NO MAGIC TROPHY FOR YOU!

MAGIC CONTEST TROPHIES: I know some people don't like magic contest, but for the ones here that do I wanted to start a friendly debate. What do you think of magic clubs giving out trophies in a contest? About a year ago I attended a magic club where I competed. I felt really bad for the magicians that placed. The club had no trophies to give out.

This didn't bother me because I didn't get a trophy. I didn't even place, but I felt and saw the expressions on the winners faces who received no reward at all. Not even a piece of paper. Apparently  this club has been doing this for years. They just give you bragging rights and I suppose they put your name and photo on the website. I'm thinking, I could be terribly wrong, but my guess is that most magicians would love a trophy to show off their hard work. The trophy is the payoff for working your ass off and practicing.









What is the whole meaning of a contest! what do we actually get out of a contest. Does showing off a trophy actually help you get work and get you noticed? I have seen on several websites where it says
"Award Winning Magician" or "Award Winning Magic effect" I know because I have used that bragging rights on my websites as well, but so far it really hasn't done squat.
I wonder if when clients are searching on the internet and they see "Award Wining Magician" if they stop in their tracks and say.  "Hey honey! this is our guy. He/she is a "Award Winning" magician."
 
Now lets go the other route. I'm sure there are many magicians who had had success with winning a contest.They have moved on to do bigger shows or have been booked by other magic clubs to do a performance. Others have moved onto doing lectures and inventing their own magic products.
To me the award does matter. Imagine going to med school. You spend all that money one books, fees, supplies and not to mention sacrificing your social time to study.
finally the big day comes and your walking down the aisle. The person greeting you to give you our diploma says to you. "Oh! I'm sorry! we are not giving away diplomas. This was just for fun.

Am I reaching too far out there? I don't think so, but I guess it also depends on how you look at your magic. Is it a career for you? Does a piece of shiny material really matter? For many off us it does.
it matter to the ones that when they were in school they never got that trophy because maybe they weren't into sports or spelling or math team. Magic is what they knew and they sure wasn't going to get an award in school for that. Although I did win a first place award in my junior high talent show. So I guess sometimes you do get lucky. What a day that was. I did a linking ring effect, Zombie Ball and a mailbag escape. It was just a certificate, but it was something I'll never forget and I will cherish the memories.

Does winning a trophy help build confidence and self esteem? does it do the opposite to the ones that received no trophy at all?

















What prompted me to write in this blog is that just under a hour ago I received a phone call from the very same club that didn't have any trophies to give out. The gentleman asked me if I would be interested in the contest. Even though I knew that if I won I wouldn't be getting a trophy. I agreed to participate anyway. Watch! this will be the year I win first place. LOL! well if I do I'll just order my own trophy and engraved plaque. It will sit next to my second and third place trophies.

Maybe I'll juts have a invisible trophy. If I win I'll make a youtube video for you and show it off.
I would love to hear some of your contest and trophy experiences.
Please feel free to comment below this blog.

Imaginator