Hello guys, I'm a new "magician" and my current deck (bicycle) kinda dirty with grease marks. So should I buy a new one or just wait ?
Buy a brick. They will last you forever. If you wash your hands, and rotate every day between three decks, you can be be set for months or even a year. Keep that dirty deck for you to play games with, and three for magic.
I'm kinda late here, but Costco has a brick of bikes for just 16 dollars, which is a pretty good deal.
I would suggest buying a new deck, or a brick. If Bikes are working fine for you, perfect, buy a brick, or a 4 pack or whatever you want. Make sure you break in your cards to have them last the longest and perform perfectly!
I personally experimented with different decks to find which one I like the most, which is what I suggest if you think you might want a thicker deck.
After using Bikes and some of the used Aristocrat cards from the dollar store, I bought a luxury deck with a super thick stock (the Black Mints) and noticed that I really like the thicker stock (granted, the Mints are my favorite deck ever, and probably the best out there in terms of just quality). So, I bought a brick of Tally-Ho Playing Cards, and I noticed I really like the thicker stock and Linoid Finish. I also experimented with Bee Playing Cards, which I do like, but not as much as the Tally-Ho because of the design, and I preferred the smoother finish of the Tallys.
Basically what I'm saying is experiment with the classic decks if your not sure if Bikes are your favorite. At the end of the day, design is a personal choice (one of the reasons I also switched to Tallys is that the angel on the Bikes kinda creeped me out, and I was tired of people referring to the design as a baby with no clothes). Beyond that, experiment with thickness and finish. Here is a brief overview of the classic decks (no particular order):
Bicycle - Thin, Great Finish, the standard. Handle and feel very nice. Pretty good out of the box, but best if broken in.
Aristocrat - Relatively thick, Similar Finish to Bikes, almost as smooth as a bike. Handle great. Stock will last a very very long time
Bee - Thickest, just a bit thicker than Aristocrat, stock will last you the longest, finish is not as smooth as a bike. Must be broken in
Tally - Ho - Super Slippery straight out of the box, stock inbetween Bee and Bicycle, will last you a bit longer than a bike, finish will almost never die out, unless you get a lot of filth on them. Must be broken in
I personally experimented with different decks to find which one I like the most, which is what I suggest if you think you might want a thicker deck.
After using Bikes and some of the used Aristocrat cards from the dollar store, I bought a luxury deck with a super thick stock (the Black Mints) and noticed that I really like the thicker stock (granted, the Mints are my favorite deck ever, and probably the best out there in terms of just quality). So, I bought a brick of Tally-Ho Playing Cards, and I noticed I really like the thicker stock and Linoid Finish. I also experimented with Bee Playing Cards, which I do like, but not as much as the Tally-Ho because of the design, and I preferred the smoother finish of the Tallys.
Basically what I'm saying is experiment with the classic decks if your not sure if Bikes are your favorite. At the end of the day, design is a personal choice (one of the reasons I also switched to Tallys is that the angel on the Bikes kinda creeped me out, and I was tired of people referring to the design as a baby with no clothes). Beyond that, experiment with thickness and finish. Here is a brief overview of the classic decks (no particular order):
Bicycle - Thin, Great Finish, the standard. Handle and feel very nice. Pretty good out of the box, but best if broken in.
Aristocrat - Relatively thick, Similar Finish to Bikes, almost as smooth as a bike. Handle great. Stock will last a very very long time
Bee - Thickest, just a bit thicker than Aristocrat, stock will last you the longest, finish is not as smooth as a bike. Must be broken in
Tally - Ho - Super Slippery straight out of the box, stock inbetween Bee and Bicycle, will last you a bit longer than a bike, finish will almost never die out, unless you get a lot of filth on them. Must be broken in
The best part is that when you are done with a deck, you can practice Mecury's Card Fold.
It is best to buy a new deck when you notice the old one is getting greasy and stuck together ...... doing this will not only help your magic tricks become better, and look more believe-able as when the deck is smooth.
They'll help over-all like even when it come's to doing flourishes , as for flourishes it definitely is better with a new deck. With an old one It'll get stuck here and there and no one wants that in the middle of a flourish .
They'll help over-all like even when it come's to doing flourishes , as for flourishes it definitely is better with a new deck. With an old one It'll get stuck here and there and no one wants that in the middle of a flourish .
This.
Some people like Bikes and never want anything else, but you won't know until you try. I find the deck makes a big difference for the kind of things I do. Especially if you are having trouble with a particular sleight, a new or different brand deck can make all the difference.
Aristocrats are awesome and after you've tried the standard decks don't be afraid to try a premium deck or 2 just to see how they work for you.
This thread makes me think about something that I've never asked.
My tendons often hurt so much and I stopped using bikes because I feel them very uncomfortable, now I use phoenix cards and I'm pretty happy. Btw, is there anyone here who chooses the deck for the same reason I do (tendon pain)? Which deck can you suggest me?
My tendons often hurt so much and I stopped using bikes because I feel them very uncomfortable, now I use phoenix cards and I'm pretty happy. Btw, is there anyone here who chooses the deck for the same reason I do (tendon pain)? Which deck can you suggest me?
I think Bees and the Theory 11 premium decks are pretty flexible, if that is what helps reduce strain for you. It depends what you are doing. I find the low friction on decks with a smooth finish also produces less strain on some sleights. Frankly any higher quality deck will have overall better handling characteristics and likely cause less strain than Bikes.
I' ve never used them, but for practicing, you could try using a manipulation deck. They are only the 2 thin layers instead of the regular 3.
OMG I didn't expect all those replies ! Thank you so much. By the way I brought a brick of bikes, I live in France so it was the cheapest way for me, all the deck of french dollar shop are crap.
I too bought black Mints- however I found that they clump up very quickly. Not sure why.
Really? I've had them since the day they came out and they are still as good as they were straight out of the box. They've held up better than any deck I've ever used...
Yeah I don't know what it was. I wasn't very happy with the way they turned out, personally I think they were overhyped.
If you prefer the feel to a bike over a bee, it may have been that. I know that some people think Bees clump up super fast, but its just a thicker stock.
When to buy a new deck may depend upon your budget and also availability of good quality decks, such as Bicycle Rider backs or many of the custom decks available from Theory 11 and/or other vendors. Vernon said that card magic is the poetry of magic (or words to that effect). I agree. I feel that Magic is an art and we are artists. Laymen go wild over something as simple as a nice spread and turnover, pressure fan, faro shuffle, and certainly the springing of the cards. When the cards are in great shape and not clumping or greasy and dirty, there is so much more artistry that can be exhibited. Even having a spectator select a card is part of that artistry and the impression we are conveying, so it is a turnoff to offer a choice of a card, or to perform effects from a worn, dirty, greasy or otherwise beat-up deck. Personally, I use a new deck for every booking. The exception is that I have several older (but not dirty or greasy) decks that are incomplete (less than 52 cards, which I use when I perform card on the ceiling, which I do quite often in my bar/restaurant work.