talkmagic.co.uk

The Effect

This is not an effect of itself, but is a special set of cards. It can be used for any routine for which you would use Richard Osterlind’s BCS or a marked deck.

Cost

£37.50 http://www.cards4magic.co.uk/acatalog/

Difficulty
(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)

1 for the marks, 2 for learning and using the BCS (it’s not for everyone).

Review

This is a deck of pseudo-Bicycle cards. I understand that the maker has got into trouble with the people who produce Bicycle brand and so these decks are in short supply.

The backs look a little like Bikes. Actually, they look a lot like Bikes (hence the trouble). However, the cherubs are demons (they have bat wings). On the one hand, this is likely to make not a jot of difference to lay people (who won’t have much experience of Bicycle cards). I suspect that even magicians won’t notice unless they really look, as familiarity breeds contempt. Some of the faces of the cards are different (like the Ace of Spades), so my suggestion is keep these away from magicians, just in case.

Using the marks, combined with the BCS, one can see a card and know what it is, what the card before it was and the name of the one underneath too. Anyone who uses the BCS will know it can be tough to work backwards through the system, so this is an improvement.

The marks are reasonably well made and difficult to find if you don’t know where they are, but not super-subtle.

I must say that the deck box is awful. While a pseudo-Bike box is provided, it has a flipping great big cartoon demon (red on a yellow background) on the side detailing the backs. It’s not a sticker, but part of the box. As such, you will need to use another card case, or be very sure not to flash the offending side of the box.

Overall

I like the idea and the fake backs are very close to Bicycles. I’d rather they’d got permission and used Bikes, or at least used something like the Boris Wild/Ted Lesley marking systems on actual Bicycle cards.

My view is that if, like me, you are a really big fan of the BCS, have a think about getting these. If you struggle with it, or don’t want to use it, don’t bother. There are also better marked decks available at lower prices.

I’ll give them 7/10. They are useful, but not that useful and a bit over-priced.

Part-Timer wrote:so my suggestion is keep these away from magicians

So you posted it on a magician's website!!!

Loving your work!

Zack wrote:

Part-Timer wrote:so my suggestion is keep these away from magicians

So you posted it on a magician's website!!!

Hope the purple comment wasn't sarcasm, though!

Thanks for the review Part-Timer. I have often thought about getting a demon deck - but I never could quite understand the point.

For starters it is grossly expensive for what it is, and secondly I never really understood why I couldn't just make up a set of my own - in bikes. I mean we are talking about marking cards and placing them in a stack right? there really isn't much more to it?

Maybe I am missing something, but £37.50 sounds really expensive for something that is so easily recreated. Maybe it is the idea of marking the one ahead (one behind?) card that makes it so worthwhile - but I doubt it. This idea has been floating about for eons.

Maybe if it was £10 I would have bought a deck to investigatye, but the price of this has put me right off.

Thanks again for the review though...

Absolutely right, bananafish. I was also keen on checking the type of marks (it's a marginal interest of mine).

They really are too expensive for what you get. I'm happy with the deck (there's nothing wrong with it, save for the possible issues relating to the back design), but don't regard it as great value for money.

Bearing in mind how much Lesley marked decks sell for, I think £20-£25 would still have been reasonable, but this is half as much again.

part timer I'm interested in getting a marked deck as my old wizard deck from marvins is well and truly dead.
what do you recomend, a link would also help.

this deck didn't impress me much compared to marvins cheep deck except this one is poker sized were marvins is bridge.

many thanxs ahead of time.

I wasn't sure if I should start a separate thread for this, but decided it was best to reply here.

The first question I must ask is if you'd like the marked deck in Bicycle.

If the answer is yes, then I suggest the Boris Wild or Ted Lesley systems. Each has its own advantages. With the Wild version, it's usually easier to see the marks, due to where they are located. However, I occasionally find the system confusing to read, which is generally not an issue with the Lesley system.

Both systems are designed for clarity.

The Card Collection (link in my first post on this thread) does decks marked up with one of these systems and also sells marking materials, so you can make up your own. The pre-made ones are Bikes, but in theory you could use the materials on any cards. I have one regular Boris Wild deck on Atlantis backs, plus the Symbology deck uses the same backs and system.

A third alternative is the one Marc Spelmann uses. As far as I am aware, these must be handmade, so probably not for you.

If you aren't bothered about the cards being Bicycle stock, then I suggest the marked Fournier deck, also available from the Card Collection. It's a lot cheaper than a pre-made Wild or Lesley deck (I think it's cheaper then the Lesley marking materials, in fact) and the marks are incredibly difficult to spot until you know where to look and then they are as clear as day.

I must admit this is only a minor interest of mine and I certainly haven't tried every marking system known to man, but the four I've mentioned here are the best ones I've seen.

Part-Timer wrote:If you aren't bothered about the cards being Bicycle stock, then I suggest the marked Fournier deck, also available from the Card Collection.

I reviewed this deck ages ago and it's still the only marked deck I use. Arrange it in an Osterlind stack and you're away. In fact combinging these marks with an Osterlind stack is discussed in this very thread.

Please note that in the intervening time since that thread was current some bright spark has forced the forum software to replace all instances of 'B[followed by]W' with 'Boywonder' (why???). In my posts, where you see 'Boywonder' I was actually referring to 'B[followed by]W' or 'Boris Wild' who is only marginally less well known than Boywonder in the magic world....

I agree with Part-Timer. Go with the Boris Wild or Ted Lesley. I use the TL, but both are equally visible and easy to read. The BW I think you can buy pre-made up, the TL I believe you have to do yourself.

Personally I would avoid the Marc Spelmann purely on the grounds that they are slightly more difficult to read quickly. You would get used to it I am sure, but with my eyesight I like to make it easy for myself...

bananafish wrote:The Boywonder I think you can buy pre-made up, the TL I believe you have to do yourself...

You see the chaos this causes?

lol. oops! I think I will leave it uncorrected though.

This explains a lot of the rubbish postings recently where BW was being used for something else. We can't add to or edit the word censor which does that but we can delete it so have done so - sorry, Mark!

thanxs for the info people, especialy part timer.

bananafish wrote:I agree with Part-Timer. Go with the Boris Wild or Ted Lesley. I use the TL, but both are equally visible and easy to read. The BW I think you can buy pre-made up, the TL I believe you have to do yourself.

I bought a pre-made Ted Lesley deck from the Card Collection. It's possible that they might not have any in stock from time to time. They were definitely a bit light on Boris Wild decks when I bought one the other week.

Personally I would avoid the Marc Spelmann purely on the grounds that they are slightly more difficult to read quickly. You would get used to it I am sure, but with my eyesight I like to make it easy for myself...

A good point. The other side of this is that the markings are extremely subtle. The Boris Wild and Ted Lesley ones are better, in my opinion.

Charles Calthrop wrote:I reviewed this deck ages ago and it's still the only marked deck I use. Arrange it in an Osterlind stack and you're away. In fact combinging these marks with an Osterlind stack is discussed in this very thread.

It's a very good review too and I pretty much agree with everything you say in it.

I must admit that I did spot the markings without a riffle, but it took quite a bit of looking. I doubt I'd have noticed them if I hadn't been searching.