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Liyao New user 87 Posts |
I nearly wanted to buy this book (Theatrical Pickpocketing - Ravel)
I just want to ask that how good is this book ? Is anyone using this book now ? Care to post their thoughts here ? Thanks again. |
BenSchwartz Elite user Southern California 499 Posts |
If you would like to learn how to do a pickpocketing act, or steal watches, this is the perfect book. I have it and it's GREAT!
"The experience of astonishment is the experience of a clear, primal state of mind that they associate with a child's state of mind." ---- Paul Harris
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Liyao New user 87 Posts |
Hi Ben, thanks for your commemnt and thoughts.
So how good is this book and is it practical to apply on everybody? Is this the best pickpocketing book that has ever been published ? What else does it steal ? Does it requires any special gimmick to perform the steal? Sorry for the tons of questions I just want to spend on a great book rather than wasting the money. Hope you don't mind. Thanks Ben. Liyao |
BenSchwartz Elite user Southern California 499 Posts |
1. In my opinion,. it is the best pickpocketing book.
2. A lot of stuff. Shirts, neckties, all types of watches, wallets, stuff in pockets, I can't remember everything. 3. No special gimmicks. Any other questions??? Also, the discussion on misdirection is worth the price of the book.
"The experience of astonishment is the experience of a clear, primal state of mind that they associate with a child's state of mind." ---- Paul Harris
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Harry Murphy Inner circle Maryland 5444 Posts |
First you have to realize that there are not a whole lot of resources for learning to perform a pick-pocketing act. Yes, recently there has been several video tapes/DVD’s on lifting watches but that is not a pickpocket act. It is a stunt that is usually included in the context of an ongoing routine or act.
The Ravel book is one of a very few available. It has been out for years (since the late 70’s) and is still a good start point. Is it the best? In this limited field there is, as yet, no best! It is good, it does teach you some technique with many objects. Other books include the Mark Raffle book. This is almost impossible to find. It was a limited edition back in the 70’s and was expensive back then (if I remember, Mark sold his book with a video tape for $150.00 USD). If you could get your hands on a copy then you would probably have a marginally better product. But only marginally. Eddie Joseph put a small booklet out in the 1940’s or so that can still be found. It is very, very basic and has no photos or illustrations. It is dated but does give some insight into pulling a pickpocket act off. Walt Hudson wrote a small pamphlet called “Hey that’s my Wallet” that outlined a pseudo pickpocket act that was clever and a good interlude for a longer magic show. A little over a year ago, on the Magic and Illusion forum, I outlined my own pickpocket act. It is a well practiced, tight, and entertaining act. Further it incorporates some standard non-pickpocket stunts and at least one magic trick. It is remarkably easy and I think that you could build a larger act/show from it (I posted there as Mumblepeas). Otherwise, off the top of my head, I cannot think of other resources for you to explore. So the answer is that the Ravel book is as good a book as you are likely to find. It does teache you the basics. However, a good pickpocket act takes more personality and ability to misdirect than the average manipulation act. This is a hard act to make entertaining.
The artist formally known as Mumblepeas!
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Liyao New user 87 Posts |
Thanks Murphy for the advice and comment
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Martino Special user Manchester, UK 928 Posts |
I am friends with one of the few professional pickpockets in the UK and before he will teach me anything he has told me to go and read this book. He claims it gives a great grounding in all the theory as well as teaching the "moves" to lift objects. If I'm not mistaken there's also a section on "Planting" objects on spectators! Now where were you going to buy a copy from Liyao?
"There's a difference between not knowing how something is done and knowing it can't be done!" - Simon Aronson
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mrmental2003 New user USA 21 Posts |
I have the book as well and it is great!
Do get it. Steven's has a copy of a pickpocketing video by Mark Raffles. I bought it for $50.00. It was literally a piece of crap. I took into account the fact that it was probably filmed in the 70's which I was willing to deal with but the actual material was garbage. He hardly explained a thing on the tape and when he finally showed footage from a performance for the general public you could see that the spetators all knew what was happening to them, they were just trying to be polite. Not only were they not surpised by the supposed pickpocketing they seemed to be irratated by the way they were manhandled by Mr. Raffles. Please stay away from this tape...even if it was $5.00 P.S. If you want to steal watches go out now and purchase the video by the late Chappy Brazil...one of the greatest sources for stealing every style of watch. CHris |
Liyao New user 87 Posts |
Hi BenSchwartz,
Thanks for information about the pickpocketing book. I bought the book and I have completed the book. It seems like the book is not that practical to the people over here. Well, this book seems more foro people who are wearing blazers or jackets before the pickpocketing move can be done. Especially, the million dollar wallet steal which must require a jacket before this can be done. Well, for people over here when they attending weddings or functions or anniversaries. People do not wear that grand or what I meant is that people seldom wear blazers or jackets to such functions. Most people wear a formal Shirt, long sleeve shirt or something which is presentable will be sufficient. This is due to the hot season throughout in Singapore. Well, in casual terms more teenagers and adults wear jeans rather than pants, polo shirt and t-shirt. Under such circumstances, how do we perform such pickpocketing moves? For now I would like to find more about this information which is more practical to me to apply these moves to my show. I hope someone somewhere out there will help, and thanks for people who posted their views and thoughts here again..Thanks Liyao |
stine Regular user TN 152 Posts |
You can do all the moves other than those needing a jacket. Part of what makes magic an "Art" is the fun that you should get in creating what you want to happen under the circumstances that your environment allows. Just as a brainstorming session, in a stage show setting, what if you brought someone on stage and said they aren't dressed for the stage so here is an professional stage jacket and give them one to wear. Then have them take things out of their pants pockets and put them in different parts of the jacket only to steal again. Again, I'm not saying you would want to do that or even that it's a good idea, I'm only saying that creativity will allow you to do whatever you want, in order to achieve your objective. Also, if they are wearing a shirt that covers their back pocket you could grab their hand and tap the BACK of it against the wallet to utilize the million dollar wallet steal. My point being you CAN do a pickpocket show in Singapore.
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