I'm quite late into it myself, but my 6 year old Son is showing a massive interest and a good knack for certain things, ie. he was playing around with some plastic cups then went and got a ball and started hiding it under the cups and moving it from cup to cup-easily seen, but he didn't think so! Just wondered, what age would you say is about right to start learning rather than just enjoying? I know you can do both, because that is where I am at, learning and enjoying, but for a 6 year old, would learning take away the enjoyment?

That's awesome that he is already showing interest!
I would show him a few things and teach him a little but don't be too hard on him and don't force him to learn new things!
Just let him go at his own pace!

May be even a magic set for Christmas would be a good idea!

-JoshTmagic

My parents took me to a magic show when I was a kid, I don't remember it as I was too young. A shame because it was the amazing Le Grande David show. It left a big impression on me, even thought I can't remember it. Around my teens is when I got serious.

I can't say how young I was when I took an interest in magic, but I probably started getting curious about performing magic when I was about 10 years old or so. I ordered a couple of small things from a retail catalog (I forget the name, but it was not a magic catalog), and was fascinated with it. As time and life went by, I would drop it for quite some time. I picked it up again significantly when I was 21 and stationed in San Diego. After a couple of years and a nasty divorce, I dropped it once again. Now, at 34, I am finally picking it up again, and hope to stay with it, as my life and time finally permits

I have an 8 year old son that is interested in magic, and has expressed interest in the things I have shown him, so I am slowly trying to get him more acquainted with the art. I am in no hurry though, as I want him to ease into it and have a true appreciation for it. This way he doesn't become overwhelmed and decide that it is too complicated and give up before he really knows what is going on. I just started him off with a cheap little magic kit that you can get from Toys R Us...just to break the ice. He can take a look at the different tricks and tell me what he is interested in learning first. We go from there

It was my daughter discovering some gimmicks in a drawer at my parents house that got me back into magic about six months ago. She was four at the time but did quite a reasonable 'pins through coin' performance, and has since added a colour changing silk, and TT 'dancing lights' to her repertoire. She thinks she is very good at it. She fools her mummy! All basic tricks, commercially available in toys shops, but a great start... that I won't be pushing her in unless it's what she wants.
That said, you can guess what Father Christmas is bringing her! I think I can guess what she is planning to give me too!

I got into magic around when I was 7 years old, because I got a magic set for christmas, I've been in and out since then.

I was 19 years old, my girlfriend worked in London next door to a magic shop and she brought a couple of things home. Been doing it ever since.

I really started just two years ago at age 65. My father was an amateur magician from his teens and into his twenties. Magic was in the house, and there was that secret trunk up in the attic. He performed very occasionally for local organizations but mostly dropped it when family and career took off. Two years ago, I was helping him clean out his attic prior to selling his house and... duh... there was a four foot long shelf of his books, many of them classic early editions. He gave them to me along with that secret trunk, I discovered Magic Café, and I've been preoccupied with magic every day since. I plan to start performing and to explore the local SAM assembly right after the first of the year. But mostly, it's a wonderful way for me to connect with my father, now 96. His hands are stiff, but I bought him Color Monte for Christmas, because the sleights aren't hard, and it's something he can do for his friends in his new elder community.

At 9, I was inspired by magic in watching "The Magician" starring Bill Bixby along with Doug Henning's "The Magic Show." I was hooked after a few trips to Lou Tannens. I also had the privilege of meeting and having a great conversation with Doug Henning when I ran into him at a restaurant in Fire Island. I've always effectively used magic in corporate presentations and sales presentations. I must say the "Brick & Mortar" guys were always (and still are) a HUGE inspiration when hanging out with Barry Taylor (Barry's Magic Shop,) Denney Haney (Denny & Lee's,) and Nick Ruggiero (Collector's Workshop.)

I am proud that this a part of who I am and I have no regrets.

Dan.

My Mom died suddenly two weeks before my 13th birthday. They put me in jail, where I spent 6 months waiting for a foster home. A book cart came along regularly, and one day, I spotted Greater Magic. A whole new world opened to me. It got me through those six months and beyond!

Doug

Great responses, thanks people. My Son has a set from last Christmas that he loves fooling around with, on an off and on basis, and has asked the big man in red for additions. So we have pointed the elves in the direction of a cheap toy set with included magic hat for magic rabbits disappear- I think he'll love it; if not I'm sure I will!

Around age 12 doing some basic stuff from Dunninger book as I recall for a year then stopped...but started seriously learning and studying at age 21 and haven't stopped since.

Fooled around with magic book by Dunninger and a book by Blackstone on card magic at around 9 or 10. Off and on until much later. Now as a hobby and just an interest as to how effects are performed. Mostly card magic along with the shells and some mentalism.

I started at the age of 12. My mother purchased me a magic set that was on a commercial. It was a Marshall Brodien magic set.

I was always interested in magic but didn't start until I was 63. I first learned ventriloquism and added magic little by little to make my shows more interesting and diverse. It's a great hobby.

Age 9 at the Disneyland Magic Shop.

Svengali deck. Today I was cleaning house and guess what I found?...a 31 year old Svengali deck with the Disneyland price tag on it!

Memories...and who would have thought that about 15 years later, I would end up performing magic at Disneyland...

Started with a magic set at Christmas when I was around 7. Grew with the Copperfield TV specials. Reignited with the first David Blaine special where I started doing card magic at social events and bars, then about 2 years ago became an obsession after my sister bought my son a magic set for his birthday.

At about 7 or 8 years old. I just turned 60 this month.
Keith Shazam

10 and 30 and 42...This time I think it is sticking

Got a Paul Daniels magic set when I was 7 and I was hooked . I spent the next thirty years dabbling with various bits an bobs until about two years ago a close friend suggested I stopped fiddling about and made a commitment. With the guidance of some very awesome magicians I am now more focused on a few illusions professionally performed than a ton of tricks.