talkmagic.co.uk

Hello, I apologize if this is the wrong place, but I was wondering what would be a good, under or about $50 set of materials for a beginning magician? I would like to start by learning some card tricks, and I've already done all the standard gimmicky ones off of the internet, and learned the basic slights like false cutting and double lifting, and would like to get a bit more advanced. The things I am currently considering getting are the Ellusionist Crash Course and Ninja DVDs, Kard Klub , Card College by Roberto Giobbi, and The Royal Road to Card Magic. I have heard some good things about the last two, but the demo videos for the Ninja DVDs are awesome. What books and DVDs should I consider besides these? Which of the above is the best value, and what would you recommend?

Many thanks.

EDIT: Also, I would like to learn some coin magic. How is the book "Modern Coin Magic", and what other materials are available? Any good DVDs?

suggest you get yourself a couple decks of Bicycle cards, and the book "Royal Road to Card Magic". This will help you enormously with the basic handling techniques that are essential if you want to do routines that involve sleights (Ambitious Card etc)

I am already familiar with basic handling techniques such as false cuts, double lifts, numerous false shuffles, and the pinky break. I don't think RRTCM would be helpful in that regard.

Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic Great book...

I'd like to focus on card and coin magic for now, but thank you for the recommendation. Quality over quantity, you know how it goes...

If you introduce yourself a bit more thoroughly, it would help people know what level you're at.
It sounds like you know the bare bones basics. RRTCM still has a lot for you if you only know the sleights you listed.
"Card Control" by Arthur Buckley has tons of useful card sleights, but be warned, they get pretty difficult.
But if all you know is false cuts/shuffles, the DL and break, RRTCM is the best thing to go for.

Ok, thanks!

Those ellusionist DVDs are so interesting, though....

This has been discussed many, many, many times before. You can't beat the value for your money when it comes to the RRTCM book. It actually contains many of the tricks shown in the Ninja DVD's for a fraction of the price. And it teaches you how to APPLY the sleights, not just use them in an isolated one-trick scenario. You will learn SO MUCH more from the book, but if you want the visual... well...

why do people think Ellusionist is GOD!!

For christs sake, ok... get Card College 1 to 5, many many more advanced sleights in there and some very very nice tricks using false counts and displays, glimpses, crimps, passes, the works

Only £125 for the lot.. grab a copy today and go knock yourself out

Like it's been said above, Royal Road to Card Magic and Mark Wilson's Complete Course in magic is very good for beginners. Also, if you want to learn coin magic, get Bobo's Modern Coin Magic.

I'd go for Royal Road personally. Even if you do know the sleights and some tricks, you'll still get alot from RRTCM. It'll teach you different ways to apply the sleights and modify them to do what you want. I had a good knowlegge of card magic before I picked up Royal Road and most of the sleights I already know but I still got a lot out of the book.

Trust me, it's well worth getting even if just for some of the tricks that are in there.

Ellusionist will be hyped up to make you wanna buy it, it will also cost a fair bit, probably about £30-40 maybe more. The material is usually taken from older books and sold at a high mark up.

RRTCM has stood the test of time, has everything included to turn you into a good cardie. Certainly a lot better than a few explanations you will have go of the web. It also costs £6.50 of amazon.

As Graeme used to say- the decision is yours! (but I know what I would do).

Little_Penguin wrote:I am already familiar with basic handling techniques such as false cuts, double lifts, numerous false shuffles, and the pinky break. I don't think RRTCM would be helpful in that regard.

Royal Road contains way more than just basic sleights and it's dirt cheap

Ok, thank you for telling me about ellusionist, I'll steer clear then.

Many thanks, I'll go pick up RRTCM.

One that is rarely suggested but is most likely the very best beginner book is "The Secrets of Alkazar" (Kronzek). It has exactly 12 tricks.

However, if you followed the book and did exactly what it told you to do and learned each trick right out of the pages, you would have 12 tricks that were 100% more entertaining and more deceptive than almost any of these guys who've put 5 years into learning nothing but difficult sleight of hand.

The book teaches proper misdirection, proper story telling, proper blocking...Well, it teaches magic and how to make your tricks truly magical. If you owned no other book and did no other tricks, but you owned this one book and did all 12 of these tricks, as taught, you would be lauded as a great magician by anyone that you performed for.

Get the book and if you don't like it, I'll buy it off of you for double what you paid for it.

Mike.