talkmagic.co.uk

Its kinda been discussed before; but that's never stopped us all from discussing it over and over and ov...

you get the picture - anyways, card designs...I'm an utter, utter snob when it comes to the back designs of cards.

So much so, i utterly refuse to use the standard bike decks. I HATE the idea of a badly drawn cherub/angel on a bike. I feel angry in fact when i look down at their faces.

I'm off at the moment, with the lurgy - so yesterday, i ordered some of those Dan and Dave decks, the smoke and mirrors ones - white and black decks...and they are, despite the massive ego of the D&D implanted in the centre of the design, a lovely looking deck.

I suppose this has turned into a waffle, yet again - so lets up the stakes into a full on rant...

Dont get me wrong, i love the fan backed design (vintage) of the bike brand, if only they did them in black and white, they would be superb...they're still beautiful as they are in blue...

I even prefer the split spades in black and white over most cards...

The other fave of mine is the blue circle backed tallys but with posh bronze trim along the borders..

No i havent got a link!

ESP cards - are they Royal or Vernet? can't remember, with the stars on the back design? Awful! i feel sickened even thinking of them. How can you seriously show a display of ESP and then show these overly magical back designs? Would Dr. Rhine REALLY have said "ooh you know what we're missing lads? more STARS!"

As a so called mentalist - i feel i can or even should use fancy cards, as i want some element of class in what i do, and thats certainly NOT going to come from my act..(sadly im only half joking boohoo)...nah, my point is, i like to use these fancier prettier looking decks cos if i do unusual things - then a few of my items that i use can also be unusual...and thus have a resonance in what i do..

using bikes makes me feel like i belong to a club - and i dont like that feeling...all magicians and most mentalists use bikes...therfore i really don't want to because of that...

thats not a sl(e)ight towards anyone who does use them..personal choice - and i understand they're only cards, and yes you can buy all the gaffs blah blah blah..just not interested in that...i can make an ID these days, i can make short cards, thats all the gaffs i need..

and with those stik-a-pips i can make up what i need for dunningers delight and so on...

i say throw down your bikes, take up your tallys - don't go with the crowd, find a little something about the back designs that you love - that somehow express a little about who you are - i suppose thats the crux of it...

its not just what you do, its the way that you do it...and for me, that "way" also means the style of the items that i use...

so i can't use an admittedly lovely wallet like the JOL, but a SUC2 case feels more like "me", my style of things.

Even the envelopes i use - i no longer by from WH Smiths, i can't help it. I use small elegant subtlely coloured envelopes from Rymans. And occassionally those rare beasts in the UK - Kraft envelopes.

Anyway, i have a sore throat, and off my head with Nurofen and coffee...I'm off to watch my singing unicorn for a while now...

Start the revolt against standard bikes now!

i'd also like to add, that all the posh playing cards, they all claim to handle better than the last - that's a big dirty LIE!

but they are pretty...

oh and i've just discovered that those Dan and Dave cards are one ways believe it or not...

oh stop moaning you old goat

I really like the Bikes with the darker red, "berry" coloured backs. Sure, they've still got the bog standard design but they look much classier than regular reds and blues.

Other than a single pack of Tally's (which I bought in a magic & juggling shop in exeter for... wait for it... £6!!! when I was but a naive lad with a Karl Fulves book and a dream) I haven't experimented with other card designs. I like the look of those black Tally Ho's but I'd be worried their being unusual would rouse unnecessary suspicion.

I don't like cards - they take too long to pick up off the floor.

Lady of Mystery wrote:oh stop moaning you old goat

shut it smelly!

One of my favourites are the circle back Tallys. And those posh ones you showed me (with the bronze trim) are also very nice.

How is it, that magicians think the color of the deck will arouse suspicion, but the magician himself doesn't?

Speaking for myself, if someone came up to me and asked if I wanted to see some magic - I'm already suspicious. Some people are going to suspect any deck of cards you have in your hand. I can do card miracles with an UNO deck right off the rack of a local store - and I'll bet you money someone, somewhere, will think I placed that trick deck there for just such an occasion.

I'm so sick and tired of the "funny looking deck" argument. If your audience thinks you're using trick cards, one of two things is the reason:

1 - You are actually using trick cards
2 - You aren't performing the trick all that well

The deck isn't screwing with your legitimacy, you are! Believe what you will. If you think the Black Tiger Deck is hurting your believability - don't buy or use it. If you happen to like how they look, and think they make you a better magician, go ahead and pick them up. Believe whatever delusion suits you - either way. Just stop blaming your own shortcomings on a stack of pasteboards.

From a personal standpoint, the Black Tigers would be a great deck for me to use, if the craftsmanship wasn't awful. The Vipers are slightly better, but still suffer the same shortcomings. The Viper Fan back would be my choice if Ellusionist hadn't screwed the pooch, and only offer the fan back with all silver pips...

I'm in love with the Fournier 1089's, and I've been thinking of picking up the black Split Spades for a more elegant look - but the old standard has always been the Tally Fan Backs. The new black backed Tallys are nice, and have become my new "go-to" deck of choice.

i love you demitri!

in a pasteboards kinda way obviously...

fourniers are class - red backed, lennart's choice in his old videos...can't go wrong...

Yes Iain, what about good old Tally Hoes?

I prefer the star backs, in red. I have a deck in my hands as we speak.

im a tally-man, but fell in love with the blue backed, bronze lined versions..snobbery at its finest...

but sorry - star backed.....anything! not for me...urgh...

I like the sound of this bronze line - any chance of link Iain? I have googled it, honestly!

But largely, I find Tally Ho circle backs to be so, so boring. They just remind me of the dull packet of cards you get with some kind of games set as a child - straight lines, circles, predictable - yawn.

As for Fourniers - I bought a packet, but having played with the airflow finish (i.e. the little holes) for so long, a totally smooth card just feels tacky to me these days. Plus, I didn't like the weird flesh colour faces on the court cards. Nice back design though.

I do have a few "nice" packs of cards I get out and practice with occasionally. But Iain - what effects do you actually perform? Would you want someone signing one of your beloved gold border tallys? Would you want to tear it, crimp it, even put it in a nice firm palm?

Would you even want a spectator to touch your cards if they hadn't washed their hands...?!

Farlsborough wrote:I do have a few "nice" packs of cards I get out and practice with occasionally. But Iain - what effects do you actually perform? Would you want someone signing one of your beloved gold border tallys? Would you want to tear it, crimp it, even put it in a nice firm palm?

well, i dont treat them with reverence - im happy to rip up a whole pack, even the "expensive" ones are only a fiver..thats nothing is it if you're getting paid to perform...

someone could widdle on them at the end of the night for all i care!

i suppose im saying that as the bike brand arent common over here, ANY card brand will do - as demitri said, if you treat something with suspicion, or with reverence, people will suspect...something...

What do i do? well, i dont do card tricks...

How's THAT for snobbery!

Precisely

You say you don't want to feel like part of a club - bet you would if it were some kind of exlusive, elitest mentalist's club.

You're a snob. But hey, so am I. Just not with cards. Talk to me about music or food and you'll hate me.