| If you occasionally buy close-up magic tricks or | | | | magic tricks and sometimes increase the degree |
| street magic for your own amusement or even if | | | | of difficulty.Set-up and Reset - There are some |
| you are a professional magician, then here are | | | | tricks that have fairly complicated set-ups that |
| some factors to consider before making your | | | | must be completed before a magic trick can be |
| next purchase.Degree of difficulty - A high degree | | | | performed. If it is an excellent trick that will totally |
| of difficulty means that you need some | | | | amaze your spectators, then it might be worth it. |
| foundational skills with magic, and most likely | | | | Usually lengthy set-ups mean that in order to do |
| knowledge and skills in sleight-of-hand techniques. | | | | the trick again, the reset time will also be lengthy. |
| Most importantly, high difficulty tricks will require | | | | There is a big problem with tricks like this, |
| lots of practice before you attempt to do the | | | | regardless how amazing they may seem, is that |
| trick in front of a live audience. Lots of practice | | | | you can't carry them around with you very easily. |
| means days and days of practice, not just a few | | | | Impromptu tricks are sometimes the best, and |
| run throughs. There are some tricks that have | | | | complicated set-ups preclude any hope of it being |
| such a high degree of difficulty that you may | | | | an impromptu trick.Pay Off or Effect - If a magic |
| never master them. Keep that in mind so that | | | | trick has a complicated or lengthy set-up and only |
| your expectations and frustration levels are | | | | produces a "that's an interesting trick" comment, |
| managed.Angles- When magicians speak of angles, | | | | then it has a low payoff and is simply not worth |
| they are referring to where the spectators must | | | | the effort. Similarly there are a lot of great card |
| be located when you perform your trick so that | | | | tricks that have long story lines or extended card |
| the trick is not revealed. If everyone must be | | | | handling routines that have low payoffs and low |
| directly in front of you, then angles are very | | | | "wow" factors that make them not worth the |
| critical, and your ability to control the spectators | | | | effort to get to the punch line such as "Now the |
| become an important part of the trick. If the trick | | | | four jacks came back together again."Costs - The |
| can be done while you are literally surrounded by | | | | average online cost for good magic trick will run |
| people, then that probably means no sleight of | | | | somewhere between $10 and $50. Look for tricks |
| hand or gimmicks are necessary to do the trick. | | | | with video instructions that can be downloaded |
| For the beginning or intermediate magician, it's | | | | immediately because they are usually cheaper |
| best to have tricks where angles are not critical, | | | | than DVDs. However, there are several |
| or where wide angles are possible.Being Left Clean | | | | advantages to purchasing DVDs. They are not |
| - All magicians like tricks that once performed, the | | | | only permanent in the event your hard drive fails, |
| object of the trick can be inspected by | | | | but they can also be resold on eBay or other |
| spectators with no possible discovery of how the | | | | sites to allow you to recover some of your |
| trick is performed, and the magician is not left | | | | learning expense.Just keep in mind that if you |
| with any gimmicks in his hand to dispose of. That | | | | absolutely love a trick, and even though it is |
| is what is meant by being "left clean".Gimmicks - | | | | difficult and has a complicated setup, go for it |
| The majority of close-up magic tricks require no | | | | anyway. Your motivation will drive you to practice |
| gimmicks to make the trick work. If a gimmick is | | | | and learn the trick. Besides, there is a lot of |
| required, it should be easy to dispose of it before | | | | satisfaction in knowing the secret of a good trick. |
| the trick is finished. Gimmicks increase the cost of | | | | |