Hi guys,
And another card related question: which gaff deck is the better one; black tiger or ghost one? I have the normal black tiger and the normal ghost deck and now I am looking for a spooky looking gaff deck.

Which one do you recommend?

Thanks in advance.

I gaff the Viper deck myself. The tally ho ace is too nice to pass up.

Yep, the Viper is also a cool one. Maybe I should also take this one into consideration.

The most useful is the one you need...
I use ghost deck and gaffs in 2/3 routines (Paradise Lost, Dreamers...) and a classic Bicycle + Gaff in another one (Bad Trip).
Until now, I've no use of the black decks.

Currently I use the black decks for normal card readings, they match well with my Vargo tarot and the Bohemian Gothic tarot.

I think the unique cards in the ghost gaff are more subtle. I think the black tiger design is a little goofy looking over all, and I also find that they don't read as well at a middle distance. That having been said, I think the "spooky" cards for both sets of gaffs are a little tacky. The best cards in either are the ghosts fading queens, lots of opportunities to work that into a good presentation other than just doing a straight set of various color changes.

So it will be the Ghost deck, thanks guys for helping me in this decision.

The only problem is that both of these decks look gaffed before you've even started. A lot of the time people tell me the cards must be marked or something because of the way they look.
Just a thought.

I'd have to agree with Daniel on this... I bought the Ghost Deck and it's associated gaff deck. Mainly based on the Ellusionist hype / demo vids that were out there. I've used them a few times, but on reflection wouldn't have bought them. There seems to be more impact with a bog standard pack of bikes / gaffs. Most people know that a printed card doesn't suddenly change it's appearance as per some of the gaffed stuff (skeletal kings, blurred / swirled cards). People aren't daft. True there are some gems in there DBs / col changes etc, but the wierd printed stuff doesn't wash with an intelligent audience. Saying that, I've used normal bikes, done various effects and been accused of using cards with thermochromic properties, ie, there's no way that the card could have changed in my hand without it being gimmicked in that way (is that a compliment on my handling skills, or an indicement of the level of general knowledge in the people I work with (they are science teachers after all)? There are thermochromic cards I believe out there however!

I've also a black tiger set that I never use since pulling it out on someone and receiving the comment "these must be some of Matt's dodgy cards!". They do look nice, but I reckon there's something to be said for the ordinary.

But - being into the bizzare side of things, I've been looking about for decent decks to do some stuff with and have found the Lo Scarabeo Napoleon / Goethe decks appear to be the kind of stuff I'd associate with the older bizzare stuff. Maybe it's because I've started on the bizzare track using the Capricornian Tales and Hauntiques (lovely books btw Curator if you're reading this) and have a love of antique trinkets & history, hence can synthesize both interests.

I'd say - think carefully about the kind of effect / routine you want to achieve. Do the cards fit in harmoniously, or do they stand out like a sore thumb.

I'm still learning, me. So much to know, so little time!

Cheers,
Matt

It all depends on the context you are working in. I can't think of a context I would work in where either of these would be relevant. OTOH, I have a character that has found that the Texan 45 decks are perfectly in context. They don't look gaffed, though. They just look old.

When a magician approaches me with a black Tiger deck or a ghost deck, and performs really ordinary card magic with it, I feel that he is just playing with an odd looking toy. I don't find the cards helping the effect.

The worst are the bikes that are printed with yellow backgrounds. They look like someone's baby...well, never mind.

The artificially aged bikes are an abomination. They don't look old or battered. They look gimmicky. And the UPC code on the box ruins the whole thing. That can be fixed it you put your mind to it, though.

The thing to ask yourself is whether the cards overshadow the effect. Then ask if they add anything to the effect. If the answer to the first question is yes, then don't bother with the second. If the answer to the second is no, then get rid of the cards, because they are not helping you.

The same is true if you use tarot cards of any kind out of context.

@Bill & Billy,
Thanks for your input on this subject. I was thinking about getting the Ghost Gaff because I want to spice up normal card readings with some more strange looking cards (althought I have to admit more than 20 euros for a simple Bicycle Ghost Gaff deck sold in Germany is a very steep prize IMO). I have been using Lo Scarabeo Goethe playing cards (I like the pictures, but the mix between horizontal and vertical pictures annoys me a bit) and the Napoleon playing cards (I love them, too) plus the Card-Shark Gypsy deck and the Bicycle Vintage 1800 (the blue backed one), plus normal German Skat and Doppelkopf cards or the Hungarian Wilmòs cards.

They all work very well for me, but I want something which is attractive to querents with a Gothic or EMO background (I use the Alchemy playing cards, The VArgo Tarot, The Bohemian Gothic tarot plus the Favole Tarot, all very nice and mainly Vampire insprired for them, but you all know how nowadays kids are: always on the look-out for something new, exciting and different).

Not really, in a good context they are perfect. Did you read Cold Case Closer, Bill ? (Posted here and on bizarremagic.net)
http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......forum=14