We very rarely post videos for the sake of it here on Bicycle-Cards.co.uk but as a musician as well as a magician I LOVE this video from the amazing Soma. Enjoy…
BTW – this video was shared by one of our facebook friends. Why not join us there?
Posts Tagged ‘Bicycle Cards’
Clicks & Mortar Focus – Merlins of Wakefield
We’re going to start an occasional series on magic retailers with real shops you can visit. Ever since I was a child I have enjoyed visiting magic shops, and I am keen to support what appear to be a dying breed as internet only dealers pop up all over the place. Over the years I have visited shops all over the country, and I am going to make it a habit whenever I vist one to jot down a few impressions to encourage you to make the effort.
[And if you don't want to read all about the shop, then do jump to the bottom to read about a bargain they are currently offering!]
So first stop is Merlins of Wakefield, which unsurprisingly can be found in Wakefield (West Yorkshire).
Like many magic shops these days, you have to pass through a small section of party/fancy dress items first. But don’t let that put you off – there is a world of magic waiting beyond.
Phil or Mark will give you a warm welcome and I have been offered a cup of tea on both my visits. They have a wide variety of magic of all kinds – stocking all the more common suppliers as well as having a large range of Tora Magic and Outlaw Effects – neither of which are widely stocked in the UK.
Readers of this site will be pleased to know they have a good range of the standard Bicycle cards and gaff decks, and produce a number of their own exclusive effects in Bicycle stock as well (we will be reviewing one of those shortly…).
I don’t want to keep using the phrase “aladdin’s cave” in these shop reviews – because to some extent it will always be true. But Merlins certainly have plenty to keep you browsing, and Phil or Mark will usually be pleased to demonstrate things, or to give you advice. They are both knowledgeable magicians and are worth listening to.
So definitely worth popping in if you are in the area – we must keep supporting our local magic shops.
And I mentioned a bargain.
In addition to their usual weekly web feature – which is a special reduction on a different item each Friday (see Friday Special on the Merlins site) – they have a special offer for May. They are offering bundles of 5 DVDs worth over £90 for the magical price of just £30. The bundles are mixed, so you might want to ring up or pop in if you have a specific requirement. Otherwise take pot luck and see what you get…
Cheapest Bicycle Card Finder – New Entry!
We have been updating our Cheapest Bicycle Card Finder and we have a new entry from a non-magic company. PlayingCardsOnly.co.uk offer FREE p&p in the UK which makes them a bargain at only £2.95 for a single pack. They also offer discounts for larger purchases. This is the first time a non-magical supplier has been our cheapest offer. They also offer Eco Edition and Clear Plastic Cards as well as a variety of Poker versions.
Please note – the Cheapest Bicycle Card Finder is based on a single pack purchase – so there may be cheaper options when making larger orders.
Here’s a real Bicycle Card fan
We don’t usually post pics of people’s collections (because we can’t escape the lingering doubt that it is worrying!) – but this guy is clearly a true fanatic!
You can see more shots here…
Happy New Year – and a Bicycle Quote
Happy New Year to all our readers. One of my Christmas presents this year was Derren Brown’s Confessions of a Conjuror. I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with Derren’s slightly pretentious prose, but look forward to reading the book. As a Bicycle Card fan, imagine my pleasure to discover this typically Brownian description of a pack of our beloved cards on page 12 (which by a strange feature of books, is actually the second page of the actual content):
The new deck of red-backed Bicycle-brand poker cards had that afternoon been worn in for the gig through bending and riffling and springing until the deck’s spirit had been broken; in the way that a puppy, made to walk to heel, piss on the newspaper and not eat the roast, loses its bungling vigour and learns to behave. A brand-new Bike deck, is, for a short while, wanton and precarious. For those first few minutes it may simply spread effortlessly in the hands, the cards riding the frictionless slivers of oily space that lie between each virgin surface and gliding on their own advertised ‘air-cushioned finish’; absorbing and re-directing the pressure of the fingers into a beautiful, even spread at the slightest touch; each paste-board fluidly moving along with its one-higher/one-lower neighbour. But as marvellous as this evenness of movement is, and as satisfying as it feels to see a ribbon of fifty-four perfectly spaced and ordered indices appear almost instantaneously between the hands with an apparent mastery of controlled pressure that could not likely be wielded upon grubbier cards after a career of practise, the new deck is at other times reckless and prone to belching itself without warning from the hand, leaving usually just two cards held: a circumstance caused by the natural moisture from the thumb and forefinger pads adhering to the back of the top card and face of the bottom respectively and holding them back while the others issue defiantly from one’s grip towards the floor.”
Bicycle Cards in a Bottle!
Just over a year ago we mentioned the availability of this most unusual of ornaments – a genuine pack of Bicycle Cards sealed in a glass bottle. At the time they were only occasionally available in the UK, but now Phil Evans has set up a new site ImpossibleBottle.co.uk where you can purchase one of these wonderful things. What could be more magical than a pack of cards in a bottle?!
More new Bicycle Decks – Raider Backs & League Backs
The Raiders are available in Black or White, and for my money have a little bit of the look of the Karnival Deck. I’ve not handled a pack so can’t comment on their performance.
Both now in stock at Card Collection but the Raiders are cheaper at MagicTao (only £3.99).
An incredible Bicycle Card Collection
I have to say at the outset, I can’t quite decide whether to laugh, cry or admire a video like this. Although I am a big fan of Bicycle Cards this seems to be verging on the obsessive. Not all these cards are available in the UK – but it gives you something to aspire to…
Bicycle Cards at Freepost Magic
Our friends at Freepost Magic have got a new link which gets you to all their lovely Bicycle Cards at once. They’ve got the Karnival decks (Assasins and Midnights, not Renegades yet) for £5.99 and regular decks for £2.29 (all with FREE 1st class UK delivery – which is why they are still top on our Cheapest Bicycle Card Finder). Click through to Freepost Magic and follow the link in the main navigation.
Paul Gordon also has some new stuff out. A DVD on Useful Card Sleights, another with some new tricks, and also his Triple Rainbow Whammy – a great (and easy to do) trick that looks very appealing.
