Most magicians and cardists will practice their craft with off-the-shelf basics from USPC - Bicycles and Bees, most often. For cardistry, the Bicycles are better for most, if only because the "optical-illusion backs" of the Bee Diamond Back conceals more than it reveals about your card artistry. Magicians often use Bicycle Standards because of the huge number of trick decks and gaff cards available in that design, likely more than all other designs combined. But if one specializes in gambling demonstrations, Bee is usually the go-to deck, as the back design will be helpful in concealing certain sleight-of-hand moves commonly used by crooked gamblers. In terms of wear and tear, the Bees will invariably outlast the Bicycles when used under the same conditions - they have a firmer stock, casino-grade, so they tend to hold up better over time.
If you can find them, many magicians and cardists love Tally Ho - it was the deck of choice for Dai Vernon, a legendary magician often referred to as "the Professor" for all the people he's mentored and new tricks he's developed over his career. They're not as easy to find and are likely going to be a little more expensive than Bicycles - USPC markets them to a very limited market segment: the geographic location of New York City and the retail category of magic and playing card dealers. Theory11 has them at a better price than I can buy them here in New York if you purchase in bulk quantities, well under the $3.00 I pay at retail. In quantities over a dozen, they're about $2.51 a pack plus shipping from T11, and they come in two back designs (Original Circle Back and Original Fan Back) as well as two colors (red and blue; black is available at magic shops for a slight premium including two gaff cards and other colors come out as limited editions produced by third parties and printed by USPC). What makes Tally Ho so cool is that it's a very traditional design, but because of the very limited retail area, they're unique enough to stand out just a little bit while still being familiar enough that your audience will be comfortable with them (they have standard USPC faces with unique Jokers and Aces of Spades).
If you prefer a smooth finish, the easiest ones to obtain would probably be Aviators, though again, USPC now limits their market to magic shops, card dealers and airports. For a smooth deck with somewhat superior handling, Aladdins are hard to beat. USPC makes them for sale in Singapore and they're supposedly manufactured in a way that better withstands the high heat and humidity of that climate, but magic shops/card dealers can get them easily enough at reasonable prices. I'm told by Singaporean members of the forum that Aladdins are as common in Singapore as Bicycles are in the US - they're practically everywhere. Both decks, just like the Tally Ho, have unique backs but standard USPC faces. Aviators have a very bland-looking back, almost generic in appearance, while Aladdins are a little flashier and have no ad cards but four identical jokers! If you like to perform for a crowd with less-than-perfect eyesight, the Bicycle Lo-Vision deck is also smooth, but with custom faces having large print and colors bold enough to be seen almost from across the room.
(Read 1943 times)
