I am based in UK and have been interested in magic for years after watching Paul Daniels back in the early 80's. I have dabbled in a few card tricks but after visiting Las Vegas this year and seeing the amount of magic shops (especially after talking to staff at Houdini's in Caesars)I have decided to properly commit into learning coin magic. I have bought Bobo MCM and the first volume of David Roths Expert Magic DVDs. I was just wondering if someone can help me with some questions.

1. Is there any specific excercises I can do to improve hand dexterity?
2. Which British coins are the best to use?
3. Is there any must see websites about coin magic (apart from this amazing one)?
4. Is there anywhere via internet preferably I can learn about origins of magic and the great magicians?

Hi,
I am a relative beginner too, also based in UK. I usually use the standard half dollar/old penny but sometimes use 10p/2p coins as these are palmable although a bit small. 2pound coins are just slightly smaller diameter than the half dollar so is good for palming but is thick, so you can't palm many coins, and is expensive when you lose them behind sofa/ under car seat etc.

http://www.coinvanish.com is excellent, it really fostered my initial enthusiam, especially the videos, which really show how worthwhile the practice can be!

Re excercises, 1 thing I find useful ,once you've got Classic palm, finger palm, thumb palm is to try to move the coins around the hand from one palm to another secretly.
This seems impossible at first but over several months I 've notice a real increase in assurance of handling and stopped fumbling so much, it is often these secret transfers which are rather taken for granted in some explanations but can make or break a trick. E.g., the classic coins across "Winged Silver" is something to aim for but you need to move fromFP to CP smoothly.

I have a weaklefthand CP but you can build up the correct muscles by putting your little finger in an empty beer bottle, and lifting it up and down 100 times daily.
Looks very weird, but quite effective.
Those are just some things I've found useful but hopefuly you'll get good tips from more illustrious practitioners here as well.

Good luck!

MightyRed...Welcome to the Café!!

I, too, am new to coin magic and have also been persuing MCM by Bob...Also check out Curtis's posts on the subject http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewf......9&16 He's going through Bobo's book a chapter at a time and it is a GREAT help!!

Otter has some great advice...The only thing I can add that is helping me is to try to have a coin palmed in some fashion (classic, finger, thumb, etc) at all times during the day....I'm to the point where I can do ALMOST everything I would normally do during the day with a coin palmed...(Including typing this reply...and NO I don't 'hunt and peck', I type properly)...

It's helped me tremendously....

This forum is a fantastic resource...LOTS of helpful and knowledgable folks.

Again, welcome!

Prof. Piper
:juggle:

A1. Practicing the sleights and routines will train your muscles. Some simple finger stretching exercises prior to practice can also help.

A2. Coins the size of U.S. half $ seem to be a good size for most.

A3. Definitely the ones mentioned above.
Also:

• Coin Manipulation for flourishes.
  
• The Bobo Community Project
  
• The Magic Video Depot may help some.
  

A4. Magic Tricks.com has some brief bios of magicians.
A Google search for "origins of magic" will turn up some info but it usually doesn't apply to 'performance' magic.

Hey Jaz...

I tried to go to the Bobo Community Project and couldn't get in...

I HAVE the book and know the originator of "Short Changed" and entered it in every different typed connotation imaginable and it keeps saying my answer is wrong! I'm on page 262 and I typed the surname lower case...

Any ideas?

Prof. Piper

I just tried with my copy of of J.B. Bobo Modern Coin Magic. Worked like a charm. Perhaps you have the NEW Modern Coin Magic book? Dunno, but perhaps it's different in some way?