Advanced Level Card Moves

Apr 1, 2020
42
31
I'm a voracious reader. I read a few books a week, easily (not all magic).

I have and have read all of the basic books and some intermediate books. And I've been slowly working my way through them with a deck in my hands. But I'm always reading and rereading them as well.

I'm wondering what recommendations you guys have for advanced level books. I would love to be able to get my hands on a copy of By Forces Unseen. So that should tell you what direction I'm going in.

I'm a bit of a move junkie. I just love practicing and working on moves at home. Not always practical stuff. But that's what I enjoy doing, more than working on full tricks. I mean, I know full routines. But that's not the most enjoyable thing about magic for me.
 
Dec 5, 2015
59
27
If you want some book recommendations get:

Extraordinary Card Technique by Ed Marlo: it's just a book full of moves that might take you a while to read

Drawing Room Deception by Guy Hollingworth: both practical and impractical moves(to prove a point)
 
Apr 1, 2020
42
31
2 that are quite hard to find, that I really enjoy looking through are Card Finesse vol 1 & 2 by Jon Racherbaumer.

If you want some book recommendations get:

Extraordinary Card Technique by Ed Marlo: it's just a book full of moves that might take you a while to read

Drawing Room Deception by Guy Hollingworth: both practical and impractical moves(to prove a point)
I read Drawing Room Deceptions a few months ago. Loved it.

Just received Revolutionary Card Technique the other day. I preordered the reprint the second I saw it announced.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Probably the most complete collection of sleights is the Card College series.

Other books to consider:

Principia - Harapan Ong
Secrets of So Sato
Pure Imagination - Scott Robinson
Bloomberg Laboratories
Revolutionary Card Technique - Marlo

Thanks for the suggestions.

I'm actually rereading Card College at the moment. To me, I recommend it over Royal Road as the first books to get, every time. It's written so much clearer. And it's set up in such a nice way - teaching an easier version of something and coming back to it in later volumes with a little trickier version (for example - the Double Lift).

Principia - that book got so many good reviews when it first came out, but I just could not get into it. To me, the best part of that book was the end when he had all the discussions about The Trick That Cannot Be Explained.

The other 3 books you've mentioned, I haven't heard much about. I'll have to look them up.
 
Jul 26, 2016
571
795
@PGoutis01, the prices sellers are asking for By Forces Unseen are off the charts - typically between about
$1200 and $2000 for copies from "Acceptable" to "Very good" condition. Now here's one I found on Amazon that is far from cheap, but it's in "Like New" condition and a steal compared to the others that are currently available:

$795.00
+ $5.12 shipping + $64.01 estimated tax (*only ships to USA & Canada)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0945296096/ref=tmm_hrd_used_olp_0?ie=UTF8&condition=used
 

RealityOne

Elite Member
Nov 1, 2009
3,744
4,076
New Jersey
For books like that, you just need to keep an eye out on the Magic Cafe's Books for Sale section and on eBay. The book was written by Stephen Minch and published by Hermetic Press. Hermetic Press was sold to Penguin around five years ago, so they have the rights to the book. I suspect it will be reprinted, at some time, as the secondary prices seem to indicate a good demand.

It's a good book, but I wouldn't pay $495 for it. I'd get four or five other books instead.
 
Apr 1, 2020
42
31
I'm not sure I can bring myself to pay more than $100 for a book. I just wait patiently until I find a killer deal, or it comes back into print one day. Like RealityOne said, it's bound to come back in print since it seems to be so popular and penguin now owns the rights.
 
Jul 26, 2016
571
795
I'm asking myself why I even did that research. I'm not interested in acquiring the book. I'm in magic to perform and entertain people with routines.
 

RealityOne

Elite Member
Nov 1, 2009
3,744
4,076
New Jersey
'm asking myself why I even did that research.

:) Welcome to my world. I spend a lot of time just checking to see if certain books are available or at what price... or even checking to see what outrageous prices some of the books I own are selling for. I'll admit to checking the Magic Cafe just to see what books are being sold. Over the years, I've picked up some good deals on books like Bannon's Impossibila, Garcia's Encyclopedia of Sponge Balls, Greater Magic, Ambitious Omnibus, The Fine Art of Magic and some others.

I actually had By Forces Unseen in my cart at L&L a number of times, only to delete it because my total purchase became too costly. So, if I didn't buy it then, I'm not going to buy it now. But if anyone has Fulves Epilogue or Pallbearers Review for sale... I do tend to like the more obscure out of print books, especially ones that are collections of magazines.

'm in magic to perform and entertain people with routines.

True. I'll admit, I'll take a clever method or difficult sleight of hand any day.:cool:
 
Jul 26, 2016
571
795
@RealityOne, just to clarify, you meant to say, that you would take a clever method over difficult sleight of hand any day, yes?
One of Dai Vernon's quotes always struck a harmonious chord with me: "In magic, today as always, the effect is what counts. The method or methods used are always purely secondary." But I believe that Vernon was also a proponent of streamlining methods, and had the view that moves should be removed wherever possible. Of course, as Eugene Burger said, "The house of Magic has many rooms," and the wonderful thing is we can all spend time in the room or rooms that appeal to us.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RealityOne
Apr 1, 2020
42
31
Over the years, I've picked up some good deals on books like Bannon's Impossibila
I bought that one around the time it came out. What's a good deal on it now, out of curiosity? I didn't know people were looking for it.

I'm sorry I encouraged you guys to spend so much time looking at pricing for By Forces Unseen. That was not my intent on mentioning that book. I was just trying to show an example of the type of book I enjoy reading at this time in my life.
 

RealityOne

Elite Member
Nov 1, 2009
3,744
4,076
New Jersey
What's a good deal on it now, out of curiosity

It runs around $90 to $135. I got it for $30 when it was out of print because the book had a small water stain on it. The trick work just fine despite the water stain. It is also available for around $17 on L&L's E Publishing website... which drives down the resale of the actual book.
 
  • Like
Reactions: PGoutis01
Apr 1, 2020
42
31
It runs around $90 to $135. I got it for $30 when it was out of print because the book had a small water stain on it. The trick work just fine despite the water stain. It is also available for around $17 on L&L's E Publishing website... which drives down the resale of the actual book.
Ah yeah, those are the prices I would expect for an out of print book that everybody seems to love. For some reason I thought you were going to say something way higher. And I love when you find a great deal like that. It also warms my heart to hear of somebody else finding that deal as well.
 
Jun 18, 2019
540
293
20
West Bengal, India
To me, I recommend it over Royal Road as the first books to get, every time.
*gasps*

Oh, so you belong to that camp...

( :p )

One of Dai Vernon's quotes always struck a harmonious chord with me: "In magic, today as always, the effect is what counts. The method or methods used are always purely secondary."
Which hurts a lot, to be honest.

It's partly the reason why my brain automatically skips entire paragraphs when reading about a method that achieves the same effect supposedly in a ''better'' manner. Especially when the ''simpler'' method according to the author achieves the same effect, is clean and sneakily clever.

I must admit however, what hurts even more is how a spring gets EVEN better gasps sometimes, which is partly the reason why I often cheat with magic as a whole and spend long, long hours with cardistry.

Regardless, OP, if you are as you described yourself to be in your original post...

How come nobody has mentioned 'If An Octopus Could Palm" by the Buck twins yet?
 
Searching...
{[{ searchResultsCount }]} Results