Hay there just a few tricks I think are what you’re looking for.
- Silk Vanish (the device for this can be used for 101 things)
- Svengali deck (you can get a 101 tricks book for this a swell)
- Dynamic coins,
- coin squeeze (I did use this as a trick in a stage show I did when I started)
- Invisible deck (is a winner.)
These are all tricks you can buy and use (almost) straight away. Routing tricks, linking tricks and the patter behide them is what make a trick strong. This can be done for any trick.
You mention that you have the fundamentals but not the time to learn. Something you should learn are sponge balls. Also the Mark Wilson book well give you the basic in cards, coins, rope, sponge balls and much more.

Keep going and enjoy your magic and let others enjoy it aswell.

Another vote for the Mark Wilson course.
Tarbell if you can afford it is the encyclopedia of classic magic.
Books are almost always your best purchase, but for effects:
Invisible Deck
Stripper Deck

The Tarbell course is a must have.

I have to say, in the long run the books will mean more than all the props you can buy.

That said, I'm going to suggest that right now you might want some DVDs. There are oodles of them out there and rather than suggest any, I'll say ask here for specific suggestions when you know what you want to learn. You get tons more tricks with a book, but a good presentation suggestion makes the DVD well worth your time. When you get used to performing, you will find that the books become even more valuable because you will have reached the point where the workings of the trick are all you need and you can figure out how to flesh it out into a good routine without needing someone else to show you (in person or on the screen).

Angle proof? Not sure there is such a beast, except in self-working gimmicks. Or only after a lot of practice. But how about low-angle issue? That work for you? If so, here are a few good suggestions:

-I thought spongeballs were dumb until I saw them demonstrated. They will knock the socks off of anyone if done well. Advice: give them personalities to motivate what is happening. I like the sponge bears I got from magic4less.com if I am doing a sponge routine for kids.

-TT for simple vanishes or productions. Please, try to avoid the overly-exposed trick of shoving a hankie in your hand and having it vanish. I like this one in reverse. I take off my glasses and look at the dust on them, pull a hankie out of my left hand, wipe the glasses, put the hankie away, casualy showing my hands empty. It isn't the main trick, it is just a magical moment and I think has more impact because it is so unexpected.

-Bite-out quarter. Don't expect the reactions from David Blaine's TV show, but it is a cool bit of fun. Learn the Bobo switch so you can hand out a quarter after putting the bite back on.

-C&R rope. Look for Whit Haydn's Mongolian Pop Knot routine. Watch him on YouTube. Think about how many times he cuts the rope and how many moves he really makes. Not that many. But he fills about 8 minutes with fun and magic. If that's a routine you want to be able to do, pay for Whit's work. Great stuff. Also, Aldo Colombini has a DVD called Roped In that has several good rope routines and some little bits of humor on it. Well worth getting, but be warned that it is not the slick production you get from a big production house. Great material, though.

If those are not the sort of thing you are looking for, please elucidate what sort of magic winds your clock. This is a very helpful forum if you show that you are willing to actually put in a little effort learning.

-Patrick

I bought a set of sponge balls when I was a kid after I saw them demonstrated. When I got them I push on them through the box to see if them would vanish or change in some way. Then I opened the box, took them out and gave them a real good squeeze and nothing happened....I was shocked.

Along with the other good book suggestions I will add the first book I bought that really taught me sleight of hand. I learned most fo it while in Junior highschool. Its not hard, it jsut takes practice.

Anyway the book is Bill Tarr's "now you see it, Now you don't."

Wilsons book is great because there is a bit of everything in there, including quite a bit of prop-based magic you can make yourself for pennies or a few dollars.

The other thing Id suggest to you is this...

Whether a "trick" is amazing or just a little puzzle all comes down to presentation. Its the magician that really makes the magic.

The Tarbell course is available free from the learned pig project.

As mentioned before, you need to know the fundamentals first. Go to your local library, pick up a nice magic book, buy some DVD's or (dare I say) look up stuff on YouTube. It is sad and frustrating to a lot of magicians, but you can find almost anything on there.....hey, magicians need to start somewhere, right?

My understanding is that the version available on TLP is the mail order lessons only, and that the bound volumes offer much more material. Still, it’s essential information for any magician. Definitely worth joining “the Pig”.

Buy a Thumb Tip and learn silk vanishes. That's a great way to begin your life in magic. Learn from DVD's that teach thumb tip routines.

Thumb tip magic will provide you with the fundamentals of magic - misdirection, angles, presentation, learning to relax & not be so rigid, and other things like that. High class professionals use Thumb Tips all the time in their shows too, so don't underestimate it.

Also, consider learning the Invisible Deck. It looks like real magic.
The cut & restored rope is a fantastic way to get into magic too.

DVD's I recommend to you - Paul Green's "In the trenches" (Teaches a great cut & restored rope), Ellis in Wonderland (has a great variety of fun stuff).

And I totally recommend Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic. Nearly every magician started out with this book.

Was it really necessary to ressurect this thread?

Judging by the number of people (with more experience in what goes on in the Café, if their number of posts is any indication) who responded, I'd say it was worth it. Never can tell when another newbie will happen by.

Maybe this one - or something likeit - should be a sticky. (I know we've got _two_ sticky threads on books - but who wants to wade through all they stuff?!!? "I jus' wanna do _magic_!!")

Ed

Some great tips above!

Here's one from me - this trick is almost selfworking, impromptu, and plays very strong. I use it for long time now, and never wa disappointed with it. It's Stigmata by Wayne Houchin. I think you can get it from Ellusionist. People really react great to this, I'm sure you would like this.

If you are new into magic and you want to buy something. Buy books, Buy Books, Buy Books, and read, read, read! Reading Magic publications only inspires, and teaches the fundamentals that can lead to original concepts. That's why reading can be much better then a trick or prop. By learning the foundation the creative side of your mind can build the routine behind the effects that interest you. "Electric touch" can turn into a "Shocking punch" without a complete routine and stable delivery. (Pun intended)

And the best advice I could offer is to take your time. Sure set yourself development goals, but don't rush the process. The beauty of magic is that with time comes greater confidence.

- My Thoughts

Btw... although we tend to talk about books on sleight of hand a lot, don't think that everything from a book is going to be "hard". As a kid without much money I learned and built a lot of self-workers from books. Its pretty amazing the magic you can perform with things like a kitchen match, or a bottle of elmer's glue and your dad's last week's New York Times.

As far as books go -- I found Harry Lorayne's "The Magic Book" to be very instructive. Full of all sorts of good tricks, plus advice about presentation and also explanations of basic coin and card sleights.

I'm not convinced by the electric touch. I've never seen one, but I built myself a very similar machine (to covertly mess with sensitive electronics) long before being interested in magic. Any decent physicist, engineer, etc etc should be able to figure it out very quickly indeed. Plus shocking people? Not convinced... Use it to make sandstorms at your fingertips or ignite dishes of fuel at a touch perhaps...

Plus, I don't remember what it cost to build my version, but it sure as hell wasn't 200$

I do a triumph routine that's used the sloppy shuffle and its fairly easy and gets great reactions!
That might work for you!

-JOSHTMAGIC

I've written a few books JUST FOR YOU!