This is probably not the correct forum for this topic, so if not please feel free to move.

I saw on PenguinMagic that they used to carry a set of 100 custom kits for $300. You could put your own logo/design/etc. on the box and then resell it to your audience. Recommended resale was $10 so you'd make about $7 per kit. Neat idea - esp. the customizable part. They told me today that their supplier is not currently still making this deal available to them. I'm wondering if their supplier (somewhere in India) is Uday. Just a guess. Anyway, does anyone know of any place that will do this for me? I want to buy low volume (~100 units) and do my own box design. It'd be idea if they had a list of 20 effects and I could choose 10 to put into the kit (or something like that). Anyone?

Hi Matt,

What if you got a "business license" or something and became a buyer/retailer from D.Robbins Magic or some place similar (Adams Magic Co - you've already got the same name!)? Then you could search through their catalogs, select the items you wanted, buy them in bulk (case) and build your own kits. I'm not sure what their "requirements" are for a retailer, but I don't think it's much at all. A friend of mine is a full time magician and does this for his magic camps, back of room sales, etc...

Mark.

Sometimes MadHatter Magic has some great deals on individual items that you can put into a kit. Make a header on your computer and print it off. Put together some instructions in a little booklet. Drop it all into lunch bag, or possibly find a supply of boxes at a warehouse store (Sams Club, Costco, etc).

Do a video of you performing each item and burn it to a CD or DVD, and you can upsell that for another 5-10 dollars.

Ed

Penguin put these magic kits on the site, but never sold any at that price.

They've been out of stock ever since the webpage was created. Not a single customer bought them at the $3 price. Lots of people asked about them here, but not one person said they bought any.

It's been documented on other threads.

There are some other companies that can put your label onto their magic kit in small numbers. They run about $10 each, and up.

Here's one example.

Of course, you can make your own kits with contents from a variety of suppliers, for less.

- Donald

You don't need the a business license to buy wholesale. You need to purchase their minimum order. That is usually in the $200 to $500 range depending on the Jobber. It has little to do with the number of kits or volume, it has to do with the cost of doing business with them.

All you have to do is get information, that can be done by actully picking up the telephone and place a serious telephone call to Fun Inc, D. Robbins, and other wholesalers.

The problem with custom kits is the printing, that is usually higher then items in the box.

My suggestion is to just make a white box magic kit yourself. Then design your own label and stick it on if you desire.

Fun Inc. has magic kits they sell that can be printed with your name, anyway a few years ago they offered this item to dealers. The were medium priced sets, not the cheap small kits.

In my opinion, Jon Jenson had the best course out there on making your own magic sets. You might want to check with Jack Turk to see if he still carries this item.

Gerry

I put the link to the Fun Inc. webpage (about magic kits that can be printed with your name) in my post, above.

- Donald

P.S. I still think it's wacky that Penguin has this product on their website, when it's been out of stock for over 2 years, and is likely never to be in stock at all. It must frustrate potential customers to read about this product at this price, and then not be able to get it.

Wow, thanks guys. Lots of great help here. I already have the business license and purchase plenty from D.Robbins. Never tried Fun Inc so I'll check them out too. This is the easiest idea I've heard yet since it would require only minimal work from me:



Great idea. Plus I can even have other people print my labels for cheap. Haha. I also like the idea of being able to select what effects go into the box. Pretty cool. I'll be doing some research here. 'Preciate the help!

Good luck with it. Keep us posted on how things turn out and what you end up putting into your box. I'd be curious!

Mark.

Ok buddy. Will do. I imagine it will be an assortment of some of the following:

Ball & Vase
Nickels to Dimes
Double Color Changing Silks
2 or 3 card monte
Pen thru Bill
a magic wand
etc.

These are some of my fav's from when I was a kid. I'd like for other kids to start with some of the same effects as I did just as a sentimental gesture. However, I'm extremely analytical so I'll probably go back over all these and do an assortment of effects ranging from close-up, stage, manipulation, escape, card tricks, coin tricks, mentalism, etc. Gotta have lots of flavors so kids can get an idea as to what form they'd like to consider studying first/most! ...but then, I never could decide so I did everything.

Hmm...I'm also cheap so some of these ideas are going to have to go!

I might do two or three different sets for people to choose among. What do you guys think? Here is my list of items I'm thinking about using in sets:

block penetration
crazy cube
cups and balls
ball and vase
coin base
coin slider
finger chopper
levitating vase
magic tube
money maker
silk and thumb tip

Split it up or package together? Total cost to me for one set of these items is just over 10 bucks. Plus then I have to pay for labels and boxes which will run another buck or so per set. I'd have to sell for ~30 and give them instructions and possibly a link to a password protected internet video of me demonstrating the effects for them.

I dunno...thoughts?

I think I should mention that Jon Jensens' product, while a "course", is also two great instruction manuals, one for the kit, and one is a card trick booklet. The set instructions can be used whole as is, or in part, they are very well illustrated.

I use the card trick book with a good deck of cards as a stand alone product/promotional item.

Blair

You state you are cheap and then want to invest in several different magic kits, which means more investment. Maybe your just getting excited as it looks like you may actually have this come together.

I would include a booklet of tricks as well. The sets should be increasing in levels of some kind, either skill, material, or age. There are just so many great Royal tricks from Fun Inc. available for beginners, that is should not be hard to put together some great magic kits.

I don't know about you, but I like the Fun Inc. magic products over other importers as they make the products at their factory in Chicago, and the quality is top notch. They also have some great ready made kits. Give them a call.

Hmm...I'm also cheap so some of these ideas are going to have to go!

Matt, you have a very nice website, so what would you want to do anything that's not up to your full potential?

Sorry if I'm picking on you, but the easiest route (cheap, do-it-yourself) might not be the wisest move for you magical career. You're either in the game 100%, or your not.

You reap what you sow.

Gerry

Thanks everyone. Before I even read the last 3 posts, I decided on the drive home last night to NOT do a big magic set. It will cost me too much and then if I sell it for 100-200% markup, it's not worth it. Then I have my name stuck on some cheap tricks! Fantasma and others make some pretty nice "big" sets. They have nice packaging and have tons of tricks in them. There's no sense in working my backside off to re-create the wheel. I'm not going to be a magic retailer primarily anyway. This is just a small piece of side-business.

Solution? Perhaps I'll make several small sets because I can put in 3-4 effects and charge 10 bucks. This will still give me 100% profit margin (always my minimum goal - don't always reach it (like w/ D'Lites), but it's my goal!). PLUS the client won't feel they have wasted a lot of money on a small set. They understand at 10 bucks they aren't getting top of the line magic equipment. It's OK to have some cheap child effects in that box because they know it's a simple starter set. The psychology seems to fit here.

Thank you each for recommending the booklets. That's a fantastic idea to boost overall # of tricks in the set and creating more value for the money.



I should explain: Yep, I'm cheap...but only on the unknowns. I'll blow thousands of dollars if I know it'll be coming back to me. My wife laughed so hard at me because I just spent a thousand dollars on a gorgeous backdrop for my show and I balked at spending 20 bucks on some Osborne plans for the Shadow Box. Reason? I could SEE the backdrop and knew what I was getting. I couldn't see the plans. If I could see the plans and determine that they'd actually help me build a shadow box then I'd probably pay 50. It just depends on if I can get my money's worth. (By the way...I bought the plans. We'll see how they work out.)



Couldn't put it any better. Totally agree...and thus I'm not doing a "big" set at the moment. Don't want to rip anyone off by any means. Maybe after some small sets work out for me I can do larger ones. We'll see.

The other idea is for me to check out the Fun Inc sets (FM240, etc). They are pre-packaged and you can just stick your name on it. I'd want to get a set first before slapping my name and logo on it.

Ok, thanks everyone! I have direction now!

Matt -

You also might want to read this thread about magic kits, especially the part about the mini Fantasma kits.

- Donald

DUDE! THANKS!! This is perfect for me.

I guess one thing that needs to be considered into the final cost of each item is: how much of your time will it consume to take cases of individal items or small sets and put together your own kit? Instructions and DVDs can be done once and simply replicated. But the physical separating and re-boxing should probably be taken into account.

Ed