Cups and Balls Set

[1818]

Hello, I'm new to the cups and balls, I've just learned it and can kind of do it (not yet mastered, but still practising), the one in Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic. I've been practising with crumpled paper balls and with styrofoam cups (the balls' diameters are bigger than the separation between two cups, so that's not very good, lol).

I think it is time to buy an actual set. I don't know what to look for, I've been about researching this in the last few days. I have a few questions:

1. What should I look for when buying a set?
2. I'm looking to spend around $20 (slightly more is ok), what do you recommend?
3. What is a chop cup?

I'm looking at some on Ebay, because they have some good prices. What do you guys recommend?

Thank you.

 

[JButterfield]

PM'ed you.

 

[1818]

Thank you. Replied.

 

[magicman_1999]

The things to look for in a cup in part depend on the type of routine you want to do with them. In general, I would recommend getting a metal set of cups, Aluminum is a great place to start, though in the long run you will probably want something with a little more weight to them (i.e. copper or brass). Unfortunately, either copper or brass cups will likely set you back more than you currently want to spend. I can't really explain what a chop cup is openly on this forum, but if you still have a question about it, feel free to pm me.

Just so you know that I know a little about what I'm talking about (though I do not claim to know it all): I've been doing cups and balls for about 12 years, and like you, got my start with the version in Mark Wilson's book. I'm now a bit of a cups and balls junkie, and have multiple books/pamphlets/dvds, and have a budding cups collection with currently 7 0r 8 different sets.

One extra resource for you to check out is cupsandballsmuseum.com ; the curator (Bill Palmer) is a true expert in the field, and is happy to give out the password to the site if you just e-mail him for it (details are on the main page of the website.

Good luck in you cups and balls pursuit, and let me know if you have any more questions (feel free to pm me if you'd rather)

Matt M.

 

[1818]

The things to look for in a cup in part depend on the type of routine you want to do with them. In general, I would recommend getting a metal set of cups, Aluminum is a great place to start, though in the long run you will probably want something with a little more weight to them (i.e. copper or brass). Unfortunately, either copper or brass cups will likely set you back more than you currently want to spend. I can't really explain what a chop cup is openly on this forum, but if you still have a question about it, feel free to pm me.

Just so you know that I know a little about what I'm talking about (though I do not claim to know it all): I've been doing cups and balls for about 12 years, and like you, got my start with the version in Mark Wilson's book. I'm now a bit of a cups and balls junkie, and have multiple books/pamphlets/dvds, and have a budding cups collection with currently 7 0r 8 different sets.

One extra resource for you to check out is cupsandballsmuseum.com ; the curator (Bill Palmer) is a true expert in the field, and is happy to give out the password to the site if you just e-mail him for it (details are on the main page of the website.

Good luck in you cups and balls pursuit, and let me know if you have any more questions (feel free to pm me if you'd rather)

Matt M.

Thanks for all the information, very helpful, like you said I think the metal ones will be expensive for now, and because I`m just starting, like you said, aluminium should be okay, but when I'm more advanced at cups and balls, (when I buy my next set), I will take it into consideration also. I bought the set, here it is: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Combo-Cups-...ltDomain_0&hash=item4aaf1c422a#ht_3252wt_1396 It will still take a few weeks before I receive it.
Thanks again.

 

[1818]

The cups and balls set just arrived today.
They seem very good.
I`m just having 1 problem - the chop cup.

Is there any better way to dislodge the ball other than hitting it harder on the table? When I put force, the cup makes a big noise, and the ball still doesn't fall. Only when I hit it really hard, the ball falls, but then it seems very weird that I'm hitting the cup that hard, lol.
Is there anything I don't know? Or is there a way to make it seem like I'm not hitting so hard?

Also, when loading the cups with the balls, 1 ball sticks on 1 cup, so I kind of look like an idiot showing that the ball came back, when it didn't, haha. Any tips?

Thank you!

 

[toolnard]

Easiest work around that I can think of is to set the non-chop cups down just as hard every time you pick them up. Then it won't look unusual when you hit the chop cup hard.

That being said, you might try using larger balls. That would reduce the strength of the magnetic attraction and perhaps made the ball dislodge easier. RNT2 has some nice ball sets at reasonable (but not cheap) prices.

 

[bluee]

damn the tension and ask any question that exist in your mind without any reluctence