"Jim Pace tips his hand about creating magic tricks."Discover the Secret to Creating Your Own Magic Tricks: An Interview with Magic Inventor Jim Pace.Interviewed By J.L. Siefers[J.L.] How do you invent new magic tricks? [Jim] Funny you should ask. I just came up with a new idea for a coin ladder while I was taking my daughter to Karate. Sometimes if you have been wanting to perform a certain effect the ideas come. I write them down so I can keep them sorted. Then I dissect them until they either make since or I trash them as not worth working on. Get some foundations in your magic, whether it be strolling or stage. Then as your acts get stronger you will want to add a gimmick sometime. Sometimes it will not be available...that is where you begin. [J.L.] How do you decide if a new magic trick is good enough to market? [J.L.] How much change to an existing magic trick is necessary before you market it yourself? [Jim] This is a touchy question. I only create a better something if I honestly believe that an improvement can be made. For instance, there is a product that ignites flash cotton that clips to your finger. We sold a bunch at the store that I worked at. Your hands were left with a gimmick that you had to get rid of. My Sparkle Flash Gimmick was created from the need of getting rid of the flash device after it was triggered. So I created a gimmick that goes into the sleeve or jacket the moment it is triggered. That way you can show both hands empty. There is nothing like it on the market today. As far as marketing another’s effect with improvements...I would leave it alone, or at least contact the originator and work out something with them. [J.L.] Who can someone take a new magic trick to have marketed? [Jim] I would approach any who advertise in the magic periodicals. [J.L.] How do you figure out what to charge for a magic trick when someone else is marketing it? [Jim] Ask the ones who are going to market it for you. They will give you good feedback. A good rule of thumb is ...If you cannot make double your investment, leave it alone or market it yourself. [J.L.] How do you get endorsements and testimonials for your magic trick? [Jim] Go to lectures and see if you can take them aside to show your effect then ask what they think. You may get some great testimonials. Also get to some conventions and do the same thing. [J.L.] Can you relate the story of how you successfully created and marketed a magic trick? [Jim] I created the Web completely by accident. I had been doing a practical joke behind the counter at the magic store that I worked at. The joke was....as I counted back the change I would tell the customer that we were in a very old building and sometimes you see cockroaches...loading a rubber cockroach onto the back of their hand. You get the idea? I had then developed it into a card trick and performed it for Mac King, He said that I needed to market it. Hmmmmmm..OK! Thanks Mak! [J.L.] Can you tell us of when you created a magic trick that wasn’t successful? [Jim] I once created a fiber optic magic wand that I called WANDERFUL. It never really took off. I guess that it was too expensive. [J.L.] How do you know when to market a magic trick rather than publish it in a magic magazine? [Jim] I would publish as many things as possible into the magazines. It is a great way to get feedback from your peers. If it is something that needs a gimmick then you cannot easily publish it in a magazine. That is unless the gimmick is readily available. [J.L.] What advice can you give someone wanting to invent new magic tricks? [Jim] Keep records of all your ideas. They may come in handy some day. Stay focused. Do not be afraid to try new ideas. Obstacles are those annoying things that get in your way on the way to success. Jim Pace has more than thirty years of experience in magic. He has invented many successful magic tricks over the years. Visit Jim's site to learn more about Jim and his products. Privacy Policy & Terms of Service  |