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I found it quite hard to do my first trick that involved a tear, pen or a crimp. It took me ages to throw (or give) away my first pack of cards. So, here is my guide to getting over it.

1) take the texas holdem rules from a pack and write on one of them
2) tear up the other one
3) take a card from a broken deck and crimp it
4) take another and fold it in half
5) take another and write on it
6) take another and tear it

You should feel much better by now, but here is the killer.

Take a new deck of cards, open it, take out a random indifferent card and write across the face, then tear another in half. Put them in an old box and write the words "feeder" on the front.

You have now gotten over it. You should feel a huge sense of relief.

I hope this simple guide helps you over that little hillock that is being precious about cards.

Remember, giving cards to the local boozer is a good way of getting everyone used to them. I even did a deck swap in the pub the other day.

I used to hate giving away old decks

Anyway, I glue a business card to the back of the box and I don't feel as guilty now as I look upon it as publicity .

I remember when I hated doing anything with cards.

I still dont like specs to sign cards, unless its for a torn and restorn plot or perhaps an ACR that I will keep coming back to throughout the performance with gags etc until I eventually use it for a closer.

I haven't got over the signed card thing yet, but recently I did start crimping my cards.. and its the best thing I ever did.

Crimps and tears are brilliant.. signing cards.. not so much.. yet

Signed cards all the way for me. I have no problem with cards being written on, folded, torn up and given away. To be honest I now have a pretty disposable attitude towards cards. I do ACR so much it would be pretty stupid to be precious about them.

Funnily enough I'm much less happy about crimps. Hmm, something to work on there then.
Gary

Isn't it odd. Something so cheap and replaceable is so hard to damage.

edit: and that some damages are acceptable and some are not

I buy seconds so they cost 99p a pack which is nothing, but I really dont like when they get bent and greasy and i have to stop using them and open up a new pack I don't mind spending a fiver on lunch and demolishing that though, but a 99p pack of cards every two days is almost unbearable

basically I think we're all nuts

My first time I did a trick where I wanted the person to sign a card I had them pick a card then I pulled out an old deck and told them to sign its counterpart. Then after realizing that this was unacceptable I would have my spec sign the card in pencil with "something you know only you would use ie. a star or yin yang sign" so that I could erase it later. Still have yet to let someone sign a card in anything other then pencil however. (its painfully to watch someone sign it still, not to mention letting a spec shuffle the cards and then bend them...)

I find it painful to rip cards up and mutilate them in any way. I almost think they are little persons with feelings. However when they get old I change my attitude and cut them up mercilessly to sell as Dutch Loopers (3 card montes) to the undeserving public.

However for those of you who like me can't bear to have cards signed here is a little tip. Carry sticky white labels around with you and when a card needs signing stick the label on and the spectator can scribble away for all their worth. When the trick is finished remove the label.

mark lewis wrote:However for those of you who like me can't bear to have cards signed here is a little tip. Carry sticky white labels around with you and when a card needs signing stick the label on and the spectator can scribble away for all their worth. When the trick is finished remove the label.

... or follow my plan, it works very well.

Yes. But it is terribly cruel to the cards on a metaphysical level. Besides things do get a little inefficient when you don't have a full pack of cards. There really are tricks where you can't have cards missing from the deck and if they look mutilated there is something unprofessional about it.

Hence the "feeder" pack.

Well it was really hard for me in the beginning too..
I always had a one way forcing deck with me, forced a card with any force with the normal deck, let it signed and later one replace it wit a card from the on way deck...

after a whil i got over it though...

so long
danny

I know about the feeder deck and Jon Tremaine recommends something similar. However it seems terribly rude to destroy your friends. And playing cards are my friends.

Of course Matt Schulien never worked with a full deck. He would be destroying the poor things all the time.

However I am an artist. We artists are very sensitive you know. You wouldn't expect Yehudi Menuhin to partially damage his violin would you?

I never do anything with signed cards. If I had a spec sign a card at every table I work at, I'd have to carry god knows how many packs around with me or be running off to the toilet every ten minutes to "reset" with a feeder pack.

No. I buy two packs of red bikes every 6 months and they do me just fine.

Tarot cards on the other hand - I buy them by the dozen. But that's just because they're so pretty.

Furthermore we psychic people couldn't possibly destroy or mutilate tarot cards. I am sure we would get struck by lighting if we did that.