How to do Magic Tricks

Advice and Support for Magicians

An Obsession with Finishing Magic Tricks Clean

by Merchant of Magic 1 Comment

Many of the commercial effects on the market today shout about how they have been designed to ‘finish clean’ or be fully examinable both before and after the performance of the trick. But is insisting on finishing magic tricks clean really that important? Is it just some of the ‘sales spin’ designed to sounds good, whilst not really doing anything to improve your performance?

Here’s some important advice from one of the world’s most respected magicians… Wayne Dobson.

There’s something that really annoys me about magicians – amateurs, it’s never pros. For many years this has really been a bugbear of mine.

So many magicians seem more interested in whether the props can be examined at the end! They seem obsessed with ‘finishing clean’. I think you’ll find that all the best things in human interaction don’t end clean!!!

With just average stage management your spectators should never even consider examining your props. They should be investing in you as the performer and the performance in front of them – not the props for goodness’ sake. Someone famous (it may have been Vernon: it usually is) said words to the effect that when a violinist performs a wonderful sonata, the audience doesn’t rush forward and insist on examining the violin.

You are what they will remember. Look at the stars of today like Derren and Dynamo, do you think the spectator is more interested in their magnetic coins than them?

Do you really think at the end of your cups & balls routine, after you have produced 3 lemons and everybody is sitting there with their mouth wide, it makes any sense to then burst the evocative bubble by inviting them to examine your cups?!

If they reach for the props, you have done something wrong. We need to get away from this sense of some kind of battle between performer and spectator where the latter is hell-bent on finding out how the performer ‘did it’. If your performance, and relationship with your audience, ends in that state, you need to take a long, hard look at yourself.

I can honestly say that in my 40 years of performing I have never been questioned on the props that I used. Just remember Ken Brooke’s and Danny Buckler saying: “The smaller the prop the bigger the performer.” – Wayne Dobson 

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Filed Under: how to do magic tricks, magic advice Tagged With: Famous magicians, performing magic, showmanship

Magician of the Month – October 2021

by Merchant of Magic Leave a Comment

Liam Ying

Congratulations to Liam Ying for winning this months magic competition at the Merchant of Magic shop. On Saturday 26th September, magicians from around the UK visited the shop to show the magic shop team a specific performance routine. This month it was ‘ The Ambitious Card’.  

It was great to see so many magicians traveling down to take part. Judging the winning routine was a difficult task, but Liam did a fantastic job and we are delighted to present him with this award.

 

We asked Liam to share a little about his journey into magic:

How long have you been studying magic?

I’ve been teaching myself magic for nearly 3 years now.

What lead you to discover it, and decide to begin your practice?

It started shortly after my daughter was born, I was suffering from anxiety and I needed something to keep my mind occupied during parental night vigils, and this was perfect to immerse myself in.

I’ve always had a fascination with magic, even from a young age but only until recently did I want to try it myself!

How did you begin to learn?

I started watching some tutorials on YouTube from magicians like Daniel Madison, Alex Pandrea, Xavior Spade, Chris Ramsay and started buying decks of cards in the bucket loads! I love collecting cards, and I’ve amassed quite a collection now! 

It’s quite common for magicians to stumble into magic from Youtube, and many of the channels do a great job of introducing new magicians, but often the content can lack depth or structure… How did you progress your study?

I started reading a lot more books and The Royal Road to Card Magic has been essential for me.
Since then I’ve started performing as a side little trope when I stream on Twitch (under the name Synyster Graves) and I’ve really started to enjoy performing in front of the camera!

So you mainly perform on camera, rather than live in person?

The walk-in at Merchant of Magic shop in Bishop’s Waltham was the first time I’ve performed something in person to someone who wasn’t on twitch, or family! My wife has been very encouraging, helping me learn and critiquing how I do things when I feel I’m ready to perform on stream too!

What advice would you give to someone thinking of beginning to learn magic?

I really believe it’s never too late to begin learning, and it’s turned into a fantastic and fulfilling subject to get really into! I’ve tried to document my journey into it on the YouTube channel Synyster Graves so I can always look back and see how I’ve progressed! But as a tool to help contain my anxiety, it has given back to me more than I ever could have hoped for!

Liam, congratulations once again for winning Magician of the Month. You should definitely look to start performing at live venues and events in the future, and we wish you every success with your magic!.

Want to enter the competition for Magician of the Month – November 2021?

All ages and levels of ability are welcome to enter. Visit the magic shop on Saturday 30th October from 11am-4pm and show us your favourite Halloween themed trick. It can be anything you like, as long as it’s spooky. Everyone that performs their trick will receive a surprise magic gift for taking part, and we’ll pick one magician to win Magician of the Month. Good luck!

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Filed Under: how to do magic tricks, Magic Awards, YouTube Magicians Tagged With: Awards, Magician of the Month

How to Store Your Playing Cards

by Merchant of Magic Leave a Comment

As a magician, your playing cards are the tools of your trade. As a card collector, you invest in beautiful decks that are true works of art. Either way…  Keeping your playing cards safe and in good condition is a top priority. 

The good news is that it’s pretty easy to look after your playing cards so they are ready to go when you need them. Here are some easy tips on how to store your decks like a pro. 

Keep them in their box

Playing cards come with their own card case called a Tuck Case. Although these cases are often as decorative as the deck themselves, they have a valuable job to do.

Whatever you do… Resist the temptation to simply wrap a rubber band around your deck of playing cards and think that’s a job done right. The rubber band will not protect your deck from bumps and scuffs, and can also apply uneven pressure to the middle of the deck causing it to bow or warp. 

Playing cards that are left out of their box and also take on moisture like a sponge. They are paper.. so need to be kept dry to prevent them from warping. If you lose their tuck box. Keep them in an airtight container to ensure they stay at their best.

Storing your playing cards in a card clip or card guard

The next level of card storage, and a must if you intend to carry your cards in your pocket through the day, is a good playing card clip or guard. There is a wide range of card clips and guards to choose from. From the basic plastic or metal clip, through to beautifully decorated and covered clips. They all do the same thing: Protect your cards from being dented from a drop, and keeping them pressed and in shape as you store them. 

Playing card display cases

There’s a wide range of excellent playing card display cases and protective boxes on the market. These are often made from acrylic, perspex, or wood. As well as showing off your decks to the world, they are a great way to reduce dust, UV and humidity from going to work on your collection whilst on display. 

Heat & humidity are your enemies

Keeping your cards away from excess heat or cold is fairly easy to do. Direct sunlight is never a good idea, as it can heat up the deck and also fade the colours over time. 

The hard part is humidity. Store your playing cards in the driest and coolest part of your house. 

Keep your card collection away from the bathroom and kitchen and make sure the area is well ventilated. If you have a large collection, you could even research using a humidifier in the same room as your collection.  Whatever you do… Don’t store your card collection in a box in the shed or garage. You may have a nasty surprise when you open the box after a few years of storage in a damp area…

Have fun with your cards

Collecting cards is a fun hobby and can become very profitable if you manage to collect and store some rare and limited edition decks. However, it’s important to remember that they have a purpose… A reason for being. They’re designed to be used, spread shuffled, and played with. Rather than just buying decks and storing them away, play with them! Learn some card magic tricks to perform to show off your cards and entertain people at the same time! It’s their reason for being and it really is a great feeling to crack open a new deck… 

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Filed Under: how to do magic tricks Tagged With: playing cards

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