The DVD category has been hard to call.  There are three disks that stand out – all involving more or less self-working magic.  If cards are your thing, then it is hard to judge between two BBM releases – Awesome Self-Working Card Tricks (which we reviewed back in August) and Out of Sleight (from May).  Both full of cracking card material which is very easy to do.  Another close contender was Automata 2 – which is the same kind of quality but with non-card items.  If you don’t have these you really should.

We started off focused entirely on playing cards so it feels appropriate to mention the best deck releases.  When we started the sight we couldn’t possibly imagine how many decks would be produced with the advent of crowdfunding and the like.  However, our top release this year would probably have to be the Luxx Palme (and not just because of my love of Paisley)  with the Number 17 Deck coming in a close second.

For the best tricks of 2015 it is harder to decide – there are really so many to choose from.  But three that stand out, in no particular order, are: Steve Brundage’s amazing Cube 3 – for sheer cleverness and the joy of learning a new skill; Cody Fisher’s Killer Prediction – for an outstanding take on an old effect which makes it a very powerful platform item; and I also rather enjoyed Liam Montier’s Voodoo – for a nice update to another trick with a history.

We’ve only reviewed a couple of books this year, so it doesn’t seem fair to highlight one as a best of 2015, however, as I mentioned last month, this Christmas I have been reading Tom Stone’s Vortex – which is an outstanding book from a professional magician.  The insights into the way he creates his magic, the performance ideas and the routines make this a compelling read for anyone who loves the art of magic.

And finally, our ‘unsung utility’ item of the year goes to the Jaks Wallet – which continues to be a wonderful utility wallet consistently overlooked by people who have only heard of the Card to Wallets made by the same manufacturer.

What would you add to your list of the best tricks of 2015?  What have we missed?  What would you change?  We love to hear from you – either in comments below or on social media.

We’re excited about all the new magic we’re going to be sharing with you in 2016 – the review pile is already a foot high with some very exciting releases in the pipeline.  Follow us on Twitter or Like us on Facebook to keep up to date with all our latest posts.

The post Trick of the Month – January 2016 – best tricks of 2015 and more appeared first on Bicycle Cards.

I’m always a little nervous about recommending products I haven’t actually seen in person, but the trailer for Phantom looks really clean. If this gimmick does half the things it says (rising card, haunted deck – both with borrowed decks – also unscrewing bottle!) then it is amazing. We’ll probably take a look at this since it is so visual. But you can check it out yourself. £30.50 [UPDATE – we have now done a full review]

Here’s another one that looks good – with amazing visuals. I can imagine having fun with Antigravity at home (rather than incorporating it into a formal show) – balancing a glass at impossible angles. £21

And whilst we’re on crazy visuals, check out Impale.  The video on this has to be seen to be believed – but the illusion of the Sharpie sinking through the deck of cards looks too good to be true. And I’m told there is no deck switch involved. We haven’t played with it yet but looks amazing. £36.99

There are loads of new decks out and we’ll feature a few of them in the middle of the month, but to wet your appetite why not check out the White Spirit Deck? This is an attractive deck from Gamblers Warehouse in understated whites and golds and classical styling. I love the look of the court cards. £9.75.

And finally, can we just give another plug for the newly released Awesome Self Working Card Tricks DVD? We used a few of these on holiday and they went down very well. You can read our full review here – well worth £19.99.

That’s it for now. We’ve got loads of new magic reviews coming out in the coming month – so do follow us on twitter (@magicbikecards) or keep up to date on Facebook so you don’t miss a post.

The post Trick of the Month – September 2015 – Phantoms and crazy visuals appeared first on Bicycle Cards.