talkmagic.co.uk

my first packet of magic cards given to me back when penny sweets where a penny, was a wizard deck.
my uncle having peeked my interest a month earlier.
thease cards also called a stripper deck allow you to find a card that has been selected mearly by touch, my hands being then and now small for my age i found slights and palms difficult.
but with thease cards i became a card magician in a matter of months.
in the 15yrs since then i have never been without at least one pack, and have even managed a few slights.
if it wasnt for this deck i belive i would have missed out on a whole section of magic.
i highly recomend thease cards for the beginer and card sharp alike.
though they come in many guises i recomend the wizard deck version.
i hope this helps you on the road to card magic.

I appreciate your comments, but perhaps, if I may, I would just like to say I personally feel you will not find many professionals using these.

They are now fairly well known by the populous and let's be honest here, with a bit of practise, you can achieve similar effects, if not better effects, using a conventional deck. Better still if that deck is passed to you over dinner with the phrase "Ok then, lets see you do a trick"!

If I may, I would like to recommend Basic Card Techniques by Richard Kaufman. He shows some very simple (basic) techniques that can be learnt to achieve impressive results using normal cards.

Having said this, for beginners, I would certainly say a Stripper Deck can be a lot of fun.

... Tony

i have used thease type of cards in my magic shows for 5yrs now mostly to cut chosen cards to top do a double turn over and give them thier chosen card.
as i have said i dont use cards much in my shows, mostly kids shows.
i tend to live by the moto you dont get a dog then bark yourself, i know this will upset the purist amonst us.
but wheras i can palm change a silk for a colur changing silk routine i much prefer to use a mechanical one, it just a personal choise.
so far no child or adult has found out that i am useing a trick deck, just like every one knows how the sliding die box works but they still shout your tipping the box.

I take your point and I especially like the Dog / Bark analogy!

I am not a professional, just a keen amateur and I suppose that as a result, I kind of like the graft involved in learning new techniques.

I must just be a martyr!

I am however surprised no one has ever pulled you up on the fact that you are using a Stripper Deck. It has happened to me on more than one occasion.

... Tony

you might find thata stripper deck is noticed more often if it is made in cheap card stock, such as you might find if you buy a stripper deck advertised using the phrase "amaze your friends and family in minutes". I don't know for certain, but if you use these you might find you're questioned less often if you change to bicycle stock.

Good point - my Bikes Stripper Deck works fine & looks 'genuine' and the few people I've used it with havn't tumbled to the inner workings. I thought it was just my superb patter and charisma but now I'm not so sure!

It still could be.....

from my experience of useing metal TTs, most of the time people dont see what we see.
im always paronoid that they can see an edge or finger break but in fact you can gwneraly use a different colured card from another deck and they still dont see it.
it 90% presentation and 10% misdirection.
with alot of gimicks made of cheep materials these days presentation is of most importance.
i do most of my moves after i have said to the "mark" concentrate on the cards, which makes them make eye contact.
theres lots of get arounds.

hey no fare, i have posted some views but now they dont count in the new forum.
i'll just have to start from scratch again.
whith good presentation it makes no diference if you have gimmicked cards or not.
if you are worried switch them at the conclusion of the trick.

A good Bicycle stock stripper deck should't be THAT obvious to the uninitiated

I have never had any problems, but having said that, I use it sparingly.

ive never been any good at card tricks that require skill, small hands and I'm sticking to my excuse to the grave.
also being dyslexic i cant remember card run's or stacks.
so to me this deck is a life saver, especialy as it aids me doing the top card turn over thingamy.
i have a svengali deck of the same design which makes forcing cards a dodle too

The main idea that we must remember as magicians is that we are doing magic to entertain. The how the trick is accomplished is not as important as how the effect comes across to the audience.

The stripper deck is a great tool for the novice but should not be discounted by the more experienced. Also the secret of the deck does not stop it from being handled as a regular deck in other card tricks. By combining Stripper effects with other card tricks, a real showman can create a great overall card routine.

i have deen useing my decks comercialy for 8yrs now, with no complaints.
though you do get what you pay for.

Never discount any 'tool' that allows you to perform such startling effects. You'd might be surprised by the number of professionals who switch in Strippers for specific tricks - very surprised!

One performs magic for an audience and as a performer you have to show intelligence in your decision to use it. I might stop short of using one after hours at the Magic Castle, but other than that so long as you don't rely on them for a whole routine and the switch is seemless - go for it and watch those jaws drop!