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I am looking to add some new bits and pieces to my repertoire. At the moment I am very card heavy. I've spent most of my time in magic using cards with one or two coin effects but now i feel i need to add some variety. I've heard sponge balls are very good. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

why not look at the card tricks you already know, and alter the objects you use? no cards, but....?

Moleman wrote:I am looking to add some new bits and pieces to my repertoire. At the moment I am very card heavy. I've spent most of my time in magic using cards with one or two coin effects but now i feel i need to add some variety. I've heard sponge balls are very good. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Sponge balls never fail to impress and are rather quick to master in comparison to other forms of magic.....but of course that does not mean spend an hour and your ready to go it still takes a long time.

Have a read of Mark Wilson's Complete Guide, there's a nice sponge routine in there as well as lots of other stuff. I personally love sponges, I'll often do a gig with nothing other than my sponge bunnies.

Lady of Mystery wrote:Have a read of Mark Wilson's Complete Guide, there's a nice sponge routine in there as well as lots of other stuff.

I agree. You really cant go wrong with this book. Ive had my copy since i was 11 years old, and i still find myself going back to it time and again. The last i checked it was selling for around £13 - a bargain to say the least.

jim ferguson wrote:

Lady of Mystery wrote:Have a read of Mark Wilson's Complete Guide, there's a nice sponge routine in there as well as lots of other stuff.

I agree. You really cant go wrong with this book. Ive had my copy since i was 11 years old, and i still find myself going back to it time and again. The last i checked it was selling for around £13 - a bargain to say the least.

I think I picked mine up (only a couple of years ago) for about a fiver. Certainly under £10. Go to Amazon and check for nice clean used copies in the Marketplace.

If you are going to start spongeballs, then I would highly recommend Spongeball Toolbox, or the Encyclopedia to Spongeballs (Magic Makers), both have invaluable information on spongeballs, and they are just fun to play with.
If you are looking for a one off trick as well though, I also recommend Ring Flight, get a decent one though, and it may well pay to learn a few thimble sleights as I find they make ring manipulation easier as they are similar.

Chris Tennant

While you're learning some of the suggested things well enough to incorporate in your act, you might try some variation in your card work.

For example, I do an ambitious card routine with a blank deck. For some reason, people find the idea of a blank deck fascinating - I guess because it's subverting their idea of what a deck of cards is.

My audiences always appreciate being told that the blank decks cost more than the printed ones - "It's almost as if you had to pay to get the printing removed" I tell them.

For the AC routine I get them to sign a card and use that. If you think about it, AC is much easier with a blank deck!

In this way the effect is much more about them, because the only thing on the card is their name.

There are loads of possibilities, I've even done entire shows just with a blank deck. You can still do all kinds of stuff - if you need Aces, just write the names of the Aces on the cards.

I just see this as some variety you could introduce quickly without having to re-skill.

Good luck with it.

Jan

Learn some tricks that use borrowed items, such as rings, money etc. This means you don't have to carry those things and there's also a personal connection to them. Plus of opportunity for patter and humour.

Spongeball Toolbox is a wonderful place to start. The DVD gives you a lot of moves, tips and techniques you can use to put together your very own routine. It helped me a lot.

If you need some inspiration for a blank card AC you should check out Gregory Wilson's "Pyrotechnic Pasteboard". He has a wonderful ambitious card routine.

I hate sponge balls, and I often see a glazed look come in spectators eyes when some enthusiastic finger flicker is showing off his latest moves. Unfortunately magicians never see this glazed look. We have a blind spot about things like that.

If you do sponge balls, please keep it simple. After the first surprise every other surprise (and I don't care how you end it) is just anti-climax.

A good addition to anyone's repetoir is some strong mentalism. Larry Becker (Supermentalism) is a good place to start. He has a lot of effects suitable for close-up.

"Now You See It Now You Don't" both one and 2 by Bill Tarr are excellent resources to get a rounded education in general sleight of hand.

Volume 1 was my first real book on magic and it's still one of my favorite "review" books.

Great tips so far!
You might want to consider a couple rope tricks and starcle (paper napkin) by Dan Harlan.