Not all good magic creations are necessarily marketable items and certainly not all marketed magic is necessarily good magic.

Having said that I would like to analyze it a bit.
As a producer of magic, I receive every day a lot of emails with tricks from magicians all around the world that want to publish their work.
Sometimes I receive something that is far from both categories,
Some other times I receive something that is great but not something that someone would invest the money and time to publish because it doesn't fulfill the properties of a successful item.
For example, impromptu magic.. It used to be a hit for many decades, not any more.
Now unfortunately, the rates have proved that if something doesn't come with a gimmick, chances are it won't sell well.
A few things that I 've learned thru the years of producing magic from my magic dad (Paul Harris) are the following.
* Self contained
* Examinable
* Can be performed at any place, any time.
* No clothing restrictions
* No clean up but if there is any, it has to be very easy.
* No sleight of hand (Yes this is weird, in the art of sleight of hand, no sleight of hand is allowed)

Best regards,
Titanas

This is so valuable for me. I have been working on several creations (all using sleights and no gimmicks). Knowing more about this trend and the thought process behind a producer is wildly beneficial. Putting the thinking cap on now...

Thanks for sharing.

Titanas:

I have noticed this trend even here on the Café in the "buy, sell, trade" areas. If there is a DVD only, it doesn't sell nearly as quickly as a DVD with a gimmick. Part of it might be the consumerist mentality of "getting something tangible" for your money. Like getting as free oil change when you buy a car.

As far as sleights go, I think this stems from our "microwave society". Everything has to be fast and easy.

Dear Mike,
I am totally with you.
Back in the old days the knowledge we were getting from a DVD was enough to generate sales...
A trick is not the plastic thing we receive but what we do with it

Best regards,
Titanas

Honestly, for me, being a part of the "secret" and the process has always been enough for me. It's a secret society (without the handshakes).

As to the shift from impromptu magic to gimmicks, I think Youtube and the like is what killed impromptu magic sales. Some people would rather point and click on a link, and download the trick for free instead of pay for it. It is a real temptation for a lot of magicians.

Or, worse yet, watch a "teenage tutorial" when some thoughtless pre-pubescent fame-seeker exposes a great trick.

IBM and SAM should compile a list of these doofusses and ban then for life from membership.

Sure they exposed a trick someone has poured ten years of their life into, but hey, they have 10 more subscribers on Youtube, so that's cool. And their mom probably bought the trick for them anyway.