However, More often than not, I find audiences get bored quickly with cards.
I see people say this a lot, but this is something I myself have never come experienced.
I pretty much exclusively perform card magic, the only exception being Crazyman's Handcuffs and (occasionally) sponge balls. I love practicing all kinds of different stuff, but cards is what I perform for others.
Interestingly, I've never had an audience 'get bored' of my tricks. If anything, sometimes they won't let me stop!
Friends never ask me to 'do a trick, they always just say 'Have you got your cards on you?' If i say yes, then they ask to see something. They expect me to do card magic as that's what I do. No one has ever said 'You need to learn something other than cards'. Except for magicians, but I don't often perform for magicians.
There are plenty of magicians out there who do (almost) exclusive card magic: Paul Gordon, Harry Lorayne, Jason Ladayne, Ricky Jay, John Bannon... the list goes on. I think the secret is variety. Watch 'Ricky Jay and his 52 Assistants.' It's close to an hour of just card magic. But it isn't just an hour of 'pick a card' style tricks. There's 'pick a card' tricks, gambling demos, ace assemblies, card throwing. The presentations also vary from serious and academic to comedic and silly. The variety is what stops it being dull.
Yes, a lot of people do card tricks. But then again, a lot of people also play the guitar, and you never hear musicians say 'You should learn another instrument as well as people will get bored if you just play the guitar'
Rev