Take a look at Oz Pearlman's demo for Torched and Restored: http://www.penguinmagic.com/product.php?ID=204

You see how he grimaces when he folds and tears the cards up? I'm not sure how intentional that is on his part, and I don't know if it adds to the effect or not. But I can certainly relate to that feeling. I love doing certain effects that ruin playing cards, like Reformation, Immaculate Connection, Voodoo Card, Paperclipped, etc. They are excellent, strong effects, but there is always a part of me that grimaces when I have to do something that hurts a card. It's sort of silly, after all it's just pastboard and ink. But I realize that I have a strong, ritualistic reverence for playing cards. Is that common with you guys as well?

:lol:

LOL, I'm not sure if he is just acting or if he has that same reverence for cards that you do scorch.

Myself, I love the pasteboards, I surely do. But I have no more reverence for an individual card or pack of cards than I do for a piece of Kleenex. I like card magic and card artistry, but the cards themselves (unless the are some kind of collectors item) really don't mean that much to me. It's just an ordinary, everyday, disposible item as far as I'm concerned.

Vandy

Know whatcha mean scorch. I can almost hear their tiny souls cry out in agony. Maybe it's just me thinking "I just paid good money for these, dag-nabbit!"

I once put a brutal crimp in a six of spades... couldn't sleep all night for worrying!

You just gave me nightmares for a week!!!

-A.J.

To a layperson a deck of cards should last years and countless hours of enjoyment.
To destroy a playing card in front of them is like punching their friend in the nose.
When I destroy a card in front of someone the reaction on their face is priceless. I could imagine what’s going through their mind. (Look, he's destroying the Ace of spades. He'll have to buy a new deck now:)
I used to feel terrible when I first tore a card but the moment I new I wanted to become a magician cards mean something totally different than how they use to.

I am pretty much with Vandy on this one. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love card magic, but I have mangled way too many cards over the years to get to emotionally involved. They really are just coated pieces of paper. I mean, they are, right? Just pieces of paper....right? ;-) Best,

For the effect you sometimes have to sacrifice a card. If it helps your magic, this is totally OK. The audience will appreciate it, as said above.

Whenever I tear, bend, or burn cards, I have never failed to get "OMG" response from the specs. They seem to think that tearing card up is one of the deadly sins First the hushed voices of "omg hes actually tearing a card!" (like they've never seen something being torn before) and then there is the "what are you doing!" (I actually had a spec snatch the cards trying to "save" them ==+)

I can't say that I am like Mr Grift or Mr Burt. I do hesitate/pick and choose which cards I'd rip up, and I'd much rather see a card be ripped if its from an old pack.

Yes, it is with me. As Vernon once stated, "Cards are like live, breathing beings and should be treated as such". I don't even like crimping a card...silly/sad isn't it?
:bikes:
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