by bronz » Jan 5th, '08, 20:34
After you've been around the magical block a few times and got to know how things work you develop a bit of a sixth sense towards products and what they promise. Sometimes you'll smell the need for a deck switch (for example) and on balance of what you're trying to achieve go ahead and buy it anyway, at other times you won't because the situation or routine you'd like to use that effect in wouldn't tolerate a switch.
Magic dealers are in a bit of an unfortunate position in that they have to advertise products that are by their nature secrets, so they need to give you enough information to get you to buy the trick without actually telling you what you're getting (thus risking you running off and performing it without buying it) and this large fuzzy grey area is easily open to abuse by unscrupulous dealers.
That's why you can't beat real shops with people you can talk to. I surprised Markdini the other day by informing him that I could count the number of items I've bought online with one hand, in fact I still could if I had a rogue flash paper accident and took off a couple of fingers. I buy more or less exclusively from Alakazam because it's only down the road and they know me. If I stroll in and enquire about an effect I'll often get to have a look at it first and have any questions answered in detail, occassionally by the creator if they happen to be there. For example I got to mess around with the Riser Deck before it was released and nearly bought one, didn't in the end but no one minded and it was nice to have the option to see what I was potentially getting. I know that I'm in a fairly fortunate position to be able to do this but even if you live miles from your nearest shop it's definitely worth saving your money now and going in perhaps every other month or so to get a proper unbiased opinion on something.
The artist who does not rise, descends.
