Something that has been on my mind lately is the issue of revealing secrets. When is it "OK" to let someone know a secret. I sat down watching the cups and balls video the other day, and I wondered, "Why is it OK for him to let me know the secrets, and not OK for me to tell my friend?" I never do reveal secrets, but is it a money issue? If my friend buys the secret from me, is that OK? Do I have to accept my friend as an apprentice and make him sweep my house for a year before I teach "the french drop"? I'm just curious what some thoughts are about this. Don;t worry. I'm not gonna be giving away my (an your) secrets.

Hmm.. To me, the difference is why would your friend want to know? I doubt it's because he's into magic and would like to know the trick to perform but just because he's baffled by the effect. You know what I mean? Just my opinion.

The number one reason not to reveal tricks is because it is the Magicians Code not to reveal how tricks are done. You probably paid for the cups and balls video didn't you? You paid for the secret. If you in return turn around and give away the secret for free, then the person you gave it to doesn't have to pay. In that respect, yes, it's about money. But that's part of what magic is all about. If the secrets were free then everybody would have access to them. If everybody had free access to the secrets of magic tricks, then there would be no reason to do magic. As for exposing magic on these boards, I think it should be restricted to the Penguins section. Those who have purchased tricks here either already know or will know the secrets as they receive them. Then there's no harm done. That's my opinion on the subject.

It RUINS tricks. My friends found the DL on a site, now i cant do ANY trick without them thinking i have 2 cards instead of one. I sometimes tell my friends small tricks to showoff to there mom or friends or something. But i never reveal a secret to a trick that requires sleights that i use alot, or that any magician uses alot. Most of the time i never reveal secrets to sleight of hand...

Thanks for the replies. I wish there was a Magician's Guild or some club in my area. It would be nice to swap tricks and talk magic, Just like here. I don't suppose that anyone has an "Official Magician's Code" around anywhere. All I go by is, "Never reveal a secret." Maybe when we sign up on the penguin site we should agree to that idea. I'm just rambling. Thanks again for the replies.

yeah i never reveal any secrets to people i am performing for. I have a few friends and we all do magic so when one of us buys a new video or trick we help each other out. so i would guess that you can reveal secrets to those who you can trust with your magic secrets, like other magicians who have shown you that they know about magic.

I 110% agree with DGreen-The people who want to know the secret only want to know because they liked the effect. You can say "well if I tell you, you wont want to see it again"...they rpely"i dont anyway" i would reply by asking them why they want the secret then. anybody who gives away the secrets to our magic are in my book breaking rules. Stuff like magic and magic tricks have stayed mystifiying and amazing for a long long time and for someone to just come along and break that, its terrible. Hope you catch my drift....Josh

The issues of money, friendship and whatever other reasons there are not to reveal secrets are secondary. THIS IS THE MAIN REASON : Ya know that great feeling you get when they look at you like a devil? YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BE SEEING THAT WHEN YOU GIVE AWAY THE SECRET. #1 reason : REACTION email me at DJSYankees@hvc.rr.com

I totaly agree! I remember buying my first magic trick......It was in a magic shop right after I seen it performed, and I wqas dissapointed greatly after the secret was reveiled, I guess somewhere in the back of my mind I thought there realy was some kind of hokus pokus going on. The efect lost about 75% of apealment to me and likewise everyone else who learns the secret, so if everyone knows the secret,nobody is Impressed.

To tell you the truth, most people who ask how something is done really don't want to know. The excitment and mystery gets them, and that's why people like magic generally. If they really want to know, now more than ever there are ways in which it can be found...as most of us have learned. Think about it, if you had an awesome effect that you made up, and I bought it, would you be happy if I just told everyone freely how its done. It destroys your work, and weakens the magic field for everyone. EVERYONE. Besides, why would you want to reveal a secret? It only makes you look bad (friends don't have same respect for you as they did when you did it and it was a mystery).

I might get a few flamings here but I do reveal secrets, but not to everyone. The one or two people I come across that are obviously SERIOUSLY interested in getting into magic, rather than just wanting to spoil it for them selves or others, I will show them how to do a trick. ONE trick being the main idea. I don't reveal my act, just give them a little something that might make them pursue the hobby or even career. I know that that's how I got into magic, so I try to do the same for others. If though I can tell that they just want to know for other reasons (and I usually can tell) I would never think of exposing.

I will only reveal or allow a hint of revelation to a trick only after someone has really proven that they want to know. Usually, if they want to know something, I'll say "if you really want to know, the truth is out there" and then I will refer them to a book or something that can get them started. Only after a display of taking that advise seriously will I then maybe show them a tidbit of something, a move or whatever (not a trick) and a bit more advise on where to start. I try to encourage without giving away a trick, but I will at times show how to do a newb trick that I did when I started out (some easy card miracle or something), especially for younger kids who seem to really have a zeal for magic.

Here is what I think. If I do an effect for someone and they ask me really really nicely... I still don't tell them. I don't tell them, give them a hint or refer them to any books. If they really want to know for the right reasons (ie learn magic) then they will do they're own research. If they show me that they have learned some stuff on they're own like a color change or a pass then I will show them a little something. Nothing above the level they are at though. If they just learned how to do a DL I might show them how to do a trick utilizing the DL or I might show them another way to do a DL. But I'm not going to show them the secrets to false counts or any tricks above they're level because then they will just "know" and when people aren't at a level to perform a trick they just "know" they will disregard it because they know how it's done and they won't think it's worth practicing. If a friend like the one I read about wants to get on a site, learn a DL and then use it to just rub it in your face then good for them. That will be the last time I ever do magic for them and they ruined that for themselves. As far as fellow magicians at the same level as me that's whole different story. I think we need to communicate and trade tricks and ideas to better us all as magicians while sticking to the CODE with laymen to weed out the hip t.v. generation fakers.