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Donald Dunphy Inner circle Victoria, BC, Canada 7563 Posts |
Hi Daryl,
I enjoyed your lecture in Victoria, BC, Canada, a week or so ago. I was also part of the group that went out with you for drinks afterwards. Thank you for coming and sharing with us (he even told us how to do the tricks! ). I had a question. Something you mentioned as an aside in your lecture was about the rough cost to print a run of special cards. And about how you gang up with others who are doing a print run, and take part of a deck. I found that very interesting. That made me wonder about your business as a magic dealer / lecturer. How many of an item do you decide to produce in a run? I'm not just talking specialty cards, but also DVDs, other tricks, etc. How did you decide at first what was the right number to produce? Is it because of the number of lecture dates, or tracking online / mail order sales, or ?? Do you produce more of certain items and less of others? What are some lessons you can share with us about over-producing and under-producing? What sort of investment is involved in running a magic dealer / lecture business (I understand if this is too confidential). Thanks! - Donald P.S. I don't necessarily ask because I want to be a magic dealer or lecturer, but because I do BOR at some of my shows. Even though the situation is different, I'm sure some of your insights might help. And who knows, I may lecture some day.
Donald Dunphy is a Victoria Magician, British Columbia, Canada.
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Kent Wong Inner circle Edmonton, Alberta, Canada 2458 Posts |
Hey Donald!
I'm glad you enjoyed Daryl's lecture. We had a blast here in Edmonton as well. One of my good friends, Rick Portuondo, also attended the Victoria lecture and spoke very highly of you. He emailed a bunch of pictures to me. I'll forward it to your IBM ring for distribution. Kent
"Believing is Seeing"
<BR>______________________ <BR> <BR>www.kentwongmagic.com |
Donald Dunphy Inner circle Victoria, BC, Canada 7563 Posts |
Cool.
- Donald
Donald Dunphy is a Victoria Magician, British Columbia, Canada.
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MagicMichealMan Veteran user Vancouver Island, British Columbia 349 Posts |
Hey donald!
Its me Mike!!! from cobble hill....Yes the lecture was amazing... what was your favourite part? |
Donald Dunphy Inner circle Victoria, BC, Canada 7563 Posts |
Welcome Michael.
You must have learned how to type with one hand. I enjoyed Daryl's sense of humor the most. He's entertaining and that makes him personable. - Donald
Donald Dunphy is a Victoria Magician, British Columbia, Canada.
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Daryl Easton 1955 - 2017 174 Posts |
Donald: For the specially printed playing cards, the number produced is 5,000. In addition to the 5,000 sets of custom printed playing cards, I print 5,000 sets of instructions and full color boxes as well. This keeps the price per unit down as much as possible. It would cost a LOT more to do five separate runs of one thousand each instead of printing all 5,000 at the same time. It costs a lot of money to do a first class job but I try to look at this expense as a long-term investment. Sometimes it takes several years (if at all) to sell all 5,000 pieces, but if the item is good, it will always sell eventually.
Other tricks that are hand made one piece at a time (such as Ultimate Ambition Improved, The Enchanted Cube, Bounce Across, etc.) are produced on a much smaller scale. With these, I usually produce a few dozen to test market before producing them in larger numbers. If I under produce, I’ll produce more. If I over produce, I’ll just keep selling them until they’re gone but then I won’t re-release the item. One of my worst moments as a magic dealer came when the magic flashcubes were taken off the market. I sold an item called “Wiz Flash” (it would allow you to flash a flashcube while holding it in your hand) and I remember having to throw THOUSANDS of dollars worth of stock in the trash! I have a photo of me throwing these away, but I try not to look at it. It’s better to look ahead! I spend somewhere in the neighborhood of ten thousand dollars to bring a single trick to the market. This includes purchasing the rights (if it’s not my own creation), producing the props, the instructions, and the packaging. I pay for an artist to design the box and the DVD cover (he’s great!). I pay a video production company to shoot, edit and author the DVD master (they’re great too). I pay for DVD replication, full color box printing and die cutting. I pay for assembly, packaging, etc., etc., etc. My wife Alison and I truly work hard to bring the best quality and value to the marketplace. I suppose this is ONE of the reasons why I get so bothered when some other dealers STEAL ideas and then produce crap. Having said that, let’s no go there right now! |
Donald Dunphy Inner circle Victoria, BC, Canada 7563 Posts |
Wow, Daryl, that was a terrific answer.
It really gave me some insights. Thank you so much. - Donald
Donald Dunphy is a Victoria Magician, British Columbia, Canada.
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