I've purchased my 1st set of cups and balls on ebay for £10. Aluminum things. More than enough to get me started.

I have a few pages on c&b in Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic, which I will learn 1st.

Can c&b be performed at tables or is it a parlour trick?

Any sugestions on were to begin with c&b?

Cheers for your help

beds

Cups and balls can be done almost anywhere that viewers can see the table top.
First thing is learn to handle the cups and the balls in a natural and comfortable way. Learn to do a false transfer with a ball, then learn how to set a cup down effortlessly loading a ball under it so it looks the same as when you just seet the cup down without a load.

Just work on these basics before you try to put a routine together.

Just as Pete says and then the Wilson routine is a great start!
Welcome to the Café and the most addicting area of magic. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress!
Mick

My 1st venture into this part of the Café and I like it.

I started in tables and strolling, then the workers now in here, but this forum is quality for advice easily the best around - I post on some other unnamed forums and I got 13 year olds with 3 months experiance trying to help me!!

Beds,

Pete has given you very sound advice. If you want to make another investment into the wonderful world of cups and balls, I suggest the two Ammar DVDs. I also started with the (Morrisey) aluminum cups and the Ammar material and really learned a lot. Good luck.

José.

If you want to learn further and precise information about cups and balls, even history, buy Michael Ammar's The complete cups and balls. If you want to learn a good routine and some busking tips go with Gazzo's street cups and ball DVD. But rather start with Michael Ammar's DVD, because they teach every move and sublety one by one, instead of a routine.

But don't worry Gazzo makes sure that you learned everything right.

~Athos

Michael Ammar's is a classic. I can recomend these DVDs too:

Cups And Balls by Bob White - DVD
Complete Course in Magic with Cups & Balls (2 DVD Set)by Eddy Ray

The second one is similar to Ammar's set, but do not includes history. There is a very good move called the elevator, wich inspired me one sleight I like to show later (i still connot go on the secret room)called side steal.

Later, when you master the basic moves, I recomend two excellent routines:

Elegant Cups And Balls by Rafael Benatar - DVD
Table Hopping Cups and Balls with Carl Andrews (it is a DVD too)
One of the best routines is Vernon's cups and balls. It is in Ammar`s DVD set.

And be sure to visit the cups and balls museum.

I agree that Michael Ammar's DVDs are the way to go. The DVDs give you exactly what the title says, which is a complete course on cups and balls.

I recently bought the Bob White DVD and the Rafael Benatar DVD, and each DVD has some theory and an explanation of the individual performer's routine. These DVDs do NOT cover a lot of moves and sequences, which is fine if you know some of the basics taught in Ammar's DVDs. So for the beginner, I'd suggest Ammar's DVDs.

Yup. I learnt from both Ammar's CnB Book and DVDs

Cheers
Andre

Ammar's DVD set (especially vol. 1) is definitely the best place to start your journey.

Fortasse

No!!!!!! Don't do this, you will never leave. Your wife will leave you because you spend all day looking at the cups from all the greats and cups that you wish you could have. Then she will take your kids away because you start calling your kids Riser, chop cups and all other such wonders.

He's right you know. HEED HIS WARNING!!!

The cups and balls museum is another world, so be carefully visiting it. In there, you will see the dream of a wizard (I believe the curator is 5.000 years old, and his name is Dedi, but he conceals his true identity under the name of Bill Palmer). And that dream is inspiring for any magician, amateur or professional. So if you love cups and balls, cross the portal and get ready to experience the magic of this museum.

...And bring a sandwich. You'll be there a while.

........and a bed too, may end up spending the night!

Fortasse