330: Bob Schulien on "Schulien's" Bar Magic

Schulien's was one of the legendary magic bars in Chicago that thrived throughout most of the 20th century. At the soul of the restaurant was its owner, Matt Schulien. Chicago-style magic was born here where the magic came fast and furious as drinks were served and the motto was "GTFM" (Get The F'ing Money).

In this podcast, Robert "Bob" Schulien, the grandson of Matt Schulien worked at Schulien's under his father who was heir to the bar and who encouraged Bob to perform magic for the patrons. He was told that people came to the bar not only for food and drink but also for the magic. They expected magic and so Bob became the "designated magician by default". Other magicians later came to work and perform at Schulien's (like Al James and Chuck Morris) until it closed on January 27, 1999. There is an excellent article online that tells its history at The Chicago Bar Project.

Bob carries on the tradition of bar magic each week at The Chicago Magic Lounge along with a bevy of prestidigitators who entertain every Thursday and Saturday night. You can listen to a previous episode with the owners/managers that was broadcast #213: Chicago Magic Bars and Lounges

Chicago Magic Lounge quickly became 2015's speakeasy for many professional traveling magicians. Not only to perfom but also relax by enjoying the camaraderie of fellow Chicago magicians, as well as honing their craft. I've been collecting fun behind the scenes video and photos taken over the first year of shenanigans at the CML.

Time stamps for this podcast:

00:04:36 - Bob Schulien talks about the early years of his grandfather Matt Schulien's Bar in Chicago from its earliest days until it finally closed. Bob regales us with many stories about his grandfather and the magic and pranks he used to perform for and on his customers.

00:56:45 - "Brother Paul" West invented a new product called the CellGrasp which makes it easier to hold you mobile phone while taking selfies. This is a product I keep on my cell phone all the time and I find indispensable. He also has a special offer to listeners of The Magic Word Podcast.

01:03:54 - "Flaming Coffee" by SansMinds is a visual stunner that takes the Fire Wallet to a new level. Recommended with reservations. Also, not available to those under 19.

01:07:49 - "The Deceased" by Jamie Daws is a creepy, dark and bizarre bit of magic that could have your audience feeling the goosebumps. This is a :Living or Dead" test that is well made and can be carried around in your wallet to creep out people at a moment's notice. Recommended.

Order a CellGrasp and receive your choice of any one of Brother Paul's five downloads from his website. Order two CellGraps and receive two free downloads. Oder three, and...well, you get the idea.

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Order your copy of this book and help The Magic Word Podcast through your purchase.

#198 - Henning Magic - Part Two

In this second and final podcast of my "pre-Halloween" coffee talk with Eric Henning, he picks up where we left off talking about his experience of performing at a Halloween party in 2010 in the White House for President Obama. This story, as most of Eric's stories, goes down several side roads before it all comes to a satisfactory conclusion. But it is a delightful journey.

In addition to his story about performing in the White House for the President, Eric also talks about some additional thoughts and tips since he published his book "Tips: Real World Ideas from a Working Magician". His website for magicians, http://thewand.net is where you can find this excellent set of lecture notes which I highly recommend. During our conversation, One of the tips that is not in his book if for Amazing Insoles for anybody who's on their feet a lot (like most all performing magicians).

He also talks about the importance of learning to be a better public speaker by joining Toastmasters in your area. We also talk about the importance of taking pictures with your client and sending it to the client with a hand-written "thank you" card. Eric shares a few additional tips like ideas from the old Linking Ring columns by Rick Johnsonn, "Come A Little Closer" He finishes with a great tax tip that every magician should do BEFORE the end of the calendar year.

Download this podcast in an MP3 file by Clicking Here and then right click to save the file. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed by Clicking Here. (please note: this RSS Feed subscription system may not work with Android systems). Remember, you can download it through iTunes. See the preview page by Clicking Here.

Eric "The Financial Wizard" Henning will be one of the professors at M.B.U. in 2015

Join Trixie Bond and Charles Gauci and Scott Wells for lunch in Houston in this short podcast.

Fill your Christmas stockings with all things Banachek.

146: The Largest Magic Auction in the Country

There are a lot of clubs across the country and around the globe that conduct magic auctions. There are also many online auctions and websites and social media that match buyers and sellers. Some magic conventions even include auctions as part of their schedules. But arguably the largest auction in the U.S. is held in the Spring in Austin, Texas. This boast is backed not only with the attendance (around 300 people) but also with the sales proceeds (last year exceeding over $27,000) and the sheer number of items put up for auction.

The 33rd annual Austin Auction will be held on Saturday April 5, 2014 but it is more than just a place to bring together buyers and sellers of new and used magic. It is a social gathering that is essentially o magic convention that attracts attendees from across the region and from coast to coast. And the night before always features a special get together of magic collectors who are led by Claude Crowe as they talk about all things that are collectible. And after the auction concludes, many visit the world famous "Esther's Follies" on 6th Street that features my favorite magician, Ray Anderson.

For more information on the World Famous Austin Magic Auction, visit their website at: http:AustinMagicAuction.com

Magic & Martinis' Thursday

Going, going, gone! Lots of stuff will be up for auction at this World Famous Magic Auction. I'm bringin' the gavel. Cheers!

Follow-Up to Auction - Notes on Live Auction from Ron Cartlidge

I'm sure you want to hear about the big items in the stage auction. So here goes. The first item that sold in the live stage auction was Abbott's "Goofus Plant). Kent got a bid of $60 for that item. Scott Wells then took over and there were four no-sales in the first ten items much to my surprise. The biggest sale was for eight 24" different solid colored Rice silks for $80. Grant Walsh then took the stage and sold the next ten items and included our first $100 sale and a tip of the fez by Scott Wells. It was the coin production trick Copentro. Other sales in this time slot were: Mikame "Heart of Gold" $80, MAK Moxahalla $75, Ultimate Die Penetration $70, and a Silver Nest of Boxes by Laflin $65. David Hira then stepped in for the next ten items and sold two one-hundred dollar items. They were a Rings and Things Chop Cup with accessories that included a second chop cup and Abbott's vintage Hippity Hop Rabbits. He also sold a Grant Double Load Pagoda that was very nice for $85.

At 10:15 a.m., about an hour after the auction started, we had sold $1,297 worth of magic from the stage. Other $100 plus items sold from the stage during the morning were: Tommy Wonder's Rubix Card ($100), Full Bloom both volumes by Gaetan Bloom ($120), Unique in All the World - Siegfried & Roy ($500), Gimpy's Cube A Libre ($550), Chaplin's Candle Collectors Workshop ($105), The Oracle Box ($100), The Ultimate Dancing Hank ($775), An Abbott's Classic Production Box ($300), a Viking Nite Club Table ($175), a Twister Illusion ($225), and a Modified Super-X Suspension ($275).

The Richard Garriott collection came up next with Brad Henderson doing the demos and David Hira doing the auctioneering. The lowest item went for $30 ( a second Rich Morrotta Mugged and the highest item went for $225 (Ninja Knives - House of Enchantment). There were some nice items here including OMG that brought $100, a Mikame Block and Rope Penetration that sold for $140, and a Lee Alex Happy Birthday Waistcoat (vest) that sold for $95. The Garriott items brought in an estimated $1,910.

There were several donations to Magic Camp from Steve Wyrick, Murray Sawchuck, Kent Cummins, and other magicians that drew bids. During the afternoon Drag-Gone! ($100), The Gravity Box ($120), Magic -the original book ($300), Wolf Magic Pea Shooter ($125), a Rice 25 foot streamer that was 1 foot in width ($110), MAK Turkish Turmoil ($100), Square Circle ($125), Dr. Chopper's Box ($150), Thayer Double Load Jap Box ($110), Misers Delight ProX - Mark Mason ($125), Framed original Carter Beats the Devil window card ($100), Framed original litho Les Magique Leons half sheet ($200), Epitome Board - Osterlind ($135), and a jumbo mixed bag of coin tricks & effects ($100). I finally dropped out of the stage area around 6:45 p.m. with 9 items to go, so there many have been a couple of other $100 plus items. By the way, after those first four no-sales in the first 15 minutes of the stage auction, there were only eleven no-sales the rest of the day. I'd say 15 of about 250 is a pretty good day. That's why the Austin Magic Auction can say, "If we can't sell your item at our auction, you owe us nothing". Remember, the seller pays only 12% of the final sale price and the buyer pays only what the winning bid is. See you next year!