How to Pick a Good Magic Set
For those who want to get involved in the world of magic, the starting options can be dizzying.
There are hundreds and thousands of books, DVDs, tricks, and other information available for the would-be magician.
One good route to building a solid magical foundation is to purchase a magic set.
Here are some tips to pick out the set that's right for you.
First, are there any particular types of magic that interest you? Card magic, coin magic, close-up magic, or anything else? If there is a particular specialty that excites you, look for a set that will feed that interest.
If you just want a general introduction to the field, look for a generalist set.
Next, decide what kind of starting magic set you want.
The first type is the full set.
This contains pre-selected magic tricks, props, and accessories for you to perform your first magic show.
The great thing about these sets is there is little guesswork involved.
You simply perform the tricks as described.
This can be a drawback, however, for the more serious student of magic.
Because many of the props are rigged or gimmicked, the beginner may start to rely on these little tricks rather than on sleight of hand and other fundamental magical techniques.
Another kind is the magic book.
These are perhaps for the most serious student of magic, as thousands of magicians over the years have honed their craft with them.
They usually provide solid instruction on the fundamentals of sleight of hand, misdirection, and performance.
The drawback of these books is that it is often hard to learn from a book.
For the beginner, this learning curve may be overwhelming at first.
The third type of magic set is the DVD.
Like books, these DVDs often contain fundamentals of magic and require few rigged props.
Unlike books, DVDs provide visual learners with a great model from which to work, not only in techniques but also in aspects of performance.
There are hundreds and thousands of books, DVDs, tricks, and other information available for the would-be magician.
One good route to building a solid magical foundation is to purchase a magic set.
Here are some tips to pick out the set that's right for you.
First, are there any particular types of magic that interest you? Card magic, coin magic, close-up magic, or anything else? If there is a particular specialty that excites you, look for a set that will feed that interest.
If you just want a general introduction to the field, look for a generalist set.
Next, decide what kind of starting magic set you want.
The first type is the full set.
This contains pre-selected magic tricks, props, and accessories for you to perform your first magic show.
The great thing about these sets is there is little guesswork involved.
You simply perform the tricks as described.
This can be a drawback, however, for the more serious student of magic.
Because many of the props are rigged or gimmicked, the beginner may start to rely on these little tricks rather than on sleight of hand and other fundamental magical techniques.
Another kind is the magic book.
These are perhaps for the most serious student of magic, as thousands of magicians over the years have honed their craft with them.
They usually provide solid instruction on the fundamentals of sleight of hand, misdirection, and performance.
The drawback of these books is that it is often hard to learn from a book.
For the beginner, this learning curve may be overwhelming at first.
The third type of magic set is the DVD.
Like books, these DVDs often contain fundamentals of magic and require few rigged props.
Unlike books, DVDs provide visual learners with a great model from which to work, not only in techniques but also in aspects of performance.
