I used to perform regularly however a few years ago my televised special was canceled and I fell into a bit of a depression so I haven't done any magic for years. Ok, so enough of my life story. I'm getting back into this now and am looking at a few tricks to get me started again. First off I'm always asked, "Can you levititate like that guy on tv?" I never really cared to perform the Balducci Levitation simply because I never could do it well. I've finally decided to give in because frankly I'm getting annoyed. What is the best video on the Balducci levitation and I can't quite remember if I need a gimmick to do it.. I don't remember there being anything but it's been years. Any info on this would be appreciated. Also how bad are the angles on this and if they're really bad, are there any other self-levitations out there that have better angles? Also the Time Machine... what's the deal with this? Is it something that is going to eventually break or will it last a long time? Lastly, I know that Penguin isn't selling this (at least I can't find it..), but what do you guys think of Alchemist Phantasy by Hampton Ridge Magic Creations? Quality effect? Good reactions? It looks neat but I'm a little worried about the fact that the coins are not all real. Spectators might wonder whether they're gimmicked or "magician coins" as I've had some say. Any help is appreciated. Thanks. Mark Schonfeld http://www.markschonfeld.com http://www.MBSNewMedia.com mark@markschonfeld.com

Levitatin: There are several forms of self-levitation and it's highly debated on which one is better, in my opinion a lot of laymen seem to know about balducci, perhaps it was revealed on one of those shows, I'm not sure but try one of the other methods. Time machine: That'll last you a good while and is a really good type of mentalism I'd go for it if youre interested. Alchemist: It's not a bad trick, and the fact that the coins aren't real don't really make a diffrence because wel, that's the point of the trick, changing them up, plus the fact that you can examine it shows that they're not gimmicked.

thanks for the speedy reply. I'm going to research a little more about the self-levitation. Is it possible to modify my existing watch so that it performs the Time Machine effect? Can I buy the gimmick or send my watch in? I currently wear an Omega Seamaster Professional 300 Chronometre/Automatic. It's a beauty and I'd hate to have to stop wearing it just so I can do this trick impromptu.

you have to buy the actual gimmicked watch--

too bad. Well it looks like a great effect but I love my watch too much to replace it for a magic trick. On top of it I paid almost $2000 for my watch so I darn well better wear it . I am probably going to try to continue with the standard coins and cards routine. I'll probably go ahead and buy an Alchemist Phantasy, Scotch & Soda (English Penny... I already have the Centavo but it's too awkward to only have one trick using the Centavo.. I use English pennies for Okito/Boston box, Hopping half, Sun and moon routines... etc.) I'm also going to probably go ahead and get (or make if I still have his lecture notes) the Osmosis bottle trick (label penetrates bottle). He gave a lecture years ago down here in Miami on how to make it (long before it was for sale). I'll probably go from coin-in-bottle to that as a kick ending. Otherwise I'm also looking at some standard card routines. I just have to figure out a transition effect now. Something that either goes from cards to coins.. or visa versa. I'm one of those guys who emphasizes flow. If we REALLY had magical ability, would we need to go into our bag/case and get more apparatus for each trick? NO! Flow is the most important part to a routine .. at least I think.. because if we had magic ability, we'd use it on whatever is on hand. That's why I personally love powerful tricks that don't even use gimmicks.. but in general they don't feel as powerful to me. I mean, after a while people figure out that you're forcing cards, or doing pinky breaks, etc. There's only so many moves out there (trust me.. I've read all the books) and people just aren't THAT dumb. Also I personally get bored of all of the same moves. It ruins the magic for us too. Gimmicks (especially self-contained ones) make the whole thing more fun for us too. Not so much that we don't know how the trick is done, but we marvel at the skilled craftmenship that goes into some of these tricks. I mean, honestly, take Scotch & Soda. Ever try to machine one yourself? It takes experience to get them to fit perfectly like that with no gaps and to lock. It's just neat. Really neat in fact. Ever think about an expanded shell? How the heck do they expand it without ruining the image? I mean, a regular half-dollar is one thing.. but what about silver halves? Silver is pretty soft. I just am amazed that they can do it. Or how about pen through anything. Have you seen the new one? It's just sooo cool. It's like.. big boy toys. We big boys need our toys. When you were 5 did you want to play with the same toy over and over? No. Why should we want to do that now? We get older.. we need MORE novelty if anything. The only problem is keeping this all in sync. We can use lots of gimmicks here and there, but to the spectator it must appear that the same coins are being used in every effect. To do this, I use an Invisible Hand (hold-out). It's great. Now if someone could invent one that doesn't need a coat that would be even better. I don't like to wear a coat on the street. I can get away with a light leather jacket but even that I don't like. Anyways.. I'm straying off topic. Thanks for the replies. I appreciate the help.

Your posts sure are windy, you should be a preacher...:>)

nahh. Me type fast. This short reply. Which you prefer?

Hey, if you're looking for some killer tricks get the Art of Astonishment book set. Other than that you see like for someone coming back into magic you have your basic set down. You know your routines need to flow, and you know gimmicks are good, but sleight of hand is just [edited] good. You should go far in magic sorry to hear about your show aswell

Thanks.. that's ok about my show. I've gotten over it over the years. The Art of Astonishment? Why does that seem so familiar? Doesn't Ammar have a book or video out by that title? As for stuff I've already read: Harry Loraines Card Magic, Royal Road to Card Magic, JJ Bobos Coin Magic, a bunch of others with the same idea. Also I have a ton of lecture notes from conventions. Is there going to be a lot of overlap with this set? Or is this all new?

The Art of Astonishment book set is an amazing 3 book set by Paul Harris. http://www.penguinmagic.com/product.php?ID=480 Its pricy, but it's really worth the money. Also, about the levitations, I have wild levitation and it's pretty cool. Amazing to a laymen if done right. I hear elevator is better though, but its alot more. They sell wild levitation here but not elevator. Search google for it and you'll be able to find something.

Another resource to check out is Gregory Wilsons On the Spot, he really flows with his routines and nothing is gimmicked, all done with coins, napkins, pens stuff people have on them all the time. He has some older videos out but I don't recall the names. "Cleverly Disguised as a Responsible Adult."

darn, you have an Omega! If you work as a magician for a living then i think you are a pretty freakin good one.

thank you sir. It surely is a nice watch. The only problem is I can't do any tricks with magnets anymore because they'll ruin the watch if they get too close. Oh well. Everything in life comes with trade-offs.

Just look at the New Arrivals section and see what tickles your pickle . StreetMan.