Raiders of the Lost Card (Michael Breggar)

A new book filled with sleight-light card tricks from funny man Michael Breggar

Michael Breggar is well known to many in the magic industry for producing a number of books that focus on what he calls "auto-magic".  He's written the Auto-Magic column for The Linking Ring magazine for several years, and uses this term to designate tricks that are professional and practical, but are relatively sleight free, and often even "self-working".   I've loved Michael's books for a number of reasons:

- He has a great sense of humor, with an amusing and fun-to-read zany style.
- He emphasizes presentation, which is what entertaining magic is all about
- His tricks are easy to perform, with no knuckle-busting moves
- His books are well designed and laid out (good formatting, lots of pictures)

His newest book was released on 17 August 2024, and is called Raiders of the Lost Card.  It has more than 200 pages of goodness, and filled to the brim with 35 tricks.  As usual, Michael's great sense of humour is built in as part of the package, as you can tell from the Indiana Jones reference in the title, a theme he finds amusing ways to keep coming back to in the names of the tricks, and throughout the book. Personally I'm a sucker for the great puns he comes up with, like: "Are you ready to give the LAST CREWS AID? Will you follow a TEMPLATE OF DOOM?"



Here's some of the ad copy, which gives an idea of what you can expect inside:

35 astounding, entertaining and highly commercial effects that will have your audiences? heads exploding and faces melting!

They include "mystery card" effects, transpositions, a quirky magic square performed with cards and an unbelievable kicker ending, weird card locations, "un-memory" demonstrations, hands-off Oil and Water, Open Prediction and ACAAN effects. And more than you can crack a whip at!

PLUS - there is Michael's blockbuster Bad Bikes with a huge section of cool variations.
PLUS PLUS - A selection of five remarkable, tried and tested, and hugely entertaining "Think-of-a-Card" effects from which you will "choose wisely".
PLUS PLUS PLUS - the "Museum of Moves" in which the curator will show you some sleight-lite moves to enhance your card magic.
PLUS PLUS PLUS PLUS - the usual craziness and satire you?d expect from a Michael Breggar magic book (and some you wouldn't)!
In all, you'll be Non Plus Plus Plus Plus Ultra'd over the whole serial chapter play.

So, shuffle your Bees, find some Aviators, hop on your Bicycles, gather your Cohorts then put their pet snake Reggie in a box. You are in for some rousing excitement.

Where to get it?  Raiders of the Lost Card was released on 17 August 2024, and can be purchased as a digital download in PDF format as an exclusive from Kaymar Magic here:

https://www.kaymarmagic.com/products/raiders-of-the-lost-card-ebook-by-michael-breggar

I have not found any connection between James and Hitchcock or even Dougherty and the National Educational Card Company. I thought I would share some of the research I did for you on this deck for others to read. Maybe someone else will spot a connection.

Richard H. James
Born June 4, 1850 in the very small town of Rising Sun, Ohio County, Indiana. It is about 25 miles down the Ohio River from Cincinnati.
Died November 13, 1932 in Montebello, Los Angeles County, California and is buried in the Los Angeles Odd Fellows Cemetery.
His wife Ava North James (1850-1922) is buried next to him.
 
In 1870 he was a 19 year old working as a clerk in a store in Rising Sun.
In 1871 he married Ava North
About 1875 he moves to Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is listed as a retail grocer. His mother-in-law lives with the family.
Very active in promoting Hot Springs as a great health place. In the later 1890s he is on several local committees to attract visitors.
In 1900 he is listed as a Merchant in Eureka Springs (about 20 miles northwest of Hot Springs). He is now also a traveling representative for that town to increase tourism.
By 1903 James is a traveling representative on the new St. Louis & Northern Arkansas rail road that is now connected to Eureka Springs. He is organizing special trips to and from the St. Louis World?s Fair.
James also arranges for President Roosevelt to visit Eureka Springs in April 1903 on this train.
1907 Files articles of incorporation for the National Educational Card Company of Eureka Springs with a capital of $25,000 (over $800,000 today). The other incorporators have the last name of Orendorff. Still looking for them.
There are no Eureka Springs city directories online. There is also no good Eureka Springs historical group that is interested in anything other than their hot springs. Also checked Carroll County organizations with no luck.
Cannot find any mention of the company in a newspaper, Geyer?s or American Stationer other than their incorporation yet.
In 1910 he is back in Hot Springs living with his mother-in-law that runs a boarding house. He is listed as a Commercial Traveling Salesman.
By 1920 he has moved to Los Angeles to live with his daughter?s family. Her husband is a builder there.
His wife dies in 1922. He lived with his daughter?s family until his death in 1932 from pneumonia and heart failure.

Eureka Springs Historical Marker
Chandler Mall Buildings
Richard H. James and Charles S. Beck built the three story brick and limestone Beck and James Building in the year 1888 to house a clothing and apparel store.
F. H. and Avarilla James and their family resided in the upper rooms and C. S. Beck was a boarder in their household. He was a practitioner of the art of ?magnetic healing.?
Zadock P. Freeman, well known civic leader and mayor, built the Freeman Block, another brick and limestone structure, in which F.A. Pickard operated a hardware and furniture store.
The substantial three story buildings were constructed two years before the level of Main Street was raised and widened with the result that their lower floors were enclosed by high stone retaining walls.
About five years earlier, R. H. James constructed a large wooden building with a fine hardwood floor beside Main Street adjacent to the future site of the Beck and James Building. He operated a ?skating rink? where visitors skated on wheels to music. Roller skating was one of the most popular year round sports in America in the Victorian Era.
This building was damaged or destroyed by the Great Fire of 1888 and James rebuilt a portion of it as an opera house. Theatrical stock companies and road shows then touring the country gave performances throughout the year in the beautifully appointed theater. It was originally lighted with coal gas lamps, and replaced in 1899 with 200 electric lights and footlights for the stage. Local recitals, musicales, and political rallies were held at the opera house as well.
Changing times brought new interests. In 1917 Mary Arnheiter, Mary Lou Evans and Alma H. J. Hubbell adapted the opera house to show motion pictures and opened "The Queens Photoplay House". In 1923 the building was used as the Pentecostal Mission meeting house.

The other incorporators are listed as O. H. and A. L. Orendorff. They are husband and wife.

Oliver Haynes Orendorff
23 Dec 1868   Blooming Grove (now Bloomington), McLean County, Illinois
23 Oct 1927    Farmer City, DeWitt County, Illinois
Bloomington, McLean County, Illinois, United States of America

Married 23 Oct 1890 in McLean County, Illinois to Ada/Addie Luella Hoffman
(31 Mar 1869 - 23 May 1958)

They are buried together in Blooming Grove Cemetery in Bloomington, McLean County, Illinois

1900   Farmer     Applied for a patent for a stormproof mailbox. Advertises them for sale in local newspapers
1903   Natural gas discovered on his property. Income from it not stated in newspaper.
1905   Dairyman at the Sanitary Dairy Company
1907  Jan 4th Moved to Eureka Springs due to bad health. Was diagnosed with Bright's disease That is an archaic term for what is now referred to as 'nephritis'. Nephritis is an inflammation of the kidneys, caused by toxins, infection or autoimmune conditions. It is not strictly a single disease, rather a condition with a number of types and causes.
1907  April      Incorporates card company
          May       He sells 4 lots back in Bloomington for $4,000 ($131,000)
          August   Oliver sells the family home in Illinois for $28,500 ($931,000)
1910  Living on own Income according to the census taker (Eureka Springs)
1911   Oliver is ?cured? of Bright?s and starts a movement to put the hot springs under government control to help cure more people. Bright?s disease is a historical classification of modern medicine now known as acute or chronic nephritis.
   Bankruptcy suit filed against Oliver and his part in the Ozark Grocery Company. No outcome found
1913   Wants to return to Bloomington, Illinois, to try and manufacture his newly patented ?Trunk Tie? or ?Bundle Tying Device?. Ends up staying in Eureka Springs.
1916   Living in Eureka Springs and patents a ?Mailing Package? similar to his ?Bundle Tying Device?
1917  He and wife move back to Illinois to live with his Mother-in-law.
1920  He and wife live with her mother in DeWitt, Illinois. He has no occupation listed.
             Patents a ?Latch Device?
1924     Patents a ?Latch?
1927    Dies in Bloomington, Illinois, after being an invalid for several years from Bright?s disease. His    wife lives another 31 years as a widow.

This project is now live on Kickstarter - thank you for checking it out 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ahaines/osprey-and-goshawk-vintage-playing-cards

Any questions please let me know.

Alex

Playing Card Bundle from TCC

Three brand new custom decks of playing cards from manufacturer TCC

[inlineimg]https://i.imgur.com/4HV2aMJ.jpeg[/inlineimg]

TCC has been in the playing card industry for over a decade.  In recent years they have been regularly producing high quality playing cards, such as the luxurious high end decks from ARK.  But they also continue to release more affordable custom playing cards suitable for the consumer who wants an affordable and quality deck to play card games, perform card magic, do card flourishing (cardistry).

Earlier this month TCC released three new decks, which can be purchased separately, or as a bundle of three for US$12.95 for extra savings.  These three decks are:
● Flexible Peach Fuzz 2024 Playing Cards ($3.99)
● Fluid V3 Playing Cards ($4.99)
● Need Graffiti Playing Cards ($4.99)

All the decks are standard poker sized (62mm x 88mm), and come with 52 playing cards, plus two custom jokers, and an ad card.  Here's some information and images about all three decks:

Flexible Peach Fuzz 2024 Playing Cards

TCC has produced a number of Flexible decks now, starting with Flexible Red and Flexible Black in 2018.  This was followed by another pair of decks in 2021, Flexible Gradient Orange and Flexible Gradient Blue. 

Since 2022, TCC has been using the Pantone Color of the Year to produce a new Flexible deck on an annual basis.  The first two of these were the Flexible Very Peri 2022 deck, and the Flexible Viva Magenta 2023 deck. 

The most recent addition has just been released, and is the Flexible Peach Fuzz 2024 deck.  This deck is priced at US$3.99 on TCC's website here:

https://tccplayingcard.com/products/flexible-gradient-playing-cards-by-tcc





















Fluid V3 Playing Cards

The Fluid series of playing cards aims to capture the concept of flowing colors.  Several Fluid Art decks appeared in 2020, and after a strong reception, more were released the following year. 

The newest release is dubbed the Fluid V3 deck.  This deck is priced at US$4.99 on TCC's website here:

https://tccplayingcard.com/products/fluid-playing-cards-by-tcc















A box of six of these decks includes a gilded edition with blue gilding on the edges, and an alternative blue colorway.







Need Playing Cards

This colorful deck is inspired by street art graffiti, and is especially geared to appeal to cardists, who pursue creativity and often combine it with striking visuals. 

The card backs and style are definitely vibrant, making this well suited for card flourishing.  Creative elements include a continuous mural produced by placing several tuck boxes alongside each other, and the two joker cards combine to depict a magical broomstick being ridden to the moon.

The name of the Need deck might beg for some jokes about whether or not we actually do need it, but it's definitely colorful and creative.  It is priced at US$4.99 on TCC's website here:

https://tccplayingcard.com/products/need-playing-cards-by-tcc





















● Flexible Peach Fuzz 2024: https://tccplayingcard.com/products/flexible-gradient-playing-cards-by-tcc
● Fluid V3: https://tccplayingcard.com/products/fluid-playing-cards-by-tcc
● Need: https://tccplayingcard.com/products/need-playing-cards-by-tcc

Cardistry deserves more t-shirts, and this is a great one.



I picked it up from Biz & Friends here:

https://bizandfriends.com/products/the-cardistry-experience-tee



I love the design of the front especially, and the quality is excellent. I'm stoked!