Well its coming round to that time of year again and I am forced to use that dreaded word – Christmas. It’s the time of year when our diaries start to fill up with dates for parties and corporate bookings. Magic dealers are rubbing their hands together as we magicians search the websites for the one trick that will make our reputation, the one trick that people will never forget, the one trick we will be asked to perform over and over again. The dealer websites are crammed full of exciting and impossible effects that sometimes don’t quite live up to the ideal that they promised. They fail to mention one little thing in the advertising documentation that just spoils the effect. Of course all this comes at a price. As you know effects come in all range of prices from less than a fiver to hundreds of pounds. What do you get for your money, more often than not just four playing cards and a plastic wallet, but of course you are paying for secret not for the supplied equipment. But I know where you can get some of these secrets for free, quite legally and on your doorstep. The BMC library. The thing with books is, you don’t just get one effect you get loads. In the library you don’t just get one book, we have loads. It’s just a matter of picking a book with a range of tricks that suit your capabilities. Reading up an effect that would suit you, maybe adapting it to your style, practicing it and perform. A little more work than opening a package and trying the effect before you have read the instructions I know, but in the average magic book you get lots of effects that you can try out, adapt or use the principle in other effects. The range of possibilities is almost endless. All for free if you borrow the book from the library. Of course we don’t just have magic books, we have books on juggling, balloon modelling, quick change, puppets, jokes, the list goes on and on. What a wealth of information members have to tap into. If some of the books we have in the library are a little to advanced for you, we have a couple of little books with dozens of self working tricks. Now before you decry the ‘self working trick’ let me tell you that done well the average punter should not know if the trick you are performing is self working or performed with years of endless hours of practice. Mixed in with more advanced sleight of hand effects the self worker is a simple way to add extra time and entertainment value to you act. The fact that it is self working means that you don’t have to worry about the mechanics of the effect, you can concentrate 100% on presentation. Looking through Karl Furves – Self Working Card Tricks I note that nearly all the tricks can be done with an ordinary deck. I always think it’s a bit suspicious when a magician produces a separate pack for every trick. It is always more effective if you can borrow a deck. I have looked up Karl Fulves on the Internet but cannot find out a lot about him except a list of books that he has written as long as your arm. He has covered many things but I believe that his books on Self Working tricks with cards, mentalism, everyday objects and close-up magic are the ones he is best known for. If any members have any info on this magical inventor I would be pleased to receive it and publish it in this column. Anyway, please bear in mind that if you are looking for fresh and new material before you feed your credit card number down the phone or on the Internet have a look on the library table. You may be surprised at what you find. Well not long now to the dinner dance, next week in fact. I hope that all have got your tickets. It is going to be a fantastic evening and the committee have worked long and hard to make sure that everything this year is a good as it can be. With an excellent venue, a varied mouthwatering menu and top class magic acts for after dinner entertainment, I for one can’t wait. See you next time. | 
