
Once you have been bitten, and I mean really bitten by the Magic Bug you are bitten for life. There is no cure so just settle back and enjoy it but don't bankrupt yourself. I found the best cure was, to have my wife with me, when near dealer's stands. Even then you need to a. leave your wallet, cheque book and credit card at home , locked in the safe and entrusting the key to someone else plus being handcuffed, behind your back. For those of you who keep on buying, and that's 98% of the Magic Brotherhood, get out those tricks, once a year. play with them and ask yourself, 'Can I use this?' and 'WILL I ever use this?' If not let it go. Oh I MIGHT want to use it ..sometime. There is no answer. We had gone to London in the early 90's to see Derek Jacobi, whom we'd met twice. One of my ex drama students had appeared in the West End with him. As it happened it was the Mgic Circle Dealer's Day. No, I hadn't booked the theatre seats deliberately on that day..though i was never believed. my said " I'll have lunch in the hotel bar and you go round for a couple of hours but remember, whatever you buy we have to take into the matinee with us" When I emerged, blank eyed, 2 hours later she quipped, " Now I know where you got that carrierbagitis from. I'd bought you 2 beautiful leather briefcases bu you insisted on taking everything to work in a plastic bag" I looked round and lo and behold there were some hundred magicians all running round the hotel, clutching plastic bags. Luckily I had only bought 3 pocket tricks, 2 silk tricks, a TT, and 4 books. They would sit easily on my lap in the Theatre. The worst thing is opening a box in the Magic Room and finding stuff, either unopened or you don't know what or why the hell you'd bought it in the first place.
After 63 years of buying magic I'm still doing it. Help!
The uncurable,
Allen Tipton
Began magic at 9 in 1942. Joined Staffs M.S at 13. Nottm.Guild of M. (8 times President. Prog Director 20years)IBM. Awarded Magician of Month 1980 By Intern. Pres. IBM for reproducing Dante's Sim Sala Bim. Writes Dear Magician column for Abra. Mag.