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MudMedic New user Calgary, Alberta, Canada 41 Posts 
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I bought a thumb tip many years ago, along with a vernet egg and a set of cups and balls. That's about it for prop items... mostly I try to bankrupt myself buying up all the books I can find and am hopelessly addicted to decks of cards (not gimmicked ones, just all those nice decks that are out there).
I do confess to looking longingly at a zombie and a passe-passe set, but can live without (I think). |
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Tap Roniart New user 39 Posts
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Fred Kaps said that effect (results) was everything, method an afterthought.
What say you?
Tap Roniart
# PM me your effects looking for a method! # Please excuse any spelling or grammatical errors-especially ideas that end up being awful-as I am on cell. # Mods: I only break site rules that the "inner circle" themselves break. |
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docguitarman Special user Thousand Oaks, California 888 Posts
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Quote:
On Nov 10, 2016, Hakaput wrote: I'm a returning hobbyist. I've bought several props on eBay. I just noticed that the magic trick store is one of the Café advertisers. If you use the coupon code "Café" at check out you get an additional discount. I haven't ordered yet, but plan to do so. As for classic books (Dover editions,for example) try abebooks .. lots of inexpensive magic books there. |
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PaulPosition New user 59 Posts
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Okay, so here I am, complete beginner, with a question about "buying magic" vs. the "Magician's secret"...
Picture this scenario: I'm looking at a neat card trick, sold - as far as I understand - with a gimmick, and it *seems* to me the card selection is actually forced. Can I respectfully ask the guy at the shop whether the trick relies on a force? More important: I buy the trick, it is a force, and I'd want to buy a second or third gimmick with different forced card but, hey, "no opening boxes". What gives? It becomes like playing Collectible Cards (Magic:The Gathering, Pokemons)? (I've decided I'd be more wise with my purchases. First two items I bought (except for Wilson's Complete Course and the Royal Road book) were cheap house-made ones from my local magic shop, which both rely on a 1-to-6 force of number 3 (o-n-e, t-w-o, three, four, f-i-v-e, s-i-x) and it doesn't work good in french because "o-n-e" becomes "u-n" and I wouldn't know where to go from there ("Okay you say "un", now feminine of that is "une" let me spell that out "u-n-e" ah! here's your card")... Meh... ) |
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Aus Special user Australia 997 Posts
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Quote:
On Nov 22, 2017, PaulPosition wrote: Unfortunately with how some tricks are marketed it is sometimes luck of the draw as to if you are going to get another trick with the same or indifferent force card, but that sometimes has a lot more to do with the manufacture and the creator and if they perceive that choice to be relevant to their product. Asking about general terms like forcing and if the trick uses one without going into details of the force is generally considered ok from my experience with magic dealers. If you have preconceived concerns about the limiting nature of the force or any other influencing factors then you need to formulate the relevant questions needed to appease those concerns. Dealers will be more than happy to help you up to a certain point, but a large part of it is you asking the right questions and using a certain amount of deductive thinking. Let's say you're looking for a gimmicked coin that you can use with a raven and the shop owner has two coins labelled "Magnet Coin" and "Magnetic Coin". Which one do you need? What do you ask the dealer? If you don't know the difference then you need to "RESEARCH" what you want before you go into the magic shop. A lot of information can be gleaned from reading between the lines on what people say, the effect description, the marketing of the trick partnered with a strong foundation of fundamental principles in magic. That's why you shouldn't neglect the study of classic texts like the ones you previously mentioned. It is a very difficult thing in magic to invent something 100% original without any influence of something else. With our history reportedly going back as far as 2700 BC in ancient Egypt its safe to say that our forebears have invented just about everything there is to invent in the full sense of the word. All we have done in the subsequent decades has been refining, adding, modifying and substituting things in varying lengths and degrees. Magically Aus |
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John Oaks New user 65 Posts
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Quote:
On Jan 7, 2016, Magicol-1 wrote: You ain't alone. I think it is a phase many go through?
Have a Magical Day!
------ I really didn't know how to explain it. So I told them the truth, and they fell for it! |
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Teddy Meagher New user 53 Posts
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From someone who has over 10k worth of books and DVDs and props I would say when it comes to buying magic you should wait a week or 2 and think about the effect of you really can see yourself performing it and what other ideas it might spark. I used to pre order and buy everything right away but now I only make a few magic purchases a year, not once a month like when I was younger
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PaulPosition New user 59 Posts
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Quote:
On Nov 23, 2017, Aus wrote: Dang, I forgot I had posted posted that question. Thank you Aus, that was a very complete and enlightening answer, even reading it four months later! |
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ActionJack Regular user Pacific NW 120 Posts
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I just read this entire thread and there was a lot of great information. Thank you Aus for all of your insight and thank you Dick Oslund for all of your wisdom. I recently picked up Modern Coin Magic , Royal Road to Card Magic and Card College vol 1 along with a few different decks of bicycle playing cards to see which decks I would prefer. Additionally I found Michael Ammars book on the Cup and Balls at a local used book store and picked that up. That got me to order a set of cups and balls which I started practicing with in addition to my cards. I purchased a digital subscription to Genii and have been devouring that. The fact that I get to read all of the back issues is amazing.
I just found a local magic store and ordered vol 2 of Card College and Expert Card Technique from them. I am a believer in supporting a local retailer if possible. After seeing some reviews this weekend on this site I purchased Bobs 3 Shell Bootcamp from School for Scoundrels. For now, I have a ton to learn and practice with what I have. I sort of went on a binge with the above purchases but after reading a number of threads on this site I feel as if I have made sound purchases that with consistent practice will give me a solid foundation. |
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Wizard of Oz Inner circle Most people wish I didn't have 5155 Posts
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ActionJack, count yourself lucky that you have a local magic shop. They are few and far between now.
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.
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PaulPosition New user 59 Posts
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Quote:
On May 14, 2018, Wizard of Oz wrote: I know I'm very lucky we have an unusual amount of them in Montréal... Perfect Magic, Spectram, Todsky and Trois Dragons. For a small-ish market, that seems crazy to me. I've been splitting my purchases (doesn't amount to much) between two of them and am yet to visit the other two. 
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Wizard of Oz Inner circle Most people wish I didn't have 5155 Posts
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Looks like I need to visit Montréal!
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.
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How Regular user NJ 103 Posts
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Find the magician you like and follow him like a mentor. Then establish who you are and who you want to be and search reviews on the Café.
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How Regular user NJ 103 Posts
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On Mar 16, 2018, Teddy Meagher wrote: This is true. Some things are cool but you as a magician may never perform. |
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debjit Loyal user India 213 Posts
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I agree with everyone saying that you should wait for the reviews to come, as they are the best ways to decide if the trick is for you.
I also YouTube the name of the trick to see other magicians performing it to understand the skill level required. Because anything can look good in the hands of the creator who has probably been practicing that trick for years. Plus he has the advantage of editing and changing angles in the Trailer. So I never buy a trick just based on the Product Trailer.
My new effect: www.penguinmagic.com/p/10638
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kcbeave Regular user 119 Posts
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Reading old posts and I like this one the best.
Quote:
On Jan 6, 2016, bowers wrote: |
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mlktwins New user 2 Posts
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Good afternoon! I just found this website last week while looking for some intro books on magic for my 13 year old son for Christmas. He has been expressing interest in the last year or so and he has talked a lot about sleight of hand tricks especially, but is also interested in other magic. After some research, I ordered Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic, Bobo's Modern Coin Magic, and Hugard's The Royal Road to Card Magic. I don't want to buy a bunch of tricks, etc. until he reads the books and we can search for what he really wants/needs to get started. However, to finish off his gift, I'm wondering if anyone here can recommend one or two things I could add to the books? A special deck of cards, etc.? Something I could order from Amazon today
? Thanks so much!
P.S What an interesting site this is! |
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Aus Special user Australia 997 Posts
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Mlktwins Since you have purchased Mark Wilsons Course I would suggest maybe some sponge balls (a sleight of hand routine in the book), Two decks of cards, one blue one red (there are two deck tricks in Marks Book), maybe a cheap set of cups and balls or a length of magicians rope for some of the rope routines.
Magically Aus |
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mlktwins New user 2 Posts
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Quote:
On Dec 17, 2018, Aus wrote: Thanks so much for responding!!! |
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Wizard of Oz Inner circle Most people wish I didn't have 5155 Posts
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I think you are going about this the exact right way. When I was starting out as a kid, I was too young to have any kind of job to buy props with, so I would ride my bike to the library, take out books and read.
I found myself gravitating toward parlor sized apparatus, and began dabbling in my dad's wood shop to see if I could build what I saw in the books. At first, I cobbled together some pretty dysfunctional monstrosities, but then, with practice, I was able to build a small show that began earning me money at parties. Years later, my craft improved to the point where I was able to sell my hand-built props to give me some spending money for college. Long time magic dealer Joe Lefler was the gentleman I sold them to. That made me feel pretty good. Magic books are magical, as they encourage one's imagination to imagine. They give one just enough bread crumbs to find a path. And that path leads to a trail, which leads to a road...
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.
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Posted: Sep 27, 2017 03:43 pm 
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