I'm having second thoughts

[notsoltd]

I have been REALLY wanting some Bicycle 125 cards! Well (sorry T11) but I found them for $1.89/pack, and was JUST about to place the order when I thought will I use these?

Now, I know I posted something like this a while back and believe me I would have no problem performing with these (especially at that price).

My problem is here though...one of my favourite effects...should be here monday...is Jay Sankey's Bigger Finish. I already know how to do it, it isn't that hard, it was really just the special card that I need! This card, like most other gaff cards, has the original bicycle backs.

This means I can't use the 125's for Bigger Finish and lord knows it is a dumb idea to just switch to a different deck at random so I can do that trick (not that switching decks is a bad thing, but I think it's kinda suspicious to just switch to a different backed deck mid performance lol)

Should I ditch Bigger Finish, and just get and use the 125's? Should I not get 125's and stick with regular bikes? Should I just order them anyways and just use regular bikes when I plan on performing Bigger Finish?

 

[mehar]

hmm.. quite the conundrum. I would go ahead and buy a few 125's. It's not like you HAVE to do Bigger Finish all the time. For my paid gigs I take a regular deck of bikes. When I'm at school I'll use my ghosts/centurions/ or my favourite... BLACK TIGER RED PIPSSS!!

 

[joshrobarts]

Honestly, i used to buy a few decks of each kind just to have them. If thats your thing than go for it. The 125's are terrible. But these days id rather just buy another brick of red bikes. Im all about quantity not diversity these days.

 

[praetoritevong]

As long as you don't switch decks during a performance, it's fine I think. Get some, play with them, if that's what you want. If you're performing with 125s, just don't perform that one trick. If you want to perform it, then use a different deck.

I don't see a problem with doing just that; but ultimately it's your call, your preference really.

 

[RediSpades]

To support what others have already said: it is going to be the question of what you are going to do with the deck. If you only want them to perform with, then don't get them. The quality is alright, but nothing out of this world. But, if you are like me and collect them just out of a weird habit, I would strongly advise getting them because they are a nice little bonus to what you already have.

 

[RediSpades]

Oh, a thought just came to mind... You could always make your own gaffs with the deck. There is plenty of information floating around about splitting and combining cards. It does mean that you might have to buy a few more spare decks to work with, but the rewards seem to fix all of your problems.

 

[CaseyRudd]

Owning Bigger Finish by Jay Sankey tells me to ditch the 125s and buy the good ole Bicycles. I performed Bigger Finish a LOT when I did strolling magic on the streets. Everyone loves it, everyone has fun with the trick. You get the spectator involved, which is ALWAYS better. It's a great trick to have fun with and everyone, again, loves it. Buy the DVD and the gaff cards that come with it, you won't be disappointed.

When you said earlier that you knew how it was done but you only needed the gaff cards?

That's a mindset that you should throw out of your head immediately.

Getting new magic to put in your repertoire isnt about saving money and being cheap. It's always good if you can get it for a cheaper price, but support the creator and buy the actual effect. Take Schoolcraft's coin gimmicks for example. His coin gaffs are extremely high priced, only to one that is new to coin gaffs. To workers and professionals the price isn't that high. What you're paying for is quality, will last you a LONG time, and make your magic look over 10 times better.

So in a nutshell, buy the Bigger Finish DVD from http://sankeymagic.com/detail.aspx?ID=48029 and enjoy it!

-Casey

 

[Zenn_Darkfire]

Here's a solution that could work, and I use it sometimes. Get both. After you perform Bigger Finish just switch to the 125's and don't make a big deal out of it. If anyone asks you about it, just say how these are your nice/favorite cards. With the other deck you have people sign them or rip them so many times, you don't want to do that to these. It sounds ridiculous but it works. I have a few decks set up for different effects, and they are not all the same color (Example I have Hollow in Blue, and then I have Pip Streak and Twilight Angels in Red). Since I just had someone sign a card that got hole punched in Hollow, switching over to a new deck makes sense... I would have all the cards in this new deck so I'm less likely to cheat in their minds.

The other two solutions I have is do a deck switch in front of them, but do it in a magical way. What I mean by this is take the normal bikes you are using, and tell them that you're going to do something amazing. Then just do a switch (lapping works if you're seated, Snap change works if you're standing) and you're good.

Your other option, which I also use, is get Oz Pearlman's Blindsided. Its meant for a color changing deck, but you could easily do it so you change one deck to another. I have Blindsided set up so it turns from Blue to Red. I have Identity set up for a red deck, and then I have Hollow set up for Blue. I do a normal deck switch so I can swap in my "Blue" Blindsided deck with my Hollow deck. I perform the effect (which no leaves me with a red deck) and I go into any routine that I need a red deck for (in this case Identity)

Hope that made some sense!

 

[notsoltd]

To Casey - I know it is an awesome trick I have wanted it for a LONG time! I thought I put it in my OP, (while I do have a method to do the trick), I'm sure the DVD that comes with it has a wealth of information in it and I DID order the DVD and everything earlier last week!!! I can't wait for it to get here!!!

 

[mehar]

I coincidently went to Wal-Mart today and I got myself a deck of red and blue 125s and an eco deck. The 125s feel like any old deck but they do have.. umm.... interesting pips and have a little 1885 - 2010 thing underneath the top left pip. They also have this small blue ribbon on the top and bottom of the picture on each court card. It says 125th Anniversary Edition. I dunno if you'll like it once you see them, I thought they looked pretty cool on t11, but, they kinda look a bit cheap..

Check out some YouTube vids of the court cards.. They definitely do have a nice back design and ace though!

 

[Anton Volck]

I must say, that the 125's feel the same as these new "standard" bikes that they are making now, rather than calling them the "rider backs"...... The backs are pretty cool, but, I think I like the regular bikes better as far as the faces go. I kind of like the limited editions..... as for the specific trick, I usually have at least two if not three decks on me. I switch up between groups of people, and sometimes with the same group if the routine goes long enough. I always try to involve the specs by cutting, shuffling, etc. so they aren't suspicious of why you switch decks when possible.

Anton

 

[RikAllen]

I don't know what/how you're going to do bigger finish, but if it's your closer you could do the 125's until right before (or two tricks before) and have them thrown all over the floor or the entire deck destroyed in the midst of an effect and then when you say you have one more trick you can pull out another deck.

It's the perfect deck switch really...no use in cleaning up, just use this other deck I have...

If you're not into damaging/destroying cards...the other suggestions in this thread are very workable and probably more practical than destroying a deck each time you perform.

 

[notsoltd]

Thanks for the replies everyone!

Someone mentioned Blindsided by Oz Pearlman...I bought that after I read the suggestion and it is SWEET! I will definately be using it!

 

[Zenn_Darkfire]

Thanks for the replies everyone!

Someone mentioned Blindsided by Oz Pearlman...I bought that after I read the suggestion and it is SWEET! I will definately be using it!

That was me =] Glad you like it! It's one of my favorite tricks to perform and I find it a great way to segue between decks

 

[notsoltd]

I agree! I'm not sure what I am doing wrong, but I'm not getting reactions with it. I mean like they will be amazed, just nothing like in the preview. The most I have gotten was "Wow theyre blue. Don't talk to me" but in like a super calm voice

 

[Zenn_Darkfire]

I agree! I'm not sure what I am doing wrong, but I'm not getting reactions with it. I mean like they will be amazed, just nothing like in the preview. The most I have gotten was "Wow theyre blue. Don't talk to me" but in like a super calm voice

It'll be like that at first... the thing is you want to really sell that the deck changed without being like "OMG THE DECK WAS RED AND NOW ITS BLUE! ALSO YOUR CARD IS THE ONLY RED ONE! ISNT THAT AMAZING?!?!?!"

Just make sure that before you do the color change you tell them to watch the ink on the front (show them the front) not the back (flash the back). Then when their card changes, which is pretty magical by itself, show them the backs of the top two cards (just display them) and say "now you saw the ink change on the front... what about the back". Just make sure you emphasize the word "back"

hoped that helped!

 

[notsoltd]

Lol everything you wrote is EXACTLY what I do! When I say what about the ink on the back, and flash the top two cards, they turn theirs over and of course they aren't amazed nothing has happened (it is just a red back like before). But then I say "That is weird because that is the only red card in the entire blue deck"

 

[Zenn_Darkfire]

Lol everything you wrote is EXACTLY what I do! When I say what about the ink on the back, and flash the top two cards, they turn theirs over and of course they aren't amazed nothing has happened (it is just a red back like before). But then I say "That is weird because that is the only red card in the entire blue deck"

I'll post a video of me doing this soon if you want... i forgot to add that after they check out the back of their card, which is when I do the change, I go on to say "now you see that's only blue card, in my entirely red deck *fan deck now*" Give me a week or two and I'll post a video

 

[notsoltd]

ok cool man thanks for the help

 

[praetoritevong]

I agree! I'm not sure what I am doing wrong, but I'm not getting reactions with it. I mean like they will be amazed, just nothing like in the preview. The most I have gotten was "Wow theyre blue. Don't talk to me" but in like a super calm voice

The fact that you've had it for a day might have something to do with it... Do you often rush out to perform your newest trick a day after buying it (which, in turn, was hours after having it recommended)?