i need a sponge ball routine that is good for restaurant magic........if there are other posts about it tell me thanks.......i know i want the bag of 50 so i have enough and i think i want the "Multiplying Sponge Balls from Magic by Gosh" (is the gimmic simple and pratical for restaurant magic?)...................i want to know any other good dvds with alot of information............i do alot with cards and money and i here alot of people like the sponge balls so i want to get into that..........thanks.

First off, you most certainly don't need 50! Buy the pack of 4 for $4 or something like that. That's all you'll need.

Sponge Balls are almost always pure sleight of hand. There are some gimmicks that may help you, but the pack of 4 is what will give you the best routines. Here are a few resources I know off the top of my head that give good Sponge Ball routines...

- World's Greatest Magic: Sponge Balls
- In The Trenches with Paul Green
- Mark Wilson's Complete Course In Magic

And yes, Sponge Balls are GREAT 'in the hands' magic. Be prepared to learn the sleights for the payout, though.

SPONGE BALLS!!!

I use Mark Wilson's routine exclusively, modified by me of course to suit my personality, but it for sure has been the staple of my performances. It is also the one routine I do that people request, and I have had no problem repeating for people weeks later. It is that good.

One of these days, I'll make a video of an actual performance for youze guyzes, but don't hold your breath....

Sponge balls are, in my opinion, the most entertaining type of magic.

-You don't need 50 balls as Fatal said. 4 will do if you are planning to do a classic 3 ball routine. I suggest getting 1 inch or 1.5 inch, because the smaller they are, the easier to manipulate.

-Multiplying sponge balls is more of a parlor trick and it not angle proof. You could adapt it to suit a restaurant, but a normal sponge ball routine will do better.

-Fatal and jamesjay gave good material. Mark Wilsons book also explains the "multiplying balls" routine as well as sponge balls, and cups and balls.

- I think if you say you do card and coin magic (the typical categories of magic for all magicians) then sponge balls will be a nice twist. I might suggest borrowing a dollar bill and producing balls from it, that way you can flow into effects. I also think there is a routine that involves cards and sponges. Yeah, it's called Pips a Poppin' from magic by gosh. It's here on penguin. That may or may not suit you.

Yeah, but imagine how powerful it would be to give the spec. one ball and when they open their hand they have 50. (If they had big enough hands)

thanks guys.......i guess they dont really wear out that easy.......i figured they would because they are sponge...lol.........thanks i will check all that out......thanks

Take good care of them. Use disinfectant, wash them regularly, blow dry them. Don't let them rip. I've had my set for almost 3 years and you can't tell.

you wash them??????........i dont know any of this....lol.....i have never worked with them before

Just rinse a little water over them. Dry them, and blow on them. Spray them with disinfectant. They will pick up ANYTHING, including viruses!

ok thanks........will do. thanks again

Hey I started sponge ball magic a little while ago and I would have to reccomend getting a spongeball to spongecube. Its great and it can be a good opener for a sponge ball routine. And yes I wouldnt reccomend getting multiplying spongeballs for restaurant use because people like to watch you at other tables after you performed for them so you might get caught.

Yes you should definitely wash them and I leave them in a ziploc bag will Purell/Germ-X squirted inside.

A good magician with enough practice won't get caught at any angle when performing, and if that were so, the spectators along with you must realize you are their for entertainment mainly not to shock their world and start a new religion of Spongballites....I'm sure if you have them watching from other tables then your magic has entertainment value anyways.

Are you talking about the multiplying spongeballs effect specifically, or magic as a whole when you say this? I don't own the multiplying spongeballs, so I'm not aware of their angle limitations, but if you're suggesting this is a general rule for all magical effects, I have to disagree. Some tricks have angle problems, and there's nothing you can do about them. I don't care how much practice and/or skill a magician has, the balducci levitation can't be performed completely surrounded.

As for being entertaining, yes that is important, but so is being deceptive. If I go to a concert and the musician is great with the crowd but can't carry a tune, I'm going to be disappointed. Same with magic: if a spectator at another table catches the secret, the overall experience is going to be lessened for them, even if you don't perform the same effect for them when you get to their table. And if they happen to tip the method to the original spectator, their appreciation will drop as well.

I have washed mine a few times, but you have to buy new ones every once and a while.