I've noticed most of the major contraptions for stage magic are too expensive and some not affordable at all,what's your strategy from that point? do you buy books explaining how to build and proceed from there? any ideas.

When I was a poor junior high and highschool kid my strategy was to shop carefully with the guidance of a good Brick and Mortar store. Zombies were expensive, but my "miracle ball' cost my $5.00 I think and I got a lot of usage otu of it. Most production boxes are expensive, but my Temple production screen was inexpensive and packed a good punch for the money I spent on it.

I only ever had two "stage illusions", as opposed to stage-capable parlor tricks. I built both of those myself from cardboard boxes with instructions from a little pamphlet called "victory cartons."

I also built other props. I had a double-fold newspaper I built myself from two NY Times' and white glue. I wrote "Six of clubs" on one side fo it in purposefully gloppy and drippy white poster paint. I'd force the card, then do the reveal by using my milk pitcher and that newspaper.

The most expensive prop I probably owned during that period was my (original Dai Vernon hand-made) sucker sliding die box. I bought that used for a fraction of its new cost.

Check out Andrew Mayne's DVDs. He has several make-it-yourself DVDs that are very affordable.
http://www.andrewmayne.com/shop

In case he doesn't stick his nose in here... Spellbinder also has a lot of pamphlets on easy home-project versions of stage illusions.

Learn the Linking Rings.
Do some Mental Magic.
Look into Silks.
Check out Rope Magic.

You won't be sorry.

- Mary Mowder