I lost my pointless by Greg Wilson gimmick last night (just the tip). I played with using a stealth pen tip but the tip on the pointless pen looks a bit different. Does anyone know if I can buy the pen without the dvd? Don't wanna spend $40 again on something I already own the dvd for.

Ari

We were talking about this when Pointless first came out. As far as I have heard they are not making just the pen / gimmick available.

I learned how to make my own replacements / extra gimmicks after a little experimenting and can now do them for any Bic stick pen in any color.

Twist

Contact Greg directly off his website. Probably won't work, but at least worth a try.

I'll try that. It's my own fault for having the cap on the ungimmicked end. Was bound to happen. When someone finds it at the restaurant they will be like "what the *%$! is this" haha.

Problem solved baby! was at a Greg Wilson lecture last night here in PA and Greg gave me an extra tip.

afelbs where in PA are you and where was the lecture?

-JT

Must be nice. I messaged him on FB and emailed about mine getting stolen, and how much for a new one. Zero replies.

Guess I'll just wait until it goes on sale again at HP for $19.

I live in a suburb of Philadelphia....and the lectures are at Marc Desouza's (magician) house. Last night was Greg. When I asked him about it he said he would sell me the pen for $20 then said he would sell me the tip for $10 and then just gave me the tip that he demo'd the trick with earlier in the lecture.

-Ari

Ahh, okay. I'm in Pittsburgh and I hear about no lectures at all, plus I think our SAM and IBM rings are DEAD. So I'm on my own with Mike Super and Paul Gertner here .

I've been thinking about making the trip out to DeSouza's for the NYCM Seminar, but I've never been able.

-JT

Tell Paul I just received my order for what is probably the last copy available of his book Steel and Silver. And, no, it wasn't a used copy.

I JUST found out that Greg Wilson is lecturing here on Friday, as I frantically search for a place that this is posted. If I miss this, it'll be the second lecture I've missed out on because Pittsburgh magicians can't communicate (the first being a Darwin Ortiz lecture).

And ElConquistador, I've been looking for a copy of that book...contains some GOLD!

-JT

There is a way to get a replacement Pointless gimmick.

Regarding Steel and Silver, this site seems to be selling a used copy; http://www.joyalstack.com/Pages/Deja_Lu ... fmanR.html

Marc said that Greg's lecture at his house sold out really fast, so if it is tomorrow in Pittsburgh it may be too late (sorry to say). But, Marc's theater in his house doesn't seat relatively that many so if it is at a bigger venue in Pitt maybe you can still get a seat. It is a very funny lecture, and he is selling some new stuff he has yet to technically put out yet.

O, and Marc says the coin seminar is good.

Ari

Dear Greg,

I purchased Pointless a while back at a local magic shop, and I lost the gimmick. I still have the *gimmick description*. I can't find where they sell it anywhere! I'm a bar magician, and I did it for like two months before losing it. I heard there were only 500 made! OMG Is this true??? What do I do now? I don't know about shelling out another $45 bucks for just the gimmick I already purchased and for something I put some good hours of practice on. If you have a producer or seller, please let me know. I want it back in my act.

Frustrated,

V

Vouthynar.

Thank you for your inquiry. We do have ‘Pointless’ in stock. However, we don’t sell parts individually. You can purchase a new complete product (with DVD and case) for $45... or just the individual pen by itself for $30. Hope that helps!

Regards,

Randall Lee Smith, VP Operations
http://www.GregoryWilsonFX.com

I don't see the original pen on the site. But $30? I could see $20, but $30? I just need the *gimmick description*. Oh well, I need to steer people away from this one, cause once you lose the gimmick, it's too difficult to replace.

Vouthynar:

The majority of the manufacturing and engineering expense with ‘Exact Change’ is in the “Tip.” That’s not a marketing or policy gimmick, it’s just a simple fact. Furthermore, because of the complexity of this particular product, selling individual parts is not practical or economical. Again, that reasoning is not because we don’t care about customer service or quality control... but because any policy to the contrary is NOT PRACTICAL OR AFFORDABLE.

The fact of the matter is we didn’t lose the *gimmick description*; you did. So why you would want us to carry the cost and burden of YOUR unfortunate mistake is absolutely unreasonable by any standards. Furthermore, had you tried using a little more rational diplomacy and asked if we could “help you” with some of the recovery cost, we probably would have obliged and worked with you. We aim to please! But you instead chose to try and intimidate and/or manipulate us with your “steer people away from this one” tactic. Well, as much as we care about customer service, nobody likes being manipulated.

With that said, should you decide you want to try a more honest, fair and reasonable approach in getting what you want... please let us know.

I accept the fact that I lost the gimmick. I'll concede that. However as a worker, when you buy a product for $45 we expect the ability to replace a gimmick at a "reasonable" cost.

What happened to me can happen to any magician. When you are reaching into your pocket and it's not there and not replaceable by the next performance day, week, or in my case months, it hurts your tips aka the means to buy products like yours.

I've practically own almost everything Greg has produced, and Freakkey is on it's way this week. Had I known that I was going to get treated like this by his vp of operations, I'd probably chose differently about Greg 10 years ago.

$30 is still too much for a *gimmick description* which I already paid for. While I understand mass production costs, I think as a team that you would have realized that the "tip" is a very small and easy product to lose. Add that it's *gimmick description*, it can go anywhere*gimmick description*

I have a right to warn people that the gimmick is small, and easy to lose, but I don't have the right to tell people what it is. Secondly, I have the right to tell them that it is hard to replace and that they have to shell out $30 for it. I now have the right to tell them Greg's vp of ops is an outstanding spokesperson for him. Duh, I'm a magician, manipulation is what we do - haven't you heard?

Thanks much for the reply, it was both enlightening, informative, and will be fun to copy, paste, and poke fun at.

V


In this case, it is an elementary and irrelevant fact that the tip can be lost or misplaced by customers. “Realizing” this fact ahead of time doesn’t change the eventual manufacturing, assembly and various replacement costs associated to it. The replacement costs are still the same and must be absorbed by someone. If you want to present a logical and reasonable case that we should absorb the costs associated to YOUR unfortunate mishap, please do so and I will reconsider my position. And while your professional “cut and paste” entertainment and manipulation skills are exceptional I am sure... again, please let me know if you want try for a simple honest resolution instead. Although we aim to please, a less drama(tic) approach might find you more success!

Well, I just got Freakey tonight after coming back from jiu jitsu practice...what a coincidence. If you think I merely perform other people's routines you would be very surprised. I spent $100 on this thing and I am disgusted that I bought it, if I lose a key or the silver fob, I'm screwed. I usually create my own routines and I find it pretty disrespectful that you would imply that. Assuming you are not out performing each day like me, and over there personally hand-crafting Pointless *gimmick description* with your pinky toes and gorilla glue, I have to take your poke as joke.

While I understand you have to make a profit, a *edit out gimmick description* doesn't sound like a $30 job. I don't think it is irrelevant to consider that magician's lose things, cause by the way, Greg is a magician... But hiring an engineer *edit out gimmick description and possible manufacturing* voila. But I get the idea...*gimmick description and some sarcasm*.

Furthermore, you failed to give me the info on where I could get it the first time. I wouldn't consider it anyways because of the price, and I think this is an issue that we magicians as a community should talk about when buying products. Pointless is just one main example, an since this interaction occurred, it's a great example of what happens when you dedicate hours upon hours into your own routine with a product and can't do it any longer because you can't find the props.

Now that I did my google search, it looks like a lot of magicians have lost the Pointless gimmick. I'm probably not the only person shocked at the recoup price, but I am sure I with my personality, the only one to illicit such a comedic response from Greg's vp.

I have to agree with the VP's statements. In addition, if the gimmick is that much of value to one's act then the replacement cost is certainly worth it.