talkmagic.co.uk

Hey guys! This question was what prompted me to join the forums. Im really hoping you guys can help me out.

So Penguinmagic.com is all out of stock on the spongeballs and since I coulndnt buy them from Penguin and get the free instructional video, I went to my local magic shop and bought a pack of 4 blue spongballs.

Once i opened the pack, I was disappointed to see that the "spongeball routine" was rather unimpressive and not very descriptive as to HOW to do the sleight of hands.

I bought these hoping I could have a stunning routine to use at my daughters 5th birthday party but I cant find any info on the net as to do the sleights of hand.

I know there are expensive videos...books...etc... but I dont have a lot of money to spend on my magic being a single father with 2 girls and I am really hoping someone here can point me in the right direction as to how to do the sleights... everytime i do them my friends say "ya i saw that other ball in your hand" so i dont know what im doing wrong ...

If i could do one thing perfect id like to give the illusion that i took a ball from one hand and placed it in the other... however every time i do it, i get caught...

please help!! thanks fellas

Watch out when performing to freinds and family. They don't know you as a magicain, they know you as just there freind who picked up a couple of tricks. Freinds always try to be smart, they try to find flaws.

I understand that you may have some financial drawbacks - but this isn't an exposure forum. We can't just give away secrets here.

However, if you're truly interested in learning the art of sponge magic - there are a few resources you can check out that only require a modest investment of money (the bigger investment is time and practice).

http://www.llpub.com/zenshop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2313 - World's Greatest Magic - Sponge Balls DVD. This is an excellent resource. At $20 it's also a relatively inexpensive one.

http://www.magicbox.uk.com/shop.php/shop/magic-tricks/jay-sankey-magic/earplugs/p_747.html - Slightly more expensive, but again - a great place to learn the basic to advanced sleights - as well as quite a few powerful routines. Don't be alarmed by the "strange sponges" all of the sleights and routines can be done with traditional sponge balls.

Either one will get you started with the basics - and move you into the more advanced work. The routines on both dvd's are strong enough to build an entire routine around them. I've done shows for children using just the presentation ideas explored on Sankey's Earplugs dvd.

So, if you have an extre $20-30 laying around - these are perfect for what you're looking for.

The effect you want is hard. Especially with friends and family. I've seen some amazing sleight of hand over the the years. You can be right next to the guy and 'actually' see the coin go into his hand or mouth or through a window. And yet, even then you'll find yourself occasionly spotting something you're not meant to see. It's inevitable.

The thing is, the better the performer the more willing the audience are to let let these things go. Many times I've see people walk away from a sleight of hand guy bubbling with excitement and saying how good he was but still saying, "you saw a couple of times but he was brilliant."

Unfortunately, friends and family aren't so willing to accept mistakes. Especially younger people. The minute they catch a glimpse the routine is pretty much over.

I can second Demitri on the World's Greatest Magic - Spongeballs DVD, which I picked up at the weekend. Whilst it may come across at first as a bit old fashioned (lots of middle aged performers in tuxedos filmed in bad VHS Fuzzicolour) don't be put off as most of these guys are true magic giants. There's all the moves you'll ever need and it should be affordable even if you're on a fairly tight budget.

Loads of sponge bally goodness can be found....

Jay Scott Berry

David Stones real secrets of close up .. i use the routine on this quite a bit.

Oh and the worlds greatest sponge ball magic, is great and quite cheap my current walk around / table hoping routine includes a mixture of Daryls effect with the bagless purse and the sponge up the sleeve by the name of the guy that escapes me.

I know there is an old dusty thought in peoples mind of a magician pulling 30,00 little red balls out of his pocket. But it dosent have to be like that no sireee. I am all so a firm beliver that the little poly foam spheres will help you in the basics of slight of hand magic.

So dont over look them because the Goshman routine in the box isnt that cutting edge.

That DVD is great, but, while relatively inexpensive by magic standards, it's still not cheap. It's possible to get booklets on sponge balls for under a fiver. Not quite the same, but cheaper and you don't need access to a DVD player to study it.

Ok Ok its not cheap. But when you think of all the effects and slights you could use weighed agasnt the price then ... Also Micheal Finnys Routine is great I laughed loads, I also like his lady rope routine.


Heres another thing to do, Sponge balls with out sponge Balls. Roll two paper napkins in to balls and you have impromptu sponge balls. Add Mark Wilsons Sucker torn and restored napkins, and you got a nice little routine there. Sponge Ball the magicians squeezy friend.

Also there is ofcourse a sponge routine in Mark wilsons COmplete Course on magic.

And on one of the Ellusionest DVDs i am pretty sure there is a sponge routine.

There you go loads of infomation to soak up about the sponges (pun intended)

Hey thanks for the kind replies fellas

I know exactly what you all mean about friends/family not accepting mistakes. My best friend of 16 years is who i bounce all my tricks off of prior to showing them anywhere else which works very well for me.

Id say that I have only about 3-5 months experience in magic and so far most of my time has been spent with cards... tons of svengali deck, stripper decks etc..

Some of the ones ive bought are mainly from penguinmagic

Self Tying shoelaces
Micro thread reel (omg this is great stuff!)
Starry Eyed Surprise card flourish
Street Monte (card domino shells)
Criss Angels Levitations
Healed and Sealed
Quarter thru pop can
2 dollar window

oh and Bobo's coin magic!!

Like i said i know "how" to do the sleights and the ideas/moves behind them however...

I cannot create the simple illusion of transferring one spongeball to another hand. I mean I can do it but its not as clean and convincing as the one here http://www.penguinmagic.com/product.php?ID=122

Look at the beginning of the video right after he "cuts" the spongball into 2 he then places one in his left hand (that is the convincing sleight that i want to achieve) ive replayed the video over and over and over again trying to figure out how he does it so convincingly.

if anyone has any tips on that sleight (simply making it LOOK like you transferred the ball to the other hand) any help would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks!!

No offense, but some of the items you bought are a bit pricey, sir. I don't mean to come off as rude, but it's hard to cry poverty when you say you've purchased Criss Angel's levitation.

I can offer you assistance on the sleight, but I'd need to know exactly what you're having trouble with. You seem willing to buy plenty of gimmicks, so I don't see why a $20 or $30 dvd is too much. If you really want to explore sponge magic check out one of the two dvds I mentioned. Everything you're looking for is on there.

True true. What he's doing is called a retention vanish and there are about 3951 very very very slightly different ways of doing it, all of which rely on the same principle.

The World's Greatest DVD has at least 10 of these (probably more that's off the top of my head) so if that's what you wanna learn get it. After all it's cheaper than your self-tying shoelaces.

I hear what youre saying however im still under 100 bucks over about a 5month time span on a hobby... not bad I will definately buy one of the dvd's it's just a rough month financially for me. Oh and the Criss Angel Levitations can be found on youtube. His "major" levitation has been exposed all over the net and I was able to figure out self tying shoe laces on my own.

Thank you greatly on the dvd reccomendations!! I will definately be buying one at a later date... until then the mirror is my best friend