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RobertlewisIR Veteran user Colorado 367 Posts |
My personal opinion regarding business cards is to first think about the card itself, then think if you can do anything magical with it. What is your intended clientele? Birthday parties and bar mitzvahs? Corporate events and trade shows? Upper middle-class parties? Lower middle-class parties? This makes a difference. If you do kids parties, the card should be more whimsical. If you want to work corporate events and charge the big bucks, you don't want top hats, rabbits and magic wands on your cards. You also don't want to list everything you do on your card (for instance, if it reads "Bob the Magnificent: magic for birthday parties, corporate events, trade shows, cocktail parties, bar mitzvahs, television and funerals," no one is going to hire you. If you intend to be extremely specialized, have cards printed that say, for instance "corporate magician" or "restaurant magician." Otherwise, simply "magician" or "close-up magician" or something similar will suffice.
Mine are simple and elegant. No images, no pictures. They're printed on expensive card stock (very important, especially for more expensive gigs--don't print them yourself or cheap out--a law firm thinking about hiring for their holiday party will spot a cheap card from a mile away) in soft colors. The text is black on a light background, with a simple little design on the side. It has my name, what I do, my website, and my phone number, and that's it. If you want to be treated as a professional and charge professional fees, your card should look like a professional's. After all, attorneys don't put pictures of law books and gavels on their cards (at least not the good ones). They go for simple elegance and professionalism. Once you've got a nice professional (read: expensive) card designed and printed, then you can think about magic to do with it. And there's a lot. Generally, I don't do most of it. The only things I ever do with my cards magically is--very occasionally--an Out to Lunch effect. Rarer still I might scribble a prediction on the back of one. I only hand them out when requested, which generally means my magic has already spoken for itself. The business card doesn't need to say how good a magician I am. It needs to say that I treat this as a business, that I'm professional, that it's a good bet that I'm dependable, and what my telephone number is. Your mileage may vary.
~Bob
---------- Last night, I dreamed I ate the world's largest marshmallow. When I woke up, the pillow was gone. |
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SDMoore1 New user 71 Posts |
Great thread!
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pradell Special user Alaska 560 Posts |
What's a business card? Like records, cassettes, reel to reels, 8 tracks, the DVD, etc., these may be a dying art, especially for an entertainer. I had post cards printed up cheaply by the thousands with a nice picture and these substitued for my "business card" except in very formal situations when they were perhaps more appropriate. You can send them out as a mailer, a thank you after the show, hand them out, autograph them, or put them in a promo packet. If you're interested, you may want to look at uspress.com. You can have color printing on one or both sides. Kids or parents have put them on their walls or on the fridge as a constant reminder of your services to everyone who comes to the house. Prices have come down a lot over time.
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DaveGripenwaldt Elite user 487 Posts |
Some random thoughts in no particular order...
I agree with thinking through what you want your cards to accomplish first. That will inform the design and content. That said, you can balance that with design elements that will give you a little more to work with. For example, glossier finish cards are a bit easier to handle easily than matt finishes…like the difference in manipulating playing cards as opposed to index card stock. If you leave the back of the card blank you have a lot of real estate for Out To Lunch effects. If you print on both sides, you might consider leaving enough edge for writing predictions, initials, etc. Scam School videos on youtube has 3 Mike Amar effects with business cards on one video…the one I saw was billed as Mike Amar on the cups and balls,, and included the BC effects. Gregory Wilson put out a prop of mine a few years ago called Stock Holder – a business card case set up for Out To Lunch effects. I think it’s still available (I don’t make anything off you buying it…I just think it’s a great prop, but I’m prejudiced). As to material, think about what card tricks could be done with biz cards…a whole world of ideas are available – including some great ones when you gaff your cards, like double face-ers. |
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Vangel New user 26 Posts |
I do a customised tear and repair illusion and levitation to present my card.
Now thinking about it I would loved to try throwing my card through glass windows if it's a nice crowded venue. |
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Kbuck54 Veteran user 343 Posts |
Just give um to everyone.
SHAZAM!
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Taterini Special user 604 Posts |
I had 2 versions of my card printed and two matching packets made up with a matching rubber band around them. One has both sides printed with the back saying "You will pick the" and a card printed below the text. I use it similar to the Insurance Policy for an ending or the ocassional "Do-one-more-rick" request. The other card was left blank on the back for Out-to-Lunch. I'll do an OTL routine earlier showing the backs blank and then later on after another trick or two swap this packet out for the double sided cards for the card revelation. I have these with me all the time pass them out every chance I get.
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BCS Inner circle 1083 Posts |
For what it is worth... When I sold high-end luxury goods retail (electronics and such) to effluent clients, the cards that they kept or passed on were ones printed on high quality stock and professionally laid out; usually darkened on the back site (rather than blank), thick enough that they could not be used to pick your teeth with and presented themselves that they were not cheap and meant something.
And as Kbuck54 wrote... just pass them out. Good luck, Bruce |
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BCS Inner circle 1083 Posts |
For what it is worth... When I sold high-end luxury goods retail (electronics and such) to effluent clients, the cards that they kept or passed on were ones printed on high quality stock and professionally laid out; usually darkened on the back site (rather than blank), thick enough that they could not be used to pick your teeth with and presented themselves that they were not cheap and meant something.
And as Kbuck54 wrote... just pass them out. Good luck, Bruce |
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MRSharpe Special user Never a dull moment with 940 Posts |
If you are looking for effects to give out business cards there are a blue million. Here's a general idea; look for opportunities to give someone your contact information. Eg. The other day I was shopping in a big grocery store. I witnessed a kid, about 4, trip over the corner of a pallet which wasn't marked for safety at all. After being sure that there was no blood flowing, or other apparent indication of severe injury, I approached and offered the mother my card incase a witness to the accident. After all, I did see the whole thing and had cards with me which made it convenient for me to give her my contact info.
Custom Props Designer and Fabricator as well as Performer from Indiana, USA
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1KJ Inner circle Warning: We will run out of new tricks in 4385 Posts |
A nicely designed card on one side with blank on the back is best, IMO.
Then, I would be prepared with three effects. Here are three good ones: 1. Penguin Magic site has a $10 "Magic Wallet" just for business cards. I love it! 2. Paul Draper has an ESP card effect that is really awesome. I don't know the name, but the effect is you have two sets of five ESP cards (draw them on the backs of business cards). You place one down (first) and the participant places one down. After all five are placed, they match. 3. Out to lunch Just hand them out without any magic 80 to 90% of the time, and when the time is right, do an effect 10 to 20% of the time. KJ |
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djurmann Inner circle thinks time to practice and stop writing 1481 Posts |
The effect you mention is called "ESP your pants" and can be found on the excellent Thom Peterson DVD "Sucker Punch". It was based on an earlier effect called million to one chance....but I forget who by. Credits are given in the DVD.
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Levi Bennett Inner circle 1778 Posts |
I usually just hand mine out. I had some printed at Vistaprint that have a nice, simple card pip design. The backs are an elegant circle of pips with John 3:16 in the center because I also do gospel magic. The cards I had made were plain matte finish because I still use my Hot Leads wallet at parties, restaurants and gigs. Williams Magic here in Tucson got the rights to the trick and still sell them btw.
I might get that wallet you mentioned 1KJ. Looks fun, simple and effective. And cheap lol. I used to do the trick where I write a playing card prediction on the back of my card, the spectator puts my card anywhere in the deck and it ends up next to my prediction. I quit doing that though- too involved for handing out a business card. I prefer quick and simple. Startling if I'm using my Hot Leads. My Hot Leads wallet has always drawn LOTS of attention btw. At parties, or wherever, it always gets people to look. Then they want to know whats going on and I'm entertaining them next. It's a cool product and I've never had any problem with the noise that some people complain about.
Performing magic unprofessionally since 2008!
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