Hello everyone, I was recently wondering how important it is to learn different types of magic besides just cards. Is it worthwhile and necessary or should I just get really good at cards. If it is important to learn a variety of magic, what would you recommend?
Thanks.

It depends on YOU. Where do you want to go with your magic.
If you plan on getting out there and entertaining in various venues then most definitely. Learning Cups & Balls, ( Dai Vernon once said" You can't call call yourself a magician without performing the Cups & Balls".

Coins, Sponge Balls,magic with every day objects, mental magic etc will serve you well. I'm not saying that "just cards" is a bad thing. Not at all. In my career being more diverse on what I could offer a client for various age groups, personalities and venues was very beneficial.

I never understood why one would just want to learn cards? There is so much more to magic than cards. If you truly want to entertain with magic you MUST move beyond cards to appeal to the masses and a larger reach or audience. Cards impress magicians, and yes card magic can be impressive to lay audiences but after a handful of card tricks they are like "what else can you do?" They view magic as much more encompassing than just cards. This may rattle the card guys here but it is the reality.

I so agree, with davidpaul$ and Mindpro. In magic 77 years (I'm 87 now.) so much more pocket magic available and easy to learn. Much more than just cards cards<>cards<>cards, boring

I am just the opposite of Hudson. Looking back over my 65 years of magic, I regret not having learned card and coin magic or closeup in general. I concentrated on stage and parlor (and yes, kid's magic). Having reached the grand old age of 76, I'm at a dead end in my career so to speak. Sure, I can do some card tricks and a few other close up things but nothing to say I'm skilled with.

My advice to newbies is learn as much as you can in all types of magic. You can specialize but having that broad range of knowledge will come in handy as time goes by.

I was 76 once It's also a good idea to keep notes for yourself of important little nuances (and maybe even "new" effects/methods) you have developed and/or acquired over the years, because these details tend to magically disappear on their own when you reach 77...

In addition learning other types of magic that require skills like
direction of attention, timing, eye gaze, In-transit- action. (Rapheal Benatar) teaches
that in his cups and balls video will compliment your card
work as well. Skills learned in various aspects of magic will
serve you well overall.

Being well rounded in an art is never a bad thing.

You'll find that skills with cards automatically help with other types of magic as well. And they add a change of pace to your repertoire for them you notice the spectators eyes begin to glaze over after the third or fourth time you find the card...

I notice that several replies are from (presumably) professional magicians, referring to "venues" and "appealing to the masses".
A couple of minutes research reveals that the question comes from someone who is only 12 years old - so I'm not sure how relevant such advice is!

My advice is simple - enjoy your hobby, delving into whatever aspects of magic interest YOU.
If you ever want to be a pro or semi-pro performer, then you will need to think about other considerations. But not yet.

When I was 12 - a welfare child - the State Lady, who looked after us <> Said "YOU DON'T do that for a Living !!". Good advise- when I grew up and had my own Family -Regular Jobs paid Our 2 kids birth -Wife, kids and I, Dr's costs - Vacations -Retirement - Savings etc. WE averaged about 6 + Shows a week, evenings -weekends ( - saved - now own our Home free and clear. Along with touring 8 years when we retired -- paid cash for our RV - Shows ALL over States. 87 years Old and DON'T OWE Anyone. FUN FUN FUN

A question was asked and answered by (presumably) professional magicians,
Researching the poster to find out their history when it wasn't given is a bit of stretch. BUT I agree. Enjoy the journey.

I have worked with many amateurs as well as professionals who all state they wish they had learned more about magic other than just cards or coins. The point remains the same either way.

Again, it's what YOU want to do. What gets the reactions and creates the experiences YOU want? Jon Armstrong started his career just doing card magic and was very successful. He now focuses on stand up magic because of his venues but he still uses his card magic to accentuate his product. There's no easy answer, and that's good because we all need to find what works best with us.

Thanks everyone! I have decided that I am going to learn a variety of magic but specialize in some more than others. What types of magic do you think I should learn besides just cards? And is it okay if cards are still my specialty but I still know how to do magic with other things?
Much thanks!

As already said, it depends on if you are performing for just yourself or for others. if you are performing for just yourself, do what you wanna do, go for it. If you’re performing for others, you’ve got to think and operate from their perspective and expectations. They will not be into cars near as much as you are most other magicians.

There's - Cards - Sponge Balls - Coins - String - $Bills - Match Sticks - - all kinds of pocket magic if you don't want to do just cards - and easier to carry around -- NO Truck - No case --- Just Have Fun

Also, remember the idea is to present that you are doing magic...not that you are doing a trick. It is and should always be about the magic, not you.

I would suggest learning how to entertain folks verbally without props. If you do, performing
anything else gets a lot easier.

That's a loaded question: Who is your audience and What do they want to see? Personally, I hate cards. But there is a lot of history and antidotes hidden in learning card tricks.