Don Englands "Galf to The Hilt"

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Don Englands "Galf to The Hilt"

Postby Guest » September 19th, 2001, 8:22 pm

Is anyone familiar with the effects in galf to the hilt?Are the cards for the book avaiable ?Will the book be reprinted?thanks

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Don Englands "Galf to The Hilt"

Postby Richard Kaufman » September 19th, 2001, 11:52 pm

Mike, the title of the book is "Gaffed to the Hilt." The book has ALREADY been reprinted once, and will not be reprinted again. The cards for the most of the tricks are not available. They would also be extremely difficult for anyone to make.
Mike Powers and Gary Plants sell one or two of the effects.
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Re: Don Englands "Galf to The Hilt"

Postby Tom Stone » September 20th, 2001, 12:34 am

Originally posted by Richard Kaufman:
The cards for the most of the tricks are not available. They would also be extremely difficult for anyone to make.

I can testify to that. When I got my copy of the second edition, I wanted to make all the gaffs. It took a lot of cursing, swearing and gnashing of teeth, but in the end I had made most of the gaffs (except the shrunken card in Telescopic Alice). However, after I had made the cards, I didn't dare to use them, because I knew how difficult it was to replace them if something happened to them during a performance.
"Holy Point of Arrival" was especially tricky to make. When I made the acrobatic gaff as thin as an ordinary card, then it was easy to stretch the rubber too much - causing the card to tear itself apart after a few days. But stretching it too little made the gaff unreliable. And making the gaff thicker made it feel weird in the hands. It took a long while before I finally managed to get it right.

So Richard is right, the gaffs are extremely difficult to make. And there isn't any descriptions in the book about how the gaffs are created, so everything has to be extrapolated from the text.

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Re: Don Englands "Galf to The Hilt"

Postby JBA Janson » September 20th, 2001, 4:32 am

I just wishes to add to Richard's info.
The full title is : Don England's Gaffed to the hilt!" written by Jon Racherbaumer, illustrated, edited and designed by Richard and published by Kaufman & Greeberg in 1985 and the price was $100. (what a bargain!)
There was only 110 sets done and they came in a black ring-binder. 19 tricks were included in the 76 page text and there were some 20 gaffs, cards & card boxes made from Tahoe stock and you received two regular Tahoe decks as well.
It is almost impossible to find and buy a copy today for any price!
In 1993 Richard put out the second revised edition of 85 pages in a print run of 1000 copies - all gone now since long.

A great book for card lovers - and I agree -it is with some reluctance you use the gaffs!
:)

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Re: Don Englands "Galf to The Hilt"

Postby Guest » September 22nd, 2001, 8:35 pm

For those of you who are in the Chicagoland area and love tricks with gaffs, both Don England AND Kevin Kelly will be lecturing at Midwest Magic, in Franklin Park Illinois, on Oct. 13.

Don England's new book, "Paradox" contains a a section on the construction of various gaffed cards. Kevin is the creator of gaffed cards used in the marketed routines of Daryl and David Solomon, among others. This will be a great lecture to learn how to make gaff cards. I'm looking forward to seeing this 'two for one' tag team lecture.

Also, I didn't realize how hard it is to find "Gaffed to the Hilt". Today I was lucky enough to buy it at Midwest Magic (I love Tim Felix's OUTSTANDING magic shop. He stocks just about every trick, video, and book available and has lots of stuff that is out of print and extremely hard to find!)

[ September 22, 2001: Message edited by: Oliver Corpuz ]

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Re: Don Englands "Galf to The Hilt"

Postby Guest » October 14th, 2001, 9:16 pm

Don England did have some sets of cards for sell for Gaffed to the Hilt. This was not that long ago and I don't know what he is asking now for the entire set....this is cards ONLY.

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Re: Don Englands "Galf to The Hilt"

Postby Guest » October 14th, 2001, 10:09 pm

Gary is correct. Don had maybe five or six complete sets of gaffs for Gaffed to the Hilt at the lecture here in Chicago (Oct. 13). These sets are the gaffs only. Each set is $150. Because of the difficulty in making the sets, Don said he is not going to make any more 'gaffed to the hilt' sets after these last ones are sold.

Don was also selling a collectors edition binder that has about 30 gaffs that accompany his new book with Kevin Kelly, Paradox. Don made only 50 sets of the Paradox collectors edition gaffs and they are $300 (with the book). Each Paradox collectors edition set of gaffs is numbered and signed by both Don and Kevin, and they also include a wonderful art piece by Don. (My copy is no. 47/50).

The good thing about the new book is, it includes clear photos and DETAILED instructions on how to construct each gaff. I think many of the gaffs in the new book aren't that hard to make at all-- you just have to be motivated enough to make them. So even if you aren't one of the lucky 50 people who get a collectors edition set of gaffs, you should be able to make all the gaffs yourself with the proper equipment. I've read about 1/4 of the book so far, and it is very well produced.

[ October 14, 2001: Message edited by: Oliver Corpuz ]

[ October 14, 2001: Message edited by: Oliver Corpuz ]

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Re: Don Englands "Galf to The Hilt"

Postby Guest » October 15th, 2001, 5:18 pm

Oliver,

In the latest Genii (page 11), Richard says the price for the cards and the book together is $250.00. Any idea why the $50 difference?

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Re: Don Englands "Galf to The Hilt"

Postby Richard Kaufman » October 15th, 2001, 9:38 pm

Gary, if Oliver's copy is number 47 out of 50, then (and I assume they're selling them in order), they are probably sold out by now. Perhaps they raised the price of the last few when they saw how quickly they were selling! I bought two: one for myself, and one for ... a friend in France.
:)
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Re: Don Englands "Galf to The Hilt"

Postby Jon Elion » October 16th, 2001, 4:07 am

The Paradox book/card set were available to a select few at a pre-publication price of $250 (the time for that offer has long since passed). As of 10/15, there were a few left at the announced publication price of $300 (this according to the delightful phone conversation I had with Kevin Kelly). The price listed in the November Genii referred to the pre-publication special price (it figures Richard would have a chance to get in on that early!).

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Re: Don Englands "Galf to The Hilt"

Postby Guest » October 16th, 2001, 7:58 am

Richard, Don wasn't selling the Paradox collectors sets in sequential order. I just randomly pulled a few out of the storage bin he had at the lecture and bought a set that I found that had a gaff made out of my favorite card. I also got the book personally inscribed by Don.

I don't think Don is sold out of the gaff sets yet, but as word about them gets out, they will be gone fast. I don't think many people knew they were available. I was just in the right place at the right time to get one.

As for paying $50 more than the pre-publication price, I don't really mind at all. I truly feel blessed just to have a set. As an incurable magic collector, I would have gladly paid a lots more to get one. Anyway, at last nights SAM #148 Magic Flea Market, I got five rare Frank Garcia Books in near mint condition for only $12, including the cups and balls book I've been trying to get for a long long time. So I'm in magic nirvana right now.

:)

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Re: Don Englands "Galf to The Hilt"

Postby Richard Kaufman » October 16th, 2001, 11:12 am

Oliver, you are a lucky dog to get a set of Don's cards for "Paradox." I don't buy much in magic anymore, however I EAGERLY sprung for the dough to get the cards. I treasure the few sets of cards for "Gaffed to the Hilt" that I've been able to hold onto.
On another note, as you may know I illustrated Garcia's cup and ball book. I always felt that the title was a bit strange: "The Very Best of Cups and Balls"--it sounds as if Cups and Balls is the name of a magician, and the book contains his very best stuff. Perhaps I'm the only one who finds this amusing.
Frank was generally a lot of fun to work with. :)
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Re: Don Englands "Galf to The Hilt"

Postby Steve Bryant » October 16th, 2001, 11:53 am

Richard,
Any chance of a re-issue of Frank's best magic books, say a Kaufman compilation like the most recent Eugene Burger book? I just checked ABE Books, and Frank's sponge ball book is listed at $500. Weirdly, because I always admired him, the only Garcia book I own is the three-shell book.

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Re: Don Englands "Galf to The Hilt"

Postby Guest » October 16th, 2001, 12:16 pm

Steve,
It is doubftful that we'll see a reprint soon. In the general forum, future articals topic, Richard said the Garicia book rights are in a legal quagmire: "The rights to all of his books are tied up on a dispute between his son, Nicholas, and his wife at the time of his death, Betty Lou. I believe he died without a will, which caused the mess. I have heard nothing regarding a resolution of the legal dispute."

I really hate lawyers. (And that's saying something because I am one.)

:D

[ October 16, 2001: Message edited by: Oliver Corpuz ]

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Re: Don Englands "Galf to The Hilt"

Postby Richard Kaufman » October 16th, 2001, 2:06 pm

My copy of Paradox with the full set of gimmicks just arrived. Yikes! Lots of cool stuff, and the gaffs are nicely packaged.
As you guys play with the effects, let's talk about them on a NEW THREAD which I'll start shortly.
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Re: Don Englands "Galf to The Hilt"

Postby Guest » October 17th, 2001, 1:12 pm

does anyone know how to get ahold of Don England to get a set of his gaffed cards.

Thanks

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Re: Don Englands "Galf to The Hilt"

Postby Richard Kaufman » October 17th, 2001, 2:55 pm

To get in touch with Don England, it's best to send an e-mail to Kevin Kelly who wrote the new book and is handling sales:
_the_magician@yahoo.com
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Re: Don Englands "Galf to The Hilt"

Postby Guest » October 23rd, 2001, 9:23 pm

I just spent this past weekend with Don at a small get together in Buffalo, NY. He asked me to post his email address so that you can get in touch with him for cards. He has about 35 sets of cards left for Paradox and 6 or 7 sets for Gaffed to the Hilt. His email address is deng11@cs.com.


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