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I compare gimmicked and non-gimmicked magic to a restaurant and cooking skills (Okay! Follow me on this one !)
It is always pleasant to go to a restaurant and have to food prepared for us and having nothing to worry about. I bet every one does this once in a while and there is no harm in it. Tough, cooking skills are deeply important because the day you wont find a restaurant near you or don't have the budget to afford it, you will thank god that you know how to transform raw meat and a loaf of bread into delicious hamburgers. Thus, gimmicks are good because they can let you do thing you wouldn't be able to do without them, they give you a bit of a break in a performance (well, sometime!) and they mostly are easy to use with great results almost garanteed. But, knowing the basics of magic, the secrets of the secrest, the how-to is absolutely necessary because you won't be able to carry all your gimmicks everywhere or afford them. You can always improvise a few tricks when you fully know what is magic all about. When you know about ungimmicked magic, you can truthfully amaze anyone, anytime, anywhere.

Durto wrote: But, knowing the basics of magic, the secrets of the secrest, the how-to is absolutely necessary because you won't be able to carry all your gimmicks everywhere or afford them. You can always improvise a few tricks when you fully know what is magic all about. When you know about ungimmicked magic, you can truthfully amaze anyone, anytime, anywhere.

I totally agree with Durto's comment. And to add to that, as previously stated, knowing sleight of hand in order to be able to switch or ditch a gimmick when necessary will ultimately give you the best results.

I also think that doing a trick utilising sleight of hand with a regular deck that has been inspected and then achieving an effect that seems even more impossible after a switch to a gimmicked deck can be very powerful magic. It also confuses the hell out of spectators (and even magicians ), making it even harder for them to follow the method you might be employing.

Regarding the best gimmicks:

I am in agreement with Steverino and dat8962 on this; the TT is my all time favourite!

My reasons:

1) Its reliability – With decent handling this thing does not naturally (or even remotely) bring attention to itself, unlike the Coin Bite for example. It is SO outside the confines of the box, nobody ever guesses it. In the twenty or so years I have used it, I have only been caught out once and that was on my first go - but I learnt a lot since then It’s also nice to have around if you haven’t practiced your sleights for a while so you can still achieve a great effect without giving away an important sleight due to a bad performance.

2) Its secrecy - A layman wouldn’t even know where to start looking to find or purchase this gimmick and its secret.

3) Its versatility – It can be used to achieve several effects or part of an effect - actually it is incorporated in so many tricks that even those who are familiar with the gimmick don’t see it sometimes (I have been fooled on a few occasions ).

4) Its set up – As easy as putting your hands in your pocket!

5) Its size – Packs small and plays big!

6) It is value for money $$ - It is dirt-cheap and yet it achieves so much (it also lasts a lifetime)!

I don't like having "un-needed" junk in my pocket.

Yeah, I've used gimmicks, but I don't have "places" for them in my routine. So sometimes they become more of a burden. I know that some of you fellows know what I mean. You get used to doing things one way, and then it gets hard to remember what you may have in you pockets.


Off topic.

On the TV Show, Reno 911 (a fake "Cops" show) they just busted a magician who pulled all kinds of crazy flowers, rabbits, silks and such out of his pockets.

Then a cop, pulled out a bag of crack cocaine and said "Alakazam, that's real magic"

Some how I find this offensive.... Not really.

I don't mind using tricks with gimmicks at all. But I do use them sparingly. They can produce some tremendous effects, but just don't overuse them. I like to do things that I can hand out to the audience or do impromptu or with just everyday objects. It makes it seem more like the magic resides in me than in my props. But I do like to use gimmick-tricks. I just try to limit them.