I'm in a little pickle right now. I own an old set of C&B, and when I say old, I mean the brass is so tarnished they may look like the very first set ever made.

Yes, it has been a while since I've performed them.

Due to this, I'm looking to get myself a new set. Here's where I get fuzzy... I'm quite uneducated on the different types out there.

I really don't remember where I got my current set, it was quite a while ago.

Any recomendations on what is the best set? What are the cups made of? Where could I acquire such a set? What's the best value out there? (I would like to save an arm and a leg for a decent set)

Plus, if this makes any difference, I happen to have smaller hands than normal. The cups I have now are pretty large. Although I've never had a real problem using them, I would be interested in a set that would be small-hand-friendly.

Any ideas or suggestions?

Magic makers coppers $40.00 on ebay, most pros don't like them however they are good. if you want a real good set get the sherwood cups for $275.00 . I like the size of this cups, the magic makers are smallers but I don't think the sherwood will be too big for you

Yes, definitely. I was in the same situation a few months back. I wanted something low priced, but good quality. A difficult combination when it comes to Cups & Balls. I wanted to spend less than $40, but I wanted something that I could drop a few times without worry of severe dents or scratches. After a few weeks of searching, I found these:
http://www.penguinmagic.com/specialorderproduct.php?ID=5219

Now, some would be weary about ordering from penguin, but these cups are AMAZING. They aren't quite big enough to fit an orange/large lemon, but they fit small lemons/limes really well, as well as other types of suprising loads. They are MUCH heavier than I ever expected and they patina (tarnish) VERY beautifully. I cant stress the decency of these cups enough for the beginner (or re-beginner in your case), or for anyone trying to save an arm and a leg.

If you have any questions, I'll do my best to answer them for you.
~Jonathan

Check out RNT2 for some great cups!

The bazar de magica cups (mentioned above) are great and the price from penguin is (i think) the best you will find. The Magic Maker copper cups on ebay are also a good value (ive been told).

By the by, if your looking to unload your larger tarnished brass cups I'm interested

-lint

No offense to abbascup or jake...but starting out [again] with sherwoods and RNT2 cups isn't exactly saving and arm and a leg. Start basic, work your way up the line. Ed is just getting back into magic after 10 years...he's going to need to put some of his money towards other resources and props, so the more money he saves, the more magic he gets.
Just my opinion...
~Jonathan

As Pete Biro has said something like this on other threads on much the same topic. The cups are not important it is you that make the routine. The cups can be anything even styrofoam or paper. The cups are not what is really important. It is all in the presentation. Yes for some routines you do want a set of metal cups. But again what you use is not as important as what you do.

I too am a huge fan of the Sherwoods. But sometimes still use coffee cups.

Thanks for all the great feedback.

walid ahumada: If I had $275 to blow on a set of cups and balls, I'm there! However, reality says that I'm going to need something a little more easier on my wallet.

Jonathan: The cups you're recommending looks great, and the price is certainly right for me. I have heard some shaky things about Penquin Magic so I think I'll research that set at other magic sellers and compare prices. They do look very attractive and your glowing review of them certainly helps!

RS1963: I'm fully aware of presentation. I have a nice routine that has garnered many positive reactions before. I understand I could use any cup that has attic space such as those little plastic cups that came in a kids magic kit or any styrofoam or paper cups, but I feel that an attractive set of cups would do nothing but enhance my current routine and any future routines I develop. Is it downright important to use metal cups? If you have the right routine, no. I, however, am looking for something a little more professional looking and something that would last longer than a set of disposable cups.

Once again, all suggestions are great and I'm loving the feedback. I'm open to more if you have any.

Thanks, again.

If someone has mentioned these in a post above sorry for the repeat. Not real inexpensive either but the Johnson cups are a very very good set as well.

I don't know if there even still available. In John Bannon's book Impossibilia. His cup and balls routine (Of Cups and fuzz balls) the cups were not made for magicians or for the cups and balls at all. If I am not mistaken they were designed after a drinking cup that was used in the 1700's? Not positive on that tho.

I had seen one such cup in a Brookstone store about ten years ago but have not seen any since. They were nice looking and would be something worth looking into. Sorry I don't have more information on them.

The copper Magic Makers cups on eBay and the Penguin cups are the same cups. The only difference is the price. So if you are going to buy a knockoff cup, why spend any more money on it than you have to? The people selling them for $40.00 aren't making anything on them.

The Johnson cups are a baseline professional cup. They are very consistent. You can get them on eBay for around $170 if you hunt carefully enough.

**** MM cups and the scorpion that makes them.

The cups Bannon uses are the jefferson Cups:

http://www.silverandpewtergifts.com/rcjc......odDAlkqw

I have a set of them, but never managed to use them. Now they just sit in a bag.

-GH

Thanks for saving me the research. I don't have the Bannon book. But I do have two different sizes of Jefferson cup!

Lint -- it's Bazar de Magia, not bazar de magica. If you are trying to order something, or google it, spelling is important. These are really good cups. However, it may take a while to get them if they are a special order item. I know that the wholesale price on these is higher than what Penguin is asking.

Walid -- if you don't understand why most of us are not very sanguine about the Magic Makers/Penguin cups by now, then you never will understand it.

Thanks for the spelling lesson again bill this time it was an honest typo!

-lint

If you look at yourself as "blowing" money on the proper tools of the trade. I could have very well bought a pantograph and cheap milling machine for about 1K total, the decision to purchase a 65K machine was not hard, it's the piece of mind knowing that things will work they way they are expected to and the parts are up to quality and performance standards.

This just doesn't go with cups & balls but with all props/tools we use. Would I spend 5.00 on a flash pot made in India or would I spend 196.00 on one made by a Pyrotechnics company, that's a no brainer. You get what you pay for and you only get back what you put into your presentation.

Choose and use your tools wisely.

Jake

If you intend to do the cups and balls an investment in a good set of cups will only save you money in the long run - then again you could turn into a cup junkie and start collecting.

If your thinking about quality and affordable then listen to Bill - the Johnson's are really the best bet. I've seen them on ebay for $160 - but they go quick.

Someone taught me years ago "Buy only quality, cry only once" compared to the alternative of crying over and over again by making many cheaper mistakes that cost you more in the long run.

I cried only a few times before discovering the Gary Animal line of cups. I've owned about four sizes now, trading here and there for different ones along the way. I like the Animals as they have a more "organic" feel to them, something a machined cup just doesn't have. When they're available, they're reasonably priced cups that are meant to be "workers" rather than sit in a showcase somewhere in Texas(although I hear there's one showcase down there that has nearly every model of Animals ever made. I bet if he listens carefully he can hear "let me out! I want to work!").

Dave:

I let my animals out from time to time. I agree that they are made to be workers, but there were also several sets that were very special. I also sent a set of special ones to a certain Gary Osbourne whom we all admire for various reasons.

Cups are a lot like musical instruments. They are meant to be played. And a good set of cups is not injured by work.

Unless you are Gazzo or Richard Turner.

I don't want people to get the wrong impression. I didn't mean "blowing" money in a bad sense. Honestly, if I had that kind of money to spend, I would, without question.

However, life dictates that I get something a little easier on my budget. It's like it was said, let me work my way up to that point. I have absolutely no problems with paying that much money on the proper equipment, but if I want to have the lights burning and the heat running, I need to think about the cheaper alternatives.

Life (and magic) would certainly be a lot easier to deal with if we all had the money to get the best, but some of us have to stretch. If you have the money to do it, that's great. I'm happy for you. Just please don't assume that I'm in the same situation.

Can't agree more.