Chinese Knockoffs are good for No-one
The China Syndrome
Many magicians have asked me over the years how I feel about having my props ripped off by China. In reality I can not let it stop my creativity or my drive to pursue new and innovative effects for the magic community. However, I believe there is some information that needs to be spread throughout the magic brotherhood about the counterfeit items. This not only affects me, but every inventor of magic props who spends time and money creating original magic effects that we all use and enjoy. I am sure we all want to save money, I know I do! But, unfortunately China has infiltrated the magic market with counterfeit, substandard products that end up taking money out of everybody’s pockets. Many times over my past 20+ years in the magic and inventing business, I have seen fellow inventors and myself ripped off by Chinese reproductions. These items lure us in because they are cheap and appear to be ok, but the truth is they are not. I have been contacted personally by many customers asking me why their prop does not work, only to find out that it is not mine at all but an inferior Chinese ripoff! Because of this, some inventors of magic props may just quit inventing because China will copy their hard work and undercut the price so much that the original inventor can’t even sell his own prop! This affects us all. It affects the inventors because they have spent countless hours dreaming up props, prototyping, testing and manufacturing magic to make us all look great on stage only to find out that their idea has been stolen. This also affects the customer because now they have an inferior prop, no customer service, many times no instructions, and they are stuck with a box of junk instead of a great effect for their show.
What can we do?
First of all, make sure you are purchasing from a reputable dealer. I can tell you for certain that any props bought online from CHINA MAGIC or ALIEXPRESS are counterfeit ripoffs. They have stolen ideas and props from many respected inventors in our industry and this is shameful. I have seen reproductions of my own props and they are horrible! They are missing key accessories that actually make the prop work, they have duplicated my DVD instructions to the point where they do not even play, they construct the props from substandard materials, and they offer NO warranties and NO CUSTOMER SUPPORT!
Secondly, be diligent when buying props from places like Ebay. Yes, there are many sellers that are posting legitimate props on these sites, but many are NOT! Look for the country of origin or where it is shipping from, if it says CHINA, skip it!!
Because magicians belong to a relatively small market, I believe we should take it upon ourselves to help police this situation. Who knows best how to make a great prop, a seasoned, reputable magician, or a Chinese factory worker? The old adage still stands “If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is!” Arm yourselves with knowledge as you make your magic purchases, ask questions, be skeptical, don't be fooled, after all, we are magicians! You have the right to purchase a magic prop with the confidence that it is produced by the original inventor, or his authorized manufacturer, and backed up by his/her reputation. Below you will find a partial list of reputable dealers (to the best of my knowledge) who sell my items. Please look over the list and if you ever have any questions about purchasing one of my props from a Dealer, private sale, or online Auction, just ask me and I will be happy to tell you if it is legitimate.
Many magicians have asked me over the years how I feel about having my props ripped off by China. In reality I can not let it stop my creativity or my drive to pursue new and innovative effects for the magic community. However, I believe there is some information that needs to be spread throughout the magic brotherhood about the counterfeit items. This not only affects me, but every inventor of magic props who spends time and money creating original magic effects that we all use and enjoy. I am sure we all want to save money, I know I do! But, unfortunately China has infiltrated the magic market with counterfeit, substandard products that end up taking money out of everybody’s pockets. Many times over my past 20+ years in the magic and inventing business, I have seen fellow inventors and myself ripped off by Chinese reproductions. These items lure us in because they are cheap and appear to be ok, but the truth is they are not. I have been contacted personally by many customers asking me why their prop does not work, only to find out that it is not mine at all but an inferior Chinese ripoff! Because of this, some inventors of magic props may just quit inventing because China will copy their hard work and undercut the price so much that the original inventor can’t even sell his own prop! This affects us all. It affects the inventors because they have spent countless hours dreaming up props, prototyping, testing and manufacturing magic to make us all look great on stage only to find out that their idea has been stolen. This also affects the customer because now they have an inferior prop, no customer service, many times no instructions, and they are stuck with a box of junk instead of a great effect for their show.
What can we do?
First of all, make sure you are purchasing from a reputable dealer. I can tell you for certain that any props bought online from CHINA MAGIC or ALIEXPRESS are counterfeit ripoffs. They have stolen ideas and props from many respected inventors in our industry and this is shameful. I have seen reproductions of my own props and they are horrible! They are missing key accessories that actually make the prop work, they have duplicated my DVD instructions to the point where they do not even play, they construct the props from substandard materials, and they offer NO warranties and NO CUSTOMER SUPPORT!
Secondly, be diligent when buying props from places like Ebay. Yes, there are many sellers that are posting legitimate props on these sites, but many are NOT! Look for the country of origin or where it is shipping from, if it says CHINA, skip it!!
Because magicians belong to a relatively small market, I believe we should take it upon ourselves to help police this situation. Who knows best how to make a great prop, a seasoned, reputable magician, or a Chinese factory worker? The old adage still stands “If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is!” Arm yourselves with knowledge as you make your magic purchases, ask questions, be skeptical, don't be fooled, after all, we are magicians! You have the right to purchase a magic prop with the confidence that it is produced by the original inventor, or his authorized manufacturer, and backed up by his/her reputation. Below you will find a partial list of reputable dealers (to the best of my knowledge) who sell my items. Please look over the list and if you ever have any questions about purchasing one of my props from a Dealer, private sale, or online Auction, just ask me and I will be happy to tell you if it is legitimate.
Madhatter Magic (USA)
Steven’s Magic Emporium (USA)
Tokyo Magic (Japan)
Feather Touch Magic (Japan)
Stolina Magic (Germany)
Magicaplanet (France)
TEK Magic (South Korea)
Dynamite Magic Shop (Netherlands)
MJM Magic (USA)
Wondermagic (South Korea)
The Magic Warehouse (USA)
Magicshop (Switzerland)
Pegani (Denmark)
The Magic Guild (USA)
Le Petit Magicien (France)
The Magic Auction (USA)
(This list is not all inclusive, if you have a question about a dealer or are a current dealer not on this list, please contact me!)
Steven’s Magic Emporium (USA)
Tokyo Magic (Japan)
Feather Touch Magic (Japan)
Stolina Magic (Germany)
Magicaplanet (France)
TEK Magic (South Korea)
Dynamite Magic Shop (Netherlands)
MJM Magic (USA)
Wondermagic (South Korea)
The Magic Warehouse (USA)
Magicshop (Switzerland)
Pegani (Denmark)
The Magic Guild (USA)
Le Petit Magicien (France)
The Magic Auction (USA)
(This list is not all inclusive, if you have a question about a dealer or are a current dealer not on this list, please contact me!)