hey guys, so is there anything you could do to keep a deck usable for longer? and when should you toss the old deck and open up a new one? (for practice and for performing) and is it ok to practice with like a regular rider back and perform with the master ed or guardian, cuz like they all have like a different feel, but i can't really afford to buy bunch of guardian to practice... (poor college kid)... lol... i got lotta questions there, well thx guys
General question about cards.
- Thread starter cliffi
- Start date
I'll try to answer your questions ...
To keep a deck usable longer make sure to wash your hands, and dry them thoroughly, before using them. Since you short on money, I wouldn't suggest buying a porper clip, but it does help decks last longer, though it's a luxary, not a necessity, for me.
I keep a practice deck and a performance deck; I have had my practice deck for 3 months now, and my performance deck for 1 month. It's all based on feel -- if you feel that the deck is beginning to stick and clump together, you may want to switch your performance deck, or keep it if it's your practice deck.
I perform with different decks all the time, and since your a poor college kid, like I am, I suggest going to Costco, BJ's, or Sam's Club and getting a 12 pack of Bicycle Decks for $15. I bought it 6 months ago, and have only used 4 of the 12 decks.
Hope this answers all of your questions. Let me know if it doesn't or if you have more.
Cheers,
JTM
Jack, you always have good advice.
Something that I find helps keeping your cards better for longer is keeping them in a dark, cool place. Maybe in a cabinet or something, just to keep them away from the heat.
I've heard that putting them in the freezer for several hours will help with roughness, but I find that only helps for a short period.
I think that the best thing you could do would be to go to Costco or Sam's and buy the bulk amount of cards, that way you can have a nice little supply of them handy whenever you should need them.
I recommend switching decks at least once an hour while practicing. Even though it means having two decks open, it saves money in the long run because your cards will last much longer. Also, spread out your cards on a tray in the fridge for a couple of hours after heavy use. The reason this works is because the air in a fridge is dry, so it will draw out any moisture in the cards, and it DEFINITELY works. I think a freezer may be too cold and damage them though.
Well, I am a cardist so It is crucial for me to know how to care for cards. I hope my advice helps you out. I usually cycle between 4 and 8 different decks a day. This lowers the usage on each one and also helps you get a better 'feel' for the cards you like.
If you want a deck to last as long as possible (forever) then try not to drop it, crimp cards, or loose cards. If you use a deck for too long it will start to get sticky and gross. To overcome this just put it away for a few days. It should feel a lot better after this. I have heard that fanning powder helps, I don't like it though. It is kind of an "acquired taste" if you know what I mean.
One thing though, and I can't stress this enough, DON'T PUT CARDS IN THE FRIDGE! It is one of the biggest card care misconseptions.There is a topic about it at decknique and a lot more about card care.
If you follow theese instructions 12 decks should last at least a few years if you take care of them. If you take good care of them they should last forever. I currently have about 50-60 open decks that should last me quite a while. I also have about 300 sealed decks for collecting.
Good luck,
Brian
If you want a deck to last as long as possible (forever) then try not to drop it, crimp cards, or loose cards. If you use a deck for too long it will start to get sticky and gross. To overcome this just put it away for a few days. It should feel a lot better after this. I have heard that fanning powder helps, I don't like it though. It is kind of an "acquired taste" if you know what I mean.
One thing though, and I can't stress this enough, DON'T PUT CARDS IN THE FRIDGE! It is one of the biggest card care misconseptions.There is a topic about it at decknique and a lot more about card care.
If you follow theese instructions 12 decks should last at least a few years if you take care of them. If you take good care of them they should last forever. I currently have about 50-60 open decks that should last me quite a while. I also have about 300 sealed decks for collecting.
Good luck,
Brian
I usually practice and perform with the same deck... Red or Blue Bikes. I buy the two-packs of Bikes you see usually see at Wally World and only open one at a time. Once the first deck is completely worn out from practicing and performing, I switch to the next one and save the old deck for duplicates. It's usually really humid here in the Southeastern United States, and during the summer my decks tend to get clumpy.
Just a tip: You know you have a clumpy deck when you go for a push-off double lift and you come up with about 12 cards...
P.S. I tried the freezer thing.
It didn't work.
-Matt
Just a tip: You know you have a clumpy deck when you go for a push-off double lift and you come up with about 12 cards...
P.S. I tried the freezer thing.
It didn't work.
-Matt
Wow interesting advice here.
I have found that I keep an older deck for practicing certain tricks that I would do on a spur of the moment type time when a person just hands you any old thing and says do a trick now Mr. Magic.
A new deck for me usually lasts a year with no clumping and with using it 2-3 hours each day. The clip really helps take any work out of the cards and for some reason my cards just seem to last for me. My best friend however can wear the finish off a deck in an hour easy. He has very rough dry hands. I try to keep my hands in good shape and use the advive from Allan Ackerman and Martin Nash and use more finesse as opposed to man handling the cards.
I try to shuffle them with what Martin calls a Soft Shuffle, however the card Guard ($14) was the best investment because it really takes out all the work from a deck and protects it from the effect of humidity as it exists in a pocket. I keep mine in my pocket all the time every day(except when I perform or practice with it) .
For about $30 you can have 12 decks and a clip to keep them in with no problem. Not too expensive actually.
Hope that helps,
Snorri
I have found that I keep an older deck for practicing certain tricks that I would do on a spur of the moment type time when a person just hands you any old thing and says do a trick now Mr. Magic.
A new deck for me usually lasts a year with no clumping and with using it 2-3 hours each day. The clip really helps take any work out of the cards and for some reason my cards just seem to last for me. My best friend however can wear the finish off a deck in an hour easy. He has very rough dry hands. I try to keep my hands in good shape and use the advive from Allan Ackerman and Martin Nash and use more finesse as opposed to man handling the cards.
I try to shuffle them with what Martin calls a Soft Shuffle, however the card Guard ($14) was the best investment because it really takes out all the work from a deck and protects it from the effect of humidity as it exists in a pocket. I keep mine in my pocket all the time every day(except when I perform or practice with it) .
For about $30 you can have 12 decks and a clip to keep them in with no problem. Not too expensive actually.
Hope that helps,
Snorri
thx guys, i think ima have to invest in a card clip then, oh but i found that i can't like practice with regular bikes cuz i usually preform with the masters or tiger and they have like a thicker stockin and it kinda screws up my feel for the double
I find that a lot of magicians fuss about the difference between regular bikes and masters / guardians / ghosts / etc. Honestly, if you're doing a gig with Masters as opposed to practicing with bikes, if you take a few minutes before the gig to get the feel of the cards, you should be fine. A good magician is adaptable