I know this will sound strange. I've been in the profession for over 20 years. I've gone from Children's Entertainer to Cabaret Illusionist. Now firmly settled with Close-up magic and mentalism for the last 8 - 10 years. One thing I've never owned is an ID. So I open this topic wide and ask the question are all ID's the same or is there one particular ID I should buy. I'm well aware of the principal but wondered if there are different versions i.e. using thinner cards or different set-ups etc.

I make my own with a can of roughing fluid and a deck of cards. I've heard that only roughing the centre of the cards helps separate them, but I've never found it a problem. As for set-ups, I just do odd numbers one side, evens the next. I don't bother putting them in order: after all, you're allowed to hunt through them looking for the face down one...

Good luck!

My suggestion would be to follow Simon Aronson's advice and arrange the pairs according to a memorised deck pattern. This way the arrangement appears entirely random, and you know (almost) exactly where the card to reveal will be. This avoids any problems if it is very close to either end of the spread.

Ian

Well, I find an ID a very useful item to have with you all the time. Whenever I screw up a "regular" card effect, I can summon it as an "out" (sadly, so far I have not always followed my own advice and sometimes had no rescue after a screwup). But with your performance experience this is probably less of a concern.

Essentially, your ID should be of the same type as your "regular" decks. This allows you to deck switch without arising suspicion. If you have no "regular" deck then you should buy one of the same brand and color as the ID together with it.

Typically, there are no "special" cards used, just roughing spray/fluid coating on regular cards. This causes the back of the cards to feel a little different, but not much.

The advantage of buying roughing fluid and making your own deck is that for the price of one more deck you can also make a brainwave deck with a single back (which many people find more useful than the one usually available).

Buy your Invisible Deck from The Card Collection. Best quality.

Rumburak, I would suggest the ID is worth a little more than just as an 'out'when tricks go wrong - and your regular effects should not go that wrong that often, if you need an out so much - I would suggest working on those to perfection first.

The ID can, with the correct presentation, be an extremely solid piece of mentalism. You only need to look on Richard Osterlind's blog to see a great application with the BCS.

I think it is vital to get one!

Simon

I suggest you do it different than the instructions it comes with, because they sell the ID in the souvineer shop at Disney World.
Al

I don't know of any IDs with "thinner cards" as the deck should look normal thickness.

The IDs I've seen come with basic setup instructions, which is fine, but some magi prefer rearranging to their liking.

ID is great in and of itself. It should not only be for an out. Come up with a routine that fits your style, you don't need to do the "invisible" presentation. But whatever presentation you decide to use make sure it is direct. I have seen some "maze" routines using an invisible deck I believe it takes away from the effect. A good effect for lay people can be explained in one sentence, i.e the card was in his wallet, the cards changed places, the card I named was the only card face down in the deck, etc.

BTW, I separate the most commonly named cards so that they are somewhere around the center of the deck. I feel it looks better and also more impossible when the card is facedown, deep in the middle of the deck. I can't stand it when the facedown card is on the very bottom or second from the top if you know what I mean! Let's put it this way, the queen of hearts/ace of spades is definitely right in the middle!

Oh yeah, get roughing spray and make it how ever smooth/rough you want it. If you buy an invisible deck sometimes the spray will "wear" down before the cards do(this happened to me) so it is nice to just touch them up yourself. Just my two cents. This is the ONLY gimmicked deck I use.

I agree - make it as direct as possible - I often use this as an opener in my strolling mental set - a 'warm up' that's direct and to the point.

Hart, I try to avoid using the AS/QH in the middle, as I want them to avoid going towards 'obvious' cards - I feel a layman may suspect this is the method - a psychological force ('oh, but everyone thinks of the AS').

This used to be the only gimmicked set I carried (with a deck in BCS order), but I've now added Trilogy to that.

Simon

Get it in Bicycle format....that way you can switch it out for a reg deck.

There's also a pamphlet called INVISIBLE SECRETS REVEALED that has some handlings.
Do a Google for 'invisible deck' and you should find it.

Hey a friend of mine, Brooks Anderson contributed some routines for that pamphlet. It has some good ideas and is very inexpensive. I think Hank Lee had it for $3 bucks the last time I saw.

Do the routine direct as possible-I too have the AS & QH near the middle

I also use a Jumbo Bicycle deck for stage shows & this is a very powerful routine done direct & at the front of my programme etc-establishes you & your personality early in the piece etc

Definetly a top effect to use in close up anywhere-You wont regret using it!!

Bill Malone has an absolutely awesome presentation of the ID on his "On the Loose" videos...

It's really worth looking into and almost(?) guarantees a standing ovation after the effect (he presents it more of a stand-up piece)...

I always arrange my ID where the mates are together...no one has ever notices all clubs and diamonds in the deck (or spades and hearts depending on the card chose), and it eliminates the magic number 13 principle which is a little confusing under fire (especially when first learning your routine).

I agree...the ID is more than an out when a trick goes wrong...but oh what an out it is when one does. I have my ID routine ready to go, but it's always there for an out too when the situation occurs (or as an added kicker to a routine, depending on the audience and their reaction.).

Good luck with your ID...

Derek, check out my friends version of the invisible deck. It's called "Visible Invisible Deck". It's a gaffless version of the I.D. and you can hand out the cards afterwards with no swiching. Here's the link to his article. Just scroll down to the very last trick.
http://www.mastermagic.info/articles.php?articleId=33

I second that. It's an excellent booklet! I use the Don Alan setup with the deck, because it helps you to anticipate the location of the card. The booklet also gives other tips that will help you.

Just get a can of roughing spray. Use two very light coats, allowing the stuff to dry between coats, and you'll have a really good ID. The best cards to use are smooth, PVC cards.

For me, ID really isn't the best for close-up. It makes more sense as a standup effect. For close-up, I perform "Think-A-Card" from Mark Mason's "Real World Magic" video.

I open my close-up show with the invisible deck. It aloows me to get the deck out of play so that later, I can reach into my pocket and do a few more card effects.

I set up my ID with odd on one side and even the other, back to back equal 13 as in the usual set-up, however I use the CHaSeD setup. Example 9 of clubs will be back to back with the 4 of hearts. I find it easier to remember this way. Chuck

With all due respect, I believe that using an invisible deck as a universal "out" is one of the poorest ideas magicians have concocted.

Imagine the scenario:

You have your spectator choose a card, show it around, memorize it, and shuffle it into the pack. Now comes the denoument: you magically produce an 800 pound Bengal tiger and there, shaved into the fur on his side, is a perfect nine of clubs!

"Um," says your spectator, "that wasn't my card. My card was the four of diamonds."

"No problem," you say (completely appreciating the irony of that phrase), "I have here in my pocket another deck of cards, all of which are face-up, except for this one card . . . ."

At best, using an invisible deck as a universal out (or, in my humble opinion, an out at all) is a non sequitur. At worst, well, . . . .