Looking for a book

[Bill Reader]

Hello, I am looking to purchase the older edition of the Mark Wilson's Course in Magic book. I want to say it was a dark blue cover with no pictures on the cover. Please send me an email if anybody has a spare and wants to sell. Thanks so much.

Bill R

[Edward Pungot]

Try Aladdin Books. I recall seeing an older copy last time I was at John's shop perusing his shelves.

aladdinbooks@earthlink.net

[Bill Reader]

Thanks Edward for the lead, I just sent an email, do you have a phone number? Thanks again.

[Edward Pungot]

714/738-6115

http://aladdinbooks.com/

No problem :)

[Bill Reader]

Just wanted to say Thank You to everybody who donated information for the book. Thanks again

Bill R

[John Kokot]

Was the three-ring-binder version listed below the first edition of The Mark Wilson Course in Magic? If not, when was the first edition published? Thank you.

Wilson, Mark, and Gibson, Walter. "The Mark Wilson Course in Magic." North Hollywood, California: Mark Wilson, 1975. Three-ring-binder with vinyl cover. 472 pages (8.5" x 11").

[Frank Yuen]

I believe the first edition was not in a three ring binder but was comb bound and slipped into a wrap around vinyl cover. Here's a recent eBay listing:

LINK

This buyer got a great deal as the last copy previous to this one sold for $77.00.

[erdnasephile]

Frank:

Are you sure about this? I seem to recall the first ads for the course I saw as a kid, advertised a three ring binder where you would slip in the lessons as they sent them to you. Only later did I see the bound versions.

[Joe Pecore]

The ad in the January 1975 issue of Genii for the course looks bound http://geniimagazine.com/magicpedia/Mark_Wilson%27s_Complete_Course_In_Magic (click the image to zoom in).

[erdnasephile]

Thanks, Joe:

I went to Ask Alexander, and looked at the big picture: it sure does look bound. (The ad copy describes the cover as: "The course instruction is contained in a beautiful heavy vinyl cover, designed to lay flat while following the easy to master instructions.")

My apologies to Frank. I stand corrected. (I could have sworn I saw it in a three ring binder at some point).

[Frank Yuen]

Perhaps it was the Zanadu magic course that you are thinking of? It also came out that year or the next as I received both as graduation gifts. The Zanadu course did come in installments every month and although no binder was supplied, it would be the easiest way to keep it all together.

[erdnasephile]

Could be, Frank.

It's cool that you got those as graduation gifts. I'm a bit younger than you, but I remember just looking at those old Genii ads as a kid, and wishing that I could afford the stuff.

The ads that really got me were for 1) The Wilson course in Magic 2) Barry Price's Card to Wallet 3) Mike Caveney's Coathangers 4) Allen Okawa's Jennings Wallet and 5) the Tannen's ad for Derek Dingle's handmade gaffed cards.

It took a few decades to eventually acquire most of the stuff, but the dreaming was the most fun!