Brainwave Deck

Effect:
The magician puts a pack of cards, in its box, on the table and asks a spectator to name a card at random. The magician opens the box, removes the deck and looks through the cards. All the cards are face down except one: the chosen card. The magician turns the card over, to reveal it has a different colour back from the rest of the pack. A double whammy effect.

Product description:
You receive a gimmicked pack of cards. It’s a Bicycle deck, poker size (the standard type used by magicians). Also available in blue.

Notes:
Because it’s a gimmicked pack, you can’t allow the audience to examine it, so be sure to have some normal cards with you as well, which you’ll have to swap for the dodgy ones without anyone realising. In any case, you’ll need normal cards for other tricks. This is what they call a ‘one-trick pony’ – ie, you can do only one trick with this pack – but the (double) effect is so strong that I think it’s worth it.

Price:
£6.99

Svengali Deck

Effect:
There are loads of different effects you can do with this special pack of cards.

Product description:
You receive a pack of cards that’s gimmicked all the way through. You can choose between the MagicTricks.co.uk version, which comes with full instructions and suggested routines, and a red Bicycle version. I would suggest learning on the former and later getting the latter. It’s useful to give the impression that you use only one pack of cards for your whole show, even if you’re constantly secretly changing gimmicked packs for normal ones and vice versa.

Notes:
This is a versatile piece of kit and very good value.

Price:
£4.99

25 Amazing Tricks with a Svengali Deck - DVD

Product description:
25 tricks clearly explained, which you will be able to perform easily with your Svengali Deck.

Notes:
Although the Svengali Deck comes with instructions, this DVD is very useful, giving you ideas and helping you to understand how it all works. Again good value, I think, making sure you get the most out of your versatile Svengali Deck.

Price:
£7.99

The Ultimate 3 Card Monte

Effect:
The magician shows an ace, a two and a three and places them face down on the table. The audience’s job is to follow the ace but it is never where it would appear to be.

Product description:
You receive three special cards of Bicycle design and full instructions for how to do the moves. You will need to have or buy a pack of Bicycles to provide cover for these three loose cards.

Notes:
The explanation is thorough but it does take a while (relatively speaking) to get the hang of this trick. Do practise until you can do it without hesitating. An old favourite and a powerful trick.

Price:
£7.99

The Dark Card

Effect:
The magician shows a pack of red-backed cards. A spectator chooses one, removes it from the pack, signs the face and returns it to the pack. The magician spreads the deck and one card in the middle is seen to have a blue back. This card is turned over and revealed to be the one the spectator signed. Both the card and the pack can be examined.

Product description:
You receive three gimmick cards, which will last you a very long time. You will need to have or buy a pack of red and a pack of blue Bicycles.

Notes:
With a bit of practice, this is a fantastic trick.

Price:
£6.99

RaMa Deck - Owen Packard

Effect:
There is a huge variety of effects you can do with this apparently normal pack of cards.

Product description:
You receive the special pack (Bicycle design) and a DVD with full instructions and lots of suggestions for how to use the deck.

Notes:
This is a bit more of an investment than some of the other tricks on this page but then it does give you scores of tricks in one. If you’re serious about magic, you’ll get tons of mileage out of the RaMa deck.

Price:
£15.99

Strange Travellers - David Blaine

Effect:
The magician shows a spectator 20 random cards and gives her half of them to hold. The magician then shows the spectator the remaining 10 cards and asks her to think of one, not to take it or to say it out loud but just to think of it. The magician counts the 10 cards again and, lo and behold, there are only 9. The spectator counts the cards she has been holding and there are 11. The card that has travelled is the card she thought of. Totally impossible!

Product description:
You receive a gimmick that allows you to perform this miracle with a small amount of practice. You also get comprehensive instructions.

Price:
£15.99

Bicycle Playing Cards, Poker Size

Product description:
Bicycle cards are the standard ones used by magicians all over the world. They are well made and durable, very good quality.

Notes:
The poker size is larger than the bridge size we tend to use for card games in this country. It’s useful to use poker size from the beginning because a) they’ll almost always match any gimmick you buy and b) if you’re practising palming, don’t get used to something easier.

Price:
£1.75

Basic Basic Card Techniques – DVD

Product description:
An hour-long DVD by renowned magician Richard Kaufman, teaching you the moves you’ll need to become a card magician.

Notes:
If you want to be a real magician, rather than a dabbler, you need to knuckle down and learn these techniques. It’s not difficult as such but it is time-consuming. Becoming a real magician is time-consuming but it is so well worth it!

This DVD shows you the meaning of all those moves with obscure names that you may have seen in books or magazines. This is useful in itself.

Price:
£27.99

Printing – Dominique Duvivier

Effect:
The magician shows 8 cards: 4 tens and 4 blanks. The blanks are then printed with the image of whatever is pressed on to them – the tens, the backs of the tens, the card box, the close-up mat…

Product description:
You receive the cards necessary to make this happen. If you feel inspired, you can add your own ‘prints’ as you like.

Notes:
This sort of crazy magic can be great fun. Let your imagination run free and make the trick your own. I love this one!

Price:
£9.99