Tips on Buying Magic Tricks

Say you're an aspiring magician, and you want to start really doing some magic. You walk into your local magic shop and see the "perfect" trick, advertised to be easy and effective. You are about to grab the box off the shelf when you see another one right next to it. A different trick, but still the #1 of all time! You start looking around and it begins to dawn on you that... they're ALL the best trick in the world....!

This is about the moment where students of magic realize they shouldn't believe everything they read. Think about it: wouldn't you, if you wanted to sell your effect, make it sound great? Do you ever see "extremely hard to do" or "cheap piece of plastic" written in a product description? No, of course not. That's why you must look beyond the trick/DVD/accessory and see what others think of it. This guide is designed to teach you, dear reader, the basics of magic shopping.

1. What to Buy?

Finding out hat to buy is probably the most difficult step in the process. Do you like coin magic? Card magic? Rope magic? Mentalism? Mental Magic? PK effects? There are always so many choices, and beginners might not have a clear idea of which magic tricks they want to buy. A great way to find out what suits you is to see if there is a magic store in your town. If you can, head on down there and tell the owner what you're looking for, or ask him to show you some good effects for starting magicians. This will usually help you decide. Here is some basic terminology to get acquainted with:

PK- psychokinesis: the ability to move objects with the power of your mind

Mentalism: thought reading, metal bending (PK could be considered a sub-branch of this)

Card Magic: any magic using cards

Coin Magic: magic using coins

Street Magic: magic that can be done (seemingly) "impromptu", or without preparation, to random people on the street. Think David Blaine.

Sleight of Hand- subtleties using the hands. This can be quite challenging. Examples: hiding a coin in the palm of the hand, crook of the finger, etc. Palming a card, secretly flipping the deck, etc.

Now that you know some of the basic wording, let's get on with buying magic.

2. Evaluating the Effect

Looking in the fine print, you may see something like "Deck cannot be examined," even if the trick description leads you to expect that. Read the info on the effect, and you will learn if it is the right thing for you, or not. If you are just starting out, make sure the trick is not too difficult or tedious for you. Many effects require advanced sleight of hand, or something else along those lines.

*Make sure you will actually use this trick or prop. If you spend $500 on a floating lady effect when you don't even have an assistant or a stage, the you are none the wiser (and some the poorer).

*Check if it fits your budget. Maybe an extra long-lasting Bicycle deck is priced at twenty dollars. However, normal Bicycle decks that last only half as long might only cost you four dollars. You do the math.

Last, but definitely NOT least, check to see if you can figure out the effect from the demo video. It's surprising what a little pausing can reveal at the right moments. Oftentimes, as with coin or card sleights, knowing how they are done is not enough. If the magician clips a coin at the back of his pinky, and you know it, it doesn't help you to learn how to do it. In these cases, purchasing an instructional book or DVD will be your best bet.

3. Read Reviews

What better way to know if a magic trick is worth buying than asking the people that have bought it? Online reviews are the best way to see if a magic effect is any good. Simply type in "The Raven X2 review" in google, or your favorite search engine, and click those links.

Note about this: do not trust reviews on the site that manufactures or sells the effect. They are often written by the people who make a profit selling the effect, or by customers trying to convince themselves that they didn't just waste $40 dollars on a piece of plastic (this has been my experience in the past). Instead, check out independent sites. The folks at TalkMagic Forums (at www.talkmagic.co.uk) provide excellent, quality reviews on products. Simply by looking at the comments of people on this site you'll b able to make your decision. Review for your product not there? Simply request one.

Note: You can also look at The Magic Cafe (www.themagiccafe.com), talkmagic's american equivalent.

Read multiple reviews, and you'll probably have a pretty clear idea in your mind of what effects you do and don't want. Once you do, you can proceed to the actual shopping.

4. Buying the Magic Trick

You've made your decision, looked around and found it to be a good trick, and are about to click the "purchase" button... STOP! Why spend money on a specific trick when you can get it for less? This is where comparison shopping comes in. Basically, look around for as many online and local magic shops you can find, and start writing stuff down:

*What is the price? This is the clincher, which can change drastically rom one place to another.

*Tax + Shipping/Handling cost? Shipping speed? This also refers to the price, and can change an innocent $24.99 to a whopping 35 dollars, when buying international. Note: you can avoid shipping costs by going to local magic shops.

*Have you considered Ebay or Amazon? While ebay isn't always %100 trustworthy, you can often find amazing deals at either of these stores.

*Online Auctions: many magicians sell no longer needed items for a discount. Google is your friend here.

"Refills. Don't pay more for gas or shipping; get refills with your prop, if needed.

*Check for refunds or warranties. Since magic is a secret, most stores do not offer refunds, but check the policy all the same.

And finally..

Here is a list of a few good effects/magic tricks for a beginning to intermediate crowd:

- The Tarbell Course in Magic: this 8-volume book set (can also be found as an ebook set) is pricey, around $200 for the whole set, but definitely worth it. Basically, it is an overview of nearly everything to be found in magic. This is a lot of material to tackle, and will keep a confident magician supplied with effects for more than two years.*Not intended for unsure magicians! Only buy this if you really want to pursue the art*

- J. Bobo's "Modern Coin Magic" : learn everything you can do with these shiny pieces of money.

- Ellusionist's (http://www.Ellusionist.com) "Learn Street Magic" : a guide for street magic, comes with an awesome black deck. Get 5% off any order by typing ELL313 into the promotion code field at checkout.

Warning: Ellusionist products often are just marketing. Search "Ellusionist" on www.talkmagic.co.uk to see what I mean.

- Scotch and Soda : a stunning coin effect

- You can find many more if you search online. Good luck!