A Professional Entertainer's Guide to Improvisation, Ad-Libs, and Audience Interaction.

Learn the techniques to creating inspired moments of comedy, and getting the best out of your audience volunteers.

This guidebook will help the practiced magician, juggler, clown and other entertainers add the sparkle of spontaneity to their performances.

You'll learn the techniques to developing a quick wit and discovering opportunities for comedy at every turn. It covers strategies for adding funny moments into your show, and practice techniques for sharpening your skills. How to write and develop new routines using improvisation. The secrets to letting every audience volunteer be at their best to create hilarious moments of comedy and interaction.

If you want to improve your performances, and have a stronger connection with your audiences, this book will help you get you there.

Content Sections:

• Choose To Improvise - A frank talk about whether or not you want to walk this performance path, and why the answer should be "Yes!"
• Nuts & Bolts of Improvisation - The three, and only three, critical steps to spontaneous success.
• Real World Improvisation - How theses skills apply to your performances.
• Improvising Your Way Out Of Problems - The secret to making it seem like "it's all a part of the show", no matter what happens.
• Writing Through Improvisation - How to discover original routines and ideas with as little conscious effort as possible.
• Practicing Improvisation - Simple techniques you can work on daily to develop your comedy muscles and habits.
• How To Begin Improvising - Taking baby steps and removing fear.
• Working With Audience Members - The biggest section in the book, outlining step-by-step the key points to working with audience volunteers and making them the highlight of your show.
• Wrapping It Up - One last note before you get to work.

Pages: 61 - Softcover - 6" x 9"

Would you like to have in your repertoire some killer mentalism effects that you can perform anytime, any place and without any props?

Well good news! Conversation As Mentalism contains tried an tested material that you can start to use immediately.

The Participant's experience of what occurs during these casual performance pieces is this: during the course of an interesting conversation, things take an odd turn and something strange and completely inexplicable happens.

All the effects have been designed with one outcome in mind - to amaze whoever you are talking to without the aid of any gadgets, gizmos or gimmicks.

What's cooking? How about some great magic created by a collection of the world's best known card magicians? Jack Parker called upon some of his favorite magicians to prepare some excellent card tricks and Andi Gladwin elegantly served up each one in this fantastic hard backed book. There's something to tantalize every taste bud in this wide ranging menu, from exquisite starters to meaty tricks to sink your teeth into.

The Magician's Ltd Cookbook allows you to take a peak into the repertoires of some of the world's best card magicians. Stars such as David Acer, Allan Ackerman, Steve Draun, Dave Solomon have all contributed fantastic tricks that range from incredibly easy to knuckle busting sleight of hand - you'll definitely find plenty of great material for your repertoire.

The story behind this book is inspiring. In 1989 Jack Parker was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia. After a year of treatment he was achieved a full remission from the illness and decided that he'd like to give back to give back to The Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust; a charity that helped him when he was most in need. He collected magic from 23 of the world's top card magicians and along with Andi Gladwin started to compile a book of that fantastic magic.

Given how much they helped Jack, proceeds from this book will be donated to The Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust to help assist their ongoing Leukaemia research and everyone involved in the Magician's Ltd Cookbook has given their time generously and for free.

The contributors are:

David Acer, Allan Ackerman, Jason Alford, Mark Aspiazu, Jamie Badman, Tomas Blomberg, Doug Conn, Paul Cummins, Luke Dancy, Steve Draun, Peter Duffie, Andi Gladwin, Robin Gunney, J.K. Hartman, Joshua Jay, Nathan Kranzo, Anthony Miller, Jack Parker, Mike Powers, Jon Racherbaumer, Dave Solomon, Paul Wilson and Tyler Wilson.

Wonderful magic. A superb cause. So get cooking!

Pages 112 - Hardcover

If you ever wanted to learn how to deal the second card in the deck while making it look like you are dealing the top card--this is your best opportunity.

Follow Simon Lovell as he takes you step-by-step through the art of the second deal. He discusses more nuances, subtleties and variations than you probably ever knew existed. He doesn't sugarcoat the work but gives you all the tools you need to master this powerful sleight. But, he doesn't stop there. Once you begin mastering the second deal you are treated to some routines which you can practice. And as a finale Simon discusses some of the second deal's more nefarious uses.

As a special bonus, the book includes many historical gambling-themed graphics as well as the history of the second deal, which dates back to the 1500s. Also included are reproductions of important contributions to the second deal, including excerpts from Robert-Houdin's "Card-Sharping Exposed" and S. W. Erdnase's "Expert At The Card Table."

About the author: Simon Lovell is an authority on all things relating to cheating, gambling, con-games and sleight of hand. He wrote the bestselling book "How To Cheat At Everything," is a technical consultant on the hit television series "White Collar" and in his spare time stars in his weekly Off-Broadway show "Strange and Unusual Hobbies."

Pages: 158 - 6" x 9" - Softcover - foreword and historical section by Meir Yedid - 112 black and white photographs and many historical illustrations.

Every day is April Fools' Day. Pure heaven for the prankster, Pranklopedia is as indispensable a compilation of pranks as Jokelopedia is a collection of jokes.

Written by longtime Nickelodeon Magazine editor in chief Julie Winterbottom, Pranklopedia is a complete prank encyclopedia. It includes over 70 pranks, with step-by-step directions; a full-color, sixteen-page insert of supplementary materials, including "tasty" soup can labels (mmm, Cream of Sparrow Soup!) and a "winning" lottery ticket; recipes for such essential prank-stuff as fake snot, fake vomit, fake ice cream; tips on how to pull the perfect prank; profiles of famous pranks and pranksters; even a prank woven right into the book-spot the fake entries in the Prankster Hall of Fame.

As for the pranks themselves-they're priceless. Classics like short sheeting the bed and the dancing dollar. There's the crude-mouse turds in ice-and really crude-make fake, edible dog poop. And there are pranks especially good to pull on your parents- deliver the "Take Your Teacher Home Day" letter from school and watch them freak out.

One word of caution: Use common sense in deciding how often to use Pranklopedia, or you might find yourself looking for a new place to live.

Title: The Annotated Erdnase
Author: Darwin Ortiz
Description: Introduction by Michael Skinner
270 pages measuring 8-1/2 by 11 inches
Hardbound with dust jacket
Published in 1991.

The top card men in the world disagree on many things. One thing they all agree on is that no other book in the history of card manipulation deserves careful study more than The Expert at the Card Table. After one hundred years, it is still considered the foundation upon which modern card magic is based. It contains some of the most perfectly constructed sleights in all of card magic. Even more important are the profound lessons in the real secrets of magic: naturalness, attention to detail, uniformity of action and the psychology of deception. For a century, the methods of S.W. Erdnase have been studied, practiced and written about by countless card experts. One person who spent a lifetime studying every detail of this landmark book is Darwin Ortiz. The copious notes he kept while meticulously dissecting each move and every sentence of The Expert form the basis for The Annotated Erdnase. Darwin's 273 annotations shed new light on the history of the various moves and effects, provide technical insight into their proper execution, give cross references for further reading and include hundreds of obscure bits of information.

This is not the first time we have produced an annotated version of The Expert at the Card Table. For the publication of Revelations, we used a first edition Erdnase book to create a facsimile copy of each page which was printed adjacent to Dai Vernon's valuable comments. For The Annotated Erdnase we went the extra mile and completely re-typeset The Expert at the Card Table resulting in the most readable copy ever offered. Below, we have reproduced two pages from The Annotated Erdnase to illustrate how the book has been laid out. The inside column of each page (nearest the spine and surrounded by a rectangular box) is the original text from The Expert at the Card Table. The number of each annotation appears in bold type. The outside columns contain Darwin's annotations which more than double the size of the original book. Whether you're a skilled professional looking to increase your already considerable knowledge, or just a beginner hoping to learn the basics of card magic, The Annotated Erdnase will provide you with years of pleasure.

There has been a lot of speculation lately about the true identity of the man who wrote The Expert at the Card Table. Was S.W. Erdnase actually Milton Franklin Andrews, a gambler and murderer who took his own life? The evidence is truly fascinating and reads like a Hollywood script. The final chapter of The Annotated Erdnase is an article called he Mystery of Erdnase written by Martin Gardner wherein Gardner recounts his search for the man behind the book.

Regardless of your level of expertise or specific area of interest, The Annotated Erdnase is without doubt the definitive study of the greatest book ever written on sleight of hand with cards.

". . .maybe the first truly academic work on practical conjuring that has ever been produced. It's a joy to read, easy to follow, an excellent reference work and truly inspirational. I haven't read anything like it in magical literature."--David Britland - OPUS Magazine

" . . . Ortiz has produced an important book. For the experienced card specialist, THE ANNOTATED ERDNASE is an indispensable reference work and the novice could not ask for a better introduction to a classic in its field."--T.A. Waters - Genii Magazine

"Highly recommended for the student of card magic, the card magic historian and fans of The Expert At The Card Table."--Michael Weber - Inside Magic

"We humans have a long history of using writing instruments to record and transfer our thoughts and impressions.

We magicians have a long history of gimmicking writing instruments to deceive thoughts and create magical impressions."

If each of the pens and effects in this book were sold separately at market value, the total price would exceed $900.

This book is a combination Do-It-Yourself and Magic Effects book, containing 9 major DIY projects and 7 full working routines, plus a host of other tricks.

Learn how to make 3 types of flash pens, a flameless, smoke loading pen, a PSI pen, multiple- purpose pens, novel uses of off-the-shelf pens and mentalist utility pens. No knowledge of electronics needed --- just the proper know-how. Each low cost project is followed with a corresponding chapter on how to use your gimmick pen in a true, tried, and tested magic effect.

This book is jammed packed with over 150 color photos, 13 detailed illustrations, numerous diagrams, 11 instructional video links and up- to-date listed sources for materials.

Why pay $150 dollars for a PSI pen when you can make your own for less than $8.00? Or make a durable flash pen for under $10, or a non-flame, smoke pen for $20? Most of the book's gimmicked pen projects can be made in 30 minutes or less with house-hold materials and at a fraction of the retail cost. If each of the pens and effects in this book were sold separately at market value, the total price would exceed $900!

CONTENTS:

Introduction

Chapter 1: DIY: Sure-Lite Flash Pen

Chapter 2: DIY: Recessed Flash Pen

Chapter 3: DIY: EZ #3 Flash Pen

Chapter 4: DIY: Misty Smoke Pen

Chapter 5: Effect: Misty Burnt Card

Chapter 6: DIY: Multi-Utility Pen

Chapter 7: Effect: Sparkle, Jell-O, Snow, Wine & Space-Time

Chapter 8: DYI: Chameleon Pens

Chapter 9: Effect: Interference

Chapter 10: Science Fiction with Frixion

Chapter 11: Effect: Phoenix Angels

Chapter 12: Zig Pen

Chapter 13: Effect: Flushed Queen

Chapter 14: DYI: The Re-light-able Match

Chapter 15: RM Effects

Chapter 16: DIY: Magnetic Pen & Reed Switch

Chapter 17: DIY: PSI Capsule Marker

Chapter 18: Ash Pen

Chapter 19: Effect: Angel Dream Catcher

Chapter 20: Pen Patter

List of Mimesis Instructional Video Links

Pages: 155 - 6" x 9" - Softcover - 150 color photos, 13 detailed illustrations, numerous diagrams, 11 instructional video links and up-to-date listed sources for materials (as of July 2012).

WD40 contains 40 great tricks from Wayne's own professional repertoire, and more than a quarter of them have never been published before. The tricks are real crackers and not too difficult to perform. The book also includes Wayne’s autobiography ‘Star Struck’, which charts his career from the very beginning to the present day and includes many anecdotes about his time performing in the working men’s clubs, on TV and in Las Vegas.

"Wayne rightly deserves his place in magic history and this book wd40 will help cement that firmly in place. Wayne has a creative mind that allows him to think outside the box. Many of the world’s leading magicians have found a place in their acts for a piece of Dobson genius, now here is your chance to do the same." -- Mark Mason

Please also note that the book is for ADULTS ONLY as it contains strong language!!

Pages 167 - Soft Bound

A book entirely devoted to the trick that fooled HOUDINI! That's right! One of the world's finest card magicians, Jon Racherbaumer, dedicated to the "Triumph" premise. This book contains history of the Triumph created by Dai Vernon. 13 ORIGINAL great routines are outlined in Jon's personal inimitable style. This book is the real deal. Get an original hard-bound copy of this 44 page 8.5 x 11 masterpiece today!

Contents include:

• Triumph for Two by Simon Aronson
• Hofzinser Triumphs by Racherbaumer
• Triumphant Aces by Dave Solomon
• Swindle Triumph by Ed Marlo
• Optional Center Card Transfer by Ed Marlo
• I-F Triumph by Ed Marlo
• Bowl-Over Aces by Steve Freeman & Roger Klause
• Stop Perfecting Triumph by Simon Aronson, Dave Solomon & Ed Marlo
• Push-Thru Failure Triumphs by Racherbaumer
• Toss-In Triumph by Dave Solomon
• Tipsy Triumph by Gene Castillon

+ A wonderful section on further reading and an extensive bibliography. Also included are the Deal Down Triumph by Fred Braue and Joker Switch by Ed Marlo.

• Illustrator: Don Albrecht
• Date published: 1978

Pages 44 - Hardcover

The Expert at the Card Table by S.W. Erdnase

The Classic Treatise On Card Manipulation

"The Expert at the Card Table is the most famous, carefully studied book ever published on the art of manipulating cards at gaming tables." -from the Foreword by Martin Gardner

For almost a centuury, this book has been considered indispensable to attaining the highest level of card mastery. In it, S.W. Erdnase, a supreme master of card manipulation, teaches card enthusiasts how to perform the dazzling tricks and sleights-many of them how own creations-that made him famous.

The first section of the book deals with card table artifice, or, to put it more bluntly, cheating at cards. Step by step, Mr. Erdnase demonstrates his own systems of false shuffling, false riffling anc cutting, dealing from the bottom and such slick moves as palming cards, "skinning the hand," even three-card monte.

The second section covers legerdemain: the art of forcing a card, one- and two-hand transformations, the devious "slide" and more. Card handlers will love Erdnase's selection of dazzling card tricks, including The Acrobatic Jacks, The Exclusive Coterie, The Divining Rod, The Invisible Flight, a Mind Reading Tick and many others.

In an informative foreword to this edition, Martin Gardner relates the unhappy details of the author's personal life, and recounts the history of this famous book, whose methods, Mr. Gardner asserts, "are as useful today by magicians and card hustlers as they were in 1902. This book is still the bible of card 'mechanics,' and as much a delight to read as it was in the early years of this century."

Paperbound, 144 5 3/8" by 8 1/2" pages, 101 illustrations.

Visual Comedy by Patrick Page

The book of visual comedy is an invaluable resource for entertainers of every description: Comedians, magicians, clowns, speakers, variety entertainers, M.C.s; performers of all kinds will find fantastic, time-tested material between these covers.

Not only does the book provide a wealth of laugh-making material, it details the essential reasons as to why and how expressive gags are funny and play so well.

You'll learn dozens of funny situations, stunts, and expressions that will have them rolling in the aisles. No special props or devices are required. For the most part, these gut-busters can be performed at the drop of a hat, on a moment's notice.

Patrick Page is an entertainer with over 50 years of experience, having worked as a magician, comedian, writer, and producer. Over the course of his career, Page has created and collected material of every description for countless performances, on television, for private performances and stages the world over.

Even if you're an aspiring entertainer, or just want to have fun at an after-dinner or social event, the Book of Visual Comedy was written for you. The material inside is of a professional caliber, yet suitable for anyone. And best of all, it's easy to learn. Dozens of charming illustrations by Max Morpurgo make every nuance easy to understand.

This book can serve as a source of inspiration for developing your own hilarious act, or as a jumping-off point for creating an amusing, thrilling moment or two of light-hearted fun.

THE ULTIMATE STREET MAGIC EFFECT!

Two of the World's Foremost 'Cloudbusters' Reveal Their Inner Secrets of Cloud Magic!

In this book the authors strip away the veil of secrecy, revealing cloud secrets only known to a select few. Learn to make clouds vanish and appear. Sculpture them into images of selected playing cards, thought of numbers, ESP symbols, faces, and even animals.

Nothing is held back! Apparently change the weather by delaying rain or snow or even by making it warmer. Believe it or not you can do a lot of this long distance by using a cell phone! With the material in this book you will be more than just a magician or mentalist. You will be a real miracle worker, who apparently has complete control over the elements!

The book will teach you how to:

• CAUSE A CLOUD TO VANISH FROM THE SKY. It will also show you methods where that cloud and ONLY that cloud vanishes. The others remain intact.
• CLOUD MATERIALIZATION --magician points to an empty space in the sky and causes a cloud to suddenly form.
• BLUE SKY--magician causes ALL the clouds to vanish leaving a blue sky
• Cloud Moving--How to make clouds Move
• Cloud Sculpture--change the shape of clouds into objects
• How Fake Psychics Stop & Start Rain
• Secrets Behind Making Rainbows Appear
• How to Reveal Selected Cards with Clouds
• Make Thought of Numbers Appear in the Sky
• All THIS AND MUCH, MUCH MORE!!!

In addition this book contains one of the most detailed sections every written on how to approach people on the street. Even if you never vanish a cloud, you will find the section on approaching perfect strangers on the street invaluable regardless of the street magic you do. Lots of people sell street effects, but few actually tell you the proper way to get an audience.

WHAT THE PROS ARE SAYING:

"At the right time, in the right place...get ready for something people will tell their grandchildren about witnessing."
- Paul Vigil

"I can honestly say I was bowled over by this work. To see someone really examine and refine an area of mentalism that has pretty much remained ignored for so long was a real treat. You will understand the basics in no time and soon be on your way to performing some great and inspiring takes on a forgotten effect." - Luke Jermay

"The authors have examined every nuance of cloud effects and give totally practical advice for pulling them off. In addition to the actual methodology, they give you a ton of related material from which to draw upon. This is information you will want to have and which could make a reputation for you. Get this!"
- Richard Osterlind

Pages 132 - Softbound.

"This is precisely the type of material that every working mentalist is searching for. It is powerful, flexible and proven. It would be difficult to think of a demonstration that packed flatter or played bigger. Using Jack's Assumption Swindle, you will be able to convince every member of your audience that you can read their mind AND win the lottery!" -- Michael Weber

Jack Kent Tillar, the creator of the classic Blister effect, now presents an incredible new concept that every working mentalist will find uses for in their repertoire. The Assumption Swindle is one of the most ingenious and versatile principles in mentalism. It requires no stooges, no peeks, no electronics, and no gimmicks. It enables the performer to create unforgettable miracles.

Here are just a few examples:

• Six participants freely choose a lottery number and each writes it down on a slip of paper. A seventh participant holds the slips and serves as a judge. The performer proceeds to reveal each number that was written down and the judge verifies that each number called out is among the slips!
• The audience secretly writes down three unusual actions for the performer to do on stage. Using muscle reading while blindfolded, the performer is able to accomplish these tests!
• The performer is able to reveal the total of all the serial numbers of several bills held by audience members!

Part 1 of this book explains this effect and explores a variety of other effects using this principle as it can be applied to playing cards, serial numbers on bills, coupons, drawings, words, places, trading cards, and many, many other items that are limited only by one's imagination. Part 2 explores ways to accomplish an essential technique in mentalism. Part 3 will inspire and teach you to create mental and magical originalities that will fit your audience, your abilities and your own particular personality!

"I'm really enjoying your material and am savoring every word! The material is great." -- Michael Weber

Pages 122 - Softbound

This is required reading for the mentalist who wants to do corporate or high-end social party mentalism. It's filled and brimming over with brilliant and original routines!

• Over 30 new performance pieces tailored for walk-around performances
• 8 concise essays on how to get started
• Original approaches and opening gambits
• How to create and use business cards that guest will keep
• A bonus "Design Duplication" master routine by Michael Weber
• Essential insider information for special events
• The best advice on what to do and what not to do at corporate and social events!

"Jack's presentations are built upon concepts that are appealing and intriguing...the methods are relatively simple... As an example...the routine "Mr. Lucky's Hook"...has a splendid frame of reference, which leads to an utterly charming closing line."
- Max Maven from his introduction

"You are about to be drawn in by my friend (film composer and mentalist) Jack Kent Tillar. I expect it will be a harmonious experience."
- Max Maven

Pages 144 - Softbound

View Clip

BAMBOOZLERS: The Book of Bankable Bar Betchas, Brain Bogglers, Belly Busters & Bewitchery- Volume One- The book teaches the reader how to do amazing and funny things with common objects found around the house or in a restaurant. It is a collection of bar bets, brain teasers, jokes, puzzles and magic effects that Diamond Jim Tyler has collected over the last 20 years. Many of the classics between these covers have been injected with DJ's own twists and sense of humor.

The book measures 3 by 5 inches, has a black faux leather-binding, has silver gilded edges, a black ribbon marker, etc. There are 75 effects, with 128 pages and over 100 illustrations. The foreword of the book was written by the prolific author Martin Gardner.

The book was designed as a reference guide to fit in one's shirt or pants pocket when out on a fun night on the town.

Pages 128 - Leather Bound (Pocket Sized Book)

Quirk's Amazing Magical Wonder Deck charmed amateur and professional magicians with its gorgeous aesthetic and fiendishly clever card tricks. Now these same readers can experience a complete course in magic with Mysterio's Encyclopedia of Magic and Conjuring-a giant compilation of more than 300 tricks and variations.

Here are illustrated step-by-step instructions for rope tricks, money magic, mind-reading effects, stage illusions, everyday magic, and plenty of all-new card tricks. Readers will learn how to bend spoons, stretch handkerchiefs, levitate glassware, make small children disappear, shuffle playing cards with aplomb, and much more-everything from simple street-magic effects to epic on-stage illusions. Mysterio's Encyclopedia of Magic and Conjuring is a beautifully designed reference for magicians of all ages and abilities.

GABE FAJURI is an associate editor of Magic, the world's leading trade journal for magicians. He also publishes scholarly titles on the subject of conjuring. He lives in Chicago.

Pages: 352 - Hardcover, 7.25 x 9, Illustrated

The Royal Road to Card Magic by Jean Hugard and Frederick Braue

Would you like to confound your friends, amaze your acquaintances, amuse and dazzle crowds at parties and gatherings? Mastering a few card tricks will allow you to do all that and more. With the help of this book, anyone can develop a versatile repertoire of first-rate card tricks.

In fact, mastery of just the first chapter will enable you to perform a half-dozen astounding and entertaining sleights of hand.

The authors, both noted authorities on magic, present complete, easy-to-understand explanations of shuffles, flourishes, the glide, the glimpse, false shuffles and cuts, the pass, the classic force and many other techniques. These will enable card handlers to perform over 100 mind-boggling feats of card magic, including Thought Stealer, Gray's Spelling Trick, Do As I Do, Now You See It, Obliging Aces, Rapid Transit, Kangaroo Card, A Tipsy Trick and dozens of others. Illustrated with more than 120 clear line drawings that make the explanations easy to follow, this exciting introduction to card conjuring will enable even beginners to develop professional-level skill and the ability to perform tricks guaranteed to astound family and friends.

Paperbound, 310 5 3/8" by 8 1/2" pages, 121 illustrations.

* Definition of Dare

1: An act or instance of daring.
2: Imaginative or Vivacious boldness.

As you read this book, "May your deceptions dare to dazzle and delight". May you find the imagination and boldness to take the mechanics of the tricks herein and fine the dynamics to make them dazzle and delight.

In this book, you'll learn a diverse range of unique close-up and mental magic effects --- discover how to use a GPS Card with strategic roughing techniques, how to pre-stack a deck that can be freely shuffled, accomplish the pen-thru-bill trick with a borrowed pen, learn how to visually move the profile on a coin, create a deck with 54 Locators, apply a frixion- twist on the classic TA effect, acquire the ability to echo the thoughts of a spectator, use a floating tea bag to reveal a selected card, craft a tuck case for stack-work, make a force deck with 6 target cards, learn a no-sleight cards-to-sealed-decks routine, entertain with a 15 minute dinner table routine, multiply large numbers with the slot formula and learn how to actualize code words to identify card selections.

Contents:

Introduction

Chapter 1: The 54 Locator Deck

Chapter 2: Jack the One-Eyed Seer

Chapter 3: Heal Bill

Chapter 4: Fraud Plus

Chapter 5: Mind Find

Chapter 6: Invisible Echoing

Chapter 7: GPS Card Locator

Chapter 8: Stuck on Six

Chapter 9: The 3 By 5 Trick

Chapter 10: Science Fiction with Frixion [Phoenix Angels]

Chapter 11: Angel Dream Catcher

Chapter 12: Sparkle, Jell-o, Snow, Wine & Space-Time

Chapter 13: Super Seer Bicycle Card Box

Chapter 14: Blue & Red Fliers

Pages: 183 - 6" x 9" - Softcover - Black and White Photos

"Trick-Out" Your Calculator.

With a Psychic Calculator, you can create endless mind-reading, prediction, and magic effects --- a Mentalist dream come true.

Don't pay up to $300 or more for a Mentalist or Psychic Calculator when you can make your own in less than 30 minutes, for under $10 (including the price of the calculator!), plus the use of just a few common household items. No knowledge of electronics needed --- just the proper know-how.

This book will give you the "details in detail" with over 20 step-by-step photos and illustrations that will guarantee your success.

Beyond a do-it-yourself project, this book has unique chapters on cell phone hacks, impromptu calculator magic, mental math feats, and mental magic effects with playing cards.

The Prediction Effect, Impromptu Prediction, The 48 Card Trick, Card at Any Number (CAAN), Jumping to the Front of the Line, Two's Company and Three's a Crowd, From Heaven to Hell, Topsy-Turvy Sixes, Numbers-Numbers Everywhere, Interactive 37 & 9 Trick, and the 3 By 5 Trick.

Table of Contents:

Chapter 1: The Prediction Number Effect

Chapter 2: Choosing a Pocket Calculator

Chapter 3: Modifying the Calculator

Chapter 4: Performance & Set-up

Chapter 5: Other Psychic Calculator Effects

Chapter 6: Simulating a Normal Calculator

Chapter 7: Impromptu Performances

Chapter 8: Calculator Mental Magic

Chapter 9: Smart Phone Hacks: TOX

Pages: 56 - 6" x 9" - Softcover - Black and White Photos

This book explains in detail the true, tried and tested card control methods (basic moves & gaffs) that professional magicians use in real performance situations --- "the real stuff, not the fluff".

While performing for the big money and a regular audience, professionals don't leave much to chance. The working conditions, whether it's an inside or outside environment, may cause sweaty hands (too hot & humid), stiff fingers (too cold) or dry hands (overly warm). These conditions are anticipated by simplifying a routine for real-world applications / preventions, such as the use of gaff cards as utility devices.

The MODULE of MOVES system developed by the author will bring your card magic to the next level with clear and concise instructions on the basic moves and utility gaffs needed for creating real-world card magic.

Contents:

Chapter 1:
Card Controls - Definitions- Real world controls -Gaffs & Systems - Working conditions.

Chapter 2:
Key Card Principle - Classic effect - Method- Layers of deception.

Chapter 3:
The Locator Card - Definition- Modifications - Properties & Location Techniques (How to) - Limitations - Impromptu Methods.

Chapter 4:
Types of Locators - Long Card - Short Card - Thick Card - J*O*A*T Card

Chapter 5:
Mnemonic Modules of Moves - Learning- Sequencing-Improvising- Creativity- Execution- Customization- The System: A-G.

Chapter 6:
Module of Moves- Module A/TOP-(A1) Simple cut (A2) Overhand shuffle control- (A3) Single undercut- (A4) Multiple undercuts- Module B/Bottom- (B1) Overhand shuffle control- (B2) Break control-Module C/Center- (C1) Double cut- (C2)Swing cut move- (C3) Swing cut to Key card position- Module D/Undercuts (D1) Single Undercut- (D2) Multiple undercuts- Module E/Pausing- Module F /False cut, Flourishes, Forces-Simplified Force- Evans False Overhand Shuffle- Evans Overhand False Shuffle

Book comes with over 30 minutes of Video instructions.

Pages: 43 - 6" x 9" - Softcover - Black and White Photos

This book takes the student of magic on a magical journey to the other side of the glass, providing for an extensive study in magic theory as well as application --- all from the perspective of the classic Card through Window effect.

As a beginner, intermediate or advance student, you'll learn the general framework for implementing your vision and the specific conceptual tools that you need to construct, refine and customize any magic effect (trick or illusion) to fit who you are as a performer.

This book explains the overall dynamics of magic: misdirection, audience management, presentation, patter, performance psychology, degrees of deception, group dynamics and the list goes on.

But that's all theory. Yet this book also nails down the mechanics, the nuts and bolt of various methods and techniques with details, real-world insights, hard-learned feedback along with illustrations (gaffs, gimmicks and sleights), diagrams, color photos and video links.

Table of Contents:

Chapter 1: The Basic CTW Effect

Chapter 2: History of: A Card in Flight

Chapter 3: Conceptual Framework

Chapter 4: Theme Variations

Chapter 5: CTW Methods

Chapter 6: Method 1: Plants

Chapter 7: Method 2: Assisted Plant

Chapter 8: Method 3: Gimmicks, Gaffs & Apparatus

Chapter 9: Method 4: Sleights for Impromptu Performances

Chapter 10: Types of Windows

Chapter 11: Adhesives- Types and Usage

Chapter 12:Misdirection Techniques

Pages: 93 - 6" x 9" - Softcover - Full Color Photos

Stage Flying surveys the long history of simulated human flight - from religious plays to church celebrations to a host of theatrical forms - opera, vaudeville, pantomime and spectacle - all the way to David Copperfield's famous stage flying.

Pages: 112 - 7" x 10" - Hardcover - Dust jacket - Black and White Illustrations

George Sands was a prolific inventor and developer of original moves and polished routines that have worked themselves into the annals of magic infamy. His rope work and card tricks are some of the finest, performed by David Copperfield, Jeff McBride, Mac King, Dick Cavett and countless others. When George lectured at the Magic Castle, Dai Vernon refused to leave when requested to entertain by one of the Larsons.

This book contains seven routines with all the original 192 illustrations digitally re-mastered by a graphic artist with additional historical commentary and comedy material developed by George's son, Alan Sands. Learn the two classics: Sandsational Rope and Sands' Ropesational - the same routines learned by thousands of magicians, reworked into original routines by Daryl and Michael Finney. Designed to sit on the shelf next to your Tarbell set. Plus, you will learn five more routines sure to become part of your favorite repertoire for life.

The accompanying DVD contains original footage by George performing live for (1) lay audiences, (2) performing and exposing the routines live at a lecture and (3) again performing and exposing the material move for move directly for the camera.

In the words of Michael Finney,
"This book is a MUST for anyone wanting to do ropes."

112 Page book (7 routines) & 75-minute DVD (3 routines) combination set

CARD MARVELS contains 54 NEW (or previously unpublished) commercial, impromptu and doable card tricks. 222 jam-packed pages and 150 photographs to aid the already easy-to-read writing.

Beautifully produced perfect-bound full color cover softback. And this time (due to the quantity of photos), finished in litho top-quality print! Paul truly feels that this book is his best in terms of writing, production and sheer quality and quantity of good solid entertaining card magic!

CONTENTS:

• Colgawadon Aces
• The Bragordon Comedy Card Trick
• Brothel K(r)eepers
• Accentuated Aces
• Ad Infinitum
• Not Ad Nauseum
• Boomerang Cards
• Variation of Ambitious Card Variation
• Easy Spell A Royal
• Flush The Aces
• Gem Of A Trick
• Gemini Quads
• Gordon's Aces
• Investigating Tricky Travis
• Jinx Force Concept
• Mini Thrice Redux
• That's A Blast
• The Sum Of All The (Hidden) Parts
• Thoughts On "Stud!"
• The Gordon Ultimate Closer
• The Drunken Bridge Player
• Plus!
• Forced Powerhouse
• Notnats Leon Card Marvel
• Exploring The Ramasee Principle
• Tally-Ho Is Magic
• Fifteen Is Magic
• Plus
• Four Famous Magicians
• Deal The Royal Flush
• The Royal Marriages
• The Royal Marriages Kick
• 4-3-5-7
• Perfect Prediction Premonition
• Emulsion Compulsion
• Lexi-Spell
• This Is What Magicians Do
• Not A Miracle
• Aces Backfire!
• Call 9999
• Seca Alabbak Redux
• Piatnik
• Hit 'Em Between The Eyes
• ITHEC & Twisting The Aces
• Foxy Ace Assembly
• Elle Vate
• The Lady Vanishes
• Spectator-Cut Christ Aces
• Thanks To Marlo
• Oh? See Williams!
• Room 4567
• Emulsion Cards
• How Hard Adams?
• The Three Lions
• Trade Show Sizzler # 1
• Trade Show Sizzler # 2
• The Wagdon Card Trick

Learn About The Amazing Deck That Can Manipulate, Control & Extract Thoughts From Absolute Strangers! Bill Abbott’s Octopus Deck Entertains Audiences Close-Up And On Stage And Is Now In An Affordable Do-It-Yourself Version!

The Octopus Deck Routine:
You begin by fanning the deck before two spectators and ask each of them to think of any card. After brief questions you instantly name the two freely thought of cards.

Wrapping rubber bands around the deck you toss it to an audience member across the room and ask them to peek at any card. The deck is then passed to another person to do the same. Without any questions you name their selected cards.

Finally you ask two people to join you on stage. Removing the rubber bands from the deck you hand half the deck to each spectator and ask them to place the cards inside a pocket. The two spectators reach inside their pockets and remove any card and place it in another pocket, without looking at it. You write something on a piece of paper and hand it to an audience member. both of the unknown cards, are removed and named out loud for the first time.

Your prediction is an EXACT MATCH!

THE OCTOPUS DECK Details:

• The Octopus Deck can be freely shuffled by a spectator between each phase.
• There is no miscalling of the selected cards.
• The cards they see are the cards you name.
• Can be performed close-up and surrounded.
• Resets instantly for walk-around performances.
• The Octopus Deck is a complete mind reading act in 3 phases.
• The Octopus Deck can play to the largest audience, involving as many as 6 spectators in a single performance.
• Surefire and reliable so you get the right cards every time.

The Secrets of the Octopus Deck Revealed Package Includes:
Special cards made by The United States Playing Card Company in red-backed Bicycle cards. Complete details on how to construct your very own Octopus Deck in under two hours!* The 21 page illustrated instructional booklet with detailed script with routines and ideas along with the complete history of the Octopus Deck researched & developed over the past 9 years. And as an outstanding bonus feature included is Bob Farmer's 'Fishing For Octopus' pumping system designed for the Octopus Deck and Paolo Cavalli's 'Radarama' script & pumping sequence, also formulated just for the Octopus Deck!

*Needed to construct the Octopus Deck: 2 regular decks, double-sided tape, X-Acto knife, two-way forcing deck and nail clippers.

Contents

• Dedication
• An Introduction
• A History of Influences
• The Effects And The Methods
• Constructing The Octopus
• The Octopus Deck Routine
• Trouble Shooting
• Other Routines and Ideas
• Fishing For Octopus
• Octopus in the Radarama

Pages 21 - Saddle Stitched

"Chris sent me a review copy of his new book test, Incandescence. I like book tests and this one is a great one! Chris took the time to really make this right. You can weave a lot of emotion into your presentation because of the design of the effect. I recommend this highly!"

- Richard Osterlind

"Incandescence is a beautiful, thoughtfully constructed effect. This being a book of love poetry, there are so many possibilities for the performer. The performance tips at the end of the manual are also very valuable words. Any mentalist who takes them to heart will benefit greatly!"

-Angela Funovits

"Want to add some romance to your act? How about your personal life? If you answer "yes" to either one of these, then you need to buy this book test!"

-Kevin Curtin, inventor of "Devil's Pitcher" and "Devil's Cola Bottle".

"Incandescence is a very impressive effort by writer/director/performer Chris Philpott. He has cleverly taken the premise of the book test and applied it to a genre of book (love poems) that contains inherent emotional meaning for the audience.”

-Thomas Baxter, Mentalist and author (The Nail Writer Anthology).

“Chris has developed several nuances/adaptations not heretofore seen in other tests and which therefore qualify as ‘original’... ‘Incandescence’ is clearly well worth an investment of several times the selling price.”

- Dick Christian, author of an upcoming encyclopedia of book tests

Nothing unites two minds like love...

The effect is beautifully simple and straightforward: a spectator opens a book, chooses a page, thinks of a word – and you read their mind. This effect is enhanced by the fact that it looks just like a book of poetry – complete with table of contents, index, a forward by the editor, and editor’s notes sprinkled throughout. It really stands up to close scrutiny. And, there are no dice to roll or cards to choose – at every stage the spectator has a real choice.

Incandescence is a highly intricate assemblage of gimmicks (there can be up to 12 phases!) It's easy to skip from one phase to another, using only the ones you like best. The skill level ranges from simple to intermediate, depending on the number of phases you choose to learn. And, the number and variety of phases gives you enormous flexibility in performing for repeat clients or at trade shows where there might be people lingering to watch the effect over and over. It’s also great to perform for couples.

BAMBOOZLERS: The Book of Bankable Bar Betchas, Brain Bogglers, Belly Busters & Bewitchery

Expect the same classy pocket-sized book with a reddish brown faux leather-binding, silver gilt edges, a red ribbon marker, etc. There are 75 more effects full of one-liners, with 136 pages and over 100 illustrations. Some are classics and some are seeing print for the first time. The foreword of the book was written by magic funny man Tom Mullica. Those who have seen it say that it is even better than the first volume!

It’s not what you think. This is not a reprint of our 1984 edition of Revelations, Dai Vernon’s legendary annotations for The Expert at the Card Table by S.W. Erdnase.

This new, oversize book was triggered by the discovery of more than 160 long-lost photographs of Dai Vernon’s hands that were taken in 1961 specifically to illustrate this manuscript. It is as close as you will ever get to a personal session with the Professor.

Includes:
• A facsimile reproduction of the entire, original typed Revelation manuscript. • The entire text of The Expert at the Card Table with Vernon’s annotations inserted at the appropriate places illustrated with the newly discovered photos.

• Plus more than 100 pages of added material including Vernon’s explanation (with photos) of Topping the Deck, Walter Scott’s Second Deal and Double Belly Cut, the Ping Pong Shift, The Hop, Allen Kennedy’s legendary Center Deal and more. 392 over-size pages with a beautiful dustjacket.

The book itself measures a huge 9 by 11.5 inches with 392 pages and a beautiful dustjacket designed by Michael Albright. The book is bound in green cloth and stamped with copper foil.

Modern Coin Magic by J.B. Bobo

116 Coin Sleights and 236 Coin Tricks

When party guests request a few tricks, be prepared. Ask for a coin, and perform some of the trick sin this book. Because you will not have been aided by special stage apparatus, the results will be all the more astonising. As tricks with coins are so readily improvised, they are among the most impressive forms of legerdemain.

This book is the most complete treatise ever written on sleight-of-hand coin conjuring. Celebrated magician J.B. Bobo has gathered here the best and most useful of all coin tricks-not only his own, but those of some four dozen notable prestidigitators, including such greats as Robert-Houdin, Professor Hoffmann and-the greatest of all coin conjurers-T. Nelson Downs.

All the tested, traditional methods of coin magic are here. Bobo has added to these the best of the modern innovations, while eliminating all the out-of-date and impractical sleights of his sources. You will learn all about palms, holds, flips, switches, change-overs, steals, cuffing, sleeving and other sleight-of-hand techniques; coin tricks requiring special devices are also included. The author guides you systematically from basic techniques, concealments and vanishes, through integrated tricks, to complete routined acts (18 in all). His clear explanations are splendidly complemented by 510 illustrations.

Sleight-of-hand magic has consistently earned the respect of professional magicians . If you are yet an amateur, this easy-to-follow manual-together with regular practice-is the surest route to professional level competence. For professionals, this volume is a convenient encyclopedic reference that gathers in one place all the best coin magic from antiquity to modern times.

Paperbound, 5 3/8" by 8 1/2" pages, 510 illustrations

You don’t need a white tiger, expensive props, or hours of preparation to do magic. With a little practice, some clever misdirection (which lays at the heart of all magic tricks), and showmanship, you can surprise family, friends, and coworkers using a few everyday items!

If you’re looking to saw a beautiful women in half or make buildings disappear, we’re sorry, but this book isn’t you. But if you want to act out little miracles that you can perform on the spur of the moment with items that are usually within reach, then Magic For Dummies can show you how.

Magic For Dummies features more than 90 easy-to-perform deceptions, illusions, and sleights of hand for any event or occasion. You’ll discover how to perform entertaining card tricks, coin tricks, disappearing acts, as well as the always-popular mind reading trick. You’ll even see how easy it is to make money disappear as well as melt a saltshaker! Chock-full of show-stopping tricks, Magic For Dummies will:

• Get you started with easy-to-learn magic tricks
• Let you turn a restaurant into a your stage with tricks that include utensils, mugs, and even food
• Show you how to use a deck of cards to perform endless magic tricks
• Make you the life of the party with tricks such as “Call This Number,” “The Strength Test,” and “The Phantom Photo”
• Get you out of tough situations by giving you ten things to say when things go wrong

Filled with photos, patter, and presentation tips for every trick in the book, Magic For Dummies offers a great opportunity to become familiar with some of the coolest magic tricks ever performed. With the help of author David Pogue and the stunning tricks contributed by thirty-five of America’s top professional magicians, you’ll be leaving your friends, family, and coworkers spellbound at your mastery of the mystical arts.

From the Back Cover
"A book that all magicians of any age and level of experience will cherish and refer to for years to come!" � Lance Burton, World-Renowned Magician "A wonderful introduction, not only to ‘how it's done,’ but also to ‘how and why You can do it’!" � Tobias Beckwith, Magic Producer and Manager

350 Step-by-Step Photos Featured!

Perform Magic at the Drop of a Hat You don't need a white tiger, expensive props, or hours of preparation to do magic. With a little practice and showmanship, you can bewitch family, friends, and coworkers using a few everyday items! Make money disappear, melt a salt shaker, and even read someone's mind! The trick to spicing up your next party, presentation, or evening out is easy � just pick up Magic For Dummies^�! Chock-Full of Show-Stopping Tricks:

• The Ninja Key Catch
• The Torn and Restored Toilet Paper
• Straw through the Jaw
• Beans through Orifices

Plus stunning tricks contributed by 35 of America's top professional magicians, including Lance Burton, Johnny Thompson, Jeff McBride, and Paul Harris!

Have you ever dreamed of being a performer who can fill a room with personality, excitement and mystery, without resorting to a lot of props to do the filling? Does the idea of carrying a deck of playing cards in your pocket and having a limitless supply of entertainment options available to present to large audiences appeal to you? Bill Abbott's Cabaret Card Magic reveals how to turn your card tricks into real magical experiences that can entertain and mystify large audiences. Proper selection of material, the effect of your performance environment on that material, as well as the use of stories and how to generate consistent applause are some of the tools Bill discusses in detail. Ultimately, what is revealed here is how to create commercial card magic for the stage. Bullet proof performances that will work for any audience and in any environment you are thrown into. You already know that a deck of cards packs small. Now learn how to make it play big.

Contents

• Dedication
• Foreword
• Contents
• Cards On Stage
• The Princess & The Pea
• Pokerface
• The Last Romance of Diamond Jack
• EZ Action Ultra-Mental Deck

Pages 19 - Saddle Stitched

Praise for Bill Abbott's Cabaret Card Magic...

"As a professional magician for over 12 years, I am very picky when it comes to material selection for my act. Having read this booklet, I will be putting two of the routines directly into my show and I'm anxious to try out the third. Bill is a true artist. Whether it's an effect, a method or a presentation, Bill remains unsatisfied until he has created something truly unique. The routines in this booklet are a breath of fresh air for the stand-up performer. The effects are easy to do, the presentations are simple to carry out and their impact on a lay audience is HUGE! To top it all off, each routine is fully scripted, complete with all the lines, comedy, bits of business and psychology that makes each blockbuster routine play so well."
- Richard Sanders - from the Foreword

"Bill Abbott's Cabaret Card Magic is an extremely cogent work and is of tremendous value to every magician out there, but particularly to magicians who want to increase the effectiveness of any material they choose to do for real people. Bill's ideas with the do-it-yourself Ultra-Mental deck is wonderful and I love the Princess and the Pea, a very commercial routine that packs small, plays big. However the real gold is found in the information on pages 7 through 9. To any working magician this information is worth the price of the book."
- Marc Desouza - Author & Performer

"The idea of entertaining a large group (as in 50 plus people) with only a deck of cards is at once thrilling and scary. It would be convenient...but what sort of material would you use? Bill Abbott's Cabaret Card Magic has answered our questions with a collection of card material designed for large groups, and I enjoyed it immensely."
- Joshua Jay - Magic Magazine

"Reading Bill Abbott's Cabaret Card Magic was a real breath of fresh air when it comes to literature about "card magic". It became increasingly clear that Bill thinks long and hard about staging, presentation and creating professional pieces that are memorable. Although I have my own signature presentations of classics like the Invisible Deck and the Tossed Out Deck that I use professionally, Bill's original take on each of these is incredibly inspiring and are truly worthy of serious study. Professional secrets worth ten times the asking price!"
- Cody S. Fisher - Master Comedy Magician

Howard Adams has been around for a LONG time, and his specialty is self working and mathematical magic and mentalism effects. I have no idea how his mind can generate these kinds of effect with this much variety, but create he does.

Howard's books and booklets have been released in series (Such as OICUFESP and MINDESPA) and in books by a variety of publishers. The commercial effect "Will the card match" is based on one of Howard's principles. Look at any list of creators of easy to do, self-working card effects and Howard's name will be high on the list. Howard's contributions can be seen in Simply Impromp2 by Aldo Colombini and Howard's book Mathcasts Aspellonu is often quoted as a resource for this kind of material.

In this book, Howard has created 66 self working packet effects using 6 cards each. (thus the title, get it, 666 Mentalism?) Each effect is explained in Howard's straight forward, no-nonsense and to the point fashion and we have left them as he wrote them word for word. You can read a sample here.

I think often, people ignorantly poo poo self working magic because they don't understand it. It is true that you will find NO sleight of hand, no finger flinging and no hard to do gaffs in this book. Instead you get 66 (Plus a few extra bonuses) simple effects and plot outlines that can be done 100% in the spectator's hands! Many of these do not require the performer to touch the cards at all. Some could be done over the phone or through the MAIL. I know of several performers who have used this kind of magic over the phone with radio DJ's heard by thousands and thousands of listeners! To the listening audience, you could read minds or predict an outcome that you have NO WAY OF INFLUENCING.

The material in this book is great stuff for brainstorming and workshops. Sure you can do it As-Is, and with a little thought and personalization, you can take a solid effect and turn it into a publicity making miracle!

We select books for a variety of reasons. 1– We like them. 2– The author's are people we know of and respect. 3– The ideas are just darned clever. 4– There is a niche or group out there we know will enjoy the information.

All of these reasons apply to this book, but there is another. Howard and Dolores Adams are really wonderful PEOPLE! Though I was vaguely familiar with Howard and some of his writings when he first contacted me, I have grown to look forward to our correspondences and occasional chats by phone. Howard and Dolores Adams are genuinely wonderful nice people, and work together as a team very well. Dolores transcribes most of Howard's hand written notes, and helps to edit and proof read them.

As you will find, Howard's writing style is VERY brief and to the point. It is clear, but he does not waste words or ink. His descriptions are clean cut and straight forward, and I really suggest you read his introduction before going forward as I think it sets the stage for how he thinks and writes very well. Howard is also a perfectionist! He is and was adamant that we not touch any of his words. Dolores' proof reading was so thorough, that we didn't have much we could add or change anyway!

So, what you have here are 66 (Plus a couple bonuses) self-working mentalism effects using packets of 6 cards each. You can look forward to 888 mentalism- (88 effects with 8 cards each) down the road as well. Howard has left the presentations sketchy, because he intends this to be a spring board for your own creativity and ideas.

Obviously, one would never do an entire act of such routines... but the simplicity of them, and the way in which they work on their own, means that wherever you do decide to do these effects, you can devote your attention to presentation and theatre!

Pages 132 - Softcover Perfectbound

Click on the following thumbnail image to get a sample of 666 Mentalism!

Strong Magic by Darwin Ortiz (Back In Print)

Why is it that some magicians get great audience reaction while others who are just as skillful leave audiences so cold? The answers are in Strong Magic, the first -ever book on showmanship specifically for the close-up magician.

As a successful professional magician for almost twenty rears, Darwin Ortiz has appeared before thousands of audiences of all kinds. During that time he has studied what it takes to really move an audience. In Strong Magic, he presents the results of those years of study and experience in a way that every magician can benefit from.

Do you want applause, gasps, and praise? Do you want your performances to be talked about and remembered? Strong Magic tells you how. You already own countless books on card and coin manipulation. Here is a book on something far more important: audience manipulation. Not a dry, boring treatise, it's funny, fascination, exciting reading. Not a book of vague theory, it's loaded with countless examples and concrete techniques that you can put to use right away to give your magic more impact. These are the real secrets of close-up magic--and they are all in Strong Magic

What People are Saying:

"The book is readable, it's extremely clear, it's clear, it's thrilling in its intellectual adventure. And it's also, clearly, enormously practical. It makes you think. It enriches you as an artist (and therefore as a human being.)" - Juan Tamariz

"A wonderful, wonderful book filled with practical advice. It should be every serious close-up worker's next purchase." - David Williamson Says

"A thought-provoking analysis of the performance of close-up magic. Just reading it was motivating. I incorporated some of Darwin's suggestions in to my presentations the same day I read them. Highly recommended to the serious student of close-up magic." - Paul Gertner

Z6 Book by Wayne Dobson

This booklet includes six fantastic routines hatched from Wayne Dobson's slightly Z wallet obsessed brain. Wayne has come up with a host of effects designed for the extremely versatile "Z wallet." Each effect is explained thoroughly, detailing; materials required, Set Up, and Performance.

Effects Included:

- Improved Simplex Card 2 Wallet
- Autographs
- Missing Think?
- Z-sy Does it
- Sting
- Tax

• Jack Avis
• Gene Castillon
• Aldo Colombini
• Peter Duffie
• Karl Fulves
• Mike Gancia
• Paul Gordon
• Marty Kane
• Ryan Matney
• Werner Miller
• Reinhard Müller
• Robin Robertson
• Roy Walton.

Rarely does card magic come along as strikingly original as that found in this book. When it first appeared in 1993, Ernest Earick's name was little known, and some questioned if the ground-breaking sleight-of-hand described could be done deceptively. The answer, of course, was YES, and By Forces Unseen became an underground classic. Out of print for years, copies have been snapped up, fetching prices of hundreds of dollars.

Among the effects taught in this truly remarkable volume you will find chosen cards that fly from the deck when you clap your hands, cards that materialize at your fingertips when someone concentrates on them, selections that pop from the middle of the pack with a flick of your wrist...and 17 other extraordinary events.

Behind the shimmering veil of magic you will discover a rich body of innovative sleight-of-hand that includes motionless one-handed bottom palms, slow-motion fingertip card steals, indetectable palm-to-palm transfers, refined riffle-shuffle work and more.

Seldom does one find a work of such determined invention and artistry. If you delight in baffling card magic and exquisite sleight-of-hand-in magic that puts you a running cut ahead of your competition-you'll want By Forces Unseen.

Pages 216 - Hardbound, Illustrated

In this outstanding new collection, an expert presents step-by-step, foolproof instructions for 65 of his most impressive card tricks, guaranteed to work flawlessly and to delight audiences. Mystifying, entertaining illusions include "Prediction Wallet," in which the card a spectator has chosen and signed is found in the magician's wallet; "Suspense," in which a card remains dangling in midair, and many others. Each trick is clearly explained and illustrated, and many include patter and presentation suggestions. Great for magicians at all levels, beginner to expert. 116 pages black-and-white illustrated.

The Vernon Chronicles - Volume 3 - Further Lost Inner Secrets

This third volume of The Vernon Chronicles offers another generous serving of superb magic from the repertoire of magic's most revered Professor, Dai Vernon.

The book opens with a special essay, which surveys a cross section of the close-up magic being done by New York City's avant-garde during the seminal 1920s and 1930s. William P. Miesel constructed the skeleton of this historical excursion from columns in the old Sphinx magazine. Prominent there were Dai Vernon and his friends; people like Sam Horowitz, Ted Anneman and Luis Zingone. Mr. Miesel selected some of their more intriguing effects and, in collaboration with Dai Vernon, Max Maven, Bruce Cervon and Stephen Minch, the methods were reconstructed as accurately as is possible. This study is an imporatant historical document, and revealing in the life of Dai Vernon.

We then resume the pleasant task of recording another large portion of Dai Vernon's unpublished work. Included are many little-known sleights and tricks with cards, coins and bills. The magic ranges from the nearly self-working to the consummately skillful. And, at long last, here is an explanation of the near legendary "Joker Monte" trick that Mr. Vernon used for decades to tease and baffle fellow magicians. His original method is given, along with new ideas by Tom Gagnon and Bruce Cervon.

Like the second volume of this series, a generous seasoning of magic by Dai Vernon's friends, both past and present, is included. Among those represented are Arthur Finley, Sam Horowitz, Henry Christ, "One-Armed" MacDonald, Dr. Daley, Faucett Ross, Herb Zarrow and Bruce Cervon.

This volume continues the pageant of exquisite magic that helped to justify Dai Vernon's reputation as one of this century's most important innovators and champions of artistic conjuring.

219 pages, hardbound with dustjacket

Strange Exchange: Four twos are placed in four different pockets. One at a time they transpose with four jacks in your hand. 

Par For The Course: Tiger Woods, look out. Several people record a score for an imaginary round of golf. Totaled score matches prediction you've never touched.
 

Barrel Of Fun: A marked quarter vanishes, and is discovered inside nesting barrels! Barrels in view since start of the trick! Fully examinable! No shuttle pass or gaffed barrels! 

** Also Includes: Bicycle Built For Two  China Pitcher  Triple Threat  The Dating Game  Lost And Smelled &  Instant Stooge!

This issue is devoted to the usual group of scrubs who inhabit TSDland

This issue will feature inmates such as...

Nate Kranzo, Steve Draun, Kostya Kimlat, Ryan Swigert,
Aaron Shields and Jason Alford to name a few...

Hatton and Plate were master magicians of their time, and their 1910 book Magicians' Tricks is one of a dozen classics indispensable to today's magicians, both amateur and professional. Besides revealing the techniques behind scores of tricks, this expert how-to book also describes the wardrobe of a successful magician; the magic box into which a magician places all manner of articles; the wand; and other tools of the trade.

With practice and patience-plus such common objects as cards, coins, balls, eggs, handkerchiefs, and other familiar household items-readers will soon successfully execute such card tricks as The False Shuffle, The Slide, Making a Card Disappear from a Glass, and Tearing a Pack of Cards in Two. Would-be magicians will also learn to perform such tricks with coins as the Penetrating Coin, Passing a Coin Through a Hat, and The Disappearing Coin, as well as how to produce novel effects with billiard balls, make a handkerchief disappear, tear and restore a strip of paper, fire a girl from a cannon into a truck, produce "something from nothing" and many more (140 tricks in all!). Suggested stage "patter" to engage or distract the audience is also included for many of the tricks.

Nearly 200 clearly drawn illustrations accompany the text, clarifying movements, finger and hand positions, the proper use of props, and other aspects of the conjurer's art. Best of all, the instructions for each trick-based on the authors years of practice and experience-are clear and easy to follow. You'll find the secrets of the trade spelled out in detail along with a contagious enthusiasm for the art of magic.

Paperbound, 344 5 3/8" by 8 1/2" pages, 194 illustrations.

Harry Houdini's fame is secure as the greatest magician of modern times. Many of his fabulous escapes, indeed, now sound more like legend than history, yet they really happened!

Houdini permitted himself to be thrown, manacled, into the Hudson River; to be nailed into packing cases and lowered into the ocean; to be suspended by the ankles, strait-jacketed, hundreds of feet above the ground-and in every case, he escaped easily.

This book is Houdini's own account of these exploits, supplemented with rare photographs and posters, first-hand material from periodicals and pamphlets, and behind-the-scenes revelations of some of the master's most prized secrets: how he picked locks, how he sawed a girl in half to become twins, how he walked through a brick wall, how a girl can vanish from a sheet of plate glass without trapdoors, hoists, mirrors or other such apparatus.

There are also instructions for performing 44 stage tricks, including the coin and glass, the Indian needle trick, and other standards. These are fully-illustrated with diagram sequences that cover every step in the performance. Finally, of special interest to many readers are Houdini's own accounts of great magicians of history and of Houdini's own battles with spiritualists and fraudulent mediums.

Paperbound, 288 5 3/8" by 8" pages, 155 illustrations.

61 Foolproof Tricks

For magicians wishing to start a magic act with a dramatic visual effect, there is no better choice than a handkerchief trick. In fact, such airy bits of baffling illusion are among the most graceful and sophisticated tricks in the magician's repertoire.
 
This book is a treasury of handkerchief tricks that are easy to perform. Karl Fulves, one of today's foremost authorities on "self-working" tricks (i.e., tricks that do not require special feats of dexterity or long hours of practice), has collected 61 of the finest self-working handkerchief tricks and presented them in this easy-to-follow, well-illustrated guidebook.

After a brief introductory chapter describing necessary materials and helpful hints on handling the "tools of the trade," the author proceeds to the tricks themselves. Over 500 clear illustrations and step-by-step directions show you exactly how to execute such "sleights of silk" as making handkerchiefs appear (and disappear), penetrating handkerchiefs with solid objects, cutting and restoring handkerchiefs, creating animated figures and performing a variety of combined card and handkerchief tricks.

Newcomers to this mystical art will quickly learn techniques for these astonishing illusions:

Threading the Needle
Houdini's Coat
Freefall
Paper Bag Vanish
Switch over
Decapitated Knot
He Found It!
Crazy Compass
Silk from Silk
Pop Up
The Mouse
Spooky Spoon
Produce a Wand
Zombie Card Rise
and 47 more!
No previous experience is necessary and most tricks require only a simple handkerchief. A few use uncomplicated apparatus constructed from cardboard or paper. Almost all can be mastered in a short time. With this book and a little praactice you'll soon be dazzling friends and relatives with an impressive array of handkerchief hocus-pocus.

Paperbound, 192 5 3/8" by 8 1/2" pages, 509 illustrations.

Make broken objects whole again! Float a table in mid-air! Have solid objects vanish and then reappear! Read people's minds! Induce a hypnotic trance! All these and many other classic tricks are within your grasp when you follow the directions in this amazing book by one of the greatest magicians of all time.

Author John Scarne has selected 200 astounding deceptions that can be performed without prior skill, training or special equipment. Drawing from his own extensive repertoire and those of other great artists of intrigue, he explains the secrets behind a variety of illusions that can be carried out in any situation-from a large stage to a small room-using only common, easily obtainable props.

Such feats as The Talking Mirror, The Dollar That Wouldn't Burn, Hypnotic Rigidity, and scores more have been reworked to eliminate the sleight-of-hand found in most tricks. Streamlined and simplified explanations will have you dazzling and delighting family and friends after only a brief practice session.

Paperbound, 248 5 3/8" by 8 1/2" pages, fully-illustrated.

This book is for the amateur magician who wants to learn (and start performing) well-known card tricks that professionals use. Fifty easy, yet effective tricks are presented, offering a well-rounded repertoire on which the beginner can draw while developing further interests and skills.
  
 "To explain how magic is done is one thing," Mr. Gibson says in his introduction, "to tell how to do it quite another." In this volume you will be taken through every stage of each trick-an overview, how the tricks appear to the audience, the mechanism behind the trick and finally the presentation details that allow you to perform the trick in a completely professional manner. By carefully following the few simple yet essential tips, the tricks will soon be yours.

Emphasis is on tricks that can be performed informally with a small group of friends. There are card tricks of both the set-up and impromptu kind, there are tricks with string, handkerchiefs, tumblers and other simple apparatus. And, there are examples of mental magic where the purpose is "to deceive the mind rather than the eye." A final section on well-known stage illusions shows how the same performance principles are carried to magic on a higher level.

With this book the beginner will be able to perform professional tricks within hours, while even the more advanced magician will find new tricks and new ways of doing old ones. The author draws upon a lifetime in professional magic for his tricks. Not only is Mr. Gibson well-known as one of the best writers about magic, he was also long associated with Houdini, the Thurstons, and other great magicians of the past.

Paperbound, 223 5 3/8" by 8 1/2" pages, 63 illustrations.

Tricks and Routines with Instructions for Expert Performance by the Amateur

Here is a magic book that's more than just a book on magic. It has pages that can be cut-out to make apparatus for actual tricks, as well as complete instructions for these and other tricks-a total of 36 tricks fully explained and illustrated.
  
Step-by-step instructions guide the reader through the effect that the trick will produce, the method of doing the trick and the presentation of the trick before an audience.

Simple to perform, yet effective in presentation, these tricks can all be performed informally with a small group of friends. They require only common objects or material that is easily obtainable: matches, coins, playing cards, safety pins and the like. With the emphasis on deception rather than elaborate sleight-of-hand, this book holds a section on impromptu magic, table magic, card magic, Oriental magic and mental magic. Among the individual tricks are The Rising Cigarette, Odds and Evens, The Mystic Disks, and The Detective Mystery. An additional section gives sample programs. For the amateur who masters these tricks or wants a more varied program, the author includes a collection of additional tricks-36 tricks, more briefly described and illustrated.

With this book the beginner will be able to perform professional tricks within hours, while even the experienced amateur will find new tricks and new ways of doing old ones. The author draws upon a lifetime in professional magic for his expertise.

Paperbound, 159 6 5/8" by 10" pages, 64 illustrations.

Described by critic Edmund Wilson as "a topnotch magician-and one of the world's leading authorities on professional magic," John Mulholland was not only one of the most brilliant magicians of the 20th century, but at the time this book was first published, he was the only magician to be listed in Who's Who in America.
 
In this classic guide, he reveals many of his best-kept secrets, explaining what magic is and why it works, offering practical tips on practicing and how to avoid errors and stage fright.

At the heart of the text are detailed, easy-to-follow instructions for performing scores of tricks. Would-be magicians will soon be astounding friends, family and even large audiences with such card tricks as The Hungry Jackass-a feat that makes use of any easy memory device; seemingly extemporaneous tricks such as The Bread Winner, in which a coin vanishes and reappears inside a roll; tricks especially created to entertain youngsters; magical thought transference and other intriguing stunts such as Beelzebub's Letter, in which a letter mailed yesterday contains a coin borrowed today!

None of these tricks require sleight-of-hand; but you will need such common objects as a deck of cards coins, rings and string, paper napkins, matches and a dollar bill. Practitioners will find they can master some feats in just a few minutes after reading the instructions. Other tricks can be learned in an hour, or at most, after a few hours of practice.

Paperbound, 352 5 3/8" by 8 1/2" pages, 72 illustrations.

A vaudeville favorite for 35 years, Jean Hugard-born John Gerard Rodney Boyce (1873-1959)- was not only a stunning success as a stage magician but was also one of the most prolific and illuminating of writers about magic. In this classic manual-the first he wrote for people outside the inner circle of magic performers-he reveals secrets of a host of mystifying tricks.
  
In "The Lemon and Note Trick," three dollar bills disappear from the handkerchief they were wrapped in and turn up in the middle of a lemon when it is sliced in half. In 'The Miser's Dream," the magician manages to pluck eight coins from the open air or from spectator's ears, hair or collars. And in "The Watch in the Loaf of Bread," the magician "inadvertently" smashes the watch he borrowed from a spectator, but then discovers it, intact and still ticking, inside a fresh-baked loaf of bread. Other mind-boggling feats the reader will learn to master are swallowing a watch, transforming a cigarette into a silk handkerchief, producing bouquets of real flowers from a borrowed hat and distributing them to the spectators-and even pulling a live rabbit (or guinea pig) out of a hat. Clear, comprehensive, and enhanced with 240 detailed diagrams and illustrations, this indispensable resource belongs in the library of every would-be magician or magic love.

Paperbound, 345 5 3/8" by 8 1/2" pages, 240 illustrations.
 

This marvelous treasury of card magic presents the exact details of 155 professional card tricks-none of them requiring sleight-of-hand dexterity-assembled by the world's number-one wizard, John Scarne. An authority on gambling and car

The centers of any two cards are openly torn out creating a pair of impromptu "rings." These cardboard rings, which can be signed, are instantly linked together! The two cards are actually seen to be connected through one another. The

Originally a private release by Edward Marlo in 1970, and like many of his other privately distributed works,

• Coincidences
• Court Cards
• The Four Aces
• Gambling Tricks
• Revealments
• Special Decks
• Packet Tricks
• ESP Cards