Power of the Press

Ask any old-timer how they learned magic, and you're almost assured to hear them say "books." While DVDs do have their place in the field of magic instruction, they'll never replace the written word.

I often wonder why so many of the young kids (with their rap music and baggy clothes) gravitate toward single-trick DVDs. Richard Kaufman in a recent issue of Genii also referred to the trend, calling it a "horrific trend in magic," because "you're paying a huge amount of money for one thing that usually doesn't even come with a prop." (Unlike items like The Royal Scam or Thoughts Across, which do come with the props plus bonus material.)

In addition to the fine selection of books we carry from other publishers, FUN Inc. has a modest but powerful assortment of in-house publications. Any one of these will give you a strong foundation on the path to magic mastery, not to mention very high trick-to-price ratios.

Cups and Balls Booklet: The subtitle on this one is "A Treatise on the World's Oldest Deception." As I once heard Gazzo say, "a classic is a classic for a reason." Personally, I find the C&B to be so powerful, I close with it! It's longevity is an endorsement in itself.

50 Amazing Illusions: I wish I had this booklet when I was starting out. There's all sorts of great material in here for the beginner - stuff that pros can and do still perform.

125 Tricks with a Regular Deck of Cards: The perfect primer for budding card magicians. Since its first printing in 1976, hundreds of thousands of copies have been sold - and keep selling, year after year. These are tried and tested tricks that can be performed with any deck of cards - and with little sleight of hand or special ability. These are tricks that literally be mastered in minutes!

Pick A Card, Any Card: Ever wonder how to make a spectator pick that certain card you want them to? We have a gem of a booklet here with dozens of forcing methods, some super-easy, some requiring sleight-of-hand, and some using gimmicks. Plus, a few very nifty tricks to go with the forces (ever want to make a chosen card appear in the center of a citrus fruit? It's very Blaine.)