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Believing New user 85 Posts |
Hello,
I was wondering if putting the cards back into the box and then putting it under a book will help keep it in good condition and unbend the bends through daily usage. Any other tips for keeping the deck in good shape would be appreciated. |
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Steven Youell V.I.P. 3866 Posts |
You need a Porper Clip.
Don't settle for the Chinese versions. Buy it from Joe. The various shops and internet sites are flooded with Chinese fakes. SEY |
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Lion Dope New user York PA 88 Posts |
A clip will definitely help, but you must also come to terms with the fact that cards are ultimately a disposable prop.
Cheers; Mike |
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Mr. Mystoffelees Inner circle I haven't changed anyone's opinion in 3623 Posts |
To your specific question, I find that a book is just not enough pressure to restore the deck. For not much money, you can get 2 pieces of 1x4 pine about 5" long, and 2 - 3" bolts with wing nuts. Drill one hole on each end for each bolt and tighten with the wing nuts. This will secure your deck in fine shape overnight and ready for the next day's work. Another option is 6 books...
Jim
Also known, when doing rope magic, as "Cordini"
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satellite23 Elite user 424 Posts |
I never understood why people try to keep their decks looking good. The reality is that they will bend, they will fade, the edges will wear out, etc. Just buy a new pack of cards for a few bucks.
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Mr. Mystoffelees Inner circle I haven't changed anyone's opinion in 3623 Posts |
I use a clip, not to be frugal, but to have a workable deck when I need it. Even in the card box, cards can become quickly misshapen making some sleights much harder- a perfect faro comes to mind. It is not trying to get more days out of a deck, but rather always having the deck you are carrying ready to perform well. Also, when I was on a tight budget, every dollar counted...
Jim
Also known, when doing rope magic, as "Cordini"
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Steven Youell V.I.P. 3866 Posts |
Some folks don't realize that various conditions affect Playing Cards.
Don't know if it's the same now, but that's why TallyHo's used to be thicker and sold mostly back east-- humidity. SEY |
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Albatros Regular user Germany 132 Posts |
Quote:
On 2012-08-13 22:39, satellite23 wrote: Well, one reason is simple: If people (like me) live outside of the US or any other place where bikes and tallys are common place a single deck can cost quite a lot - surely not as much as it would break my neck, but still expensive enaugh to avoid grabbing a new deck every day all the best, Sven ^^
"Palming cards... Like sex, it can be learned by almost anybody,but doing it well requires some native talent and assiduous practice." (John Scarne)
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Bill Hegbli Eternal Order Fort Wayne, Indiana 22797 Posts |
Quote:
On 2012-08-14 12:08, Albatros wrote: Why in the World, if you are living in Germany would you use a U.S. playing card. The whole idea of the Bikes decks is that many people here in the U.S. use this brand to play cards. They are sold in many stores and easy to find. I you live in Germany, you should be using a deck that is popular with the people in Germany that plays ordinary card games with. I thought the card of choice in Europe was the Piatnik Playing Cards. If so that is what you should be using, that way they don't ask you all the time if those are "trick cards". I also thought that they were manufacturing U.S.P.C.C. cards in Europe. So they should not be that expensive if they are still making them in over there. The best way to keep your cards longer is to only handle them with clean hands, use a close-up mat and don't Faro Shuffle them. The other way is to keep them in a box and do not remove them. Those card clamps and holders do not work, they are a waste of money. For the price of the clamp, you can buy 10 decks of cards. I have the Nielsen and a steel "U" shaped one, the steel one scratches the cards as they are inserted and removed. The Nielsen does not do much, as the cards are the same when they are removed. If want a clamp, just cut a 1" by 4" piece of wood, drill 2 holes in the sides and insert long bolts, and put wing nuts on the bolts with washers. Now you have a clamp that will clamp your cards. |
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Albatros Regular user Germany 132 Posts |
Quote:
On 2012-08-14 17:22, Bill Hegbli wrote: haha good point about using regular and known cards - just you wouldnt voice it if you ever tried to handle common german cards. Most of them make me sweat if I see them, after few minutes of handling they stick together... Among my friends ordering bikes over the internet for their home games is getting more and more common. Fast Food isn't the only good thing to leave the US Besides - the faces of traditional german cards look just stupid to me, but that's a strictly personal view. (Since you mentioned Piatnik cards - I have never seen a deck of those used in any game I frequented, and right now I wouldnt know any shop around my place where I could grab some of those. Mostly people use those cheap crap cards they get with their poker chip sets, and after that whatever they can get a hold of. I have never been called out on my bikes...) All the best, Sven ^^
"Palming cards... Like sex, it can be learned by almost anybody,but doing it well requires some native talent and assiduous practice." (John Scarne)
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Jason Simonds Veteran user Pensacola, FL 318 Posts |
I save my older, grungier cards for effects where the card is rendered useless (signed, torn, card warp etc). I keep a Ziploc freezer bag full of my older cards. For the disposable decks, I do not worry about duplicates or if there's exactly 52 cards. If the deck feels low, I'll grab some cards from the bag and replenish.
I'll carry a relatively new, full deck, along with the disposable deck and I'll have each deck set to perform. Swapping them out for each other is as easy as putting a deck in your pocket and then saying "Oh wait, let me show you something else" as you grab the other deck. |
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Dougini Inner circle The Beautiful State Of Maine 7130 Posts |
Quote:
On 2012-08-14 17:22, Bill Hegbli wrote: Hi Bill! When I lived in Germany in 1974/75, we played cards all the time. The brand? BICYCLE! Ha! It's true! The Germans know quality when they see it! Doug |
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Dr Art Regular user 170 Posts |
Use clean hands. Keep them in the card case under somthing heavy. And learn some routines where you have to sign, tear or destroy a card so you can appreciate when your decks get old and you can use them in those routines. They wlll also last longer if you don't have spectator shuffle them, let them cut the deck instead.
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RJLockwood Regular user Raleigh, NC 162 Posts |
Clean hands is a big thing... I always wash my hands before practice and performing (when possible), for starters its means the feel of the deck will remain the same between performance and practice. But you will notice a difference in the endurance of your cards, that's been my experience anyway.
I also use card clips, both Homemade and professionally made. Thanks, Ryan Lockwood
The more I learn, the less I seem to know.
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valiquid New user 3 Posts |
There's little to do, really. After some gentle use any deck will behave noticeably different from one you just took out of the box, and eventually they'll all become unusable for the flourishy stuff. Don't worry so much about it, an aged deck is usable for the vast majority of purposes and a magician should expect to have to go through an obscene number of decks anyway.
When I was a kid first trying to do a proper table spread, I was despairing at how much practice it seemed like it was going to take... using the same deck of cards I'd been studying magic with from the beginning. Even still, I ended up managing to get it looking halfway decent half the time. Unless you use faros a lot, which will fray the edges anyway, there's not very much that won't work with an older deck. Displaying a DL, maybe, but if you keep it aligned and moving you won't give anything away. |
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Dapperdan Regular user Detroit Area Magicians & Mentalists (DAMM) 136 Posts |
I would also suggest picking up a Porper card clip and keeping your "active" deck in it whenever you're not using it. This does help them stay in good shape.
Also, I would recommend just picking up a box of 12 bicycles to have in the house. You can get them on Amazon right now for $19.00... that's a little more than $1.50 per deck! Going through decks of cards is a funny thing. Took me a while to get used to discarding a "perfectly good" deck of cards that I had handled, shuffled, double lifted, etc. too much. I felt like I was "wasting". BUT, then I'd switch to a new deck and realize how much better it felt and how much easier some of the moves were. So, now I'm constantly giving decks to my kids to use, leaving them in doctors' waiting rooms, etc. I have invested in some "premium" decks, but seem to use new "cheaper" decks more often than the more expensive "premium" decks. It's really up to your personal preference.
Tada!...
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RJLockwood Regular user Raleigh, NC 162 Posts |
Costco too sells 12 pack of Bikes for $15. really good deal.
Some people seemed surprised that people would try to take care of their deck as opposed to buying new decks. First off, why not have your decks last a bit longer and feel nicer when it takes almost no time to throw them in a clip? Second, depending on the area of magic your interested in this can be essential. For me, I'm into card manipulation... i use Red Bee's that I have to prepare card by card INDIVIDUALLY, (wearing the plastic coating off) and then apply a powder to the deck and let them sit... then put them in a clip for a while to straighten. In addition I will practically "re-ruin" that deck in 30 seconds of practice if I don't have a clip to restore it. I of course can always buy more bees but a lot of work goes into each individual card... in reality it is much cheaper to maintain their good condition as much as possible. Fanning decks too arnt the cheapest and I certainly wouldn't buy more just because mine are maybe a little warped. Just a thought, I find properly maintaining our tools (Even if its my close-up deck) is always a good idea, even though of course I have no second thought about replacing it when its served its purpose. Thanks, Ryan Lockwood.
The more I learn, the less I seem to know.
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danaruns Special user The City of Angels 808 Posts |
Maybe I'm just wasteful. For me, practice decks are disposable, and are different from performance decks, which I take care of (but also dispose when they start to get sticky). I'm a bad person.
"Dana Douglas is the greatest magician alive. Plus, I'm drunk." -- Foster Brooks
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AsL Special user 680 Posts |
Quote:
On Aug 13, 2012, Steven Youell wrote: Completely agree! |
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RJLockwood Regular user Raleigh, NC 162 Posts |
I second the above statement
The more I learn, the less I seem to know.
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