Hello. I have been doing manipulation for 2 years and in every manipulation act almost all of my steals are like: I put my righthand to my side, I turn my left side to the spectators, I produce something with my lefthand and steal with my right. I have started to get little bored about that method, and I have started learning steals from my front. At this moment I only use elastic belt with cards and balls.

So my questions are: 1.What kind of other holders do you use? 2.Where do you put them? 3.What kind of cover do you use?

I'm not asking for methods, I'm asking for inspiration.

RJH

I have mentioned this book several times, it comes with a drawing of the placement of all his load positions. I suggest you purchase "Tony Marks Aristocrat of Deception. It is the only book that I know of that actually give suggestions never before seen for the placement of loads and steals.

http://bevbergeron.com/tony_marks.html

Lewis Ganson's "Expert Manipulation of Playing Cards" will give you some ideas on how to routine you material.

http://www.davenportsmagic.co.uk/acatalog/info-312.html

Geoffrey Buckingham books "It's Easier then you think" tell how he set up his material.

http://www.magicinc.net/easierthanyouthinkvol1.aspx

http://www.magicinc.net/easierthanyouthinkvol2.aspx

Geoffrey Buckingham manipulation DVD shows the placement of all his props, and then what it looked like to produce them.

http://www.llpub.com/zenshop/index.php?m......_id=2463

There actually no published reference material. I can only think of one other booklet that had a routine that showed where the cards were place on a table to commence his card routine. A small booklet that is no longer published.

Arthur Buckley "Principles and Deceptions" is another good book on steals and placement of them, his work is very hard as well. His other book "Card Control" as some good material to learn. These books are out of print - even the reprints are out of print. I do believe Card Control is back in print by a publishing company that prints old books in paperback.

If you are going to not use any tables or a box table, then the only choice left is the body and therefore it is limited to your reach.

Actually, it is good you are becoming "bored" as this means you are not at the point of becoming proficient at your methods. The next step is to make them become invisible to everyone. With increased speed and misdirection, and acting like this is the 1st time you have performed these miracles.

Have you considered that famous magicians like Channing Pollack and Cardini did the same act with the same cloths, props, movements, expressions, etc. for over 10 years every time they performed their acts. Nothing changed! More recently Lance Burton did his manipulation routines for 20 years every night 2 to 3 times a night, never changing a thing.

That is why the were experts and were so good.

So you have gotten to the 1st step in your development of manipulation magic.

Now is the time to create your clothing, and style you would like your character to look like on stage. How to the character would move and gesture on stage.

Also to develop a routine, is it interesting, does have the power to hold an audience spellbound, of does your character hold the audience spellbound as Lance Burton did in his performance.

Now is time to ask yourself if all you want is moves or do you want to become an artist.

Now is time for you to become creative and work new ideas that will be all yours, because if you ever give a magic lecture, they want only new material you have created yourself.

Bill
I once saw Geoffrey Buckingham do his lecture, I was 15.

Just mind blowing... watching the techniques and methods he employed. He stated he had 72 loads and to see if we could catch each productions.

Jay, that same challenge is made on his video performance. I can tell you I did not see but one that was obvious at the front. His load bags are the best in my opinion.

Thank you Bill. I have Lewis Ganson's ''Expert manipulation of playing cards'' and ''Buckley's Card Control''. I have also seen Buckingham's DVD. I'm planning of getting Buckingham's ''It's easier than you think''. I would love to get Buckley's ''Principles and deceptions'', but if it's out of print then I can't do nothing about it. I have not heard of Tony Mark's ''Aristocrat of Deception'', but I'm interested about it.

Thank you very much Bill, you have been a big help.

RJH

RJH, a PDF copy of Buckley's "Principles and Deceptions" is available for $7 at Lybrary.com
http://www.lybrary.com/principles-and-deceptions-p-144.html

Bill, thanks for the Aristocrat tip. I've placed my order.

Regards,
Bob

Wow, thanks Bob. I might get it now.

RJH

Although the Arthur Buckley books are out of print, they are apparently still available as pdf books ar:
http://www.lybrary.com/advanced_search_r......in=title

I checked on alibris.com and there are copies available there but at fairly expensive prices.

----- Amado "Sonny" Narvaez

Thank you, Amado. I might get the PDF some day soon.

RJH

I have the same problem too.
Thank you guys.

If you are doing tht many loads, consider reducing the number of loads.
It makes the act more practical.

Elliot, what are you talking about?

RJH

I think you should reduce your number of body loads. Re work your routine so that you have less.
In your mind. What is the benefit of body loads?

Who are you talking to? Nobody has there is no video in this thread. Nobody has told how many load they use. RJH

I'm talking to you, RJH.
A few months ago you posted a video of your card act. You titled the thread "comments on my card manipulation" or something similar.
I am a professional, and I have consulted with many other pros, less body loads is more practical and better for you at this point in your career.

Okay, sorry Elliot. I like body loads. I might take them off, maybe not.

RJH

There have been many attempts to eliminate body loads/steals from all kinds of card and ball manipulation routines. In general, I think those attempts have tended to weaken an act.

Those magicians whom most of us have considered exemplars of manipulation--Cardini, Channing Pollock, Johnny Hart, Geoffrey Buckingham, etc--have all used body steals. In the chapter "Card Magic by Manipulation" from _Routined Manipulation Finale_, Lewis Ganson came up with some great alternatives for avoiding steals from the coat, but they required steals from formal gloves, which does not fit today's milieu.

Personally, I see nothing at all wrong with body steals. Done well, I think they make the act more mystifying. That said, of the "modern" performers, I think Jeff McBride does a great job avoiding body steals in his card act.

Anverdi had some nice ideas for steals of balls from places like the breast pocket of a suit or sports coat. You might be able to find some of his books at used book sites/magic shops. There is one copy of Anverdi's lecture notes currently listed at alibris.com
http://www.alibris.com/booksearch.detail......=&page=1

Bob McAllister had a very clever, totally deceptive way to steal a ball from his pants pocket while wearing a sports coat. I used Bob's method when demonstrating the multiplying billiard balls when I worked in Earl Edwards's Magic Shop. I'm not sure if it was original with him or not. He used it for the ball production in his "Watch the Spot" trick.

Reducing the number of card fans and singles will in itself streamline a card manipulation act enough to eliminate or at least reduce the need for steals.

----- Amado "Sonny" Narvaez

There is a difference between body loads an body loads done well

Amado, thanks. At this moment I'm paractising steals without a jacket and waistcoat, only shirt. It's a shame that gloves aren't used these days, and if are, somebody from the audience will every time say: '' Gay! ''. I would like to know more about Anverdis techniques, they sound interesting.

RJH

At one time I used an ice bucket with a lid, like this one:
http://barsupplies.com/images/stainless-ice-bucket.jpg
to toss cards into as they were produced. I attached a clip holding a stock of cards to the lid, which was then placed on top of the bucket. As I entered the stage, I produced a fan of cards. Then lifted the lid of the bucket with the left hand so I could toss a couple of split fans and singles into the bucket proper, taking care of course to not expose the secret stock. Then as I placed the lid under the bucket (to act like a sort of pedestal), I would secretly st**l the next stock of cards.

In his booklet _Card Fan Productions_ Marlo writes about using the silk band around a fedora to hold a stock of cards.

You could also, of course, just start with the cards in a card case. Take the cards out and do some thumb fan flourishes and at the end of the flourishes apparently toss the cards into the hat or bucket. You can add a touch of magic to using the card case by using Lou Tannen's "Pack Full of Pep" from the Tarbell Course, Volume 2. The cards rise magically from the card case. No threads, can be done in any lighting situation, and adds a very magical extra touch at the beginning of the routine!

I used to use a serpent silk effect as misdirection for secretly acquiring cards from my coat. The animation of the silk untying itself is very strong misdirection. You could probably blatantly pick up the stock from your table while the audience's eyes are transfixed by the silk untying itself.

And IIRC, Jeff McBride talks about steals and loads in his DVD set "The Art of Card Manipulation."

----- Amado "Sonny" Narvaez