
and add your info.

Check out Eric Paul's site for some Ed Harris Stuff. He has templates for magic booklets and th Jumbo Dollar bill.
Tim

I think the idea is that no matter what you are giving out to the children, make sure it is something they will WANT to have and keep and show mom and dad. Things like coloring flyers and certificates and mazes and book marks are all wonderful ideas mentioned above. These are things that the kids will want to have and something that will get used after the event is over.

The idea is to have your give away be marketing you long after the event is done. If they have a bookmark, then the bookmark markets you everythime they use it. The same can be said for coloring flyers or certificates that get out up on the fridge or in a room.

Just make sure that in all your give aways, that you successfully brand yourself and have your contact information on there or a website directing people to take action should they want to.

Kyle

Thanks for the tip Manuel, but if you are not a edhelper member, they won't let you make one.

I perform the optical disc that bruce Kalver has put out, at a lot of my festival shows. It always plays big and is a great way to draw attention of passer bys with the initial reaction from the audience.

After the shows, I give out my free optical illusions booklets. It is a fun give away that is very easy to make and people willuse and ake home with them and show to friends. It markets me long after I am gone and optical illusions are pretty common place these days without much or any copyright problems to them.

Just an idea.

Kyle

Giant bill, coloring sheets,trick sheets, fortune telling fish(with business card inside)
lot depends on the age, I probably wouldn't give out magic trick sheets to the 3,4,5 year olds, it will just get tossed, they would get the coloring sheet and older kids would get the trick sheet or fortune fish! Do not under estimate giving out business cards to kids!
during my busy time in the summer I was doing a library program, I usually hand out coloring sheets but I was out of everything coloring sheets trick sheets etc.
well I used an idea I think it was from Bob markwood, I tell the kids they are going to get a special prize, a business card but its a magic card listen carefully to learn how to make the magic work, find your mom or dad and ask them to put out there hand, ask them to bend over give them a big kiss on the cheek, tell them you love them and then tell them that you would really like Greg the magician to come to your b-day party and just like magic I will be there!
Every single kid made sure they got a card before they left! and I booked many b-days from that show!
I know some of you don't go for the obvious in your face marketing like that but if you do it right(takes a little practice to make it suite your style) but it is super effective............the parents actually give me applause every time I do that now!
Greg

Since I do so much word-of-mouth repeat business, I modified Ed Harris' Jumbo Dollar Bill into a series of ten. Each bill has its own series number and different tricks on the back...so they become quasi-collector's items at my restaurants and parties. I also redesigned the back of the Ed Harris bill into a "Kids Eat Free" coupon for my restaurant Kid Night gigs with my contact information on the front. All of my restaurants give them out at the hostess station.

I developed and hand out a black & white tri-fold brochures of easy-to-do magic tricks and balloon sculptures. Another item is a million dollar bill made up with my photo and contact info. I use this bill for a version of the Ammar Bill Switch using star-shaped holes punched in the bill that move from the corners to around my picture. The spectator gets to keep the bill as a souvenir.

An idea I once used at a local Chinese restaurant was custom fortune cookies with a card revelation as the fortune. I'd select and sign a card then lose it in the deck. After several attempts, I'd fail miserably at finding their card with my "unique psychotic - er - psychic powers"...finishing with the "Card in Wallet". They were given the signed card as a keepsake. When the waitress delivered the fortune cookies, you could hear the screams across the room when they opened the cookies to find their card also named on the strip. This was a little more costly...but what an impact!!

Just a few ideas.
Skip

For little ones (2-10), I give out a colouring page with a caricature picture of myself. It is great because they will stick on the fridge and anyone who goes to there house will see you pic and your info.

Some wonderful ideas from you all........thanks! Here's another suggestion. Give every child a business card at the end of the show. Ask them to put it in their shoe. That way they won't lose it. Implant it in their mind that there is an important message on the card for their mom or dad, and when they get home and take off their shoe, give them the card at the same time as telling them all about Jolly Roger's Amazing magic Show!!! It works like a charm, and brings in lots of business. Plus it will work for all ages...even if they can't read!!

Sorry I forgot this thread.

The WordFind web site has a free version although limited.
http://www.edhelper.com/wordfind_free.htm
You can cut and past the results into MS-Word to add your personalized info.

I made several about facts of Ohio.

Happy New Year.

I use my own magic. Colouring and puzzle book. Kids love it!

Try getting your buisness name and everything on magic wands or on pens or magnets or somthing the parents would use