I searched for this and didn't find a reference to it so hope I'm not passing on previously posted info...

Penguin Magic has a video "Greatest Beginner Magic DVD Ever" which is sold for $29.95 as a DVD.

BUT...the download version is available for free. I don't know how long that will last but it's free now. Most beginners are young and not flush with cash...I know because that was me a long time ago. I would have really appreciated the opportunity to get a decent instructional video for cheap or nothing when I was first starting out. Anyway...this is a decent vid and it's free.

Just thought that people who are new to magic would like to know about it.

By the way, there are a lot of zero cost download vids on the Penguin site, you just have to go through every page of the downloads section to find them. These aren't necessarily great vids (obviously you usually get what you pay for) but there are a few free vids that are actually not bad at all.

Another absolutely free download available on the Penguin site is: "The Secrets of Magic by Rick Lax"

Again...not a bad vid and it's totally free. If I were a beginner of modest means I would want to take a look at this. It's just over an hour and a half long.

And yeah, books are the best way to learn but it doesn't hurt to look at a halfway decent instructional vid to supplement written instruction. That's what I think, anyway.

Okay, one more absolutely free download at the Penguin site that is probably good for beginners: Tarbell Lessons 1 + 2

Taught by Dan Harlan and it's free to download.

Thanks for the heads-up, just downloaded the Beginners DVD

Thanks for the mention. Just to be clear, Tarbell Lessons 1 & 2 are about the History and Science of magic and, as such, do not contain any tricks. However, I believe there is a lot of valuable information in them.

Thanks, Dan. I have purchased a lot of your material over the years. Worth every penny. You are a great teacher.

Oh, and one more thing...when I said "halfway decent instructional vid" that was in reference to most of the free vids available on the Penguin site, not the three that I mentioned by name. Those are quite good.

Thanks for the heads up. Signed up to Penguin and downloaded the videos mentioned. Any others you would recomend?

Those are the best ones that I have found so far but there are over three thousand downloads available and I quit looking for free ones after I had scanned the first thousand. At that point I had counted about two dozen free downloads.

Another thing you can do if you are on a budget is to check out Penguin's "open box" special which runs continuously 24/7. You can sometimes pick up some very good things there for ridiculously low prices. Sometimes in excess of 80% off. My personal recommendation for beginners is to shop for videos that will enhance book learning. By that I mean: Do not by vids (at first) that merely demonstrate individual tricks or effects, stay away from effects that come with gimmicks. Instead, look for vids that are centered around basic stuff with cards and coins...stuff like that. Use the vids to supplement what you are learning in books. It is my personal opinion that this is the best way to learn.

Also, if you are looking for a free magic e-book, I would recommend Magic in Mind by Joshua Jay. You can find it at vanishinginc.com.

WOW! Thank you for this, Wravyn! Just downloaded it and it looks amazing.

(I might have had to download Oates & Hall too while I was there... it's free and the moving mustache just cracks me up.)

Thank you everyone who's pointed out free downloads here. There's always something to learn, and I really appreciate all the sharing of information going on here!

- Wendy

Another wonderful free beginner download from Penguin is MY FIRST MAGIC DVD, by the great Gary Darwin.

The DVD is geared toward kids, but kids-at-heart will love (and learn from) it as well.

(And Mr. Darwin is simply a delight to watch perform. If I have HALF his enthusiasm, for anything, as he does at his age... I'll consider myself a winner at the grand "Game of Life).