Anyone had troubles with easily recognizable props (change bag, hippity hop rabbits, dove pan etc.) where the kids shout out they have seen it before? Or worse, I have that one? I am starting to wonder if certain props just need to retired in favor of less common ones, any thoughts?

i really dont worry much when they shout out . we as magicians should always be in control of our show. sometimes you can say to the one saying ive seen that one before or i know how its done "then its our little secret,we wont tell the others how its done" this makes the kid feel important cause he stands out as an expert in magic to the others. just let them gloat about it and fedl good about themself and do the tricks anyway. no need to get rid of the dove pan, hippity hop rabbit etc...just dress it up with showmanship. we should be entertainers first and magicians second. the magic is a tool to that end. the most astounding magic ever seen is so simple in effect. why do somthing complicated that done simply offers the same result. thats another discussion topic right there. what tricks that you have done that were so simple,yet they brought the house down. then what tricks were complex, didnt go over very good. let me know. magically brian

Thanks for the response Wendell, I think you can be innovative with a utility prop like a dove pan but when it comes to something like the coloring book which does a set thing, I just wonder how innovative you can be when kids recognize it from sight and know what is going to happen next.

Don't "retire" those "old" tricks, yet......

I too believe that each performer can take an old effect and create a new presentation that will make it "different" than someone may have seen it performed before....So many magicians don't want to perform “old” magic tricks and/or illusions because, they believe, they’re overexposed, or "everybody knows that one". This may come from magicians seeing other magicians performing magic tricks at meetings and conventions, and other events they may attend and once they’ve seen it 5 or 6 times, it’s “overexposed” or “old”. Yes, there are tricks that have been overdone and overexposed to audiences..... But there's still some life in those "old" tricks.

Look in your collection and choose a trick and try applying to the effect some material other than the one the trick was originally intended for, maybe combining it with another effect or taking an effect and using a different type of object(s) than the original material called for can breathe new life into an old, “overexposed” trick. Create a new story line or add some comedy...

Learning tricks and learning to perform them well can be challenging enough. But learning ways to make those "old" tricks feel fresh and new is how you can make your mark in magic.