Search results

Don't get Erdnase as your first book. It is very convoluted and difficult to learn from for a beginner. I reccomend getting Hugard and Braue's Royal Road to Card Magic and then Hugard and Braue's Expert Card Technique. Regardless of which book you get, check out MJM Magic (mjmmagic.com)...

1. If you perform that effect without paying the creator, that would be wrong. 2. If you perform that effect without paying the creator, that would be wrong. In many ways it is about copying plot and presentation. Look at Pressure or Autograph. If you reverse engineer and perform...

I don't think anyone is saying that you must purchase the rights to every slight that you know. I think the question relates to when you use your knowledge of slights to reverse engineer an effect and then perform that effect. I have no problem with someone teaching various slights with...

OK, so creating and selling effects isn't and shouldn't be their only source of income. Notwithstanding you nit picking, adjones has a valid point. Do you think that magicians who generate a portion of their income from selling effects they create should be compensated when someone...

There is money involved. The person who created the effect is selling the explantation, routining and the performance rights. By performing an effect you didn't buy you are taking his or her idea, concept and/or plot without paying for it. The creator expects to be paid for the effect...

As for your Pressure example, I've never used the word stealing (which I view as a legal term). I'm just arguing that it is unethical to purposefully watch a trailier 100 times and try to figure out a method and then to perform that effect without paying the creator. Once you get beyond that...

The issue is not reverse engineering an effect. I agree that reverse engineering an effect is an excellent exercise in creative thinking. My issue is with a magician performing an effect that they have reverse engineered without paying the creator. My mistake there... maybe my keyboard is...

It is absurd to argue that magic only progresses through figuring out someone else's creations and then performing that effect. Think about what you are saying... figuring out the effects that other people have created and then perform them will help you create effects in the future? If you...

There are some things that are clearly illegal, such as downloading songs, movies and magic videos off the internet without paying for them. That is not what we are talking about here. There are some things that are clarly in violation of magician's ethics, such as exposing effects on...

The "Blue Gaff Deck" has a wide variety of gaff cards including blank face, split suits (Jack with top pip as diamonds and bottom pip as hearts), split back (looks like a blue card on top of a red card), double face, split cards (top pip is an Ace rest of card is a 2 or top half if 7C bottom is...

The differences are in the cards that are in the decks and the effects you can do with each deck. Check out the various cards and see which deck has the most cards that you would use. Also, check out the DVDS. Army of 52 is for the regular gaff deck (actually the Ghost gaff deck, but all of...

The set-up is easy, the method is great and the effect is one of my favorites (especially if you use the toothpick to float up in the bottle). It also comes with two bonus effects (one being a coin in bottle) using the same principle. It is worth $35, but I think I got it for around $30 at...

Every effect has limitations. Whether it requires a gimmick, complicated slight of hand, certain angles, advanced set-up or ending dirty. Unfortunately, the advertisements don't highlight the limitations but rather highlight the positive attributes (which often include the fact that they don't...

Testors Dullcote is what you need. Make sure you do a light misting. If you put too much on the cards it won't work. You can always put an additional coat if it doesn't feel right. Make sure the cards dry completely before you reassemble the deck. Do this in a well ventilated area or...

Good advice is worth repeating... get a Porper Card Clip. It will keep them from bending and bend them back into shape.

Agreed. There are so many excellent effects and routines out there. Take one of them, learn it until you have it down perfect and then put your own imprint on it using your own patter and presentation. Unless you only perform for magicians, your audience isn't going to say "that was a...

Good list. I've got all of them except Card Magic for Amateurs and Professionals. Royal Road and Modern Coin Magic are classics. Expert Card Technique is one of the best books I have. Erdnase is, well... Erdnase. Not the easiest read but worth it. Card Control also is good. If you want...

Despite being called "self working" it does have some slight of hand. True, it doesn't have anything too diificult. I'm sure there are books out there that are much more in depth. However, for $8, it is a good introduction into using silks.

The effects in Fulves book go from the basic to more advanced. It pretty much covers anything you want to do with silks: appearances, penetrations, vanishes as well as the classic silk routines Psychic Silks, Twenteth Century Silks and Cut and Restored silks. It also has sections on...

Great post. Showing people that you can do otherwise impossible things through magic makes them believe that THEY can do otherwise impossible things in LIFE.