Well, I think that you should start with 1 routine... Make it rock solid. This is a real slow process. Then, when you have thoroughly mastered it, you can tackle another routine. And so on until you have finally created a repertoire. BUT learning too many routines is not realistic in this sense that you can't keep them all to the high level that is necessary.
Just my opion.

Daffydoug,everything that has been said in this post makes sense,but I get the impression that something has been missed,put me right if I am wrong but do you actually perform for the public,cause when someone new comes into magic,they want to become a good magician and quite often (rightly so)many proffessionals will say to be really good, you must rehearse,rehearse, rehearse,and continue to rehearse before you perform to the public,and I get the feeling that you have rehearsed everything EXCEPT performing in public and maybe have an inferiority complex makes you forget,or being nervous performing to your friends,(it,s not easy at first) if this is the case then I would suggest that the next time you go into a pub or at a gathering is to show a couple of EASY tricks, (short routines)and see how it goes,maybe i,m wrong let us know ,mike

I 'm still painfully building up my FIRST rountine. I repeat the ones with good effect and improve them, dump the "helpless trick", and experiment new tricks.

At the same time, I don't mind knowing a lot of tricks, to widen my horizon. Sometimes I just got the ideas (e.g. a part of patter, a move, a principle, etc.) and use it to polish the tricks already in my rountine. After all, the process of knowing tricks is really enjoyable.

Sorry if off-topic. Back to the the original discussion. I hope one day I'm able to forget some once-mastered-tricks, because now I simply have too few mastered-tricks to forget!

I perform a close up show once a year for my company's picnic. Before I go out there, I try to remember some tricks that I rarely use and polish them. Once I get out there, I end up doing the same six tricks or so because of repitition or getting a chance to set up certain effects.

As for my stage show, I have two kids shows. If I get lost during the show, I have a sheet of paper that has the list taped to the back of the table for reference.

Mike Skinner used to say that you should learned your routines in group of three, tricks that follow one up smoothly. In this way you can remember more tricks each time because just remembering one leads up to two or three others. He also said that when you have polished one (in front of an audience) you should set it aside and work on a new one. Some times later bring back the first one and put it to use for a time. Cycle through your bag of tricks this way and you will have a good repertoire in no times. These advices can be found in his Classic Sampler book. Personnaly as I do not perform that much anymore, I spend my times polishing presentation and I also work on some new routines just to keep things fresh. BUT I have a core repertoire of about 10 tricks right now and a turnover of about a dozen. It is a known fact that Derek Dingle had a core repertoire of about three tricks and about five others that he would use as encores. When you perform magic almost each and every day, you have to develop a larger repertoire just to keep things fresh. But ultimately you come back to the same five or six tricks with which you have developped a more intimate relationship for one reason or another.

Yves

I'm always in need of more magic. Theres just something exciting about getting new tricks in the post. Evven tho I have a large repoitoire ,i always feel the need to get something new and fresh!

Yup. That addiction kicking in! Magic! It's probably more addictive than Heroin.

I have about 90 mins of tried tested Professional stage magic effects that has been used for literally thousands of various shows,

I make a living using only 35 mins for my corporate shows and events.
All up about 15 effects but they are well audience tested routines. That way I have a 15 min show, 30 min show , 45 min or 1 hr if required but I use about 6 of the routines for every show and go from there if shows are to be longer or shorter etc.


Same with my strolling gigs again in the corporate market I have about 12 effects well audience tested and I use 6 for most of my shows with options to bring in other effects if required, they all play very strong.