What are your thoughts on the coarse?? I am looking into getting the books and would like some reviews before I go spend 200 plus dollars on them. I've been doing magic for about 10 years now and I'm looking for more than just paying 20 bucks for an effect and mastering it and putting it into my show. I want to know the theory and history behind everything. If you have any other suggestions on books dvds coarse's or schools let me know.

Thanks

Tyler

Hey Tyler ....
Shop around a little before you buy.
I paid 130 dollars for the entire Tarbell course at Mad Hatter Magic. They shipped the next day, great customer service.
The course is priceless, however, in what you will learn from it.
Regards,
Mark

Thanks Mark I was looking around for it lowest I found was 230. I will check out mad hatter magic.

Thanks

Tyler

It's good. If you can access the learned pig project, you can get a free and legal download of the original 60 lessons of the course. This should give you some idea of how comprehensive it is. The books were updated, and many new effects added, so its worth having both. You can buy each book separately, and it will take quite a while to work through each book... a couple of hundred dollars sounds a lot, but $20 dollars every two or three months should be affordable for most... and there are often copies you can buy second hand.

Tomterm8, that's good advice. Learned Pig is free. If you want the books (and I highly recommend them), one at a time is probably the most affordable. You're going to read them one at a time, right? May as well buy them that way.

Doug

It is a good course and a classic. You might find a few of the things dated, but overall it was the mainstay of magic instruction for decades. Any serious magician needs it on his bookshelf. Do look around, used sets are often offered for sale in our "let's make a deal" section. Biggest price is often the shipping. If you can make it to a magic convention you can generally find at least one book dealer there with a set,and often a used set at a good price. Then you can pick it up and save the shipping.

You can also find tarbells in great used shape on ebay.

as for the importance of it - its pretty much where all the guys out there making thier own DVDs and books learned the stuff!!!

Tarbell has enough to last you a lifetime and still never master all that's in it.

There is also a cd with the original tarbells lessons on it as well as other stuff by harlan tarbell for 30 dollars if you don't mind reading from a computer.

Tarbell you say?
Highy recommend is my answer
I have all eight volumes standing proudly on my shelf (next to CC, Classical Magic of Larry Jennings etc). I don't read them cover to cover but I flip through them to see what interests me. Also the books are so chockfull with great tricks I use them as a reference.."i wanna do a rising card effect", Tarbell shows me 100 ways. "hmm egg tricks.. whats there?" and tarbell shows me 12 egg tricks.
I recommend them.

One tip, I also bought them one at a time, that looks cheaper.

I love Tarbell, when I was working regularly I always referenced it. One thing about magic being dated in the book, My mentor David Ginn, told me that the tricks are fine, just need to write modern material around the tricks.

Also funny when the "latest and greatest" comes out (ofcourse with a cool name) I think.. "hmm havent I seen this one before" .. Ow ye its in Tarbell

You're not complete as a magician unless you've read Tarbell. The only question in your mind should be how to get them, not whether to get them.

Tyler
There are three sets up on EBAY today:
$144
$200
$232
There are better sources for the same material from todays magicians, but not all in one place.

I got my Tarbell set from Madhatter too. Great price and shipped by somebody that respects books. I'll be reading them for the rest of my life. I refer to them almost daily.



dsalley13

Tyler,

The Tarbell Course in Magic is a TOWERING resource. As Fr. Photius has stated, some of it will feel dated. You will find this especially in the patter, but, we shouldn't be using the patter of others anyhow.

MANY of the greatest magicians in the world today constantly turn to Tarbell for inspiration. Shoot Ogawa, who is NO slouch, praises this work. Denny Haney will give you a WONDERFUL lecture about the course. John Mendoza has said that if a magician studied one-third of Tarbell ONLY, that person would be one of the best magicians on the planet.

Like my good friend Michiel, my 8 volume set also stands proudly alongside Greater Magic, Card College, Modern Coin Magic, Expert Card Technique, and many other classics.

Tarbell provides valuable insight into routining, psychology, history, and ethics that are just as relevant today as they were when the course was written.

The digital version, as others have stated is the original sixty lesson course written by Dr. Tarbell in the late 1920's. It IS available for free at http://www.learnedpig.com.pa To join this site, you have to answer a number of questions, but, the repository there of classics is a treasure beyond imagining. However, I would urge you to get the hardbound volumes because not only is the course greatly expanded, but, you get two extra volumes! Volume seven was written by Harry Lorayne. In addition, Mr. Lorayne indexed all seven volumes. Volume 8 was released a bit later, culled from notes of Dr. Tarbell. This eighth volume was edited by Steve Burton and Richard Kaufman. The ONLY gripe I have is that D. Robbins, in their LACK of wisdom, published volume 8 such that it is just a TAD taller than the other seven volumes and looks weird next to them

230.00 USD is a rather steep price. 160-180.00 is more common, and I have seen this entire course sell for really ridiculously low prices. The search IS worth it. These books will serve you well all through your magical life.

Namaste,
Vlad

Ow I wholeheartedly agree with Vlad... as usual
The pattern is outdated "Maybe you can write your girlfriends phone number on it. I could call her up next morning" sort of thing but man.... its up to the CREATIVE magician to make up the fullest of the course. Are you one?...

Hi Tyler;

I'm going to piggy-back on everyone else here for a second . The Tarbell Course is the essential tomb for people serious about magic. To go along with what Vlad and MichielTummers have said, some very well known magicians cite the Tarbell course as their inspiration. Richard Osterlind on his DVDs constantly refers to ideas that he got from Tarbell as inspiring a particular effect.

Not only does the Tarbell Course contain effects and methods, it also covers the art of magic and takes on a number of interesting topics. While there are elements of Tarbell that are out of date, overall it is a tremendous value and provides a true foundation for further growth in magic.

Good Luck!

Jeff

Thanks everyone. I worded my question wrong I think it was late at night actually early in the morning. I was looking for feedback because I am getting them not to know if I should. My bad there. Thanks for all the info on it I have the first volume and am loving it so far. Again thanks everyone



Tyler

I think you meant "tome", Jeff! It's OK!

I could be buried in a tomb made up like the Tarbell Course! Sorry, not laughing at you, Jeff. The mental picture I got...Old graveyard, and a tomb on top of a hill, shaped like the 8 volumes. ROFLMAO!! "Here lies Doug, still gripping Tarbell #4..."

I was looking around and found the set for $170.00. Check out froogle.com to find some of the lowest and best prices around.