His mother, Ann Aanne, helped get him bookings and was one time asked what he could do that was really amazing to which she replied, "He can pull an eight ball from a thimble."
Palmer was able to get a job as Bingo the Clown at The Ground Round Restaurant in Niles, Ohio in the late 1970s on the weekends and incorporated his magic to entertain customers before and after their meal.
Working on the weekends afforded Palmer the opportunity to hone his skill with sleight-of-hand and practice his cups and balls routine to help make it the classic it is today.
In so doing, he became the first close-up magician in history to receive the Grand Prix award, and only the second American to win (Lance Burton was the first in 1982).
[citation needed] He has performed tableside magic regularly at many restaurants through the years, including his current weekly gig on Sunday evenings at Earth Wind & Flour in Santa Monica, which he has had since 1994.
Palmer's knowledge was utilized by Mattel when the company vied for the merchandising contract to create toys for the Harry Potter film franchise.
Called Grand Illusion: The Art and Practice of Magic, the exhibit featured only five living magicians, one of whom was Palmer.