Magic Tricks

A Bit Of The History Of Magic
One could enjoy watching magicians perform their amazing tricks. Whether they are in a circus, in a school program, a friend?s birthday celebration, or in a favorite television show, magicians are among today?s top entertainers.

Here are a few of the top magicians in their times:

The history of using magic as a form of entertainment may have begun with magician Chevalier Joseph Pinetti. More than three centuries ago, Chevalier Joseph Pinetti, wowed his audiences worldwide with his bag of magic tricks. And that was in 1782!

Among his tricks was the ability to produce an orange tree blossoming on stage that bore fruit. Pinetti?s wife even acted as an assistant, helping the magician to do his mentalist and escape tricks. Known as the ?Professor of Natural Magic,? he was known for his great magic tricks, tricks that belonged clearly to the modern era of magic.

Come the nineteenth century. The said century welcomed the use of technical-assisted magic, with some of the magicians developing various devices that would aid or help in their illusions. Using optical aids or devices, electromagnets, as well as various stage lighting forms, these magicians were able to amaze audiences from time to time with their very elaborate and dazzling tricks.

One known magician in the nineteenth century was the magician Hermann the Great. Alexander Herrmann was his real name, and this German magician did his tricks with all of the kinds of stage magic he had known, even from super close-up productions to fill-stage events. An American rival, Harry Kellar, took over Herrmann?s popularity for some time and became the most prominent magician for more than 10 years.

Other magicians in the nineteenth century included T. Nelson Downs and Howard Thurston. Downs is originally a vaudevillian by trade, but had become great and famous in his magic tricks that he became known as ?King of Koins.?

Thurston, on the other hand, invested much of his money in building an extravaganza, which is a show on magic. It reigned over the American entertainment magic scene for over twenty-five years.

Probably one of the more known magicians in recent times was Harry Houdini. Known as one of the best American magicians, he was known for his great escape acts, including his own famous creation, the ?Chinese Water Torture Cell.?

Another famous American magician is David Copperfield, who until recently performed numerous magic acts in shows and TV programs.

Preston Houer has been involved with the art of illusion and slight of hand for over 30 years. Let Preston show you how to Have Fun With Magic. Visit His Site Today! <a href="http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com" title="http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com" target="_blank">http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com</a>

Creators Of Magic Tricks -- A Brief History Of Magic Tricksters
We've all heard the term "magic." Some of us use it in our daily lives. But what really is magic? Well, the formal definition of magic is something like this: Magic is the performance of illusions meant to entertain, baffle and amaze. The purpose of magic is to give the illusion that the impossible or supernatural has been achieved. Although magic deals with the illusion of the supernatural, no ghostly beings or entities actually have any part in a magic act. Truly entertaining magic is always done by a skilled performer who knows how to use natural means to create the impression that something next to impossible has been done.

Early magic was most likely probably used for cheating in gambling games such as cards or in times of war like the use of the Trojan Horse. But during the 18th magic became less of a series of seemingly pointless deceptions and more of a respectable activity done by professional illusionists.

The earliest recorded modern practice of magic tricks was done by Jean Eugene Robert Houdin in the mid-1800s. In fact, many consider Houdin the father of modern magic. Houdin, originally a trained clock worker, switched to the practicing of magic when he opened a magic theater in Paris in the 1840s. Houdin's special magic trick of the time was creating small mechanical pieces that seemed to move and act as if they were alive.

After that the popularity of magic continued to grow. In 1873 two men, British performer J. N. Maskelyne and his partner Cooke established their own theatre, the Egyptian Hall in London England's Piccadilly. The magic tricks these two men were best known for performing were hiding special mechanisms in their stages to control audiences' points of view. So, the magic was in people and items suddenly disappearing and reappearing, or being distorted in some way.

The late 19th century brought on celebrity magic and celebrity musicians. This was the time of the world-famous Harry Houdini, whose real name was Erich Weiss. Houdini's magic tricks were based on the ability to escape impossible situations. Today this term is referred to as escapology.

Depending on whom you talk to today, magic is a trivial passtime for children, or magic can be a real source of entertainment. At least that was the common attitude towards magic in the 1980s and 1990s.

Today magic seems to be in vogue again. But most modern workers of magic follow a strict code of ethics. For example, those who perform on television don't use camera tricks and videotape editing to create the illusion of powerful magic. Magic workers today use only traditional forms of magic. This means they use the same forms of magic for television as they would for a live magic show.

The old saying about magic being smoke and mirrors is true. The art of magic tricks is all about fooling the audiences' eyes and getting them to think they are seeing something that really isn't happening. That's what true magic and the practice of good magic tricks is all about.

Magic Trick Facts is an information site that contains articles, a directory and other<a href="http://www.magictrickfacts.com/"> Magic Trick Resources</a>. It can be found at: <a href="http://www.magictrickfacts.com/">http://www.magictrickfacts.com</a>

Different Paraphernalia Used In Performing Magic
David Blaine and David Copperfield's popularity have inspired a lot of people to learn magic. And with that, there are also a number of stores that sell magic paraphernalia for those who would like to learn the art of magic. Below are some of the popular equipment used for magic:

Visible Sawing - the participant lays flat on a bench or table. Then, the magician places a wooden stock over the participants mid-section. The saw is turned on and is used to cut the individual in half. After the saw has been turned off and the stock is removed, the participant stands in front of the audience unharmed.

Victory Cubes - is a new stage inclusion that can be used to make tricks more well-executed. Perfect for blocking those angles that might reveal the trick's secret, or as a prop container. These instantly make a magic show show bigger and more valuable.

Magic Rose - the magician is holding a full sized white rose and sprinkles it with glitter dust. Then he approaches one of the female specatators and gives it to her. Suddenly, the white rose turns to red.

Vanishing milk pitcher - it looks like an ordinary pitcher. The magician present the pitcher to the audience to show that it does not have any holes. He places liquid (usually milk because it is more visible than water) on the pitcher and covers it with silk cloth. A few magics later and the liquid disappears from the pitcher. The magician even turns it upside down to prove that there is no liquid on the pitcher.

Giant Deck of Cards- there's a deck of cards available which falls perfectly in between the standard poker-size cards and the typical jumbo decks. The Anglo Giant cards measure 3.5" by 5" and their large indices make it easy for audiences to see the cards even from a distance.

Magnetic finger Tips - is used to perform routines with Coins, Silverware, Cling Rings other metallic objects. It can also be used in a trick to move objects.

Wand - it is a slim stick used by magicians to execute some magic tricks.

Collapsible top hat - a black satin lined hat that folds flat when tapped by a wand and springs back to normal when touched again.

Chinese coins - can be used for enthralling type tricks and other magic coin techniques.

Coin bender - a specially made tool for magicians that bends coins during an act.

Feather Flower - this item can be compressed into a thin bundle than can fit on either your coat sleeve or into your hat. Then, they pop open when reached.

Threads - This is almost invisible to the naked eye. It allows you to perform tricks that make objects float.

Fire Wallet - this wallet fires up when opened.

Preston Houer has been involved with the art of illusion and sleight of hand for over 30 years. Let Preston show you how to Have Fun With Magic. Visit His Site Today! <a href="http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com" title="http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com" target="_blank">http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com</a>

10 Steps to become a magician
Have you ever thought about becoming a magician? I did, some ten years ago. I had seen this amazing magician on TV which really caught my attention! I just didn’t know anything about where to start. Back then, there was no such thing as internet â€" at least not in any form that I had access to. So I went to the local library, and got “Houdini’s book of magicâ€�. I went back home, thrilled to get started learning magic. I sat down at the kitchen table with my black hat, playing cards, coins, rubber bands and my magic wand. I was ready. I opened the book and skipped pages until I got to the first explanation. To my surprise I realized that the illustrations in the book were pictures of a guy also sitting by a kitchen table! This was not identical to my imaginary picture. I was pretty sure these guys were up on huge stages, putting females into boxes with the intention of sawing them in half. Not sitting in the kitchen, wrapping yesterday’s newspaper around a yellow ball, trying to make it look like he could push it through the table (which he, in my mind, didn’t succeed with). To tell the truth, I was disappointed. The same went for all the other tricks in the entire book. Furthermore, I had the same feeling with every magic book I looked up at the local library or any other library for that sake. Theses book just didn’t do it! I had heard rumors about this guy Houdini and I was sure that he was a fairly cool magician. A least I was sure he was doing more impressive stuff than what I could ever learn from this book! So once again, I was stuck. Then one day I went with my parents to this amusement park where there was a magic shop. They actually sold the tricks I had seen on TV, such as the linking rings etc. I spent all my savings on magic props. I had a thousand questions for the owner of the store, and probably because I was his best customer, he gave me some useful tips. I told him I was going to spend my holiday in London, and I asked if he could recommend any specific places to visit. He told me about this magic store called “International Magicâ€�, which had the exact things I was looking for. About one month later, my family and I went to London. A short while after checking in to our hotel, we were on our way to “International Magicâ€�. This was an amazing experience and I was hooked! A lady working there told me about a magic store in Denmark called “Peganiâ€�. When I got back home, I quickly became a loyal costumer at Pegani. The owner of this store, Steen Pegani, had all the information I needed. I became a member of a magic circle close to my home city Billund. I went to the world congress of magic, FISM, in Dresden. And here I am ten years later, still hooked! However, I found this process convoluted and slow. The Internet sure has made this a lot easier, for everyone seeking to learn magic. Still, if you are new in this area, I have a few tips you might find useful. 1: Read: What is the first thing you do, every time you want to know something about a new topic? The same thing you are doing right now. Read! Read as much about magic as you possible can get your hands on. Not just effects and the following explanation. Read about the history, about different magicians, the different styles of magic, anything. This will make everything afterwards easier and more exciting. 2: Choose your style: Decide if you are more into close-up magic, stage magic, illusions, Mentalism, etc. Why is this important? Well if you care about your money, this is probably the best tip I can give you! See when you get into magic, you will find a dozen of magic tricks, you just feel you really need to know how works. Just like when you see David Copperfield doing a show. How much would you be willing to pay to know the secret? Too much! I have spent too much money on different effects that are actually pretty cool, still I have never used them. Why? Because they just don’t fit my style. Pulling rabbits out of a black hat just doesn’t go along with card tricks. That’s it. 3: Get to know other magicians: This is the best way to keep yourself motivated. Seeing other magicians do magic, showing them your own tricks, getting feedback, learning new tricks, and so on. Socializing with magicians is the best. Besides, they are pretty much the only guys you can practice with! You cannot ask your friends to watch you perform a magic trick and give you feedback the same way you can ask a magician. Unless you are giving a very poor performance, your friends will not and should not have any clue what you really doing. 4: Get a mirror: If you don’t have any magic friends in the house, you’d better get hold of a mirror. This is the only way you can tell if you are doing well or not. This is your silent audience, which can always be trusted. If you are doing stage magic, you’d better get a big one. 5: Watch out when buying magic effects: You are on your way into a world of magic and expensive props! Sooner or later you are going to start shopping magical props. You will see the most amazing ads for different effects, and this stuff is not cheap. But watch out and don’t let yourself get caught by the promising ads. This is the only business I can think of, where the customer can’t be told what he’s buying before he has paid for it. Too often have I tried opening the package only to realize that this isn’t close to what I was hoping for. You will get a disappointing feeling, since you cannot argue that the effect description is incorrect, it just might not work very well in real life. 6: Buy books/DVD’s rather than pre-made effects: One way to learn new effects is to buy a pre-made trick where you typically get some plastic gadget and an explanation. One company known for these kinds of tricks is Tenyo. Most of these effects are somewhat automatic, so the magician can focus on the performance. However these tricks are about as un-magical as they possibly can be. The plastic makes them look and sound cheap. No matter how good a performance you give, it will be difficult to impress people with such a toy-looking peace of magic. However, it is still possible to buy cool packet effects. Recently I bought a trick called hopping half which I have been really pleased with. This is an amazing effect using quality precision made prop. It is expensive though. So my advice is to buy magic books and DVDs instead of these pre-made tricks. Here you will get a lot of cool effects, and often something you can do without spending a fortune on extra props. I plan to start writing reviews of magic books and DVDs which I recommend on my other blog, JakobRecommends. 7: Leans slights and make your own combinations: This advice is for people who are into close-up magic. After some time when you have spent all your money on magic stuff, you are going to wish you knew how to make up your own tricks. Making magical inventions is an interesting subject which I will write more about later. But basically it should not be that difficult. I find it specially easy with card tricks. So where do you start? Get to know as many different slights as possible. Double lift, pinky break, Elmsley count, faro shuffle, passes â€" there are many, so go ahead. If you are a beginner at magic with cards, I would recommend the books Card College written by Roberto Giobbi. These five books will take you through more than you can imagine! You will learn several different slights and tricks. If you are a bit more experienced, I would recommend books and DVDs by Allan Ackerman. This guy is one of my favorite magicians. Anyway, when you have learned a lot of different slights, it should not be too complicated to set up your own trick. 8: Join The Magic Café Forum: This is a must! Go to The Magic Cafe and sign up. This is probably the largest forum for magicians. It contains enough useful information to keep you busy for days! It is also a great place to get different opinions about the books or tricks you are about to buy, and you can get feedback on your own ideas. Get to know other magicians. Often they invite famous magicians in for some hours, and everyone can ask questions. This is a great place! 9: Give a regular visit to All Magic: Go to here and take a look for yourself. There is a lot of information. Among other things, they have a list of magic dealers from all over the world, trick explanations, reviews etc. Go check it out! 10: Go out and perform, to improve your self: So now what? You have learned a few tricks, and you just can’t wait to see people’s reaction! Well then go out and perform your trick! I always start out by showing the tricks to friends or relatives first. Just in case you are going to make a mistake, you won’t feel as bad, as if you showed it for someone you don’t know. Showing your tricks is absolutely the best way to improve yourself! Just thinking about failing makes you sweat - this is why an upcoming performance will make you practice your hands off! So there you have it. It is not the complete guide to becoming a true magician, but you will definitely be on the right way!

<p>My name is Jakob. I am a guy in the mid twenties, from Copenhagen, Denmark. This is my first attempt making <a href="http://www.jakobdk.com" target="_blank">a blog</a>. Besides from this Blog, Im currently working on two other projects, which you can find ,<a href="http://www.jakobrecommends.com" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.travellingexpandsthemind.com" target="_blank">here</a></p>

Magic Cards
Magic has been around for centuries. It has even been associated with medieval times in stories of Merlin and King Arthur, which has made religious people believe that this was evil. And people who knew it and practiced it were considered to be heretics and were burned at the stake.

Now who would ever imagine that magic has now gained a more favorable popularity? With more than a handful of famous magicians amusing innumerable audiences, magic has never been this much loved before. This popularity has made a lot of people yearn to learn some magic tricks. One of the most basic is the use of magic cards.

A deck of cards is one of the most common props used by magicians. There are many forms of magic tricks a person can do with a deck of cards. Here's what one aspiring magician has to learn in manipulating magic cards:

The first thing that a person must learn is how to shuffle. This is done using both hands and by having a certain amount of cards on each hand. Then alternately put one card over the other until all the cards are in one stack then putting them together to form a uniform pile.

After that, one can start performing certain tricks that will both fool and amaze the audience. Some well known magicians can make a cigarette go right through a deck of cards while others can make a card float in the air with no visible strings attached.

The most basic trick that anyone can master however is letting someone pick a card and after shuffling it, picking that same card the person selected moments ago. There are so many other tricks one can do with a deck of cards and all it takes is some time to get to know these tricks, practice it then show off to friends.

Other than using magic cards, there are so many other tricks, which involve other props or paraphernalia such as a coin, a hanky, or even a small ball. The use of cards in performing a trick is merely an execution of various optical illusions and manipulation, which just goes to show that the hand is quicker than the eye.

Cards can be bought at the local specialty store or ordered online. Sometimes these come with other special packages that will make tricks more fun to perform and watch.

One secret that either a newbie or an expert can benefit on while using a magic card or just about any magic props is to not reveal the secret of how the tricks are done.

Preston Houer has been involved with the art of illusion and sleight of hand for over 30 years. Let Preston show you how to Have Fun With Magic. Visit His Site Today! <a href="http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com" title="http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com" target="_blank">http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com</a>

Teaching Your Child Magic Tricks
When it comes to fun family entertainment, consider teaching your child old fashioned magic tricks. This is a great way to kill time while waiting for an event to start or to stop those annoying questions of ?are we there yet?? while driving in the car. Consider bringing clever magic tricks with you on vacation or camping trip so you children will have no complaints of being bored. You can find magic tricks at any specialty store or even your child?s favorite toy store. Many magic tricks do not require any additional materials, besides the old standby of a handkerchief or a bright, shiny penny.

One fantastic option for individuals wishing to teach their kids magic tricks are the Klutz series of books. These books teach kids, ?tweens,? and teenagers all sorts of things, from different ways to braid hair to how to perform a variety of tricks using an old fashioned wooden yoyo. In addition to in depth instruction especially for the younger crowd, these books include several accessories that are necessary for performing the task. From their instruction book on magic tricks to their instruction book on card tricks, the Klutz series are perfect for any individual of any age looking to learn magic.

A quick trip to your favorite bookstore or local library will result in a plethora of books that will provide you with step by step instruction when it comes to teaching your child magic tricks. From classic tricks that are sure to elicit a chuckle to in depth slights of hand, magic tricks, and illusions that will wow all audiences, you are sure to find out how to perform each task with in depth step by step instructions that anyone will be able to flawlessly follow.

Consider bringing some necessary tools for teaching the specific magic tricks along on a long plane or train ride so your kids can do something more productive than mindlessly play video games or argue. This is a great idea if you are traveling to a city with a renowned magic shop, museum of magic, or show that features world class magicians. For instance, if you are traveling to Las Vegas to see the fantastic Lance Burton, teach your kids a few magic tricks along the way to make the show hit closer to home.

Magic tricks are great for school or club talent shows in which your child wishes to participate. Quite often, children are left at a loss when it comes to participating in talent shows and may feel left out if they cannot think of a talent that has not been chosen. Everyone sings or dances on stage at a talent show, but few children can don a magic hat and cape and perform astounding tricks of slight of hand or illusions. Learning magic can boost a child?s self esteem, especially when he or she finally gets the gist of the trick and is able to flawlessly perform the trick in front of an audience. Who knows, your child may be the next great magician and they will only have you to thank for showing them basic magic tricks!

Magic Trick Facts is an information site that contains articles, a directory and other<a href="http://www.magictrickfacts.com/"> Magic Trick Resources</a>. It can be found at: <a href="http://www.magictrickfacts.com/">http://www.magictrickfacts.com</a>

To Be Or Not To Be A Professional Or An Amateur Magician
An amateur magician is anyone who has a minimum amount of talent, skill and knowledge when it comes to performing magic tricks. He or she may be anyone who knows one magic trick or at least three magic tricks.

But basically, a more technical definition of an amateur magician is anyone who does not in any way practice magic as their trade, even if he or she knows four, five, six or more than a number of magic tricks. This is regardless of how good, better or excellent he or she may be in performing flourishes, sleight of hand or optical illusions.

However, there are those amateur magicians who try their very best to expand their current knowledge as well as repertoire and still practice magic as their primary source of income. People who do this are usually called hedge magicians. This is in order to differentiate them from authentic professional magicians who make practicing and performing magic as a trade and make an actual living doing so.

Meanwhile a professional magician is anyone who has a little bit more knowledge and talent compared to an amateur magician. These professional magicians know sufficient magic that makes it enough for them to use it as their primary source of trade and income, as well as not using magic to assist them in a trade other than magic.

So technically, even if a barber performs his job using magic and no matter how many tricks he or she knows and is capable of, that barber is still not considered as a professional magician because his primary trade is cutting hairs and not necessarily being a magician.
Another way to differentiate a professional magician from an amateur is by the way he or she does flourishes.

According to the Online Encylopedia of Magic, a flourish is any sleight that is performed for the purpose of entertaining an audience and does not in any way contain any moves that are hidden. Most sleights that are performed are done so in order to deceive a captive audience and to do something that can not be detected. Meanwhile, a flourish is any trick that is done to draw the audience?s attention away from where an actual sleight is simultaneously being performed.

There are some magicians who consider the performance of a flourish as simply a finger exercise and not really actual pieces of performance. But those magicians who do put in and include flourishes in their act are considered by some of their fellow magicians as a seriously skilled performer.

If a performance consists of a card trick wherein the cards are spread out on the table and when a performer does a pressure card fan, the image that that performer projects is one of professionalism and experience. But a performer of magic who simply holds the cards and then spreads them slightly, may then be considered more as an amateur. Although this may or may not be true or this may not be considered as a hard fact, this is the perception and the impression that a performing magician usually gives to an audience.

Flourishes are done not just as a form of show-off to the audience, a flourish is also done for the purpose of presenting just how a performer is truly dedicated to the magic act. It also shows the degree of professionalism one has for the performance.

When a flourish is done, it makes it easier to know the difference between a magic trick performed by an expert magician and your friendly neighborhood Jim who is doing a card trick.

A skilled performer comes off as a natural and will ultimately receive more credit for his or her performance as well as recognition, not to mention that good old respect for the skills he or she has.

When a spectator is looking at a magic trick where the occasional flourish is done, that performer is also seen as more than a magician but a person who is passionate at what he or she is doing. It is therefore so much easier to hire a magician who has more skills and experience than one who needs to practice his or her craft more.

Preston Houer has been involved with the art of illusion and sleight of hand for over 30 years. Let Preston show you how to Have Fun With Magic. Visit His Site Today! <a href="http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com" title="http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com" target="_blank">http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com</a>

Magic: The Science Of Illusion
Magic has been connected to mystery and things that cannot be explained by science. But, during the recent years, there has been in-depth studies focused to magic. Now, magic is known to be the science of illusion. More than that, magic is also an art based on science and techniques.

In fields of sciences like psychiatry, illusion is said to be a distortion of sensory perception. But no matter how negative this may sound, magic has entertained people based on illusion. This gives the impression that something impossible has occurred. Magic tricks are based on scientific principles but people do not seem to connect magic and science.

Different illusions are being used in magic and there are seven types of them.

? Production. These are magic tricks out of thin air. Producing something out of nothing. Tricks like these include appearing acts ? rabbit coming out of an empty hat, coins from an empty pocket and the magician or an assistant appearing through a puff of smoke on an empty stage.

? Vanish. Tricks from this category are those disappearing acts like coins disappearing, a dove vanishing out of thin air by a clap of hand and stuffs inside silks into the hands of the magician but when opened revealed nothing. This category is the total opposite of production. The similar tricks are used but done in reverse.

? Transformation. As the word suggest, the tricks in this category involve those which transform anything to another form ? chicken to an eagle, fire into a rabbit or a broom into a woman.

? Restoration. Magic tricks using this illusion is meant to restore something to the state it was once before like a cut rope into three parts back into one or cards cut into fourths and back to one.

? Teleportation. This illusion is meant to transfer things to another place. These are the classic tricks that truly amaze people like uncovered cages with one person each and they magically exchange places in a few seconds. This is what is known as double teleportation.

? Levitation. The trick involves lifting objects, animals and even people into air by using trance.

? Penetration. Tricks in this category involve the passing through of objects through a solid wall.

One important thing in maintaining the illusion in magic tricks is the secrecy of the magician. The magician should maintain this secrecy in order to be respected and treated with credibility by other magicians. The only exception is when a magician shares the secrets of the trade with someone who is a serious student of magic.

Remember, you are ?killing? the magic by telling the secrets of your tricks to others and reducing them to mere intellectual riddles and puzzles.

Preston Houer has been involved with the art of illusion and sleight of hand for over 30 years. Let Preston show you how to Have Fun With Magic. Visit His Site Today! <a href="http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com" title="http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com" target="_blank">http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com</a>

Magic Show Tips
For magic enthusiasts, what could be more fun than being able to organize a magic show of their own, right? However, it might not be an easy task to prepare for one magic show that will bewilder your friends and other speculators. Don't fret. Here are some tips and suggestions that might help one in prepping for one fun magic show that will make all the audience spellbound:

Prepare the Stage

A magic show will not be as exciting if it is done in a place where there's no stage. One must set up a stage that could consist of either a piano bench or a small table with a blanket or table cloth.

Drapes help a lot in seeing to it that the audience don't get a glimpse of your activities before performing a trick. Have a certain spot where all your tricks can be done.

Prepare the Props

A magician will have a hard time amazing his or her audience without the help of various magic props. Gather all the paraphernalias that will make the magic show successful beforehand to avoid scrambling around at the eleventh hour.

The usual props used by magicians include playing cards, hats, animals, a handkerchief, etc.

Prepare for the Tricks

What's a magic show without magic tricks? Practicing the tricks well before the magic show will make one magician less doubtful on whether his or her magic show will be a hit or not. Here are some rules that a magician should follow when doing a magic show:

1. Don't kiss and tell a trick.

Magic is made to amaze the audience. Telling how to do a trick will spoil that purpose. A trick that is told how to do will lose its mystery.

2. Trick only once.

When a trick is done for the first time, the audience will be very amazed. Doing it twice will make the audience predict what will happen and the risk of figuring the trick out is not impossible.

3. Practice like there's no tomorrow.

When one is not that comfortable with a certain trick, it is not advisable to perform it. Practicing in front of friends or other people before the show in front of an audience will help a lot in making the magic show successful.

4. Be or look confident.

Acting nervous will make you a laughingstock. When you are going to be the man of the show, it won't help to be stammering and trembling whild performing the magic tricks. Practicing will help you in this arena.

Preston Houer has been involved with the art of illusion and sleight of hand for over 30 years. Let Preston show you how to Have Fun With Magic. Visit His Site Today! <a href="http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com" title="http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com" target="_blank">http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com</a>

Learning The Tricks: Buy Or Make Your Props Part 2
For beginner magicians, it is a combination of skills, talents, and acquired tricks that brings magic to life. However, for those who haven't really tried any magic at all, there is one question always asked - "Do they have to buy the props for their tricks or just make them themselves?" Don't worry tips and practical suggestions will be given as readers go along this article.

The only problem with learning different tricks for beginners is that they do not know what is in store for them in the magic world. Before even buying or trying anything, the very first thing that they will have to do is get books that relate to magic that tackle the different areas of magic and then decide which specific magic tricks they will be focusing on. Once this has been decided, watch a few magic shows or with magicians that do such tricks. It will be very thrilling of course and the beginner will end up buying a lot of stuff almost everytime. The experience they get from just seeing a lot of the supplies in magic stores that provide a lot of samples and information about how such trick will be made with its effect is very pleasing to the eyes. It's like giving the beginner the idea that he'll soon be an expert and very powerful. Just the thought of young men gasping and young women fantasizing gives him the chills.

On the other hand, buying more of the supplies and props for the trick is not as important as really knowing all the secrets and skills to perform such trick. Some aspiring magicians have wasted months and even years in buying the props they needed only to realize in the end that they should have done things differently. Effort should be exerted more in understanding and practicing a specific trick thoroughly. Instead of buying props and supplies, books should be bought. Even videos that show how to do the trick is not as helpful as doing it personally and visualizing the action when reading.

Here are tips in order to specialize on a specific trick before investing in a lot of materials:

? Buy or borrow books to get more information about magic, from its history up to how it is being done in front of an audience.

? The internet could also be a very good source of information.

? Visualize and ponder about how the trick is can be performed effectively.

? Go to magic stores to examine the props and supplies, chat with some of the magic enthusiasts, ask questions from the dealer, or even watch demos. Keep everything in mind, those can be bought next time when already sure of the trick to be used.

? Instead of buying new cards with holes in the middle, why not ask anyone who has an old deck of cards not being used anymore.

? Recycle materials that can be suitable for the trick being practiced. Card boxes, matchboxes, sticks and cloths can be available at any home. Practice first, once the trick is mastered, then go buy materials from the magic store so that the whole thing will be presentable to the audience.

Friends and dealers in a magic shop will be demonstrating something that is a totally new trick that causes amazement. There are even those who can afford such luxury of the hobby, get to spend up to a hundred bucks a week just buying props. Buying them could be fun because of their color and sounds or excitement they provide. Just be careful of some tricks that could be very entertaining during the demo but end up terrifying the audience. Also, there are some tricks that do not exactly work as they do in the store. Those who buy those stuff end up throwing it away and develop the "Next Time" syndrome (buy another, new one next time).

Keep in mind that magic does not lie on the trick made or bought, not on the way the coin was folded, not in the way the money was printed. The whole thing lies in the playful imagination of the minds of the audience. The real secret occurs when a magician competently manipulates the minds into a reaction that experience the magic.

Preston Houer has been involved with the art of illusion and sleight of hand for over 30 years. Let Preston show you how to Have Fun With Magic. Visit His Site Today! <a href="http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com" title="http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com" target="_blank">http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com</a>