I was goofing off on You Tube and got an idea that I’d like to sell “TV Magic Cards”. A guy named Marshall Brodien sold over 17 million of them in the ‘70s doing a 30 second demo on TV. Dunno what they sold for but imagine if he only made a buck on each deck, net.

Finally found them for sale at our old friend, Carl Zealer’s “Nowstalgic Toys”. Went thru a couple of recordings and finally got a human.

“How much?” I asked?

“$2.50” said Courtney.

“Wow,” I said, “I demo these at shows and sell ‘em. I get ‘em from MM for 83 cents including shipping. I think I’ll pass.”

“Wait!” said Miss C, “The owner just walked by and if you sell ‘em, they’re $1 ea., minimum order of 1 case of 96.”

“How much for shipping?”

She put me on hold. “$15 to your Zip.”

“So $96 plus $15—total of $111 for 96. Or about $1.15 per. And I’m paying 83 cents now. So about 1/3 more. Hmmmm. I’ll have to get back to you.”

So, guys, I’m selling them for $10 now. Do I wanna pay 1/3 more for the thrill of having “TV Magic Cards” printed on the box? The MM cards are NOT collated BUT I always sell the deck I demo AND can usually chose the key card I want of the 6 choices they have. Dunno what key card I’d get from Nowstalgic.

I’m thinking I’ll pass but can anyone see any advantage to them?

Jon

Nobody today has ever heard of "T.V. Magic Cards" I told Carl when he first wanted to put a Svengali deck back on the market and see if he could get the name T.V.Magic Cards that it was a waist of time and not to bother.Turned out nobody had that name trade marked.He even got Marshall to go on Q.V.C. with him to do the pitch.Turned out Marshall screwed up the spot on Q.V.C.He couldn't even use the deck well.I also found out that it wasn't Marshall's hands in the old T.V. add,it was Paul Scarne,John's nephew.Carl hasn't done very well with them in stores because they just sit on the shelf...no demo.
Please understand Marshall Brodien was a great magician and did a lot for magic over his long career.He was Wizzo the Wizard on the Bozo show out of Chicago for years to name just one of his many magic achievements.
When Carl was in touch and seeing Marshall I did get his book autographed."The Magical Life and Times of Marshall Brodien" I had him inscribe " To the greatest Svengali pitchman of all times...Don Driver" Than had him drew an arrow up ^ after the word "the" and wrote in "SECOND " I'll treasure it till my dying day.
So bottom line Jon....keep getting the MM cards.
Sorry for going on so long...
Have a good one,
Don

Thanx, again, Don.

Even before you said it, I had decided against it. In actuality, if I pay $120 (incl. shipping) for 1 gross from MM and almost the same for 96 from Carl, I'm getting 1/3 fewer decks. So it isn't just that I'm paying 1/3 more, it's the PROFIT from that 1/3 I don't make. Based on that, it wasn't hard to make a decision.

And I'd love to have his book inscribed "...THIRD..." (even if I'm not!)

Jon

Jon... you're getting just the deck itself from MM correct? and then you give out an instruction sheet that you print? Wouldn't it be easier to get the L cards already colated with instructions?

Jon and I have gone over this many times.The L cards are the way to go.Jon thinks they cost too much.When I was out there pitching they were .60 each and I sold them for $5.00.Now they are .70 (or were last time I looked) but you can sell them for $10.00.It seems like a no brainer to me but Jon is very happy doing it his way....so who am I to say.

Don

See my podcast page for videos and a great first-person account of pitching these and similar items - might be enlightening. http://ballycast.com/?p=54

Don is right. We have discussed this question into the ground and we each have our reasons for feeling as we do. I used L cards for years—until they ran out, maybe 2 years ago. Then I had to have SOMEthing to sell so I got MM, which were even cheaper then than now.

Realize, I have not bought L cards for 1 year—maybe 2. Last time I checked L, their cards were around $1 plus shipping—maybe 15 cents, so just about the same price as the TV Magic Cards. But you had to buy 2 gross to get that price. MM cards are 83 cents INCLUDING shipping, minimum 1 gross.

That means if I buy L cards, they cost abut 1/3 more than MM. So not only do I have to pay 1/3 more per sale, I lose the profit on that 1/3 I don’t get. Granted 1/3 is only pennies—but 1/3 IS 1/3 and pennies do add up.

PLUS MM gives me a choice of 6 different key cards PLUS either blue or red backs. (Three with red backs and 3 with blue backs.) I got A/S blue last time and the 2-3 times previously A/D red. L sends you whatever they have, take it or leave it.

Granted MM cards are NOT collated and the ones from L are, PLUS L's come in a pretty box of 24 PLUS a wrapper on each individual box. But the 1st paragraph in my instruction sheet tells them how to collate. Or I’ll do it, if biz is slow. I usually sell the deck I demo (have collated) so unless I sell more than one (pretty rare, recently, for some reason), they get a collated deck. Then I just take another 30 seconds and collate another deck. That way I always demo a (pretty) new deck. And the sheet of instructions I used is twice as big as L’s. L gives ‘em 10 tricks, I give ‘em 25 tricks.

I’d be the 1st to tell anyone that if they like the L cards—buy ‘em. Being a cheapskate and counting the advantages (at least to me) of MM cards, I feel I’d rather keep the extra money rather than give it to L.

Jon

Haha thanks for the explanation. L cards for 2 gross are way below $1... they are like .89 each I think. I've ordered from both and L does get more for shipping so I can see where you are saving a bit of money perhaps. Maybe as much as .20 each? To me... I don't want to fool around with printing instructions and all, or needing to collate decks. But if you don't mind that... it works. I actually like MM as a company better than L... but to me the L deck is the best for pitching.

Ditto...
Don

As I said, I have not bought from L for over a year, so I’m not up on their current price. So I’ll accept your figure of 20 cents more per deck for L’s cards. Twenty cents is about 1/4 of the 83 cents it costs for MM cards. So L’s cost is not 1/3 more, as I said before, it’s only 1/4 more.

That means that when I get a gross from MM for $120, for about the same price, I’d only get about 108 from L. That is about 36 fewer decks OR at $10 per deck sale price, about $360 profit I DON’T get if I use L’s cards.

For an extra $360, I don’t mind printing the instruction sheets. I’m usually doing something else when I print them anyway and I have learned to multi-task. (I can whistle and pick my nose at the same time!)

I agree, L’s card display boxes are pretty and so are the sleeves on the individual boxes. BUT—MM give me a choice of key cards and a choice of colors on the backs. And I don’t have to order 2 gross to get the best price AND so far, MM has never been out of cards. And I don't HAVE to collate because the instructions on the sheet I give 'em. I only have to collate the deck I demo. Of course, if I sell every demo (as I seemed to do, this past weekend) I do spend some time collating.

So for the last time, (I hope) that is why I use MM cards. If MM price situation changes or MM’s other advantages cease to exist, THEN I’d re-consider my options.

Jon

Can somebody please tell me what the L cards are. I am familiar with MM but can't seem to figure out L. You can always pm me. Thank you again.

This is just so fun to watch. I can remember being a kid in Chicago watching him.

http://www.toysontv.com/tv-magic-cards.htm