Hi All,

Just curious. If you find the post offensive then I apologize but I wouldn't mind hearing some success stories...

Jamie D. Grant

I also would like to hear some testamonies on this subject, I have thought about doing a pitch but I don't know if it is very profitable.

Jon Dee

The very first day I tried pitching, I sold 42 decks in 3 hours.
It worked out to @ $40 profit per hour.

The next week, I only sold 16 decks in 5 hours.
I was still making @ $9 profit per hour.

There are good days and there are bad days but you only need to sell 2-3 decks per hour to make money.

How much is your time worth?

David Walker and myself had a $800.00 day at a BIG state fair.I won't tell you the name of the fair because we still have the spot and work it.

When you work big spots and long hours (17days,14-15 hours a day) You really need two guys and work an hour on and an hour off.This keeps you fresh and able to keep going.
I'm sure you all know that David and I have been at this many years.The pitch is easy to learn,it the "NOT GIVING UP " when things are slow that's hard to learn.

If you learn the pitch and just go out and work your local flea market on week ends and 'stick to it" you should take in about $200.00 to $400.00 every weekend.

If you work the same flea market every week end,it should be good for one summer.The best is working a market once a month.You would need 4 markets in your area to do this.But this would keep you going....for years.

Hope this helped.
Later,Don

Don, you are right, it's always easy to sell decks when there's a crowd of people and they are throwing $10 bills at you. Seems like money just makes more money in that situation.

The tough part is when the crowds are thin, and the kids are deciding if they really want to spend their "birthday money" on this or not! I agree, there's nothing like persistence. I have often had some people leave and then come back later to buy. The deck is an impulse item, the trick is to find the best way to trigger that impulse.

Every time I go out, I learn something new about people, and I try to adjust and sharpen my pitch accordingly. Don, you have really done a great service by preserving and teaching the real work on this, thanks! SETH

Don...in case you didn't see the post Jeff made $1249 Sat night (mostly 7 till midnight= $249.80 an hour) at the LITTLE Fair in Yuma!!!...no Decks to sell...just the Zibit at a buck a head kids under 7 free! No product replacement.

BTW: Your's is on the way tomorrow. (11th) Lets get some more numbers in the history books!


Notice: Your results may differ Jeff's numbers are OUTSTANDING. Here's the funny part, he was not a pitchman or showman...was a retailer (T-shirts) till he read my stuff and got a Zibit. hahaha. The guy's a worker!

One day Doug....I too shall have zibits!

For anyone wanting to pitch Svengalis or the worm you reallllly need to get Don Drivers video/dvd on the pitch. I think it is only available from him but it THE source for info.
Steve V

My best day ever: 42 $5.00 decks in four hours. The next three days I basicly blanked.
John Bradshaw, Dick Oakley, Mark Louis, and Jimmy Dixon have all told me that I'm not very good.

I'm doing a county fair for 6 days this year with a mental act in the afternoon and a hypno act in the evening and I'm getting a booth as part of the deal.

I'm wondering how to best utilize that booth for maximum impact: ZitBit seems like a good way to go as I can pitch it during the mentalism act.


Any ideas ?

Ok dumb question...what is a zibit?

It's a bit off topic but a “Zibit” = exhibit which is a “something” (or “something’s”) that is shown for a fee.

See: http://grindshow.com/GrindShow/Main_Exhibit_Hall.html for some of the best exhibits/Zibits available.

I won’t tell you what I make with mine but it has paid for it self a couple of hundred times over (so far) and I am not even trying!

Off topic? The Svengali Masters, Don Driver AND David Walker are scheduled to lecture on their Svengali Pitches at the Abbott's Get Together. They will also be bringing their Higley 'Zibits' to turn some extra coin!


gman: 'Zibit' is a term I came up with years ago to identify MY exhibits offered to the sideshow community.

Ah I see. Thanks Harry and Doug.

You bet gman.

Just got off the phone with David Walker who is looking forward to teaching his Sven Pitch at the Abbott's meet. Suggest anybody who does or wants to do the decks get there and learn from the best. David is 79, so I wouldn't wait till he decides not to teach anymore. Plus he'll be teamed up with Don Driver. Now that will be a DVD IF somebody can make the deal to shoot the footage!!

Even on the phone I could listen to his pitches all day long. David Walker could charm the skin off a cobra.

I had a strange experience while pitching the deck at my local flea market - an older man came up and just handed me $5.......didn't even want a deck! He told me he was in London during WWII where he heard a pitchman selling decks in Picadilly, and when he heard me it reminded him of that time of his life and it brought back some pleasant memories for him.....

The English magic dealer (the late, great) Ken Brooke was pitching Svengali decks on
Yorkshire markets at seven years of age, under the auspices of a legendary pitchman called Joe Squinters. Ken was the best salesman I ever saw in my life,
in or out of magic. His psychological technique was a real work of art. He would tell you how much you DIDN'T really want an item! So much so, that you just HAD to
have it! Pitching gave him the grounding for his wonderful magic demonstrations in later life: he was regarded as the greatest magical demonstrator of all time.
I know that while pitching Svengali's (and the mouse etc), he would sell-out of his entire stock (in large suitcases) in a matter of a few hours and earn some seriously
scary muzzulah!

Greetings-

A good discussion on Svengali Pitches, Don Driver etc & money we have earned & others as well at the following Link

http://themagiccafe.com/forums/viewtopic......t=120#21

Here we sell the decks for $10 NZ -a good day is 80 sold in 2-3 hrs, $800- with as the market is only open 5 hrs but has thousands of visitors each Sunday

2 of you working helps so much!!

Im sure some days because its very repetitive -I was doing the card moves but god knows what I was saying after 8 hrs-your mouth is dry -your fingers don't work sometimes & your voice is shattered

Loved it , every minute......

I did a 3-day car show this past weekend (11 hours on Saturday!) and was not only very tired but my voice was in tatters! A very LOUD band played several times each day, plus the PA making inane announcements plus the usual crowd noise. VErrry loud and vendors could not use a mic.

While long hours can be a drag, my only real problem is that my thumb and forefinger have become very sensitive from riffling the cards. Do most Svengali guys have callouses there? I think I will eventually develop one (or more!) but for now...verrrry sensitive.

And since I'm the only one doing Svengali in my group, I need to take a 5-minute break every hour or so. Even if I miss a sale or 2, for me, taking a break is a must.

Jon