talkmagic.co.uk

Hi.

I have a few tricks - the X-Deck probably being my favourite. I am now buying a couple of books to learn sleights and other techniques so that I can move away from relying on gimmicks. The problem with X-Deck, for example, is no matter how great the effect is, you cannot give the deck out to the audience afterwards to inspect (although I have managed to cunningly switch the decks a few times without anyone noticing and hand out a normal bicycle deck).

It would be much nicer to be able to perform powerful tricks with a normal deck by using sleights etc so that afterwards I can happily hand the deck out for inspection. I think this provides a much stronger illusion.

However, I feel that it may take me some time to learn these techniques as so in the meantime would like a couple of easier tricks to tide me over until I am ready to try out something more complicated.

Could someone please recommend some of the best easy to do tricks that money can buy. I mean the sort that are easy to do but still leave the audience absolutely gobsmacked.

I tend to prefer card, coin or mantalism tricks.

Thanks in advance. I know there is no definite answer to this request but I can see this is going to be an expensive hobby, so any recommendations would be good.

Hi

If your buying a book I would recommend royal road to card magic or Bobo's coin magic as thease books and a little time and you will be able to perfom fabulous magic with a normal deck and the change in your pocket.

Trick wise if you looking for something not too tricky with a good wow factory I would suggest you buy Scotch and Soda you can buy it here http://www.penguinmagic.com/europe/product.php?ID=67 and it comes with video you can watch on there site that explains the trick.

This will require practice though as will most tricks.

Hope this helps

Dean

Easy card tricks:

Mental Photography
Cheek to Chek
Twisted Sisters
ID

Easy coin tricks:

Dynamic coins
Miracle coin unique

Born to Perform by Oz Pearlman is a good starting point if you learn tricks from DVD and I would also suggest the first 6 Michael Ammars Easy to Master Card Miracles. They are around £25.00 each, but you get 9 tricks per disc and a bonus trick with gimmick (10 in total)

Rushie

If you are a Beginner and havn't already done so Buy some GOOD QUALITY CARDS. (BIKES OR TALLY-HOs). thats the first bit of advice i'd give before you go out and buy any books.

I won't recommend any books or DVD's because its all down to choice in the end and there are that many to choose from. I suggest do a search in the reviews section and see which suits you best.

Well I just got coin unique from magictricks.co.uk and I must say I am very very disappointed with it. It is so obvious [edited by Mods].

It is actually unusable as everyone I show it to can immediately tell something is up

I was expecting a lot more for £30 but it feels like one of those tricks you get in Christmas Crackers.

Tim - first up please watch what you are saying - it is easy for non magicians browse these forums looking for methods.

Secondly, I can only assume that your coin unique is not one of Eddie Gibson's. I have never had a problem with mine (well, that is up to the time I spent it!), if yours is so obvious I suggest you send it back and ask for your money back.

Of course there is another possible factor of where it could be going wrong. Remember there is no such thing as a self working effect (ok, so there is, but I am making a point)- you still need a good presentation, and CU certainly can't just be performed without any consideration for what you are doing.

The spectators shouldn't even be considering anything like you claimed. so I supect that some of it may have been in your handling. Don't get me wrong I am not trying to criticise you for no reason, after all I have never seen you perform, but I do think the problem is more than just with the coin.

Having said all that your coin does sound poor. So you could trying speaking to the shop you biought it from and see if they will exchange it. Many magic shop owners are actually very helpful people...

bananafish wrote:Tim - first up please watch what you are saying - it is easy for non magicians browse these forums looking for methods.

Secondly, I can only assume that your coin unique is not one of Eddie Gibson's. I have never had a problem with mine (well, that is up to the time I spent it!), if yours is so obvious I suggest you send it back and ask for your money back.

Of course there is another possible factor of where it could be going wrong. Remember there is no such thing as a self working effect (ok, so there is, but I am making a point)- you still need a good presentation, and CU certainly can't just be performed without any consideration for what you are doing.

The spectators shouldn't even be considering anything like you claimed. so I supect that some of it may have been in your handling. Don't get me wrong I am not trying to criticise you for no reason, after all I have never seen you perform, but I do think the problem is more than just with the coin.

Having said all that your coin does sound poor. So you could trying speaking to the shop you biought it from and see if they will exchange it. Many magic shop owners are actually very helpful people...

Sorry, but I cannot explain what is wrong with it without giving the game away to a certain extent. It is not in my handling. I bought this because someone told me that it is examinable by the spectator after the trick. So afterwards, I am handing it out and the spectator is noticing that *******************************. So it is not examinable by the spectator. That was one of the reasons I bought it because they said it could be examined afterwards. It clearly cannot.

And yes it is the Eddie Gibson one.

Edit - sorry I have just ***'d some of the above out as after reading it again I realised that even this gave the game away. It is impossible to explain the problem and therefore I would be very grateful if someone who owns this trick could PM me so that I can ask if their one has the sam e "problem".

If your coin will not stand even a casual examination then there is something wrong with it. If your specs are studying the coin in detail then there is something wrong with your presentation.

I know this won't help but my EG £1 CU is very examinable - when I first received it I was convinced that someone had sent the wrong item. If it's obviously 'odd' to even a cursory look then it should certainly be replaced. Eddie prides himself on very high quality items which is why they cost arms and legs - have a word with the supplier, Carl Fraser is the chap who runs it, and see what they can do about it.

Is there anything that is equivalent to the Royal Road To Card Magic but in DVD format ?

I find reading books on magic quite difficult and find it easier to learn tricks by being shown how it is done. And to be honest I find it more interesting too.

Two points. Firstly I have found that the Royal Road is a superb basis for learning card magic. It isn't easy, but almost nothing which is worthwhile is. Reading the book is part of the learning process. From RR I have learned, in a realtively short time, how to force cards, control them via shuffles and many other effects that would be give aways just to say the name.

It has been a hard process, when I am learning something new I will sit in front of the TV with a pack of cards in my hands doing and redoing it. I drop the cards, I mess up the effect but I just keep on practising.

Now that I can do the mechanics of these effects I have bought Oz Pearlmans Born To Perform. This is where I am attemting to learn presentation from. That is something that books are not so handy at relating.

Second thing is about Coin Unique. I agree with everyone who says that if you have a problem which makes your coin unexaminable then you have a faulty coin. I have the Eddie Gibson version and almost from day one it has amazed people and totally fooled them. There are a number of good routines that come with the EG coin and many more to make up.

I don't offer anything to be examined unless that is a necessary part of the trick but am happy to hand out the CU when it is necessary. I usually get it back failrly quickly by saying that I don't let my money out of my sight. Also when possible I drop it in to a pocket after using it so that I can bring out a replacement for examination.

But really exmanation shouldn't be a problem

Royal Road to Card Magic is the last book you should buy if you struggle with books as this is one of the hardest most boring of card magic books with the fewest illustrations.

There are a few good DVDs that get you started but Oz Pearlmans Born To Perform is as good as any out there. If you'd like to see a massive range of sleights then Jay Sankey's 45 is well worth looking at, it has far more sleights than any other Dvd I know of and all clearly shown, though there is no talking at all, it's all done to music. It contains sleights for cards but also plenty of non card stuff.

I have never had a problem with my CU. and like Mandrake i too thought that they had sent out the wrong item at first. I have had it for nearly 3 years and use it very often and if looked after should last years. I can only think that yours may be slightly faulty. Talk to your dealer and see about getting a replacement.

Happy Toad wrote:There are a few good DVDs that get you started but Oz Pearlmans Born To Perform is as good as any out there.

I got hold of this DVD but am really struggling with it. I cannot even do the "pinky break". I mean if I cannot even do that, I might as well give up right ? I have practicing it for ages and it's a no go. I don't think I'll ever be able to do it because my fingers just don't seem to be flexible enough.

I think this DVD and any other is probably wasted on me in all honesty.

Maybe I'm stuck with using gimmicked decks.