The Magic Café
Username:
Password:
[ Lost Password ]
  [ Forgot Username ]
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Step right up! » » Possible new pitch item (0 Likes) Printer Friendly Version

 Go to page [Previous]  1~2~3
Rod Pringle
View Profile
Special user
543 Posts

Profile of Rod Pringle
Hey Ses:

Don's right, Break a leg comes from Vaudville. Seth, I wish you ALL THE BEST, !!!
and never good luck......he he
ROD
dsacks
View Profile
Special user
609 Posts

Profile of dsacks
Shucks -- and I always thought (as did my acting teacher) that it was hoping one would get into the 'cast'. I like my interpretation better Smile

Oh course, this was before one could check on the web...

David
sescarny
View Profile
New user
76 Posts

Profile of sescarny
I know the saying has its origins in vaudeville, I was merely stating that when I worked at the carnival we used it too... I was just trying to make a point but it appears to have been lost.

Ses
sescarny
View Profile
New user
76 Posts

Profile of sescarny
By the way,,, Don,,,,, what do you mean you "think" you know what G.T.F.M. stands for?? C'mon man, you worked the carnival circuit... You know the "M" isn't for Marks.....

Ses
DonDriver
View Profile
Inner circle
1790 Posts

Profile of DonDriver
I think I have it now ( G.T.F.M. ) but its not old school canie talk.
sescarny
View Profile
New user
76 Posts

Profile of sescarny
True, it is more of the new age carnie lingo. Actually it was brought to my attention in the sideshow by my boss.

Ses
sethb
View Profile
Inner circle
The Jersey Shore
2841 Posts

Profile of sethb
OK gang, as promised, here's the deal on the "new" pitch item:

It is the "Rabbit in the Hat" paddle, available from D. Robbins, click HERE for a pic and more info. It sells in boxes of 100. As most of you probably know, the "paddle move" is about 500 years old. But in my book, it's an "oldie but a goodie" -- it was one of the first tricks I ever learned, and is the basis for the Color-Changing Knives, the Money Paddle, the Jumping Gems and the Hot Rod, among others.

I offered the Rabbit Paddle again yesterday at a Pumpkin Festival in central Jersey. It was a fair test, because it was a HUGE street festival with TONS of people, and I was pulling tips so big that they were blocking the street (thank you, Don, for teaching us how to do that!!). It was like shooting fish in a barrel, and I did GTFM!

But the paddle results were not encouraging. The number speak for themselves: In six hours, I sold over 100 Magic Worms and two dozen Svengali Decks, but only about 10 Rabbit Paddles.

The kids thought the paddle was cute and very mystifying (I placed it in their closed fist to make the rabbit appear, then wiped it on their arm to make it disappear). But it couldn't hold a candle to the worm, which was much more spectacular. With limited funds to spend, the kids all went for the worm, which had no competition in the sales department, outselling the paddle by about 10 to 1.

I had hoped for an "add-on" or second sale, but once they got the worm, that was it; I guess they spent the extra money on a snow cone or something. Since they were paying mostly with 10-spots, it would have been easy for them to just add the paddle on, but very few did so. When the paddles did sell, they went on their own.

Of course, even with just 10 sales, I have now made back my entire investment in the 100-paddle box, and am still hoping for better action on the Xmas bazaar circuit. But I don't think I'm ordering hundreds of Rabbit Paddles any time soon -- at least not until I move the ones I have!

Anyone who would like to see the template I created for the sleeve, just PM me with your e-mail, and I'll send it out to you later this evening. If nothing else, it might give you some good ideas about how to do templates for other items. Besides, it's free and no salesman will call!

Thanks again, everyone, for your interest, sorry I didn't have better news for you. But I'll keep trying -- as they say, "It's not over until the fat lady sings!" Smile SETH

P.S. Thought I'd seen just about everything at a street fair, until I saw the guy across the street from me with "Minnow Races." This was six pieces of rain gutter about eight feet long, fastened together and filled with water. A minnow was in each one behind a "starting gate" made of window screening. When released, the slight water current made by a small pump carried them down to the other end. The winner got to keep the minnow (now there's a great slum prize!). He wasn't doing so badly, either! Sort of a live version of the old "Duck Pond" joint.

BTW, this was for a nonprofit charity and there was no actual money wagered, so it wasn't gambling and generated no heat of any kind (not a flat store). SETH
"Watch the Professor!!" -- Al Flosso (1895-1976)
"The better you are, the closer they watch" -- Darwin Ortiz, STRONG MAGIC
DonDriver
View Profile
Inner circle
1790 Posts

Profile of DonDriver
Well Seth what can I say...


Later,Don
sescarny
View Profile
New user
76 Posts

Profile of sescarny
Hey Seth,

Thanks for emailing me the file. I'm wondering though, might this item be a better kicker? It seems cheap enough... Your thoughts?

Thanks again!

Ses
DonDriver
View Profile
Inner circle
1790 Posts

Profile of DonDriver
A better kicker than what,Two card monte?
Why does everyone want to fix things that aren't broke?

Just stick to the "pitch" that has been around since 1936 and only do what I say on my DVD.(that is if you really want to make money)

End of story !

Later,Don
sescarny
View Profile
New user
76 Posts

Profile of sescarny
Don, when I said "a better kicker" I meant better AS a kicker instead of a flat out pitch item. That's all. I did not mean it would be better than TCM. We are calm and happy... Smile

Ses
sethb
View Profile
Inner circle
The Jersey Shore
2841 Posts

Profile of sethb
The Rabbit Paddle might be a decent kicker for something, but I agree it probably wouldn't be a good combination for the Svengali Deck. People who buy the deck like card tricks, so I think the appropriate kicker is TCM, another card trick.

Now, if I could just teach one of my Magic Worms to do the paddle move . . . . SETH Smile
"Watch the Professor!!" -- Al Flosso (1895-1976)
"The better you are, the closer they watch" -- Darwin Ortiz, STRONG MAGIC
sescarny
View Profile
New user
76 Posts

Profile of sescarny
Oh jeez.... I didn't say it would be good as a kicker for anything, so what's there to agree with? I simply meant it might be a good kicker for SOMETHING, instead of as a solo pitch item.

:)

Ses
DonDriver
View Profile
Inner circle
1790 Posts

Profile of DonDriver
I'm calm and very happy Ses.Sorry it came across like that.Just stating facts.

Later,Don
sethb
View Profile
Inner circle
The Jersey Shore
2841 Posts

Profile of sethb
Also "calm and happy" here!

I was just trying to explain why I thought the TCM was a good kicker for the Svengali Deck, as opposed to something else. SETH
"Watch the Professor!!" -- Al Flosso (1895-1976)
"The better you are, the closer they watch" -- Darwin Ortiz, STRONG MAGIC
sescarny
View Profile
New user
76 Posts

Profile of sescarny
Without a doubt the TCM is probably the best kicker out there for the sven decks. They're cheap, can be packaged nicely thanks to Don and a kid can do it right out of the package. Winner all around!
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Step right up! » » Possible new pitch item (0 Likes)
 Go to page [Previous]  1~2~3
[ Top of Page ]
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved.
This page was created in 0.03 seconds requiring 5 database queries.
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café
are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic.
> Privacy Statement <

ROTFL Billions and billions served! ROTFL