You might be amazed at what you can find at the local thrift shop!
Bargain hunting!
Over the past several weeks I have stopped at multiple thrift shop type stores a couple times to see if I could find any good deals.
So far I have found quite a few!
Continuing with my excitement of finding that wonderful Seinfeld game from last week, I found this beauty!
It's a book of magic tricks!
That other post about the Seinfeld game can be seen here by the way:
https://steemit.com/life/@jrcornel/look-what-i-found-at-the-local-goodwill
This isn't just any magic trick book...
What makes this one so great in my opinion is that a lot of the ticks can be performed with every day household items.
For example, there are many slight of hand tricks involving coins or paper clips which are commonly found just about anywhere.
These types of tricks are my favorite because they can always be done off the cusp and the audience tends to love them as well because they don't feel like there are any large gimmicks involved.
What kind of shape is the book in?
To be honest, the book itself appears to be almost brand new. Well at least it did. Until my daughter got ahold of the cover of it.
As you can see in the upper left hand corner there is a tear now. Other than that, though, the book looks like it has hardly even been opened.
Where did I find this?
I was able to pick this particular one up at the local Goodwill for the amazing price of $2. A steal of a price for the condition it is in and for the information it contains.
If you haven't done much bargain shopping at your local Goodwill, I suggest you give a try sometime. You might be surprised at what you can find there... Plus every 2nd weekend they have a half off sale, where all items are 50% off their regular prices (which was already dirt cheap to begin with).
If you don't go on one of the half off days, the best time to go is on a Monday or a Tuesday, right after people have finished cleaning out their places on the weekend and hauling their unwanted stuff over to Goodwill.
If you can find a Goodwill in an upscale neighborhood, even better. They tend to have really nice things there for very low prices from time to time.
Why did I purchase this book?
I wish I could say it was for my stepson, but I am not sure that would be 100% the truth. He has been getting into magic lately at the encouragement of his stepdad (me) but really it is his stepdad that has the deep love of magic.
When I was a boy about his age I got my very first magic set for Christmas. I used to spend hours and hours perfecting my tricks. I then went on to show them to my parents. I would even put on a little performance for them complete with a hat, cape, and of course a wand. :)
I am not sure how, but somewhere along the way that love of magic got buried with all the hustle and bustle of life. Seeing this book has brought back those memories though, and a desire to learn some new tricks.
I can't wait to dive in!
Live well my friends!
Follow me: @jrcornel
I am 30 years old, and every time that my family hire a magician for the birthday of some nephew or little brother, I sit in the front row. I can't resist!
I no longer have the innocence of a child and I know they are tricks. But I am equally fascinated by the ability to create something supposedly unreal.
If you ever upload a video doing a magic trick, I'll be your first fan @jrcornel, haha.
@tincho
What a great comment! I think I will do just that. I know about 4 tricks pretty well but I'd like to be able to transition into them fairly seamlessly. Not quite there yet :)
I have faith in you, my friend! I think I have not seen mages in steemit. Maybe I missed some but I think you would be a success. What would your name look like?
The Magnificent Jrcornel!?
You need a girl as an assistant. It is vital for the show to go well.
I was thinking jrcornel the illusionist! :)
Like the movie? Hmmm, you're going to be the star, so you choose. But Edward Norton in that movie does incredible things. Your first trick would have to be extraordinary. Like for example turning my wife into Megan Fox. I know you can do it! Haha
Haha that is funny! I'll do my best ;)
Love finding things and magic too! Before I was in High School I found myself performing magic tricks with a friend at homeless shelter for children there. Always great to find your loves of life and good deals!
That is fantastic! Still know any tricks?
It's cool
Thank you!
I have a second hand shop and in over 20 years there is not much I haven't seen! We also deal in books and have picked up so many rare ones. I am still thrilled to visit other stores like mine, or charity shops to look for even more treasures. The fun is in the hunt. Don't forget to attend estate sales and auctions too. If most of us used this as a primary shopping method, we would contribute more to a sustainable way of living. And contribute less of our cash to the corporations who have us in their stranglehold!
What's the most valuable item you've come across?
We found a 1oz gold Kruger coin among estate auction stuff. At that stage we sold it for R15000. We also got a joblot of REALLY rare lps. I sold one for over R4000 and had bidders from all over the world. Just 2 weeks ago we found a significant amount of cash stashed in old books. After 20+ yearsc I could go on and on. That being said....it sounds so lovely and it is, but it is a difficult way to make a living and you have to deal with massive quantities of dirty junk. And we are always struggling to keep our heads above water. We are hoping to discover a painting that will break the bank!
How much did you get the gold Kruger coin for? And yea I can imagine it is not a very stable way to make a living, but all it takes is a couple really rare finds and you are set... Like anything though, if it was easy everyone would do it. Good luck! :)
We found the coin in a box of junk, soooo....nothing 😂
Haha! These look fun!
Also, this reminds me of the Thrift Shop song :D
If you make a video of you singing it, I would vote for it :)
I don't really do raps. Even if I tried, I am sure I would look stupid doing it lol
That might be worth even some SBD donations as well as a vote! ;)
You drive a hard bargain.... dammit! :P :D