So I work at a magic stall, and one of our best sellers is the Svengali deck.
Now, the instructions that come with it are horrible. Spelling/grammar mistakes, extremely vague instructions, etc., and this just annoys me.
I'm wondering if it's ethical to make a small booklet about handling and presentation of the Svengali deck.
If anyone could help by giving solid reasons, not just your opinions.
Also, any history about the origin of Svengali decks would be appreciated.
Thanks.
I don't see a problem with this as long as you don't re-write the instructions correcting the mistakes. Start from scratch and do a better job. Rather than a booklet, just type it up on a sheet of paper (front and back if necessary) and fold up the paper in thirds (top to bottom) and then in thirds (side to side) so you have a sheet of paper that is just slightly larger than the deck.
Why do I think this is OK ethically? First and foremost, giving someone instructions on how to use a prop they purchased isn't exposure. They already know the secret, you are just telling them how to use it. Second, I think giving someone poor instructions is just bad form. Seriously, I've seen too many effects sold with instructions that appear to be written by someone who has limited fluency in English.
I would recommend just covering the basic handling and simple effects. I wouldn't get into more advance effects because most of the people purchasing a Svengali deck aren't true magicians. Maybe you could reference some books or DVDs for further information.
Put a copyright symbol, the year and your name at the bottom (this allows you to claim a Copyright in your work) and put the store / stall's name somewhere on the sheet. If you can get the formatting right, the title "Svengali Deck Instructions and Tips" and the store's name (address, phone, etc.) would show on the face when you fold the sheet.
I also wouldn't recommend selling it. Just include it as a "Bonus" when you sell the deck. If you aren't the owner, the owner should love this idea because it makes the customer happier (not having to read instructions translated from a foreign language), it has the store / stall's name on it and provides references to additional material that they (presumably) can buy at the store / stall.
The Svengali deck is claimed to be invented by Burling Hull. In his book
Sealed Mysteries (Copyright 1911) he claims a 1909 copyright on the Svengali Deck. There is a discussion of this in Jean Hugard's
Encyclopedia of Card Tricks which has basic handling and some more advanced effects with Svengali Decks. Also, search the words "invention Svengali" on the Magic Cafe for a thread that has references to websites which discuss the background and history of the Svengali deck.