Here are our magic recommendations this week. Not necessarily new, but always good!

	I haven’t tried this yet, but I was so pleased with the Gordon Bean effect I was playing with last month that I thought this would probably be worth a look. Especially because it is currently reduced! Its a pretty much sleight-free and examinable 3 card monte type effect. £8.21 (reduced from £11.99)
	I’m currently working through another of Bannon’s books and love his style and creativity. Some of the effects require a certain proficiency with cards, but you will find lots to use and to stimulate other ideas in his work. Should be in everyone’s library. £29.99
	For those of you who are newer to magic (though I have heard more experienced magicians speaking very highly of these), and/or who prefer learning via DVDs, this is a cheap DVD teaching some excellent and straightforward effects. The workings are simple so you can concentrate on the presentation. And you will learn a lot about that from watching Mr Dowden. Well worth a look. A second volume is also available. Only £14.99.

Here are our magic recommendations this week. Not necessarily new, but always good!

	I got this a couple of weeks ago and absolutely love it. It takes the premise of ‘Parade of the Kings’ and adds a decent plot and extra kickers. Basically the spectator nominates one of four cards which turns out to be the Queen he has previously (freely) chosen. Then all the other cards turn out to be jokers. A very powerful and entertaining effect and dead easy to do! Highly recommended. £14.99 (you may also be interested in this EXCELLENT ebook which contains loads of brilliant mental magic and includes an ungaffed version of Entourage - Mind Blasters - only £12.50 and you can download it instantly!.
	I have long been a fan of Phil Goldstein (aka Max Maven), even more so since reading his wonderful Prism book, and when I noticed that this little classic was reduced at the moment I thought I would bring it to your attention. A clever prediction in the shape of a ‘psychological reading’ and full of the subtleties you expect from the great man. And currently only £4.70 (less than half price).
	I’ve always loved the classic chop cup routine, ever since watching Paul Daniels perform it so well when I was a youngster. But I love the idea of this ‘Dice Chop Cup’ which seems to me to be a slightly more logical prop than a normal cup. £59.99.

Here are our magic recommendations this week. Not necessarily new, but always good!

	There are lots of tricks available for which the instructions begin, “Force by your favourite method…” well just in case you don’t have a ‘favourite method’ this downloadable e-book contains 202 Methods of Forcing . It does what it says on the tin! Not just card forces, but numbers, colours, words, etc. etc. Compiled by the legendary Theo. Annemann. And because it is an electronic download you can get to work immediately. Only $4.95 (so even better with a strong-ish pound!)
	Sticking with mental magic (is this becoming an obsession?) Richard Osterlind’s work is well known for its high quality. Transparent Forces is a top-quality transparent change (force) bag, but so much more. Includes a special dictionary, and props for several other high quality routines. Currently reduced to only £29.36.
	Here’s a nice idea for all you ’street’ magicians out there - a change bag which is actually a baseball cap! Very versatile - but only if you suit black… Includes a few ideas to get you going. £16.99.

Here are our magic recommendations this week. Not necessarily new, but always good!

	I am increasingly finding myself drawn to performing mentalism (and no I don’t think it is just the Derren Brown thing!) and Mitox promises not only 20 ‘real world’ mentalism effects, but also some invaluable thoughts and tips on creating your own routines and tricks. I’ve not read it yet, but if it is as good as the reviews, it is a bargain at £27.50
	I like to highlight the bargains when I see them, and this is Sean Taylor’s take on the Invisible Deck routine. It is a very funny presentation and is more or less self-working, and at the moment is only £7.64.
	I make no excuses for including two books this week, but this one is not about secrets of tricks, but the secrets of performing. I have just finished reading this and it is an incredible insight into the mind of Darwin Ortiz, who is known for his own success in the card magic world. Here he helps you understand what goes into making magic effective, and analytically breaks down every element of the performance of close-up magic. A stimulating and rewarding read. £29.99.

Here are our magic recommendations this week. Not necessarily new, but always good!

	I’ve been playing with this recently. It is a kind of twist on the ‘Brainwave’ or ‘Invisible Deck’ concept but (to my mind) is stronger because the spectator can remove the card themselves without any worries. Very easy to do and supplied with the special deck. A worthy bonus on the accompanying DVD is performance and explanation of Martin Sanderson’s Ambitious Card routine (from the DVD Corporate Close Up which is in itself an excellent volume). Recommended. £24.99
	It amazes me that there are so many versions of the torn and restored card available, but this one (with DVD) gets a special mention this month since it is half price at only £10.58.
	Everyone seems to be talking about this one at the moment, though I’ve not tried it myself. It is Ben Harris’ new take on the floating card which certainly looks incredibly visual and powerful. £49.99.

This page is here to highlight a book or a trick or a DVD (or possibly all three) which we think is particularly good each month…

	For me this is a new all time favourite I think. This is a really practical solution to the card at any number plot which can be done with any (borrowed) deck and no preparation. There are a couple of moves which are within reach of anyone with any basic card skills, and as with all Barrie’s stuff it is routined to perfection! Highliy recommended. £14.99
	Mark Leveridge always produces commercial magic, and this DVD includes 9 of his routines. I am particularly highlighting it this month because it is on special at the moment at only £12.34.
	I’m reading this at the moment and enjoying it very much. Firstly you have Wayne’s autobiographgy which is a really interesting read in itself. Find out how he reached the success he has done and also how he has battled with MS. And as if that was not enough, it includes 40 of his routines (hence WD40) which are always practical and straightforward. If you have any of the Dobson’s Choice booklets there is quite a bit of overlap, but some new ideas too. A great book. £25.99.

This page is here to highlight a book or a trick or a DVD (or possibly all three) which we think is particularly good each month…

	I love tricks with Rubber Bands, because they are such an everyday item. You still have to go a long way to beat the original ‘Crazy-Man’s Handcuffs’ routine. But this new idea from Wayne Fox seems like the ‘logical’ climax to a rubber band act - great cisual magic as a pile of rubber bands visually turn into a rubber band ball. £24.99
	Continuing the theme of non-card magic, here is a DVD from Jay Sankey which is on SPECIAL at the moment - reduced from £19.99 to only £7.05! Full of magic with coins and matches etc. Well worth a look.
	I think I’ve said before that I’m fascinated with the Any Card at Any Number plot. This is a different take on that idea which eliminates all the dealing out of cards and takes up almost no space in your pocket as the ‘deck’ is printed on a business card in your pocket. (there’s a very positive review on TM) £17.99.

This page is here to highlight a book or a trick or a DVD (or possibly all three) which we think is particularly good each month…

	If you’re serious about your magic, then you must think about how you present it. This is a book by one of the Greats of magic with his thoughts on creativity, presentation, timing, misdirection etc. A wonderful book and a bargain at the moment as it is currently reduced to £20.00 (normally £36.00) (Another good alternative to this if you want to think about how to turn a “trick” into a “miracle” is Darwin Ortiz’s Strong Magic by Darwin Ortiz - Book at £29.99)
	From the creator of the incredibly visual WOW comes a striking mental item. Don’t be deceived by the poor title (!) this is a very direct mental item as your wallet contains the ESP card chosen by the spectator. £29.99
	This one’s a nice idea for a bar trick, because it contains a gag and some magic all in one. Predicting the spots arranged by the spectator on a domino is the basic effect - click through for more. £12.99

This page is here to highlight a book or a trick or a DVD (or possibly all three) which we think is particularly good each month…

There seems to have been a lot of interest in the instantly solved Rubik’s cube recently. This is Daryl’s version which is very good. £23.99 (NB Enchanted Cube can’t be handed out after it has been solved. If you want that feature, you will need Insta-Cube which is £44.99)

This is a nice kind of ‘Triumph’ effect, but without the sleight of hand. A gaff deck does all the work for you. In effect, 2 cards are selected and returned into a deck which has been cut in half and place face to face. The cards are returned to the box and a ‘Chaos’ button is pressed and all the cards come out mixed up. At a press of the ‘Order’ button, the cards are all righted apart from the selected cards. Follow the link to watch the video. Only £14.99

This page is here to highlight a book or a trick or a DVD (or possibly all three) which we think is particularly good each month…

<	I recently saw a very nicely done performance of this trick (you can watch the video here) and think it is very effective. David Copperfield has use it on his specials. And the beauty of it all is that it is not very difficult with the gaff cards included. This comes with DVD AND fully illustrated instructions. £21.99
	Continuing with the Ace Magic theme, this one from David Regal has a very simple premise. The spectator cuts to the Aces. Easy to do, and a snip at £11.99
	To finish off the Aces trilogy here is the Larry Jennings DVD. We’ve mentioned his book before - he is one of the all time masters of card magic - and here you can learn with him on DVD. Includes several Ace routines, the Ambitious Classic, and much more wonderful card magic. £24.99.