Reviews: Read What Bill Palmer Is Saying
UF Grant Instruction Sheets 1
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Bill Palmer (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Saturday 04 May, 2024)
This is a handy collection of instruction sheets for classic U.F. Grant products. When you run across a set of "Chink Cans," and you can't figure out how to make them work, these are what to order. There is also a nice bill in lemon version that works very nicely. There are eleven tricks in all, including a version of Mental Epic that uses an ungaffed slate.
They aren't fancy. There are numerous misspellings and hand corrections. But all in all, they have historical importance. They were originally published in 1946.
52 Standard American Card Faces
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Bill Palmer (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 10 January, 2024)
An excellent source for clean card face designs to use for constructing gaffed cards. I've been a full-time pro for several decades. I have a lot of experience in close-up/corporate magic and have often constructed gaffed cards using a scanner and a printer. These prepared card faces take a lot of the hard work out of the process for you.
The images are in .eps (encapsulated postscript) form and .svg (scalable vector graphics) form.
Bill Palmer, M.I.M.C.
Irresistible Close-Up Magic
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Bill Palmer (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Sunday 05 December, 2021)
I've done close-up magic for more than 60 years, under every working condition imaginable, and for audiences of every level of social standing, from drunk rednecks to English royalty. This is the kind of magic that will make you a more versatile performer.
The Big Book of Rising Cards
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Bill Palmer (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Sunday 21 November, 2021)
I've been performing the Rising Cards for many years. I thought I knew every possible method, but there are methods in this book that I had not ever seen before. It's a well-produced book with very clear illustrations, so nothing is left to the imagination. I knew when I read some of the other reviews of the book that I needed to have the printed version. I'm glad I ordered it. Fine job, Chris!!! And I must say, the translation is extremely well done!
The Oldest Deception: Cups and Balls in the Art of the 15th and 16th Centuries
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Bill Palmer
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Sunday 08 August, 2010)
I've used this book for many years as a source for historical information on the cups and balls. Its value regarding this would be difficult to overestimate. However, the original edition was limited to fewer than 1000 copies, and it is now very difficult to find.
Chris has done magicians a real service by putting this version of Kurt Volkman's book on the market.
It covers graphical depictions of the cups and balls from the 15th and 16th century. When Volkmann wrote the original book, there was very, very little that predated these illustrations. In fact, it has only been in very recent years, through the efforts of Bob Read and Volker Huber that any earlier ones have been unearthed.
If you are a cups and balls aficionado and you want to know more about the history of this ancient piece of magic, you really should treat yourself to this book.
Tavern Magic 2
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Bill Palmer
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Friday 16 September, 2005)
Bar Magician by Mike Wild and Todd Diamond represents the collective wisdom of two fellows who have spent a lot of time working in the bar environment. It is chock full of excellent material that is tailor-made to entertain the customers and get you plenty of tips. Nothing is left out. They tell you how to handle the obnoxious drunk, and how far to go with the customers. Not only that, they tell you when to do the magic. All of these are important. Some of the material is bluer than I work, but all of it is practical, and I can't fault them for having material that fits their performing styles and their venue. If you want to work as a bar magician, this is the book to get.