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Time for another Karl Fulves review me thinks.....

Karl Fulves Self Working Coin Magic

The Effect
The title says it all really, a little book of coin magic.

Cost
I paid 99p from Amazon Marketplace for my copy

Difficulty
(1=easy to do, 2=No sleights, but not so easy, 3=Some sleights used,
4=Advanced sleights used, 5=Suitable for experienced magicians only)

I'd give a 1, there's nothing too complicated here

Review
I've always been a big fan of Fulves books, usually a good source of impromptu ideas but this one disapointed me a little. There is a large section devoted to 'coin stunts' which are nothing more than puzzles and games. Could be fun in the pub but not really magic. The other disapointing section was on how con men manage to short change you, some clever ideas but not very useful as far as I can see.

So that's the negatives out of the way, lets look at the good parts. The book is very simple and the instructions are very easy to follow. I'd imagine that this would be a good book for someone just starting out who wants to learn the basics but I didn't really take too much away.

There are some good tricks in the book, a very good and almost impromptu pen through note effect (so simple, I'm amazed I've never come across it before to be honest) which is worth the price of the book on it's own. As well as some old classics like coin through ring and coin through hankie. There are some nice vanishes and transpositions in there too.

Not the best of his books but does cointain some good ideas and would be great for the beginners. And that price you really can't go wrong, that pen through note will be making a regular appearance in my routine so for that alone I'm happy.

Overall
7/10 All in all a solid book, which for that price, you can't really go wrong.

Criminally cheap and excellent reading. I grabbed a copy just over 12 months ago ( referred to in http://www.talkmagic.co.uk/ftopic14465.php ) and thought I'd never see them at such a low price again - until now !

Nice catch Lommie...

Although I've seen Fulves stuff get a beating before, I will have to add that for 99p, or even £5, you get a fair chunk of useable ideas and catalysts if nothing else.

It's stuff that usually CAN and WILL work

I don't really think you can go wrong with any of Fluves books, I don't think I've read one that I've not got an idea or two from.

D'oh

Just went out and bought this book for 5.99 on Ebay, then spotted this and it seems perhaps I wasted my money!

Although you did say its good for beginners so hopefully I'll learn a little bit. If you were a starter would you think it was good - does it teach essential sleights?

Thanks

You can't go wrong with any of the Fulves books (as a myserious lady once said), so yes this is a good one to start with.

If you are serious about learning magic with coins - then it has to be Bobo's Modern book of Coin magic.

(I may even have a spare copy laying around somewhere)

I got this book yesterday, and after reading through I have to agree that despite the lack of quality tricks, there are still some really good ones which could be taken away by people of all skills. It teaches some really important vanishes and sleights, and I'll use about 3 of it's tricks in a close-up routine.

I'm sure I reviewed this along with table magic.....

Karls books are great, espesh if you are a beginner to novice when you first pick them up....

With ref to coin magic it is one of the simplest tricks in there that I find the best (adapted to my PYRO MANIACAL needs of course)...... Coin in paper (flash in my case) paper folded and tap coin with pen to demonstrate it's there as paper rotated. Set fire to FP coin gone!!

Totally agree with you there Jordan, I use that exact same trick, with flash paper too as a finisher for one of my routines.

Then my genius is now proven LOL