Hey John,
I'm not in the business of making pitch joints.( but I have made many over the years)

However,my good friend Ken is in the business.You can read his post at 'Step Right Up" Its the last several post here:

http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......2&18

I must say its the best looking pitch joint I have ever seen in my 30 plus years in the business.

Do let me know how this comes out John.

Thanks again for the DVD order and all the kind words...
Don

Reed-

Great to read your posts & success with pitching Svengalis

I had similar success last summer watching & helping a Svengali pitchman here at markets while he was on Holiday



For many years I have heard of Svengali & other pitchmen but recently have had the pleasure of working with & watching a great pitch here in New Zealand, Gus Arnold this mild mannered man from Germany has pitched in over 23 countries

I helped him pitch at trade expos with a very slick routine based on his experience as well as promote flyers by the thousand for shows etc-for 3 days we were swamped by people who love simple magic!!-I enjoyed every minute & at the end of 3 days was a real expert at this-great lessons for me!! performing this simple effect dozens of times each hour

The most interesting days for me were at busy markets & main streets blocking the sidewalk watching Gus have huge crowds around his table & the way with humour he drew crowds & in less than 2 hrs had over $800 from Svengali decks sold to an fascinated audience -$10 a deck plus we showed them at the back the quick workings for those that wanted to see who had bought a deck!

Gus came along to our local IBM night recently & was a great hit with his pitch to the members who I think were impressed by there reactions to handling of an old classic

Anyone who has seen previous posts from me knows I perform many stage & cabaret shows & tour with a hypnotist as his opening act all over our country

Watching a pitchman work the crowds & sell a very simple yet effective card trick done by an expert with humour & skill is as you say a great way to learn-the streets are your best source of whether your effects will work for an audience or not

-I have now included this pitch & routine in many small venues as a bit of fun after the big shows or comedy clubs etc & people are truley baffled by this classic card effect bought to new life-Im as surprised as anyone!!

doesn't matter what you do but if its done in an entertaining way-Thats Magic!!!

Good Luck

Its the best $30 I ever spent.I have made good money from this DVD all summer and I'll be making more money from it for years to come. Thanks for all this great
infomation Don!

You can watch a clip at: http://www.magicpitch.com

Magic Pitch is the only place you can order Don's Svengali pitch DVD and Don's other DVD "Building a Tip"

Thanks again Don.(My smokes cost me $50 a carton!!!)

John

I just ordered this and I hope it serves me well. I have over 600 Svengali Decks, and I also have Dave Walker's VHS tape and booklet. Dave's work is interesting (1993), Mark Lewis' online performance is definately not me, but the reviews for Don's DVD is very compelling.

Based on my research, I hope to settle for the right pitch and add a little comedy.

Marshall Brodien's TV Magic Cards commercials in the early 70's were instrumental in my desire to become a magician and later a trade show performer. There is a nostalgic feeling whenever I read or see something related to the Svengali pitch.

I've been drawn particularly to the positive posts regarding Don Driver's Svengali Pitch DVD. I ordered it and now see for myself what all the fuss is about.

This is one of the most fascinating and inspiring magic DVDs. If you're interested in making money with magic, in a business with very low overhead, this DVD has all of the information you need. Don makes the business of pitching Svengali decks super simple and fun. "Heck, if I can do it, anybody can!"

After viewing the DVD and then speaking with Don, I realize that he is one of those rare people in the magic world that knows the real work and wants to share it and see you succeed. His enthusiasm is contagious, and if you watch and listen carefully, you'll learn some really valuable information from him. After viewing Driver's Svengali Pitch DVD, I predict you will soon find yourself at Home Depot buying a piece of 4 x 8 plywood, some hinges, and paint...

Hope it helps,
christopher

Update-

Greetings Svengali guys!!

Well today was the first market of my spring Pitch selling Svengalis on my own

Was there only 2 hrs & sold over $200 worth of decks plus many enquiries for xmas events & work functions etc so will pay well

First day out is a bit tough-good crowds but will get crazy in the weeks leading to Xmas, we get 10-12000 in 4 hrs so plenty of foottraffic!!-Im the only Magician here !!

Just talking to people got the pitch started-crowds gathered quick & many oohs & aahs with this simple effect

Was a relaxed time & also performed a few extra close up routines to people that had bought decks after the pitch at the end-good for follow up work-handed out many cards

the other stall owners could not believe how easy it was to get a crowd!!-

I took along my linking rings for a quick crowd gathering extra-I only used 3 times-crowds just stopped & watched & I went straight into Svengali using good eye contact & lots of humour & a loud voice!! This worked well today

I only had 24 decks with me & sold the lot, each $10

Bought a new Hat to use on sunny days in our summer approaching

Things will get better prior to Xmas, I will be doing this at many markets now-the money is too good

Keep you all posted

-Brent

I have said this before but never can say it enough. If you want to learn anything about pitching Don is the man to go to! I have known Don for many years and he is a wealth of information on this type of thing. Plus a great person too!

No question that Don's Svengali Pitch DVD sets the "gold standard" for this type of thing. It's not fancy, but definitely contains all the information you need to do a first-class job your very first time out. We should all be very thankful that Don was willing to share the real work on this with the magic community and preserve the Svengali Pitch for future generations. This would even be helpful to magicians who do back-of-the-room (BOR) sales after their shows.

The only thing I would add, and I know Don may disagree, would be to consider pitching an alternative item as well as the Svengali Deck. That way, if someone does not like card tricks, they have something else to buy instead. If they are already familiar with the Svengali Deck, you have something else to show them; if not, then you have the possibility of a multiple sale!

Also, for children in 4th, 5th or 6th grade, they may not be able to handle a Svengali Deck, but could work a Money Paddle or Magic Worm. Girls may not care for card tricks, but they love Magic Worms. Coin tricks are always a good draw, so the Money Paddle comes in handy that way; who wouldn't like to make money from nowhere, with this simple but effective version of the Miser's Dream?

Both of these items are inexpensive and don't take up much room (I can fit 75 Magic Worms in a plastic Stanley toolbox). Yes, it will double your inventory cost, but in my experience, will probably also double or triple your take as well. SETH

Seth actually Don does pitch the worm as well. So he would agree with you.

For children don’t forget the "Magic Mouse", it works great!

You're right Randy.Seth I have the squirmle pitch with the Svengali deck right in my DVD.It works great as a magic package pitch.

Mind_Magic,

The mouse is good and I know guys that pitch it but the Squirmle is so much better.

Thanks guys...
Don

Don, now I do remember that the Squirmle pitch is also on your Svengali DVD. So buyers really will get the one-two punch from your DVD!

BTW, when that worm starts to jump from one cup to another, you don't need to say a word to draw a crowd, people just stop dead in their tracks and watch, it's like moths drawn to a flame. Another real crowd pleaser is when the worm crawls up the side of the cup to give you a kiss, the kids go nuts over that . . . SETH

I also must build or use a better stand

I have good signage which stops people but seeing earlier photos
of the magic stand a few posts back are terriffic!

I also sell a few extras as well as Svengalis-we used to sell many Ball in Vase routines, now we sell coin through card-the more the better!!

Also perform good close up for quieter moments when people have bought decks etc as there laughing etc attracts more people for the next Svengali pitch

I usually have 3 or 4 decks I pitch with & swap quickly so a different card is seen by those who hang around for a while-this usually convinces them to buy!!

Occasionally, not often- I put the deck in a glass & produce the 4 aces 1 at a time after passing a silk over the glass, aces facing the crowd, this fries the audience & the sales happen- A nice magical finish

Amazing stat so far is women are buying more than the guys!!! about 60/40 in womens favour!!

Keep you posted away again this weekend to 2 markets

-Brent

Brent -- good idea on the swapping of decks to use some different key cards. I do the same thing for the same reason. But I've also found that if you use the same deck hour after hour, it can get a little sticky! So changing decks is a good idea for both reasons.

Although Don's pitch stand design is great, I decided to go with a 4' portable table from Sam's/BJ's/Cosco, about $40. This is a lightweight but heavy-duty piece with a thick plastic top and an enameled steel frame. The result is a very rigid and durable table. It's also height-adjustable, so you don't have to bend over to pitch, which will be very tough on your back in short order. Sam's also sells the same type of table in a folding style, which may be more convenient for folks with smaller cars.

For indoor jobs, I bought a 5'x 3' red velvet or velveteen remnant at a fabric shop for $15. I just drape it over the table, and it looks very classy and is also a good attention-getter. To prevent the cloth from sliding around on the table, I bought two rolls of 1' wide rubber shelf liner in a grocery store, and laid that underneath the cloth. It works like a charm and also gives you a nice soft working surface, almost like a close-up pad. SETH

Seth-

Great advice on the cloths as well

Thanks for that

Will try this asap

I too find the decks get a bit dirty with fingers & bending all the time when used heaps etc


for some reason theres always 2 or 3 people hanging at a distance watching etc so I swap decks in my case or use an Invisible deck for a laugh (i don't sell these) as I yell out to them to think of a card then start again with Svengali

Good Luck

-Brent

This week took along extra signage & displays-bit tricky at times with wind but settled

Signage helped people stop, as well as other stall holders intrigued by the crowds around the tables

Sold all decks & had 1 family devaststed they shuffled the deck-was it now not usable!!Shows them how to reset-getting a few regulars stopping each week-helps build the crowd etc

Received the GREAT DVD from Don. I have only watched it a GAZILLION times...so I understand the concept but still have a heck of a time handling the cards. I set up my practice table in the front room, right in front of the TV and go OVER and OVER and.... And since I have acquired 2 gross of decks and 250 sets of the 2-card Monte...guess I'd better learn how to do it!!

The DVD leaves NOTHING to the imagination. It is so complete, only a dummy would NOT be able to use it. ;-)

I have reserved my spaces at one of the local flea markets this weekend so, with my supply of stock and having paid $90 for 2 spots (also have someone selling strippers!) there is no going back.

By the way, Eddie's sells the 2-card Monte decks (54 cards) for $1 each plus shipping. Haines House of Cards sells 250 of each card (500 total) for about $75 plus shipping. Eddies is MUCH cheaper. What I paid $75 for from Haines would have cost less than $10 from Eddies. Live and learn.

By the way, 2 gross of Svengali cards from Loftus cost almost $30 in shipping from NV to San Antonio. Those suckers weigh A TON! I'm not kidding! So they cost $0.703 per deck. Add in the $0.34 for the 2-card Monte, I have a little over a dollar in each sale. Will be happy to get the cheaper ones from Eddies. Then I'll have about $0.75 in each sale.

Congrats on taking the plunge and good luck to you. I agree, with Don's DVD you are off to a great start.

In my experience, one of the keys to a good Svengali pitch is being smooth and graceful in handling the cards. I'm not talking about fancy flourishes here. But if you can shuffle them in neat overhand and riffle shuffles, do a smooth spread on the table, and generally handle them gracefully, you are showing that 1) you know what you are doing and 2) that it will be easy for the specs to do it, too. If you are clumsy with the cards, the specs will think, well, if you can't handle them, they must be very hard to use, and they won't buy it.

As Don says, you have to show them that this is the greatest magic trick in the world, and that they can do it. Also, a smooth handling helps to conceal the true nature of the deck. If you can handle it as if it was a regular deck of cards, it will appear to BE a regular deck of cards, making the mystery even more mysterious.

My only other thought is whether you are essentially competing with yourself by selling a Stripper deck as well. The specs may not appreciate the fact that they are two different mechanical decks, and it may simply create a choice between the decks instead of a supplemental purchase. I do pitch other items in addition to the Svengali Deck, like the Magic Worm and the Money Paddle, but they are completely different kinds of tricks. I'll be interested to hear what others may have to say on this point. I also feel that a Stripper Deck does not demo as well as a Svengali Deck. When you show that all the cards have changed to the selected card, eyes pop and jaws drop, that's the move that always makes the sale! With a Stripper deck, I know that you can find their chosen card behind your back, cut to the four Aces, etc., but it just doesn't have the same punch, in my opinion.

Anyway, it's an interesting journey and with Don's help we have all evolved our own ways of selling and doing business. I know that you will find your own way, too. BTW, you may want to browse around in the "Step Right Up" section of the Café', there are plenty of good posts and tips about the Svengali Pitch there.

Good luck to you, please let us know how it goes! SETH

Sorry to confuse things. My friend will be selling automatic wire STRIPPERS. I'll be the only one doing cards (I hope!) And thanx for the advice.

Jon-O

OK, glad to hear there are no Stripper decks around your Svengali decks.

Now I'll bite, what the heck is an automatic wire stripper? The only ones I know of are the little pliers-like gizmos that have different size holes. You just pick the right size hole, put the wire in it, squeeze and bingo, it strips the insulation off the wire. Of course, this is a manual operation, but it's still pretty close to automatic. So what is your friend selling? SETH