talkmagic.co.uk

I've always been into card magic, and untill recently I picked it back up again, I have.
Svengali
Stripper
and Brainwave

These decks are all awesome, my favorite is stripper because it can be examined, and is really versitile. I really would like a great deck, that can also be examined that I can tote around with me, maybe play some games with (like I do with stripper) then whip out a neat trick or two. If there is any deck like this, please tell me!

Thanks

The absolute best deck for what you're looking for:

Bicycle 808 Rider Backs. Or Tally-Ho cards if you prefer.

The best thing to look like a normal deck - is a normal deck.

As for gimmick/utility decks, there's some others on the market. The RaMa and Titanic decks come to mind, but I don't know if they can be used as a normal deck. Try the search function - there have been reviews on each, I believe.

I still recommend snagging some books and dvd's on card magic with normal decks. Nothing is more examinable and easy to use. Happy hunting.

Thank's, I actually was about to buy a DVD at my local "magic" shop today on normal card magic, but I picked up the stripper dvd insted (heh, stripper dvd). Anywho, I think i'll go back tomorrow and pick up the normal card magic dvd. Thanks, I'm also looking into the RaMa deck.

Hi frisk,
One book or DVD may cost you £10 or £15, but you will learn so much from them. Many are just as easy as trick decks. The thing to remember is the actual performance needed to make things convincing. These will give you that, while packet tricks wont.
£15 to be able to PERFORM real card magic, or about the same for one packet trick?

I always carry a regular deck with me and practice when I get a spare moment. There are so many great books on card magic for varying degrees of skill. Mark Wilson has some good starter books for not much money, and believe it or not, you can find a small section of card trick books in most shops like Borders or Waterstones. Hugard's Royal Road to Card Magic is only 8 or 10 pounds on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com or http://www.amazon.co.uk). Also, check out http://www.abebooks.com for new and used books. They have a global network of suppliers and have lots of the classics for not much money.

Hello Frisk,

I know it's frowned upon by some as a bit of a cheat, but if you're into card magic but not being a dedicated card fiddler then a stripper deck is probably the best way to go, purely because it's so subtle and versatile. I know they cost a bit more, but if you're not spending hours dedicated to perfecting every single sleight, they tend to last longer than a regular deck.

Would you mind posting a review of the Stripper DVD when you've had a chance to plough through it?

EDIT: On second thoughts, I've had an attack of CUPS and bought a copy!