Why coin gimmicks?

May 30, 2008
19
0
31
blue mountains
Hey! believe it or not i hate coin gimmicks such as shells, coin bite gimmicks etc.
i just don't see the point, I'd rather do sleight of hand. i like the idea that its a skill rather than something you can just buy.
So whats the attraction of coin gimmicks?
 
May 24, 2008
402
0
i dont hate gimmicks in general, just coin ones because they are such a pain to keep track of
 
E

elliotcarver

Guest
You have to begin with sleight of hand, and be able to do it perfectly.
If you start doing magic with a gimmicked coin it is obvious.

BUT:
I don't know if you own CoinOne Or CoinTwo for example. That combines sleight of hand wich is damn fooling plus a gimmick to make the real miracle.

You see, when you show sleight of hand with coins to an audience
they think it is great but if you add a little gimmick to it, it makes their thought about sleight of hand and gimmicks dissapear, because you use both.

Use sleight of hand alone or with a gimmick, but don't use a gimmick alone in my opinion.


Elliot
 
Sep 24, 2007
417
1
Coin gimmicks "cleanify" an effect. it makes the spectator less suspicious of sleight of hand, and even the best sleight of hand is sometimes unable to imitate something that a shell can do. Why tire yourself learning a spellbound-display to deep backclip, or something impossible like that, when you can just use a shell?
 
Jan 5, 2008
108
0
Oklahoma
coin gimmicks are useful

Coin gimmicks can be very useful. If the gimmick is used properly and ditched cleanly the spectator should not know any better. If you want to perform coin magic; you should really focus on performing coin magic that hits hard. Gimmicks allow your effect to be more direct and have a harder impact. Take digital dissolve on this site for example. A great concept with a beautiful combination of sleight and gimmick that creates a miracle. Sure you could do a coin transposition without the gimmick, but not as clean as with the gimmick. End of story.
 
Jan 23, 2008
112
0
I like coin gimmicks they make performing a lot easier but they are very expensive and I always lose them within my other coins and spend them such as my steel quarter and my flipper coin there went $56 down the drain...
 
Nov 1, 2007
95
0
Because gimmicks are not a bad thing, in any form of magic. They are not a "cheap" way out, they're not a demonstration of no skill. Gimmicks do not mean you are a bad magician. Gimmicks are for tricks that require a special device or method for achieving the effect that regular sleight of hand could not provide. You don't "just buy" a gimmick and instantly start performing: it still takes lots and lots and LOTS of practice. What younger magicians these days don't seem to realize is that gimmicks are not a magic genie that performs your tricks for you - it's a tool, JUST LIKE ANY SLEIGHT, to achieve an effect.

In CoinOne, as has been mentioned, a gimmick is used. So is sleight of hand in the trick. However, a gimmick doesn't need sleight of hand to validate it. They also teach a way of doing CoinOne without gimmicks, taught by Chris Kenner, called "The Deep."

The Deep is a fun routine, but it doesn't look anywhere near as impressive or magical as CoinOne. Because magic is about what happens at the end, not about how you do it.

Nobody but you cares how good your classic pass is.

On the other hand, everyone's interested when you do something impossible.

Honestly, most (non-professional / working ) magicians these days try to brag about their mediocre sleight of hand, oblivious that it takes YEARS AND YEARS to achieve such advanced sleight of hand - and even those guys use gimmicked effects. Reason being, they're dedicated to MAGIC, not showing off technique. They want to amaze, any means possible. And there's nothing wrong with using a gimmick to do that.
 
Jun 10, 2008
921
1
Newcastle upon Tyne
if you combine flawless sleight of hand with a confident touch with gaffs, and wrap that up into one lovely unit of deception, you will fry, anyone, anytime, anywhere... fact.

C!
 
Sep 27, 2007
147
0
Cenozoic, Oligocene
That's being a bit ignorant.

There is a certain point where sleight of hand just can cover it. The reason we use shells because it allows us to be more creative and we aren't as confined. It gives us more freedom.

Sleight of hand isn't just restricted to everyday items such as coins, real magicians often use sleight of hand along with gimmicks such as shells.

Using a gimmick doesn't make you less of a magician. Using a shell or flipper opens doors, another reason shells are used is because it can create some very visual magic.

Shells and coin gimmicks are just part of magic. It's a tool, it depends on the person.
 
Sep 1, 2007
51
0
Coin Gimmicks allow for some of the most direct effects possible. You say you want to do just sleight if hand because its skill versus something you can just buy. However alot of coin gimmicks dont do all the work for you, plus the fact that your audience shouldnt even be aware of the skill taking place anyway. Therefore it is self gratification over the audiences' entertainment - which is not the way it should be - Brad Henderson makes a good arguement about this in one of the posts in the general magic forum i think concerning 'purists'.

You are greatly limiting yourself by ignoring coin gimmicks.
Of course it is important to be proficient with sleight of hand techniques using coins but some gimmicks allow for effects to be performed much cleaner, much more direct and alot more simpler (note simple does not relate to ease of execution, something which is greatly misunderstood) and sometimes even effects which just are not possible with pure sleight of hand
 
Aug 31, 2007
799
1
I use CoinTwo all the time and it uses LOTS of sleight of and and a shell. So best of both worlds.





till then i'll take slow then you rock out the show.....

lol
 
...

Good to see another purist on the forums.
You can never have enough purists.
Purists rule, and you guys know it. :)

This whole purist thing is like a fixation to you. You have been mentioning this on several occasions.
Being a purist for the sake of being a purist is just plain stupid. Having a open mind and realising that subtle use of gimmicks can sometimes greatly improve your magic is a better attitude. Magic is not about ego, its about finding the best way to create somethin magical.
 
Jun 10, 2008
921
1
Newcastle upon Tyne
'yeah purists rule, woo!, we're better than you!'.

Though not said, this is the kind of attitude that is being projected. being a purist does not make you better, worse or any different to those of us who use gimmicks, or what have you.

I think, this kind of showoff, braggart attitude is sickening, and a little pathetic. It's like the guy at the party who won't stop talking about how cool he thinks he is. You cringe for them.

C!
 
May 24, 2008
402
0
I've gotten into more coin magic, and I've realised that a basic gaff with great sleight of hand is KILLER and necessary to becoming a good magician.
 
Jan 11, 2008
216
0
New york
"HATE" .....thats funny. how do you feel about thumb tips? I know I know thats cheating too.

stop telling people your using one! call it skill. we are pretending to be magicans anyway.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Feb 27, 2008
2,342
1
33
Grand prairie TX
This whole purist thing is like a fixation to you. You have been mentioning this on several occasions.
Being a purist for the sake of being a purist is just plain stupid. Having a open mind and realising that subtle use of gimmicks can sometimes greatly improve your magic is a better attitude. Magic is not about ego, its about finding the best way to create somethin magical.

word.
no offense to purists though.I give them props for all their learned skills.
but there are some great pieces of magic one cant do with pure sleight of hand.
 
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