What if a magic kit had only 11 tricks instead of 101?

        What if all the props looked like everyday objects?

What if each prop did 2 tricks (one for beginners and one a
bit more advanced)?

         What if each trick came individually wrapped and you
         didn't open it until after you had seen the trick performed?

What if the kit had tricks you couldn't find anywhere else?

         What if it taught children how to be entertaining?

What if it taught a good foundation of actual magic theory?

         What if the kit encouraged children to find a local mentor
         to keep learning magic?

What if it won more awards than any other kit - ever?

         What if it became the best-selling magic kit?

What if you played a part in making it happen?


These are just some of the ideas that make Shoebox Magic special.  But the biggest idea is that, other than the name and the core team members, nothing else has been decided - nothing, not even a logo.

The idea came to me (Brian Daniel South)  years ago when I realized that most magic kits are made by toy companies and they are not designed to help kids appreciate and learn more about magic.  Most kits have 101 tricks and the kids' job is to figure out which 3 of them are worth doing.

I spoke with hundreds of magicians as I traveled  from convention to convention as a dealer and they all agreed – when asked what kit they would recommend for a child, no one had one  they could highly recommend.  This really bothered me – why is it that there is not a magic kit we can all be proud to recommend to parents of kids interested in magic?  This question, “What kit do you recommend?” probably gets asked hundreds of times a day.  And the people that should have the answers (you and I) just say, “They are all the same; just go grab whichever one you find.”  Or some of us even say, “Don’t bother, they are all junk.”

But what if that changed?   What if a kit did exist that we all loved and knew was high quality, fun, creative, and instilled a love of magic in children?  What would be in this kit and how would a new generation of kids that learned magic from this kit impact the future of our art?

I recently shared this idea with a purchaser for Toys 'R Us and he expressed his excitement and assured me they would be interested in carrying it.  And so I decided it was time.

But creating the ultimate magic kit is no small task and that is why I am assembling the dream team,  including world renowned authors, performers, writers, and kid experts.