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HenryH New user 1 Post 
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Hi guys,
I am just getting started with magic and would like to purchase an all-encompassing magic kit that includes the classic, stand-by magic tricks. What would you recommend? I don't want to spend too much money, but I also don't want some elementary play-kit with photos of kids on the box (LOL). |
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Hoppini, the Mediocre New user Canada 41 Posts
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Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic (20 bucks or less)
50 foot hank of Magician's Rope (10 bucks) 4 Sponge Balls (5 bucks) Couple decks of Bicycle cards (5 Bucks) Seven 50 cent pieces (3.50) One Thumbtip (3 bucks) Silk Hankie (3 bucks) Tinfoil balls and 3 plastic cups from the dollar store. A years worth of learning for slightly less than 50 bucks. |
EndersGame Inner circle Reviewer EndersGame 2198 Posts
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One thing that you can't purchase is showmanship and presentation. Read the good advice here and here. Something like Mark Wilson's Complete Course or David Pogue's Magic for Dummies might be a good place to start. Also, see these book recommendations. Hoppini's suggestions are good ones. You can get tremendous mileage of the classic effects with some coins, decks of playing cards, sponge balls, thumb tip, silk handkerchiefs, and cups and balls.
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jolly12 New user PEI, Canada 48 Posts
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I purchased Mark Wilson's CCinM over 8 months ago, have read it cover to cover once, and have re-read the pages I liked countless times. Well worth the cost!
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Hoppini, the Mediocre New user Canada 41 Posts
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Quote:
On 2008-03-03 16:54, jolly12 wrote: Just for the sake of discussion, how far did you get as far as actually learning to do the tricks out of it? |
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donrodrigo Special user U.S.A. and Europe 635 Posts
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Magic and Showmanship, and also How to Win Friends and Influence People.
(My first kit was Marshall Brodien, if spelling serves me right.) |
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mmreed Inner circle Harrisburg, PA 1432 Posts
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I would add in a DVD or two that gives you something more visual to work with. I am a big fan of Jay Sankey. His videos are well done, and his effects are very nice.
Sometimes books, though great in content, can get dry or somewhat confusing in transition from "A" to "B" in effects. Videos help.
Mark Reed
Wedding and Event Entertainment |
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caligari New user 69 Posts
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Hi!
I started out with a couple of decks of cards, The Royal Road to Card Magic, a few coins, and lots of practice! 
It will also help a lot if you could get together with fellow magi from your area. They'll definitely help make your magic better! |
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0045 New user 70 Posts
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Hi Henry,
I also started with The Royal Road To Card Magic and one deck of cards. A few years down the line now, and my "kit" still consists of a pack or two of playing cards and a few other related odds and ends which all fit in my pockets. I guess I was lucky in that I already knew which direction I wanted to take, although I must admit that I also occasionally do mentalism stuff. Once you have decided which path you will eventually follow, you will find that your kit list will be considerably shorter than it may appear to be at the moment. Regards, 0045 |
Mr. Ree Elite user Sedona AZ 414 Posts
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Quote:
On 2008-03-03 00:32, HenryH wrote: Hoppini, the Mediocre listed a “make it yourself” magic set. But I would also be interested in any comments about: “an all-encompassing magic kit that includes the classics”. I have all the books and DVDs I need for now, maybe too many.
An idea can turn to dust or magic, depending on the talent that rubs against it.
---- William Bernbach (1911 - 1982) ---- (After 25 years of PCs, everything switched to Macs, June 2008) |
konjurer Veteran user Iowa 395 Posts
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I have a web site (http://magic-yeti.blogspot.com) devoted to the amateur or hobbyist magician (like me!). I wrote a little essay on my recommendations for a starting magic kit. Here it the essay in it's entirety...
Quote: I loved the imagery in the first Harry Potter novel when Harry first learns that he is going off to school to learn magic. Just like when my kids start each school year, Hogwarts students were required to purchase a basic set of magical books and supplies to begin their foray into wizardry; a wand, a cauldron (pewter, standard size 2) and the Standard Book of Spells were among the list. If you're just starting out, like I was not all too long ago, it's hard to know what you should purchase as you're basic set of magical apparatus.
===========================================
Clever stuff goes here! |
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Hushai Elite user St. Louis, Missouri, USA 460 Posts
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Hoppini, the Mediocre, I like your name! When I used to do church basement shows a long time ago, I called myself "Alan the Average, the Modest Magician" and wrote out an introduction for myself that said that they hadn't been able to get any of the GREAT magicians, but they had found at least a mediocre one. Sometimes I would start out a trick by describing in glowing terms some amazing feat of magic that the great magicians had done -- and then say, "But I'm not going to do that for you now. Here's what I CAN do --" and then go into a more modest piece of magic. It was fun.
Also -- and more on topic for this thread -- I agree with your advice about putting together a beginner's magic kit with the items you name. That would be better than any ready-made kit I have ever seen. |
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Hoppini, the Mediocre New user Canada 41 Posts
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Well, admittedly, I'm no expert, but it seems to me that the Mark Wilson course, and all the stuff you'd need to go through it, would be a great starter kit. It's essentially what I'm working through, right now. I figure it's gonna take me about a year to work through it all...maybe longer if I want to get it all down and performance-ready. So, there's plenty right there.
Problem is, it's easy to get sidetracked and overloaded on info...buying too many books and videos and not actually getting anywhere....especially the way a lot of guys give advice here. For example: Q: I'm looking for a good way to get rid of the last coin in a Coins Across. A: 50 different versions of "I like the way Biffo the Amazing does it in Super Duper Coin Trickery, Vol. 32"...a non-answer that basically translates into "buy yet another frigging video". It's pretty easy to get caught up in that. I say take it a book at a time and let it take as long as it takes. Of course, I got nothing against throwing in a Svengali deck or a scotch-and-soda for a little instant gratification either. What the heck...it's supposed to be fun, right?
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wackyvorlon New user Sarnia, ON, Canada 72 Posts
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I think it can be great to mix in some self-working tricks with sleights. One trick I do, I use a simple sleight to pocket the gimmick - making it so the end result can be inspected.
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natswift Regular user Colorado 177 Posts
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My 2 cents would agree with Mark Wilson to get started.
Henry Hay's Amateur Magicians Handbook contains a wealth of information and, finally, Bobo's Modern Coin Magic has more coin magic than you'll use in a lifetime!! Good Luck, and when getting overwhelmed, just back up and concentrate on the material you already own. If you try to keep up with the latest and greatest, that's all you'll ever do; is try to keep up!! |
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wackyvorlon New user Sarnia, ON, Canada 72 Posts
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I find the same thing. I have Mark Wilson, David Pogue and Bobo's. There's enough material there for me to spend years learning it.
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NurseRob Elite user Dallas, TX 469 Posts
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I have had the above mentioned 3 must have texts: Bobo's MCM, Royal Road, and Mark Wilsons coffee table CC in M stored away for 8 years or more, I being of course the perpetual nooblet, have never been able to progress past the first few pages before my lack of manual dexterity insisted they get shelved for a more instant gratification hobby. I took up golf instead (no magic for me there either). Well I have recovered them all, dusted them off and am going to take the advice here seriously. I love to watch magic, I've always wanted to be able to perform it, and the older I get the more the kid in me wants to do it for real this time. The newest skill I can apply to this restarted venture is the P-a-t-i-e-n-c-e needed to not give up no matter how many thousands of times I have to retrieve the coin that has rolled under the couch.. to be with the cards I have just shuffled. sigh.
Ut imago est animi voltus sic indices oculi ~
The face is a picture of the mind as the eyes are its interpreter ~Cicero |
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mmreed Inner circle Harrisburg, PA 1432 Posts
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I support what most have said here...
The Mark Wilson book is a great one. If you want the definative book set on magic, look at the tarbell series - it is the most widely respected book set on magic. If you want some mentalism material, check out Corindas 13 steps to mentalism. This is another timeless classic everyone should have. The royal road to card magic is a great book - there is also a DVD flavor of it if you prefer watching rather than reading. I offer all of these items on my webstore at http://www.magicvault.net, as I am sure most other magic retailers do. I think a good starter set is: The Tarbell Books Sponge Balls Deck of Cards Scotch and Soda set Also - check out http://www.sankeymagic.com Jay puts out some great material.
Mark Reed
Wedding and Event Entertainment |
| The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » New to magic? » » Recommendations for a magic kit for a beginner? (0 Likes) | |
Posted: Mar 3, 2008 05:32 am 
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