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docguitarman Special user Thousand Oaks, California 893 Posts 
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Hello,
I've generally ignored the subject book by Prof. Hoffmann. Mainly because it has major overlaps with the card tricks in "Modern Magic" but on second look it has some additional material. Some tricks I discovered via the search on the conjuring archive only show up in "Tricks with Cards: A Complete Manual of Card Conjuring." I can't find documentation on the overlap of the tricks in "Tricks with Cards" with the other books of Hoffmann. The conjuring archive listing does not have "Modern Magic" in the "related to" column. It would be a useful source for those interested in the history and documentation of the tricks. A PDF of subject book can be purchased at lybrary dot com. Subject book should not be confused with the plagiarized "Herrman's Tricks with Cards" Phil |
Topper2 Regular user 134 Posts
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Don't forget that More Magic also has a large card section, so if you want to compare the contents and see what tricks are not in Modern and More Magic you can check out the table of contents of all the relevant books here:-
https://magicref.net/magicbooks/books/ho......ards.htm https://magicref.net/magicbooks/books/ho......agic.htm https://magicref.net/magicbooks/books/ho......agic.htm https://magicref.net/magicbooks/books/ho......icks.htm |
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docguitarman Special user Thousand Oaks, California 893 Posts
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Quote:
On Mar 7, 2021, Topper2 wrote: Greetings Topper2! Thanks for those links. I had forgotten about those. I have Modern Magic, More Magic, Later Magic and Latest Magic in early hardbound editions. I can see now that I should add "Tricks with Cards" to my acquisition list as it has effects not in the other volumes. I had labored under the misconception that "Tricks with Cards" was just an extract of Modern Magic (which is what "Card Tricks" is). I'd like to get a hardbound edition but they seem to be more rare than Modern Magic and the other Hoffmann volumes. One copy I saw was pretty beat up also and rather high priced for the condition. Phil |
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Topper2 Regular user 134 Posts
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Quote:
On Mar 7, 2021, docguitarman wrote: That's exactly what I thought until I saw this thread! I have reprint editions of Modern, More and Later Magic so the cost was nominal. With Latest Magic though I had to bite the bullet and buy an early edition as nothing else was available at the time, it was expensive! Luckily I've avoided having to buy Magical Titbits as I have the expanded edition of Later Magic which has two extra chapters at the back incorporating all the contents of Titbits. As to whether it's worth buying Tricks with Cards when there is bound to be a big overlap in material with the other books, I suppose that depends on how keen a collector you are. I'll keep my eyes open in future in case one comes along at a decent price but I don't think I'll bother to pay big bucks just to get the first one I can find. |
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docguitarman Special user Thousand Oaks, California 893 Posts
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Quote:
On Mar 8, 2021, Topper2 wrote: Hi Topper, I'm leaning to getting a hard cover early edition. It would be a nice addition to my four other early editions. I was able to find "reasonably" priced volumes of those in good to very good condition. As a back story to my interest in Hoffmann, years ago when I was in junior high I showed a trick to my friend's dad. This was in the early 1960s. After the trick he said he had something to give me which he didn't need anymore. It was an early edition of Modern Magic!!! I ate that book up! (figuratively, of course! )  (I still do the 4 way false cut from Modern Magic!) Unfortunately, later, during the vagaries of moves between apartments during my college days the book was misplaced and lost! I only procured a new copy in the last three years or so when I saw one on-line -- that brought back the memories! After Modern Magic I began the hunt for the other volumes. I think the older volumes look comfortable sitting next to each other in our family room bookcase. As a collector, it is only the Hoffmann volumes that I desire -- because of the childhood memory.
Phil PS. Thanks for the remark on Later Magic. My volume has the two extra chapters. Titbit only had a few more from Hartz. |
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Topper2 Regular user 134 Posts
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I managed to get hold of a copy of this book at last, from ebay for more than I intended to pay but it's the only one in decent condition that was available.
 I've seen some shockers for sale, in terrible condition and for far too much money, the worst offender is currently being offered for $270 and is literally falling apart! To make matters even worse it is described as being a first edition of 1889 when in fact it is no such thing! It is undated but stated to be published by Routledge who published Modern Magic and put out a 142 page spoiler called Tricks with Cards which was simply taken straight from Modern Magic. The real first edition was published in 1889 by Frederick Warne and is ix + 250 pages (+4 pages of Adds) long. The genuine article is a completely different book from Modern Magic, even though it covers much of the same ground, I'm about to start reading it tomorrow when I'll have a clearer idea of its contents. Meanwhile great caution is needed not to confuse the two books of the same title. If someone merely wants to get hold of the book as a reading copy then a facsimile edition is available at a sensible price. Personally I enjoy reading the original copies of old books, the paper is better and so too is the reading experience. I'm much more interested in the historical context and finding out about old time magic than I am in finding material still relevant to today, if I should find a move or idea I could use then I would consider that a bonus. |
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docguitarman Special user Thousand Oaks, California 893 Posts
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Quote:
On May 2, 2021, Topper2 wrote: Hello Topper, Looks like a very good copy. I found a copy on abebooks that is in the same condition as yours as far as I can see from the covers. I too paid a little more than I wanted but glad I have it! I now have a nice section of vintage Professor Hoffmann hard copies in my book case! Phil |
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Topper2 Regular user 134 Posts
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The thing to look out for with this book is that there are at least three examples with the identical title but in reality are not the same book. There is 'Tricks with Cards' by Routledge which is 142 pages and stated to be condensed from Modern Magic, then there's another version taken from Modern Magic, and to cap it all off there's Card Tricks by Hoffmann which is about 100 pages and also taken from M.M.
   So a prospective purchaser has to make sure they are getting the Frederick Warne publication which has 250 pages. |
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Steve Burton Loyal user 257 Posts
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I always wondered why there were so many editions of this book at varying prices. Thank you, gentlemen, for the photos and information.
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| The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » A turn of the page » » Tricks with Cards: A Complete Manual of Card Conjuring (0 Likes) | |
Posted: Mar 7, 2021 07:54 pm 
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