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arp New user 4 Posts |
Greetings to the Magic Café community, I'm new to this forum, and to magic.
I currently know a number of decent card tricks, sleight of hand and other tricks. When I perform my card tricks for friends they are amazed. I want to build my skills and learn other tricks, like sponge balls and other non card related magic. Ive been reading the forums here for a little while now and sort of decided what I need, by reading the beginner forums, to get my magic really looking good. A popular oponion is Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic. I don't know what books, DVDs, or apparatuses are out there... I was just hoping I could get some advice on what to buy. I don't know anyone who does magic, personally, other than myself so I don't have anyone to give me some advice. So I was hoping to get some good advice here. Im in Australia, the closest magic shop to me is http://www.heyprestomagic.com.au/ When I see all the products for sale I kind of get lost in it all.. this site has been a big help so far. So basically, what should I invest in? I enjoy watching ball magic, floating stuff (like cigarette?), and any sort of close up magic. Any advice would be awesome. Thanks in advance. Arp |
dans595 New user 24 Posts |
As far as me (another newbie beginner), I consider the money that goes towards magic spending rather than investing: I feel I'll have more fun with it if I don't expect to get something other than the intrinsic fun of learning the magic. I definitely don't want a new hobby that is going to become frustrating when I can't vanish the statue of liberty right away. What I bought was Mark Wilson's, Bobo's, some decks of cards, and a few gimmicks. Wilson's is dirt cheap and super easy, and you'll have loads of fun. I also like the Svengali deck. I don't really use it anymore, but I learned a few things that can be done with a short card and it lead me to other tricks, so I considered the cheap Svengali a good purchase.
Good luck, have fun. |
Andy the cardician Inner circle A street named after my dad 3362 Posts |
Buy a wand . . . just joking. I would say that the Book of Mark Wilson is a great place to start. From there you can choose your way.
Andy
Cards never lie
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arp New user 4 Posts |
Haha, awesome guys.
What about sponge ball magic? Will Mark Wilson's be enough for now? Or would you recommend a more specific book/dvd? Thanks heaps for your advice.. I really love magic and this all helps. Thanks.. Arp |
Hideo Kato Inner circle Tokyo 5649 Posts |
If you buy Mark Wilson Course, it is important that you won't buy other books for a while. Concentrate on reading and absorbing its contents.
When I started magic, I bought Greater Magic and read it by noting Japanese words for English words which I didn't know. Sometimes there were 20 such words in one page. Thus I learned Magic and English at the same time. Hideo Kato |
bg Veteran user Indy 313 Posts |
A really good book that took my magic up from the novice level is Michael Ammars The Magic of Michael Ammar. There is a good variety of really good tricks taught as well as essays on performing.
Welcome to the Café! Brian |
Jaz Inner circle NJ, U.S. 6111 Posts |
I recommend that you read the sticky posts at the top of this topic, "New to Magic".
It should help with your decision. The Wilson Course is a very good start. Spend time with it and decide the direction you want to go before buying other stuff. If you want a brief look at some thoughts about impromptu type magic visit my IMP site link in my signature. Good luck. |
mrunge Inner circle Charleston, SC 3716 Posts |
I'd suggest sticking to the Mark Wilson book to start with. It is loaded with great effects and includes chapters for a lot of different types of magic to get one started.
Cards, coins, rope, stage illusion, etc...and yes, even sponge balls. Mark. |
JackScratch Inner circle 2151 Posts |
What you NEED, what every magician NEEDS, is to understand the "tricks" are a minuscule part of magic.Far more important is the ability to make a connection with ones audience. The effects found within the covers of Mark Wilson's "Complete Course in Magic" are as good or better than most others and certainly a sufficient resource for a complete magic career, but you need to learn to entertain, and that entertainment will not come from any effect you find anywhere.
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The Amazing Noobini Inner circle Oslo, Norway 1658 Posts |
What I want to do besides learning card magic is to learn more tricks that can be performed anywhere with ordinary objects, like money, paper clips, sugar cubes, etc. I think this is a good new field to explore.
Although I cannot recommend any titles since this is unknown territory to me, I still wanted to mention it because it will allow for a lot of new magic things done without having to invest in props for a completely new field that you may not end up using much anyway. Coin magic is a field of it's own where all you need to buy to begin with is a good starter course. Plenty of possibilities there to carry your props in your pocket and use anyone's coins any time. I think a lot of young people especially will think of this kind of magic as cooler than say... anything with silks and sponge balls. Not that this is a relevant criteria neccessarily. What Kato-San says about not buying more books before finishing one is important advice. I wish I had done that. (I now have 8 DVDs not yet unwrapped from their plastic, and a lot of half-watched ones. Books as well.) But it is possible to parallel-study two separate fields if they are completely different from each other because you can still rest and digest the new material from one field while studying another.
"Talk about melodrama... and being born in the wrong part of the world." (Raf Robert)
"You, my friend, have a lot to learn." (S. Youell) "Nonsensical Raving of a lunatic mind..." (Larry) |
chuckn34404 Regular user Bend, Oregon 124 Posts |
If you want to continue learning slight of hand with cards I would recommend two DVDs, BORN TO PERFORM CARD MAGIC by Oz Pearlman and the other THE ROYAL ROAD TO CARD MAGIC with R. Paul Wilson. The ROYAL ROAD TO CARD MAGIC by Jean Hugard and Frederick Braue is also available in book form. Another good card book is CLOSE-UP CARD MAGIC by Harry Lorayne.
Chuck
Chuckn
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acchessor Elite user Nebraska 402 Posts |
My advice to you is to, for right now, stay away from single tricks and get books. You can easily refer to books at any time, and you will get a lot more out of them.
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Lester Regular user Scotland. U.K 193 Posts |
Hi Arp,
Welcome to the Café! I would just like to thoroughly agree with everyones comments thus far with regard to the need for books on magic. I wholeheartedly recommend the acquisition of books on magic rather than single effects. There are of course some props that are extremely difficult to construct but a general rule that I tend to stick to is I only buy the props that I cannot make. Believe me, my skills in the wordworking department are limited to put it mildly but I tend not to worry about that, I constantly tell myself that it just has to be good enough. You cannot do better than use your copy of the Mark Wilson course as your basic road map in magic. You will not go far wrong and in the process save yourself a barrow load of money in the process and you will acquire one of the most useful skills in magic namely the making of your own props. Nothing will give you more satisfaction than knowing that the props that you are using have been made by your own hand and will in the process give you and your audiences far more pleasure. With all good magical wishes, Take it easy. Lester |
Paulo Cabrita Special user 820 Posts |
You need the magician help to recomend the best illusions you can get/buy, or what kind of magic do you like.In the begging he get some tricks just to collection! Be careful with some magic dealers!
all the best Paulo |
arp New user 4 Posts |
Thanks for all the advice guys. Ill stick to Mark Wilson's. Cheers for all your help.
What about basic stuff I should get? Like sponge balls. Are there any other things I need to get to work through Mark Wilson's? I have cards, and coins.. haha. Arp |
Andy the cardician Inner circle A street named after my dad 3362 Posts |
Great - keep us updated . . .
as for the other things, just start wit the Book and let it guide you
Cards never lie
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msc455magic Inner circle Taipei, Taiwan 1523 Posts |
If you are into cards, get "The Classic Magic of Larry Jennings" and a few decks of cards. Then you will be set for quite a while.
Magic of Japan:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tks9xf13Pqs |
Andy the cardician Inner circle A street named after my dad 3362 Posts |
Quote:
On 2007-08-19 23:42, msc455magic wrote: I would not recommend that book for a beginner . . . But certainly as a good next step
Cards never lie
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Billgussen Elite user Central Japan 497 Posts |
You sound like you want to do Sponge Balls. If you really want to do it, then that's what you should do. I recommend the Secret Seminars of Magic with Patrick Page DVD volume 5. It's very inexpensive as DVDs go, and it'll give you everything you will want to know about Sponge Balls (except for the balls themselves which you have to buy separately).
But, although you can do a pretty entertaining routine with sponge balls, they aren't the most practical magical prop out there. More practical areas would be rubberband magic, coin magic, to a certain extent card magic, or maybe rope magic. These mainly use items found in a normal household whereas sponge balls are only really found in magic shops. Still, do what interests you. It will be better incentive to keep up your practicing. Bill |
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