Resources to Learning Coin Magic

[erdnasephile]

I'm sure many of you have been asked many times by others what are the best references to begin learning card magic. Card College, Royal Road, etc., are the usual references I encourage beginners to start out with.

However, I was wondering if there were similar, pedagogical references for complete beginners in coin magic? I used to think Bobo's would be the way to go, but it's really missing entire segments of where modern coin magic is today. In addition, a magician I respect recently pointed out that in his opinion, there is much in that book that just isn't practical. I also thought of David Roth's huge DVD series, but that would represent quite an expense to a beginner (and I have not viewed them personally so I don't know how accessible they are).

So, for you coin guys, do you know of any favorite references you would steer a beginner towards?

[Jonathan Townsend]

E*, there is quite a bit of coin magic in the older books by Hoffmann, Hugard etc which cover some of the basics of coin magic as well as general conjuring - many of which are also available in ebook form - for cost/portability benefit.

IMHO one is well advised to specialize after gaining some facility with general magic by way of Tarbell or the Mark Wilson Course or similar. Then the notions in The Art of Magic, Greater Magic, Sach's Sleight of Hand, The Modern Conjurer, Magic Without Apparatus will have a foundation. After that, books of a specialty and survey sort (Bobo's for the late 1950s and CoinMagic for the early 1980s) will have both a foundation and a context.

There are some little books on Magic with coins, say Huggard's Coin Magic and then Marlo's Bullseye Coin Tricks etc which are helpful.

By way of example - the coin shell is introduced in Hoffmann's More Magic with two distinct applications which are still viable today. The first is a fascinating 'Winged Silver' type routine that takes place under two matal covers on the table. The second application is a fingertips coin multiplication similar to what others later did with DeKolta's billiard gaff. See what you can find in the books to build something special. :)

Those who have a very personable and genial nature - who also enjoy pranks might wish to explore the Galloway books on Ramsay's magic. Some serious study of the literature and market at the time is required to understand the context (and hence the production design and effect when seen) of the tricks.

[Van McGee]

Shigeo Futagawa has a great into book titled "An Introduction to Coin Magic"
There is also a coin magic section in Henry Gross' "Pure Magic"

Van

[Ian Kendall]

The problem with all the texts suggested here is that they are not pedagogical, which was the question.

I'm not sure that a coin equivalent of the Card College books exists at the moment, although I know of at least one version in development.

If you like the visual learning road there are several beginner coin video series from Ammar, Roth and even myself.

Ian

[Curtis Kam]

I generally recommend the Futagawa book precisely because it does take a pedagogic approach. As I recall, Shigeo teaches one or two moves, then applications for those, before moving on to the next moves, where the process is repeated.

I found the descriptions in the Tarbell series to be a bit terse for the beginner, and the instruction on coins is spread over serveral volumes.

Does anyone use the Bill Tarr books as instruction?

I've met people who were quite competent with coins who got started with either the Ammar EZ-to-master set, or the David Roth series. I also think there's some good instruction available from Brad Burt, and on the "Jaw Droppers" series.

[Ian Kendall]

I stand corrected, and a bit ashamed. It's the only book with which I am not familiar, and I made an assumption.

Ian

[Dustin Stinett]

I also think there's some good instruction available from Brad Burt, and on the "Jaw Droppers" series.

I'm pretty sure the Jaw Droppers series was done by Larry Anderson. (Larry worked for Mark Wilson on "The Magician" as well as on the Complete Course in Magic.)

Dustin

[luigimar]

Don't forget Michael Rubinstein has 3 DVDs with the Encycplopedia of Coin Sleights (L&L) where he teaches you many coin moves and his Knock-out coin magic DVD.

[luigimar]

And I forgot, Dr Sawa also has 6 DVDs with his (vey difficult to perform/beautiful to watch) coin magic (L&L). Unfortunately, many of his effects require some sort of special gimmick/giant coin(s), and some of them are difficult to find/make.

[erdnasephile]

Thanks for all the responses! I'll check out the Futagawa book for sure--sounds exactly like the kind of book I would want to recommend (and learn from!).

Curtis: I loved the Bill Tarr books as a kid! :)

Ian: That project you are referring to sounds very intriguing indeed. There seems to be a real void it could fill.

[Van McGee]

The Futagawa book is available on Amazon ($18 - 22)and as a PDF from lybrary.com($15)

Here is a link to the contents http://magicref.tripod.com/books/futagawacoin.htm

Van

[erdnasephile]

Thanks, Van!

[Mike Rubinstein]

I would reccomend starting with the Bobo book, followed by Kaufman's Coinmagic, and Roth's Expert Coin Magic. Thats more magic than you will ever need to start with. However, if you learn with DVD;s, Roths 3 DVD set is a very reasonable price now, since it is sold as a three pack, and not separately anymore. My own Encyclopedia of Coin Sleights teaches over 100 coin moves, and gives you versitility by learning different ways to perform an action, from beginning to advanced. There are vanishes, loads, steals, shuttle passes, changeover palms, utility switches, Han Ping Chien, Spellbound moves, coin and card moves, retention technique, R.O.P.S. echnique, and many more. Coin magicians like Giacomo Bertini and Reed McClintock started with this set.
Finally, the New York Coin Magic Seminar DVD series (13 volumes, with three to come out in the next three weeks), has been called the video Bobo of the 21st century. Containing over 140 routines (many unpublished and only found here), plus lessons on techniques, new sleights, and much much more, by Roth, Rubinstein, Gallo, Latta, and guests like Bertini, Dan Watkins, Marc deSouza, Eric Jones, Bill Citino, Scotty York, Al Schneider, Vic Trabucco, and more!