looking for good sponge ball dvd/books

Jul 18, 2016
11
0
does anyone no some good sponge ball tutorial books or DVDs i have a few and they are all not very helpful. I have been playing around with sponge balls and now i am attempting to learn advanced tricks with them and also looking to acquire some gimmicks for them. any help would be much appreciated.
 
Jan 26, 2017
2,173
1,338
23
Virginia
I'm sure there are DVD's and books on the subject, but sponge ball magic doesn't have much to do outside of vanishing, reappearing, or transpositioning. It is truly one of those things that you can build your performance around yourself. I would say just play around with them, see what you can do.


However, there are some really good gimmicks that work with spongeballs. I don't own it but Baller looks fantastic.
 
Jan 26, 2017
2,173
1,338
23
Virginia
Use a purse frame! So much fun!!!!! :)

:D Dat plug doh

@raaaa I actually do highly recommend getting Michael's Invisible Purse trick from the Market. One of the best sponge ball application's I've seen in a long long time. And such a great performance.

A bad performance is a horrible thing for the spectators. But where as in some card/stage tricks, very rarely, but sometimes if the performance sucks but the effect is that good, you can get away with it. But, if the performance sucks in a sponge ball trick, the whole thing sucks. The performance & experience is far more crucial than the effect. That goes triple for a sponge ball routine.

Invisible Purse is definitely one of those AMAZING performances, everything just rolls along smoothly.
 

RealityOne

Elite Member
Nov 1, 2009
3,744
4,076
New Jersey
The best resource is Frank Garcia's Encyclopedia of Sponge Ball Magic... which is out of print and runs $195 to $411 for used versions. My sense is that you can typically find it for around $125 on the Magic Cafe if you are willing to watch and wait. I picked up a copy for $80 around two years ago.

DVDs

Spongeball Tool Kit - This is a little dated, but you've got to love the late Steve Darci's performances -- especially his instruction on how to clean sponge balls! It comes with four 1.5 inch red sponge balls, two flat red sponge circles, a 3D red sponge bunny, a 1.5 inch yellow sponge ball, a silk poke gimmick (used to vanish multiple sponge balls) and a coin purse frame. I have this DVD and here is a lot of great material. All for $18.75.

Ben Salinis's Encyclopedia of Sponge Ball Magic DVD - This is Ben's teaching of the material in Frank Garcia's book. I'm not sure if he had permission from Garcia's estate but I guess it is like anyone else teaching material from Royal Road or Expert at the Card Table. I have this one and the teaching is good, although I think that some of the moves are taught slightly differently than they are presented in the book. The sponge ball that came with my DVD tended to bleed onto my hands when they got sweaty, so good for practice but get a different set for performance. Cost $14.97

L&L's World's Greatest Magic - Sponge Balls. I don't have it, but it would seems to be the best source for a variety of routines in one place. It includes routines from Daryl, Eugene Burger, Steve Darci, Al Goshman and others. Cost $14.96.

Patrick Page #5 - Sponge Balls - This is a bit more advanced and more than a little dated. I have this one and think that you buy this one for the techniques, not the production quality. Cost $9.38

The late Daryl Easton's Essentials in Sponge Ball Magic - I don't have this one, but it looks like a great introduction if you just want to just figure out a routine. Daryl was a great magician and is a joy to watch. Cost $7.46

Daryl's Master Course in Sponge Balls - This is a four volume set that will set you back around $50 for the set. It covers a lot of material but seems to be a bit pricey for what you get on each DVD. I don't have this, so I can't comment on much else.

Jay Noblezada's Sponge - I don't have this one, but have read some reviews that classify it as mediocre. It comes with sponge balls. Cost $19.95

GIMMICKS

3D Sponge Rabbits - This is Michael Ammar's handling and the routine is a lot of fun. $10.01

Pips a Popin - My favorite sponge ball trick. Make sure to get an extra set of foam pips to go with it. $11.24 plus #3.12 for extra pips.

Sanada Gimmick - Interesting way to conceal a sponge in your hand. $5.63

Sponge Balls - You want the Super Soft 2 inch sponge balls from Magic by Gosh. They handle beautifully.

AlanWong makes a variety of different sponge objects. That can make any routine a lot of fun.

Sponge Magic in Books

If you check out Denis Behr's Conjuring Archive, you can find a lot of information on Sponge Balls (click on the various subtopics in the index) and a list of Sponge Ball Routines in Books
 

RealityOne

Elite Member
Nov 1, 2009
3,744
4,076
New Jersey
@obrienmagic - Nice television spot and promo video but some constructive criticism: Did I hear you say examine this and see if it a ordinary ball and a ordinary (invisible) purse? My sense is that you never ask someone to examine something because you are indirectly suggesting that there is a possibility of something being altered which makes them think about there being a method. I like how you did it in the second video - "have you ever seen something like this?" When you hand it to them and ask "have you ever seen something like this?" they examine it without thinking about what method you are using (and if they go back and try to figure out the effect they will remember that they held it and there wasn't anything funky about it). I would recommend slowing down the multiple ball productions. The speed makes it look like you are using fast hands. Also, the hand gestures you make on the promo video at 1:17 make you look like a magician. They are too contrived. I see how the final "fake palm" plays pretty well, but again it makes the audience focus on there being a method, albeit one you are not using. I do like the maneuver to show the purse empty -- I don't recall seeing that somewhere else.
 
Oct 19, 2015
317
220
I too struggled with sponge balls, the most simple part of 'vanishing' eluted me. That is until I watched a video made by Michael Dardant where he demonstrated one of many ways to do the 'vanish'! It was so simple stupid, that I did not believe it would actually work. The first time I tried it.....I had it, simple it was! Of course I have practiced it over and over and it looked better and better...but the basic method anybody could do, first time. His video is 'Intro to Sponge Balls' A.K.A. Sponge Ball Square Meal...
 

obrienmagic

Elite Member
Nov 4, 2014
1,469
1,422
Orange County, Ca
www.obrienmagic.com
@obrienmagic - Nice television spot and promo video but some constructive criticism......

Thanks so much for the kind words and YES I have taken into account your feedback and will give it a go when i perform it next! Thanks so much for taking the time to watch and critique! Just goes to show that even after performing for over 10 years you still have much to learn! :)
 
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