talkmagic.co.uk

Hi All,

Could anyone suggest a couple of things for me please.

Firstly, which do you all find to be the best on-line store to buy from, in terms of quality, customer service etc.?

Secondly, Im lokoing to invest in a couple of strong illusions that are not too advanced in terms of handling. Looking for something portable too. I like the look of some bill change illusions for example but not sure of their complexity. However, any suggestions are greatfully received.

Many thanks in advance.

The stores online at the bottom of the forum pages are great - and also sponsor the site (So, I'd advise them, MagicBox is my personal site of choice, great reviews, amazing customer service)

Bill changes can be great, but certain moves DO require practice / have a nice little nack to them, its hard to not reveal stuff on here, but your best bet is to decide what magic tricks you want to actually do ... and it'll depend on your skill level too, if its cards, then you NEED to be buying Royal Road To Card Magic, "amazon.co.uk", £5 - £10.
If its coins, then Bobo's coin magic is a great start - amazon.co.uk is your best friend here

Let us know a bit more about what you want to perform and I'm sure you'll be FLOODED with trick ideas

All the best (and welcome to TM if I haven't already said it in your intro)

Dan

In addition to those listed below, I've had great customer service from Davenports in London and the Bond Agency & The Card Collection, both of which have an online catalogue presence.

-Stacy

magictricks.co.uk are very good......

also i have to agree with trevor in that you'll need to give up more info on what kind of effects, (i.e cards/coins/bands) you are looking for before asking people to make suggestions

Am I the only person who has never really read royal road? I know its like the bible of card magic or something but its not completely necessary

I'd go for Mark Wilsons first or one of the Nick Einhorn books or Josh Jay, much more rounded in terms of learning and possibly very useful at the start of this pursuit.

Might I even suggest a DVD? Oz Pearlmans born to perform is where I started and is a great source of material for cards.

As for on line shops, go with the sponsors at the bottom of the page but my favs are magicbox, alakazam, dude that's cool magic and magictricks.co.uk

Good luck with this great hobby/career

I've got to put a vote in for http://www.magicnevin.com. They don't stock everything but in terms of prices they're unbeatable. Bicycles for £1.94 and free shipping for orders over £10. They also send stuff out very quickly!

What sort of magic are you interested in? You can pick up many of the basic books from Amazon for a good price, Mark Wilson's Complete Course is a very good all round book to get you started with, it covers all sorts of different areas of magic. Also any of the Kar Fulves Self Working books are well worth their small price.

As for magic shops, Magic Nevin and Magic Box are usually the places that I first look for things. Theyre both very good shops.

I've never read royal road, or mark wilson, or watched born to perform.

I started off with Paul Zenon's 'Street Magic' and would highly recommend that book as a very easy way to learn the basics. It even has 'out of this world' in!

thank you all so much for your replies. I'm looking for some really great visual illusions but not card tricks.
I really do this as a hobby for my kids and family/friends.
I want to steer clear of cards because they are not the best medium of children really (or i dont think they are). They seem to be in awe of the more visually impactful things. For example, I love using The Raven.
I'm not advanced in my magic so I'm not looking for anything massively complex. However, I don't mind putting in the work and practice to perfect a good illusion.

Thanks again to you all.

Simon.

Sounds like sponge balls might be right up your street then. Mark Wilson's got a nice routine in his Complete Course, Steve Dacri's Sponge Ball Toolkit and L&L's Worlds Greatest Sponge Ball Magic are both also really good and worth getting.

Cups and Balls is a good one too. Can be as simple or as complex as you want, and everything you need to learn in magic is there. Can't think of anything important you need to learn that you can't get from cups and balls. Maybe some sleights and techniques, but they're all pretty much the same once you understand the concepts...

There's also a good routine in Mark Wilson's Complete Course

I'd get a copy of that, then get along to discountmagic.com and see what takes your fancy. You'll get a set of cups and balls (I started off with their £1 ones, though they were 99p back in my day...) and some sponge balls for pretty cheap, then you're sorted.

I'm not going to tell you where to buy, but I do feel the need to throw in my two cents on what to buy. And clear up a mis-conception although you won't be happy about it.

A magic trick is just a magic trick. It is not great, it is not fantastic and it is not bad either. The magic trick simply is.

The magician on the other hand is what makes an effect great. So many new and not so new magicians are always on the lookout for that trick that is going to make them famous or great or perhaps even popular.

There is no such trick, and they are all such tricks.

The trick is, find a trick that you like, that suits your personality, lean it, practice it, rehearse it and perform the heck out of it till you make it yours.

Ever see Paul Diamond with a mental photo deck? Killer stuff. How about Paul Daniels with a one way forcing deck, to die for. Jeff McBride performing a zombie effect? Micheal Ammar performing Kannibal Kings. How about Eugene Burger performing Hindu Thread? The list can go on for miles. But for every brilliant performance of the Hindu Thread there are a billion bad, same for Kannibal Kings or the Zombie. Why? because it is about the performer not the trick.

Slipping back off my soap box but only for a moment.

What do I recomend. If you are just starting out something really easy that you can perform pretty quickly because that will get you going in the right direction.

So, not cards? Then Scotch and Soda, or any paddle effect such as hot rod. At the same time go buy Mark Wilson Course in Magic so you can start figuring things out.

thanks to all for your replies. All taken on board. @Bmat - totally agree with your views. I can say for sure that Im not after fame or fortune or a quick win. I understand it all takes a lot of hard work and effort. I have been working with cards for a little while now and just wanted to look at something a little different. The problem is that there are just so many effects out there that one sometimes struggles to understand the best place to start.

Small Portable Illusions:

Brass Hotrod - Nice and easy to perform, virtually self-working (one really easy move) - Effect: performer shows a small brass rod with serveral small coloured dots along one side. A spectator picks a coloured dot. All of a sudden the dot changes place with another dot. For a climax, all dots change to the colour selected by the spectator. Can be handed out for inspection at the end. Price £10-15. Difficulty: 1/5

Crazy Man's Handcuffs (manuscript): Requires one little move which only takes a day or two to get the knack of. Performer displays two rubber bands (these are ordinary, real, rubber bands, no fakes, and can be handed out for inspection at any point in the trick). The performer places the bands over two fingers, one on each hand, such that the bands are linked. With no fast moves, and no cover whatsoever, the two stretched bands visibly melt through each other. Price £6-10. Difficulty: 2/5

Shopping-wise I use Alakazam and Cards4magic. Both are good for quality of service &c.

Hope this helps

Royal Road can be a bit daunting, when you are starting out.

I like Bill Tarr's - Now you see it, Now you don't
which has lots of pictures.

I got it from Amazon.

Main magic shop I use is magicshop.co.uk - they seem to have a wide range of products and some exclusive stuff.