I have been looking around for the past few days and thought I'd post an introduction before getting into other topics. I am amazed at the size of this site - it is a little bit overwhelming, but have had lots of fun reading in the different sections.

I've been a big fan of close-up/sleight of hand magic since I little. I got a magic set as a gift when I was 10 or so and things like the TT and the multiplying balls - could not believe such things were possible. Through the years I would practice on and off, mostly coins and cards though I also really like cigarette and thimble productions/vanishes/routines.

I have a fairly good collection of books (lots of Hugard, Bobo, Henry Hay, Kaufman and a few others) and a couple of dvds ("Coin Sleight" series of 3 dvds by Rubenstein - love it, and the first two card magic dvds by Ammar). I don't own a lot of tricks or effects, but a number of standard coin gaffs and have a bit of an obsession for things like droppers, holders, clips and that kind of apparatus.

This time that I am back into magic, I hope to get over a few problems I always have. The first is stage-freight - even doing tricks for my wife gets me nervous (I can ruin a self-working trick sometimes because I'm all flustered...). I've done some effects for groups from time to time, and they usually go very well - but the past few years I am getting less confident and then the last few times I had to stop because of nerves.

And the second is to focus on things I will be doing, instead of playing around with too many things. I admit that I have so much fun going through books and trying out all the ingenious moves, I sometimes find that an end in itself - collecting sleights, with no intention of showing a trick to anyone, no intention of routining the moves into a good trick. The past 30 years or so, I've been dabbling and can honestly say I can maybe only do 3 tricks. I know how 100 or more work, of course, but can only do 3. So I hope to change that. 10 would be nice, as a goal. So to concentrate on a few moves and get them down well. I'd love to learn the pass and the side slip, but realize my time might be better spent on other things.

Hope to learn a lot here, and looks like lots of fun.

Welcome to the Café.

Hi Tarwe,
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