Hatin on Gimmicks

[Adrian G]

Gimmicks don't do all the work. If that were true you could set an invisible deck on the table and it would cut itself and reveal the card without ever touching the deck.

What you're describing at the end of your post has nothing to do with gimmicks, but with poor showmanship. A pure sleight of hand trick won't be any better than a gimmicked one if you can't perform well.

Contrary to what many people think, gimmicks require a set of skills too use well that is just as comprehensive as pure sleight of hand.

I understand what you're getting at, and perhaps I phrased things a little off. I did however mention that I tend to dislike things like gaffed cards, unless I can develop an appropriate routine to use them in. And the same would apply for a gimmick, but personally the gimmick needs to be simple. Something like invisible deck and hovercard... simple, suspense, showmanship, etc.

I've performed the hovercard trick for an audience of around 60 people and incorporated some science behind things, but started everything out with an ACR before ending with it. It was a truly amazing moment with a great reaction with the audience.

 

[Steerpike]

On the other hand, the gimmick does all the work for you,

News to me.

There's no point walking up to someone, forcing them a card and saying "Here, watch as I make your card all weird." There's no showmanship to it and there's no build up or anything.

On the opposite side of the coin, there's not a whole lot of showmanship on display from sleight of hand purists either. At least, if the videos I've seen posted are any indication.

 

[Ang]

Dont forget the wonderful book, Royal Road to Card Magic that was my first card magic book, and still has so much material that I've yet to master. And plus it's basically all sleight of hand, with a few gimmicks here and there (that you make, of course). Just pm me if you need any help or finding places to buy these books

 

[Arucard]

I wanna mention, the advice you're getting here is more geared to you learning sleight of hand itself, not tricks. This is much better in the long run as it will help you develop your own material down the road. Learning an assortment of sleights lets you perform organically instead of saying, 'ok, now I'll do this trick, then that trick', which is certainly one way to go about it and not necessarily wrong. However, I think a lot of experienced persons here would tell you you're better off learning the mechanics instead of looking for a better car. To put it out there, I'm kinda halfway on gimmicks, not against them but I also prefer impromtptu and pure sleights.

 

[Randy]

I think gimmicks are great IF you have already proven that your sleight of hand is good.

 

[ifanoctopuscouldpalm]

Dont forget the wonderful book, Royal Road to Card Magic that was my first card magic book, and still has so much material that I've yet to master. And plus it's basically all sleight of hand, with a few gimmicks here and there (that you make, of course). Just pm me if you need any help or finding places to buy these books

I'm going through the Royal Road for a second time, just to make sure that I fully grasp and understand the fundamentals. I highly recommend the OP picking it up if he hasn't already. Lot's of great material, and especially useful if you read it while following along with R. Paul Wilson's 5 set DVD. Amazing material, and I can't recommend it highly enough.

 

[MagicianDM]

Get the Card College books, they are perfect, or Oz Pearlman's Born to Perform Card Magic is also good but is aimed towards beginners and teaches four popular but very good routines

 

[spoook]

Oz Pearlman's Born to Perform Card Magic is also good but is aimed towards beginners and teaches four popular but very good routines

Which 4 routines?

 

[spoook]

I use to shy away from gimmicks ... mainly because I didn't want to tote around a lot of crap. I tend to use gimmicks more in the winter because I have a coat with many pockets (only 2 visible). Some gimmicks like the UCCU and TT will allow you to do multiple effects and pack really small. The idea of using gimmicks for multiple effects is what finally got me to start carrying them.

Just wait till you show someone how humid the air is as water falls right out of the air into your hand. Maybe you just haven't found the right trick/gimmick to convience you.

 

[Jrishton]

Most people at first were against my use of pure sleights, but I've seen from the conversations on here that a lot of people understand why I don't like gimmicks. The fact that you have a setup and everything is fine... But when someone says "hey show me that trick you did when..." but it requires the invisible deck and I don't have it... Then what? "Sorry man, I can't do that with a real deck." I'd much rather go the route of being able to do great tricks with normal cards, than amazing tricks with one deck that I MUST have for it. It shows that you're more than they think... You're not just a guy with trick decks and strings. Thanks everyone for commenting I really want the Expert At The Card Table book. It looks amazing

 

[JDENredden]

You wanting people to ask you to perform magic is not a good attitude to have. Turns you into nothing more than a trick monkey, not a magician. And when you turn them down because you dont have a gimmick, does not add to your spur of the moment persona, if you cant do a trick for them when they ask. Lets face it if you were really magic you could do anything at any moment.

To me it sounds like your audience has more control over you than you do over them. Not the place you want to be, seeing as you are the magician.

J.