My only problem comes when people request to see the same trick again right after completion. Certain tricks right now require a bit of setting up, and in the case of this, it would be incredibly obvious if I tried to set it up again as well.

Since my bag o' tricks isnt exactly that large yet, so I cant exactly stiff arm them and then just move onto the next trick. Right now, my only defense is to just slide it into my pocket, blush like crazy and refuse.

Any other methods to keep the prying eyes from requesting to see tricks over and over again?

Normally, i'll just say..
"You think that's good? Then, you should check this out, man!", then. proceed with another trick...
Or "Here, let me show you something even better......."

all above quote, i believe are mentioned somewhere else in this forum..just trying to highlight some ideas...

I had the same problem, you could just say that you can only do it once a night and magical energy has to saved up its good for kids and adults laugh

Try just saying 'Sorry, once is a performance, twice is a lesson. And i charge for lesson.' If they are willing to pay then to edited with it just show them it again even if they figure it out. Once a guy gave me £10 to do the invisible deck again

ten pounds!!!!! not bad!

I may have to steal that one

I usually say "No. Few things in life get better for repetition", and leave it at that. In that moment you've raise a philosophical imponderable, and taken their minds off their demands. They lost the moment.

If you routine your tricks properly, the audience won't have a chance to request repeat performances because they've moved on to the next trick. Realizing you don't have too many tricks just yet, I would recommend doing a trick that has different phases and versions that promote the same effect (amitious card is a great example).

I would also suggest you signal the climax of your tricks in such a way as to make it impossible to go back. For example, after producing fruit from three cups audiences are not even remotely interested in where the little balls went. They also realize the the production of the fruit is better than the trick with the little balls.

Just remember to build your routine/trick so it has a logical progression. This way people learn to expect more by watching and not by speaking. I hope this helps.

Once...is...a...performance....Twice..is...a...lesson. I..charge...for....lessons.... ha got it.
I like that, will come in handy and hey I might even make a few bucks!


"Nobody goes anywhere, with out going some where"

There's nothing better than a bit of good old fashioned lying. Just say with a mildly sarcastic tone:

"Sorry, I'd love to do the trick again but it only comes with so many refils/replacements. Do you know how much they cost!? I'm not made of money, unless you are willing to donate a couple of pounds/dollars."

You can try and get some money out of this! Of course you really don't need refills (unless you really do, in which case, increase the sarcasm level).

Alternatively, this idea only works with a few tricks. With some tricks, like that one where you change a yellow silk into a red one, you show them how to do the trick while doing another one. In the case of this trick, you tell the specator to hide the silk in their hand (the magician puts the silk in his hand) so no-one will see it. He then casually opens his now empty hand, explaining that you should never open your hand or they will see it. This sort of thing is great because it "reveals" a worse trick while doing a better one.

I invented something for the ambitious card routine with this in mind. Do a mexican turnover top-change second deal (Daryl's Ambitious Card DVD) to show the top two cards are the same (you explain that you use two cards exactly the same for the routine). At the end of the move, the card shown is second from the top.

Do a DL to show it, turn it face down and put it on the table. Then put the rest of the deck on top of it. Now say that the duplicate card is on top of the deck. Turn over the top card. It is the card.

Now tell them to try it (don't hand them the deck - let them pick it up from the table). They can't find the duplicate. This one'll baffle them. They have learnt an okay-ish trick while being the subject of a better one.

In a situation when they are asking me to do it again a will usually say:
"Why, I did it perfect the first time

"A magician guards an empty safe"

The reason why magicians guard their secrets so much is because the secret is always so simple. By not knowing the secret, it is almost better than knowing it. There is nothing worse than explaining the secret to an amazing trick, only to find that your once mesmerised audience are now rather deflated.

You will feel much, much better in the long run if you don't show people how your tricks are done. For a few minutes, people will be clawing at you, demanding to know how your trick was done, but after a while, they just accept it and every now and again, someone will try and casually ask you how it was done. Just don't tell them. You can live happily, knowing that you know something so simple, but they don't.

The exception to this is when the secret is more interesting than the trick itself, for example, Penn and Teller's Truck Trick. That's why they showed how it was done.

Yeah. I don't tell them anything. It's magic. However, tricks like Kings In A Blanket and 3 rows of 7 are tricks that I'll show anyone who is interested. Give them a bone.

to tell the truth, every time i'm showing someone 3-4 tricks at the end i tell them a nothing junk trick that they could get on the internet for "nlich'
nothing at all $0
and they don't ask me to tell them any other trick

sam

I'd suggest showing them another effect with the attitude that they ain't seen nothin' yet.

However, you may un into the same people over time wanting you to repeat something you did a few months ago. For example, I have a group of about 8 friends who, every time I see them (once every 2 months), desparately request I do that thing where I put a cigarette through a quarter.

Please try to convert your thought process with this. You have these people by the throat!!! You have all the power! They loved you, they want to see more! And that's where you leave them. You have created a memory for these people that will last. They will forever remember that day you did the effect. You have all the power. And you MUST adhere to the rule that should guide all entertainers: KEEP THEM WANTING MORE! The minute you repeat the trick, you will cheapen it. ANd cheapen that moment a few months ago.

I secretly told one of my friends that "I never perform a trick that is requested. I ain't your trick monkey." They think that's funny. You can use that if you are working a crowd and Johnny runs over and says, "show that one you did for me to her!"