talkmagic.co.uk

Hello again. Something I've noticed in the past few years is the number of magicians with tables at psychic fairs. I mean people who do their thing then hand out cards offering their services actually as magicians for functions like weddings. I was talking to one magician called Randal (can;'t remember his first name) at a fair in Tyneside a coupleo f weeks ago. He said its a good way of picking up work. Some of the "real" psychics I know are against it and I've actually seen a slanging match in a car park while I was packing up but what do you think? I really don't mind. I think it's just how things are going.

Well I don't know if it' a good way to get business. Due to the fact that magicians are pretty easy to find in the Yellow Pages or on Google. Plus I can understand why some Psychics would be against it. You have some dude show up when you are doing a reading and the guy then does something silly like coins across or tries to take your business from you.

Psychics used to hate me because I do magic at psychic fairs. They used to complain all the time. I used to do the sponge balls saying "these other psychics use crystal balls. Not me. I use sponge balls. Do you see anything in the ball?" and then I would do the routine. The psychics went nuts complaining that I made the place look like a circus. I think the Buddha through the table was the last straw. They used to hate me.

Not any more though since by now I am well establishetd. I have actually developed a way to get people to sign up for readings using the svengali deck. However you have to be me to get away with it. It wouldn't work if anyone else tried it.

I say "It is very easy to do. You don't have to be Houdini to do this. Of course that is just as well because he's dead. Mind you there are people in here that can get in touch with him"

That still gets me dirty looks from the psychics.

mark lewis wrote:I think the Buddha through the table was the last straw.

Brilliant.

I class myself as a mentalist. I do work at lots of fairs and organise psychic fairs for an events company. I always like to get mentalists to have readers tables because they generally provide better readings than shut eyes and are most sensible when it comes to offering advice to people who may be in a vulnerable position.

Several mentalists from this forum have worked successfully at fairs I've organised.

Do I do "tricks" at my table? Well I have a marked pack of tarot that I can freak people out with. I was inspired to do this by a shut eye who tried the same stunt with an unmarked pack and did terribly badly. Suffice to say that I could have shown her a way to vastly improve her performance!

I never do mentalism tricks at my table. I keep the clairvoyant stuff for the reading itself. I do things which are obviously a trick and I make people laugh. When they laugh they feel comfortable with me. And when they feel comfortable with me they sign up for a reading.

However once the reading starts I become quite serious. It isn't a session at a comedy club.

I still remember a psychic going to the promoter complaining about my carnival style. He answered her by saying "Mark entertains people and makes them laugh. This is good for the fair. They don't do that when they come to YOUR booth!" She stormed off in a huff.