The Effect Want to do something magical with coins?
Cost £7 - £10
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0486242587/ref=sr_aps_books_1_1/026-8258160-8614818
http://www.magictricks.co.uk/prodshow.asp?code=112
Difficulty 4-5, by the time you reach the hard bits it wont feel like a 5 but for somebody new to coins starting at the beggining is the only real option.
(1=easy to do, 2=No sleights, but not so easy, 3=Some sleights used,
4=Advanced sleights used, 5=Suitable for experienced magicians only)
Review
This is a classic book, in my top three magic books and probably in my top five books of all time. Why haven't you got it yet?
Ok so what's in the book? Here are most of the contents :
Coin Concealments (palms, holds, flips)
Basic Techniques (switches, flips, changes)
Steals
Vanishes
Complete Coin Vanishes
Sucker, Hank, Envelope
27 Quick Tricks
Cuffing
The Art of Sleeving
Coins Across
Coin Classic Tricks, 34 of them
Coin Boxes
Coin Trickery, another 27 tricks
Shell and Folding Tricks, 18 of them
Stage Coin Magic, another 5 tricks
The Misers Dream
18 Routined Coin Acts
Do you need to count how many tricks and look at the price again?
£7 to £10, 18 Routined Coin Acts and all those tricks.
Yes you need to put plenty of practice in but yes it IS worth it and yes it does give some of the best value in a book I have seen.
Honestly, serious value for money and a seriously complete addition to your skills.
Take the chapter on Coin Concealments for example, this contains the Classic Palm, Edge Palm, Thumb Palm, Downs Palm, Finger Palm and another 4 types, all shown with pictures and clear words.
Ahhh the pictures, there are many many pictures explaining the craft, this book is easy to follow but the pictures are hand drawn (this is an old book) and some of the work is written for people in long sleaves. In those days everyone had dinner jackets on I guess.
These aren't negatives, just dont expect photographs, a hand and a coin isn't that hard to draw right (and are drawn well here) so you wont have any problems.
It is difficult to tell you more of the contents really, it covers pretty much everything, is well over 200 pages, well laid out and comprehensive.
In my opinion and many others, it is THE bible of coin magic.
Not to be missed, not to be purchased and left on the shelf either.
A must for both learner and learned.
Overall
I love coin magic for a couple of reasons, firstly you always have a coin on you, no matter what situation you are in it wont be counted as rude/disrespectfull/unbusiness like/staged etc if you have a coin.
Secondly its an art that makes you look very very skilled and is done with something everyone has so they can try themselves when they get home and realise how good you are
I wouldn't have the coins skills I have without this book, nor would I have such a love for it, a classic book that everybody should have.
It can feel a little too hard to start with, as it did with me but practice on and it WILL come to you.
When you palm a card it sticks in your hand, easy peasy. When you try and palm your first coin you may well think its never going to happen convincingly.
This is due to a couple of reasons and neither of them is your cack-handedness or hand size. I work in computers, I have soft and weak hands. When I first tried a palm I struggled due to any lack of real muscle in my hands, with practice this builds quickly and it suddenly falls into place.
Also, worth a mention is the UK money, it is small, smaller than a learner should start with. Get an american coin or the UK 5 pound coin and you will feel better about it.
It makes a world of difference, when you have mastered the big coins work your way down, don't demoralise yourself with a UK 10p at first.
So in closing I must say again, why haven't you got this book??
If you want to be a serious coin magician or just look cool and win some bets in the pub, or catch a ladies eye across a busy bus, this book will teach you all that and more.
Don't think a read and an hours practice will do you though because it wont, you will need to put some work in but then thats why you will look so talented, because the viewers haven't.
Enjoy it, love it, learn it. Just go buy it!!
Hope that helps somebody..
BaB
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