Ok here is what I know so far: Good Tricks to perform out in the streets are cups and balls, a chop cup, based on my own experiences the professor's nightmare is not too bad. Sponge Ball Routines can be good.

Basically what I am looking for is ticks that are highly visual and can instantly reset. If anybody else knows of more that would be great.

Have you bothered to research at all?
Starting in the most simpliest place... through the Topics in this section.
I am pretty sure there are topics and posts covering this fairly well.

Several things work well in Busking.

Yeah I have researched and I know about several tricks but its always a good idea to hear perspectives from other performers. Who knows, there might be something out there that I don't know about that is a killer effect.

Right, because there are so few of them.


Just do whatever you like to perform. I've been trying to use my table less and less, so I don't do chop cup/cups & balls, but its really up to you.


If you want a "killer effect" work on your presentation. Presentation is way more improtant than whatever fancy trick you're performing. I've floored people with a coin vanish - I've also gotten a lukewarm response with Wow.


What works for you is very different from what works for me - you'll figure it out through trial and error.

Meaning how you describe the trick as well as how well you pull it off correct?

First and foremost you must attract with spectical. Anoter words something to grab attention. The best advice I would give you is..
Stop a child and you'll stop the world! Even a simple silk vanish with a child to get people to stop works. A simple sponge ball routine works as well. Whatever you do just have fun and be yourself then people will stop to watch. You have to get people to know, like, and trust you in a very short time. Your main goals should be.
1. Get them to stop
2. Get them to stay
3. Get them to pay

Remember... It's no what you do, it's how you do it.

Good luck!

Hello,
this is my very first post, I have been doing magic for about 2 years, juggling 1 1/2 years and balloons for about 1 year, I also yo-yo.

I have been balloon busking for a while and think I am now ready to
start magic busking.

I am not new to busking entirely, just the street magic part, so I already know to be funny and entertaining (and no, I am not going "blaining") I already have a table and a spot I have been going for a year and I am not new to magic ether... and I am good at close up and parlor,
but I need something sort of in between, I think that I will do.

1. juggling (to get peoples attention)
2. invisible deck
3. rope routine
4. cups and balls

the only thing that bothers me with this is that LOTS of people perform
cups and balls... any alternitive's or suggestions?

Cirkus.

I don't suggest using the invisible deck. Resetting it takes a moment, not to mention it relies on cards, which can be blown about/get wet, etc.
Coins should be good to work with, though, and linking rings, as well as any fire-themed tricks you have, which would get more attention.

In my opinion it doesn't really matter. Though many magicians perform it, not many lay people see a lot of magic shows, so it is still often new to them. Also, there are so many different ways that you can perform it, it is doubtful any lay person has seen them all. I would even say many magicians haven't sen them all.

Magic is 90% presentation an 10% the trick itself.

"planeswalker321"thanks for the advice.

I know some coin tricks that might work, but not linking rings or fire tricks,

Will sponge balls work? I am really good with them and I love to do it because it gets great reactions, and the I think crowd will be smaller when I start the show so everyone will be able to see them, so I think I should use sponge balls instead.



and "bluebackedcards" your probably right about the cups and balls,
plus I love to do them!

Cirkus

If you really love to do them, and are really good with them, then certainly you should use it. If you mean to use it while your crowd is small, make sure you're in an area with kids, because that's who it's going to attract. If you're busking, their parents will surely have money.
I also suggest, if you like working with sponge balls, looking into royal billiard balls, available on penguin for a buck fifty. It'll take a little more work to master, but it looks pretty neat when it's done.
If you have the standard set of four sponge balls, you could also try getting more sponge stuff to spice up the routine.
Did I suggest thumb tips yet? All sorts of stuff you can do with them. For the street, I suggest "burnt and restored bill," by Darwin.
Also, rope tricks. Professor's nightmare.

I do a sponge ball routine with a sponge cube at the end, and professors
nightmare with a comady rope escape is my rope routine, and I dont have
Gary Darwins TT encyclopedia but it sounds like it might be worth getting.

I'm sorry for bringing back an old post but the title really sounded like a dating service ad.

Glad you did bring it back. I met Character on a pitch after he posted this. His finale was the professor's nightmare. He cleaned up! Simple act, out of his pockets (no table) and he had bigger hats than I did! I was opening with the nightmare and he was closing and he made more money. Shows you it is NOT the effect, it the performer.