I've read a lot about pitching Svengali Decks here on the Magic Café.

What about pitching Wizard (Strippper) Decks? Does that exist, or are they not visually dazzling enough?

Dai Bato

"not visually dazzling enough" you got it !

Don

I agree. Although the Stripper Deck is a great thing, I think it would be tough to sell it.

I believe Pete Biro has noted elsewhere that Marshall Brodien made a fortune selling Svengali Decks as "TV Magic Cards," and then lost his shirt trying to do the same thing with stripper decks. SETH

With the widespread interest in Poker due to the televised tournaments, do you think the Stripper deck may have a market that Brodien didn't have in his day? Pitch could be, "impress your friends at the next poker night. Dealing an ace at will..." or any card sharp trick. To some, the unspoken, underlying pitch is "How to use the deck to win at the next Poker night." What do you think?

I think the cardfather is right. I think it's time to write that pitch! Making wizard's decks is slightly harder than Svengali, though.

Personally , I do Not think I would Pitch the Wizard deck per say , However I might put it into an "extension" sale item , have them carded and visable and touch on the endless possibilitys and benefits of having two decks , everyone wants a GREAT Deal , so for only , a ten Spot More they get yet another incredible deck of cards and a Booklet with another 110 tricks and ideas with that in mind .. it could be Sold soley in My ( forgive me as I am making this up as I go along here ) "Ultimate Foolers Power Pack" for 30.00.. I will pick up a Dozen decks . and see , Ya never know , I Have a great test market , spot for wednesday night ...I will keep ya posted
Keet

I'm Guessing it didn't go so well then...

For the last time.I have been pitching Svengali decks for over 30 years now.In that time I have known no less than 20 guys thinking they could pitch the Stripper deck.No luck yet...maybe its time to forget them and stick to a real money maker.

Don

Don, sometimes you gotta let 'em find failure on their own.

I think the basic problem with the Stripper deck that it is not easy to do. I have seen guys that have no trouble, but I have a devil of a time stripping out the card. And I’m a professional magician. How would the lay people handle that deck? That’ why I don’t put the work into it. If I have to practice and practice, then my customers will have to as well. And as you guys know, customers want something they don’t have to practice. Besides, why have buyer’s remorse. It’s bad enough I have to sell the UFO’s.

If you want a stripper routine, there are a few that can be found in the magic archives. I read that Guy Jarrett use to make a living selling them. The Learned Pig has a book that covers it. For the life of me I can’t remember which one. But if you go on the website, you won’t be sorry.

We sell The Deck at all our tours. (Svengali) $15.00 with the Robbins book to great success. Magicians have told us it is the best pitch they have ever seen.

During the tour we show the Houdin book "Card Sharpers", which we sell for $19.95. We bought them all out from Gamblers Book Club in Las Vegas. If you need some let us know a we may reprint them. When we show that book, for educational purposes for the youngsters not to play cards with strangers we show, but do not explain, the stripper deck or what we call the Gamblers deck. We have someone mention a card, what ever it is, we take out the four of them. Place them in the deck in different postitions and shuffle the deck, over hand, riffle and then Hindu, which brings them to the top. We then magically show each has "amazingly" come to the top. "Do not gamble with strangers!" No selling. Just the quickest demo we could come up with.

Later during the souvenir demo we end with the Deck (Svengali) which we sell for $15 with the book. For $25 dollars we sell the Svengali Deck, the book, and a Svengali video tape, along with the Gamblers deck (Stripper) and a booklet that comes with it. Two decks, two books and a video "a combination they will find no where else" NO ONE EVER asks to buy just the stripper deck. We tried to demo the stripper by itself for a season as an experiment, and sales were poor compared to Svengali.

Hope this helps.

Any questons just ask.

Do NOT sell dollar store Svengali's as it would be a Horror to have someone come back with that deck at $1.00. Also by adding a book, or video or DVD with it, it justifies the price should they compare and think of complaining.

Dick Brooks

Don, I'm sure this will NOT be the last time.

Jon

The secret to selling strippers is to demonstrate how to strip a card out of the deck, and then let your mark(s) strip one out. I hold the deck while they use their finger and thumb to strip one out like I showed them. I'll go across the edge one by one letting people strip out a card, I don't bother taking the card from them I just let them keep holding it. Eventually they'll put it down.

After parents see their kids strip the card out, they are generally willing to buy. There is none of that "I don't think he'll be able to do that" crap. It really is an easy sell. Sometimes I make the stripper and Svengali a combo deal.

Incidentally, I never explain "how" it works - I just explain that it does. They really have no idea how they did it when they do.

-JoeJoe