"E.S. Andrews, President"
So what is the Coterie for real? Well just another magic store that disguises itself as a magic club. And what overpriced stuff they sell. A deck of custom printed Bee cards for 13 dollars. Hey, exclusivity has its price I guess. The card case has a part on it where you can sign your name on. On the Facebook page it says:
"The Coterie Bee doesn't only look elegant, it helps you to sell that image. On the back of the tuck case, an area is provided for the owner to sign his/her name. This little detail enhances performer's presence tremendously: Coterie of Prestidigitation Artists is a SECRETIVE, PRESTIGIOUS and MEMBERS ONLY magic society with 110 years of history.
Signing your name there will make you looks like a member of this magic society. You are no longer a performer, but a member of an elite magician's society! Imagine how much presentation edge and point of interest this gives you for your performance! "
There's nothing wrong about a secret club. But keep it a secret then. Make it "ungoogleable". Don't mention it. The first rule about a secret magic club is that you don't talk about the secret magic club. I heard this rule applies to fight clubs as well.
But this is no magic club. It's a magic store. One starts with bullshit and a long dead president. That can only lead to a good outcome. Right?
Seems like a logical progression from the regular online magic store. Selling "exclusivity" over workable effects. I can't blame Zenneth Kok for doing it though. Magic now has sales through exclusivity and sales through sex ("Fucking Coins" anyone?), maybe we are just catching up with the rest of the world of marketing?
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't mind this however the decidedly odd link to Erdnase (despite there being no gambling/cheating/mechanic style content and the quality of the other content really let it down...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCKMm-XYmwM
Does this make you want to buy the effect? I'd be surprised if you make it all the way through the effect... still at least you have signed your card box so you can feel exclusive...
Not gonna lie, I'm one of those people willing to pay $13 per deck of cards. And I do like the look of those cards, but the actual club part is kind of missing from the site. Other than the bad grammar I'd say the most annoying part is that their idea of a promotion is if you spend more than $100, they will let you spend another $25.
ReplyDeleteOne day, maybe it will be as prestigious as the IMS!
ReplyDeleteTypical chinese logic telling other people that fake is real, pathetic. Business in the lowest form, no ethics, no dignity. Mr Kok is a sell out and just too bad Lu Chen joined the dark side and have fun with him. Sooner or later this Coterie thing may end up the reputation like Mind Freak.
ReplyDeletePassing fake for real is neither typically Chinese (old West's medicine shows, anyone?) nor logic, except perhaps in a sociological sense. It is, however, buisiness in its lowest form indeed - if we can even call "business" what is, in fact, a common con. This "Coterie of Prestidigitaion Artist" 's desperate attempts at astro-turfing its way into some kind of papier-mâché respectability are pathetic though, I'll give you that.
ReplyDeleteIronically, USPCC does not allow them to print any future version of this deck. Mr Cock open a web site under the product name where there is no such product to sell, except recycle Sankey's effect.
ReplyDeleteBusiness in the lowest class form.