There are a lot of pictures, but they really don't make a lot of sense without the instructions.

I might order a copy and put my English version up on eBay.

Sorry dude, Garcia's sponge ball book is awesome. I got mine in 1976 with my first set of sponge balls.
If I didn't own it I would aquire it.
Think of it this way... the book won't go down in price.
Aside from e-bay try contacting the publisher or Frank's Garcia's Estate.

Kregg

I think you misunderstood what I was saying. If you read the earlier threads on this, I was one of the people who recommended this book over any other source. What I meant was that the German book would be of little value to most of the people on this forum, because without the English text, the pictures will not suffice to teach sponge ball magic.

I have no problem reading German. If you have Paramiracles or Sheherazade you have work that I have translated from German into English. So, if the German version has all the material from the English version, I would find it as useful to me as the English version. And putting mine on eBay wouldn't limit me at all.

But it would cost me a personal autograph from my late friend, Frank Garcia.

I would never say anything against this book.

BTW, this book was self-published. So if there is to be any further printings of it, they will have to be done by permission of his estate.

Sorry Bill I should have been clearer. I only meant to agree that the book is worth every dollar. You could probably fetch $350 plus for an autographed copy in pristine condition.
I recently purchased Cards as Weapons at a whopping price. I couldn't figure out why I didn't buy it when it first came out? Then, I opened the book and saw the nude photographs.
Oh yeah, I was only sixteen.

Kregg

For those of you who own a copy of Garcia's book hold on to your hats...I just found a site (biblio.com) with a copy for sale. Get this, it's priced at $500! I'm glad I got my copy for $20 when I did.

Kregg:

Thanks for clearing that up!

Oli-
I speak German and appreciated the tip. Ordered a copy today.
Vielen Dank

Hello TXKEVIN,

You are welcome and I´m sure you will love it! The encyclopedia is purely awesome.

Have fun,

Greetings from Munich,

Oli

Is there any one book that deals mostly with Sleights, Palms, vanishes, etc... instead of routines?

Garcia's book is exellent but there a number of DVD's on the market now which cover many of the slights and some of the newer moves.

When I put together my routine I spent time looking a billard ball manipulation - many of the vanishes and productions work well with sponge balls and Pat Page gave me some novel ideas on using a standard dye tube with sponges used both with and without silks.

My German is poor buy I read French reasonably well. Does anyone know of a French version of Garcia's book?

ME

The free market at an auction is interesting,

At a tremendous personal sacrificee, I am willing to sell my copy of Garcia's "Encyclopedia" for $500.

... any takers ?

Also I would hate it and it would hurt me hard, my copy/mint condition, goes for the measly sum of 1000 $.

Please don't overflow my mailbox re that favourite offer, I've only one copy..first come, first serve

This makes my $200 purchase of it as a rare book on eBay seem like a bargain!

Is this book still going for such high prices? I am tempted to put mine up for sale. Does anyone have an idea of how much this is going for these days ?

It would seem the copyright owner has a goldmine should he or she desire to publish a reprint. You could charge twice or more what a book of that size would retail for at todays book prices and still be considered reasonable.

If the copyright has expired then lets hope an enterprising magic publisher will print it, or would we rather have Dover books buy it up and put it into the hands of every kid who browses a local bookstore. Remember Bobo's Coin Magic?

(Wow - almost a year later and this thread still lives!)

Frank..don't know about a "Goldmine", how many copies do you think would be sold Worldwide?

Hardly Harry Potter dimensions!

Howard

I sold my mint copy just several minutes ago.
... not that anyone cares.

You are right Howard, no one gets rich selling magic or even publishing books, Just ask Richard Kaufman. I let my enthusiasm get away from me.

Frank, I think we all bet carried away in "our " little world.
I keep saying.....look at the number of people on line here..World Wide..the proverbial "drop in the Ocean".

Thats why it makes me laugh when things get a little heated on here and the thread gets locked/deleted/removed...who is bothered what is said ..hardly going to cause World war 3 is it.

Howard