Hey ExoMagicians!

This Blog Article is for all you guys who ask me an other Magicians for help about buying products…I see posts on forums like this:

Bob747 says: “HEY! I have $200 to spend on Magic. I would love to know what effects your recommend. By the way,

how does the Gecko at Ellusionist Compared to Penguin Magic’s Stripper Deck. I only want one or the other though. Thanks!”

When ever I read these questions it makes me cringe.

I am going to try and help all of you guys out who have questions and I am going to give you the advice I never really got. So lets say Bob really needs our help, so this is what I tell Bob and all those other people who are dying to have these questions answered.

First off, it is very important for you to know this: We don’t know you, or your style.

Granted, we at ExoMagic like to get to know each and everyone one of you on the forums on a personal level by following your posts and asking you guys questions….but a lot of the time we don’t know YOU or how you perform or anything…so how can we tell you to buy a product to fit you and help you GROW as a Magician? (Heck, if you really want to throw money aroud…you can always just give it to me!)

Remember, specific questions about a product is different than recommendations. If you need to know specific information about something, thats different. You actually are doing a step in the “Guide to Buy.”

So now that you know that, here is a step-by-step guide that you can do to help you find the product for you!

• Step One: Figure out how much you want to spend MAX. Get a range, not a set dollar amount. This way if your under your max, your good, if your over…you wait. There is more than just the product you have to pay for; you also have to consider SHIPPING.

• Step Two: Now that you know how much money you want to spend, you have already limited your choices. The next question is…what do you want. It’s easy to ask forum members…”HEY! WHAT SHOULD I GET!” But it doesn’t really help YOU. What you need to do is look deep inside, look at what you already own and what you want to expand on. MAKE A LIST OF IDEAS. This way you have a fall back plans or you may be able to get MORE THAN ONE PRODUCT! Once you get some ideas written down…or mentally chosen…

• STEP THREE: RESEARCH! (I love this part.) First off, I always read the entire product’s page (including the small fine print), then do a search here on the ExoMagic forums and over the entire wide web. Look into as many reviews you can find and read them through. This way you have the forum reviews, other peoples reviews and the product page to learn from. When you read through a review, check for quality, reactions, comments on the teaching and gimmick if included. You want to find positive reviews and positive comments from Magicians who are like you. Look at bad reviews to see what people hated and see if it will apply to you. If I don’t understand something, I ASK A LOT OF SPECIFIC QUESTIONS about the product that I am educated on. Sometimes stupid questions. BUT THEY MEAN SOMETHING TO ME because I know the product now. I remember asking a friend if the smoke in US2000 lingered, raised, or sunk. It seemed like a weird question…but I wanted to know. (And I bet you want to know now too!) During this part, if you find out that a product isn’t for you…look into another one on your list. It doesn’t mean you never will own the effect or product. Maybe later on down the road, but for now…move on to a better product that you like!

***Side note***Instead of making a list..sometimes I just add it to my basket, and then remove it if I don’t like the idea anymore.***

• Step Four: So far, you have researched your ideas, and you were OH so TEMPTED to ask the other people which one to buy…that shiny product or the one that smells really good. (hahahaha) But you didn’t! That’s a huge pit fall. (not saying you can’t trust them…but pick a product is PERSONAL) It’s really like picking your underwear. Anyways…step four is looking at the price. I suggest you don’t look at that until your towards the end. DON’T let the price of a product make you not buy it. If you want something bad…don’t let anything get in your way. Make sure you shop around and look at the different prices around the web. It’s not a bad thing to find a product for less. But you can’t forget shipping! If you find you can’t afford the product…WAIT! Wait a while and get some more cash. It’s worth it. Remember, after all that research and decision making, you must have picked a sure fire hit!

• Step Five: Order it! Make sure you have enough cash to RUSH it to your door with over night…just kidding. I always do Priority Mail. That way I don’t have a LONG wait, but I am not spending an arm and a leg to get it here. You may be surprised to find special free cards or something that come with certain packages. Promos, give aways, and free-bees are always something to look out for. Bundles are also a great thing to do. Check out specials and other things to. Definitely worth looking into. Check out this post that actually has discounts for you already! (password is “seeker” without the quotes and case sensitive)

• Step Six: Wait on edge until your package arrives….then enjoy. (DON’T FORGET TO POST REVIEWS FOR EVERYONE!)

Tip: I always suggest waiting out on orders and buying a lot of products at once to cut down on shipping. Especially for Flat Rate Shipping. But if you can’t wait…you can’t wait.

If you have any more questions…POST THEM! And if you have tips to add…POST THEM!

I hope this helps and cuts down on the “Need Help Deciding” threads.