What first attracted me in magic was vanishes. Threfore, a lot of my magic is devoted to vanishes. I have learned many ungimmicked vanishes with coins rings, etc. but now, I'm interested in gimicked versions. my friend says the raven is not that great and is bulky. I have heard of pulls but iam not really sure what kind of mechanical(?) vanishes are out there. any help?

The Raven is not really practical but it is fun to use, so as the M5. You might also want to check the gimmicked pencil thru nose and cigarette thru nose. You push it in your nose and it vanishes. There are also flash bills, it looks like real money, you light them and in a flash they are gone.

Try thumb tips,they are easy to master ,quite cheap,and can be used in a variety of ways

Alex

Easy to Master? Yes but you still need to practice until you can make it Magical. There really is no such thing as "easy" Magic. Good Magic requires lot's of practice, not only with the mechanic's of the trick but with your story line (patter) and overall presentation.
Iven

It's not really a gimmick but more of a utlity - Try using a topit.

Ummm whats a topit? (dumb question I know)

Topit are discussed in the "secret sessions" area of the Café' you need to have 50 posts to get into those area's.
What's a Topit is not a dumb question but you probably don't need one until you get more experience in performing Magic. Topit's are not for everyone and that includes me.
Iven

Okay thanks for the advice.

The raven can be a great trick, but its practicallity really lets it down unfortunately .



Tom

I second the topit! You might as well study the art of s*****ng!

OFF TOPIC:
Rannie, did you add the asterisks to the word sleeving?

Maybe he added the s,n, and g to the word ********.

On the subject of the Topit, isn't there a video or series of videos on the subject? Maybe one video that explains the thing and a series that features tricks and uses? Thanks!!

Topit Video - YES, Ammar's considered by most to be the best in covering todays use of the topit

And to "ace216" ya, if you have to ask what a topit is you really don't need it yet.

break a leg friend

Ron

Thanks Mike!

Ammar's Topit DVD is excellent. I wouldn't recommend a topit for a beginner, though.

ace216, I know you said "gimmicked vanishes", but have you tried all the non-gimmicked ones in Bobo's "Modern Coin Magic"?....it's a great place to learn s*****ng (also commonly known as sleeving), as well.


Adam

Modern Coin Magic is the first and best magic book I own, and I highly reccomend it to begginers and experts alike.

P.S.
A small section of the book is devoted to gimmiks, including the Okkito coin box, which is a great way to vanish coins.