Actually, I think magicians treat cards like they do their booze... they can't get enough of it!
Cards for magicians are like drugs to a junkie, it's that simple. It's also why I've had a deep aversion to card magic. . . well, that and the fact that finding "good" card magic is even more difficult and less likely than hitting the lottery. Arguably, one of the more boring aspects of magic (except to magicians), which is why Mike Caveny used the "Pick a Card" line on Tina when putting her to sleep prior to doing a broom suspension. . . and that's just one of many such acts you'll find if you look around, in which other WORKING magicians slam card magic.
Magicians are in love with playing cards for many "logical" reasons, the biggest of which stems from (believe it or not) the military!
It's kind of hard to travel about and not get into trouble, with most any other "device" in your duffel bag but soldier & sailor alike have more than enough idle time on their hands to play with a deck of cards, be it to work on gambling technique or "tricks" (both, being the norm). The advent of so many card tricks & techniques coming into our "main stream" being quite traceable to World War II and the ensuing Baby Boomer generation that was poisoned by said element; our fathers and grandfathers or perhaps favorite Uncles. . . somewhere in every family tree from that era you will find the Cardician and the Ventriloquist as well as that odd handful of jugglers and pseudo-comics.
When it comes to the paste-boards there is another reason for the addiction -- THEIR CHEAP!
When compared to the more traditional array of tricks out there a deck of cards is about the most bang you can get for the dollar ventured. . . even with the addition of gaffed decks or the headache of making your own gaffed cards.
I'd be amiss to not point out that Money Magic, especially with coinage, falls into second position for the very same reasons cards do. . . fortunately, most coin workers have to be better skilled than we find tied to card magic because of how coins can talk. . . a greater sense of control is actually needed. Too, as I learned from Jules Lenear himself, with cards you need fairly clean hands while with coins it helps when your hands are a bit sticky; something Vernon echoed from time to time when working with a promising young student.
To prove my point over the addiction magicians have with playing cards there is the key matter of rudeness when lecturers are about; many complaining when a noted fellow makes a visit and offers not a single card routine. . . something the pros laugh about behind your backs whilst rolling their eyes in disgust over the fact that hobbyists can't seem to wake-up to the fact that magic is composed of so very much more.
I know there will be complaints and rude comments made towards this post -- the truth tends to do that with people. But I dare you to prove me wrong.
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