Hi all -- one of my magic groups met last evening and we got t talking about the magic tricks that we've bought where sales video presentations show best outcomes and/or best uses. It's disappointing that we've spent good money on the effect only to then be stuck with a piece of magic we're not happy with. There are some creators who are very responsive who want happy customers - where they support their customers either with a refund, credit -- something. But that are others who are completely unresponsive and that's just not right.

I think all magic creators need to be more transparent in their marketing trailers -- letting people know that what they're seeing is a best use or best outcome.

This should become a standard of selling magic -- or allow the buyer to send back the trick for a full refund. If you agree please like this post and let's make purchasing magic more transparent and at the same time support those magician creators who support this. Perhaps magician creators can have post disclaimer that their new trick shows best outcomes -- something... but something.

I hear what you're saying but I think this is just the nature of marketing. By nature, ads show the best possible outcome.

Cheerios commercials mention the best possible outcome of eating their product to lower cholesterol.

Nike commercials show the best possible result of wearing those Jordan. When I reality, most consumers won't get anywhere near Jordan's skill level.

You probably won't dunk a basketball either by just drinking Gatorade. But they'll show that as the best result from quenching your in game thirst.

Diet commercials show the best possible outcome/results from their programs. And if it was that easy, we'd all be skinny right? Granted they do tell you that "results will vary" but I think that's pretty obvious.

Now, if the ad is deceptive that's another story. As I agree, there is is no excuse for that.

Is there a specific ad/magic release that prompted the discussion?

As otherwise, best possible outcome is just kind of the nature of the marketing game.

"Now, if the ad is deceptive that's another story. As I agree, there is is no excuse for that."

Define Deception, we are Magicians, we deal with Deception all the time. Leaving things out of the ad IS Deception.

To me, if you are targeting your products to other magicians, there is no room for Deception, be open about it. Don't s**t where you eat. Honesty is the best policy in this case.

I agree with magringo that there is problem here, but ...

Misrepresentation is wrong for any product, politician or religious leader - but no one seems to really care.
People in general misrepresent who they are and believe, usually telling the listener what they want to hear (or best guess)

If you spend more than ten minutes a day on FaceBook you are supporting misrepresentation and deception.
If you EVER buy anything from an unsolicited phone call or email, you are support deceptive and even illegal practices.

Just saying, I am not sure who to blame here.

Any video of a magic effect is not a good representation of how it will play for a live audience, plus any audience being recorded will not act naturally.
Can viewing one help you decide if you have an interest? Sure. Buyer beware - you know it is less than real" from the outset.

Personally, I would like to see what came before and after the effect being sold. I do not look at life through a toilet paper tube, and don't do magic effects only functional from a limited point of view.

Is buying from a trailer a good idea at all? I have created dozens of sleights, effects and routines used world wide. I might provide training videos, but never a video trailer.
Why. Because the initial impression of a routine from an unreal perspective can bias your later learning of the incremental steps, logic and psychology involved.
Repeated viewing of video presentation may make mastery impossible except for YouTube video of your skill.

The OP asks, "Perhaps magician creators can have post disclaimer that their new trick shows best outcomes -- something... but something."

I can and do - NO VIDEO is a good representation how my incredible effect will play for a live audience when performed as instructed and mastered.
So, I do not offer them.

.......


However, any deliberate claim or false representation of functionality should be a basis for a refund and public outcry against the marketing company.
But, not being able to get the same results as on a sales video is like complaining about an online date.

This is a complex topic. At the simplest level when you buy a trick you are buying the secret and thinking that goes into it, rather than just the props. A refund would not "work".

Unfortunately the process of being disappointed is an important part of the learning process in magic. There are all sorts of learning points that could include; the secret itself is not that important, most marketed tricks sink without trace, many items are impracticably angley and only work on social media. Armed with this awareness read the descriptions more carefully, the clues are often there, especially from reputable dealers.

Outright falsehoods or lies are rare and definitely a good basis for a refund.

It’s really as old as the hills but it’s not as bad as it used to be. In the old days, black pudding was so black, that even the white bits were black.

While I agree with the comments above, here's another way to look at it.

I see a video for a trick I like. It looks fantastic. I buy it. Basically, most of the time, I'm buying a prop, but, either way, the trick arrives. I read the instructions and proceed to perform it. It falls flat or someone catches on.

Should I expect a refund because I didn't bother to practice? Did I perform a magical feat or did I demonstrate a one-trick pony?

I rarely watch demo videos, but the majority I've seen were basically just demonstrating a gadget. How many people, in this day of expecting instant gratification, do perform them that way?

If I do buy a gadget, say a pizza oven, and don't follow the instructions and burn my Saturday-night pizza, do I take it back for a refund because I didn't get the pizza I saw on the commercial? If the oven is defective and the temp settings are way off, then sure, I would take it back. Otherwise, it might be time to put a little effort into making the next pizza.

"There were no Hoffmann's books of magic when I was a boy. The conjuring books were Frauds.
They either explained nothing worth knowing or gave false explanations."

-MR. J. N. Maskelyne, born at Cheltenham 1939

As an amateur card guy, I have never bought "a" trick, except when I was 4 and that trick was rubbish as I recall. I buy books full of tricks, etcetera and today books on magic are normally great value, in my humble opinion.

Tommy, that's 1839.

Here is a fantastic way to avoid all that. Create on your own.

Barring that you own the secret. Unless you plan on un remembering the secret it is what it is. Do you know that it didn’t live up to everyone’s expectations? Maybe you just expected too much?

Do any other markets try to do what you are asking? I can’t think of a single one. Maybe they exist though. It seems untenable to try to live up to what every single person may expect.

Outright lies about conditions it can be performed in such as being done surrounded are wrong. Barring that it is called puffery. It is perfectly legal, and ethical.