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#1 |
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Student
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 27
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Bicycle cards - thoughts?
Just wondering what everyone thinks is the optimum “age” of a deck of bikes for performance purposes. I ask, because I seem to find it harder controlling a brand new deck. They slide around a little too much. This however, could be down to the fact that as about 90% of the time I am practising as opposed to performing, I tend to use older cards. This may mean that it is just that I am more comfortbale with more worn in bikes. Maybe I should spend more time using brand new decks?
Does anyone have any thoughts? Cheers CB |
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#2 |
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Graduate Poster
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,719
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I like new cards as they fan easier, but it sounds like this is not what you want. If you wants cards to stick together you can buy roughing solution. I don't think anybody on the boards is unhygenic enough to use spit.
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#3 |
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New Blood
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 3
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hey, i have a question on bicycle cards... Two weeks ago i bought a new standard bicycle deck and i was practicing tricks with it every day for 1-2 hours. Yesterday i noticed that they became a bit sticky, so it is more difficult to preform a glide or to make fans. Is this a normal thing to happen or they loose their quality in such short period of time (2 weeks)? Because I thought bicycle cards are a bit more durable(i don't say i can't make tricks with them now but it's not as before...). I'm from Croatia so it's not easy for us to get our hands on Bicycles, that's why I'm askin. ThX
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#4 |
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Skepticifimisticalationist
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Third in line
Posts: 8,399
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It's not that the cards are wearing out; they're getting dirty - from things like the natural oils from your hands and such. There's no real way to "clean" cards, but you can restore some of their slipperiness by adding some fanning powder.
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__________________
"Democracy is just a lot of ********, it's just been a cover for the criminal nature of the Jewnited States of America...I'm hoping for a Seven Days in May scenario, where sane people will take over the US...they will imprison the Jews, they will execute several hundred thousand of them at least." - Bobby Fischer, world's most vocal anti-semite, speaking on the September 11 terrorist attacks. |
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#5 |
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New Blood
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 3
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ok that's all i wanted to hear... yeah, my palms can be quite sweaty when doin tricks(maybe i should use bike gloves
). And it's the same with the masters bicycle edition? Btw fan powder is the one that we use usually for our body or?
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#6 |
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Skepticifimisticalationist
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Third in line
Posts: 8,399
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No, it's powder specifically made for card magic; try the local magic shop.
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__________________
"Democracy is just a lot of ********, it's just been a cover for the criminal nature of the Jewnited States of America...I'm hoping for a Seven Days in May scenario, where sane people will take over the US...they will imprison the Jews, they will execute several hundred thousand of them at least." - Bobby Fischer, world's most vocal anti-semite, speaking on the September 11 terrorist attacks. |
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#7 |
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Master Poster
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Largo, FL
Posts: 2,389
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Fanning powder is just zinc stearate. I don't know about Croatia, but when I was in Germany you could buy zinc stearate at some pharmacy shops much cheaper than getting fanning powder at a magic shop.
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#8 |
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Graduate Poster
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 1,011
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Generally, magic shops are always more expensive.
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#9 |
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Contrarian
Join Date: May 2002
Location: S. California
Posts: 3,824
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As a matter of personal preference I am averse to using a virgin pack in a performance situation; we have to get to know each other first. It does not really, really matter. Most of the cards I have borrowed are in an impromptu situation are very used. The only time I used a new deck was when someone actually went to a nearby 99 cent store and bought three different brands of playing cards, none of them Bicycle.
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__________________
Well, well, well. If it ain't the serious, elusive Leroy Green. I've been waitin' a long time for this, Leroy. I am sick of hearin' these buuuuullshit Superman stories about the "wassah" legendary Bruce Leroy catchin' bullets with his teeth. Catches bullets with his teeth?! Niggah pleeze. |
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#10 |
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Master Poster
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Largo, FL
Posts: 2,389
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#11 |
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Graduate Poster
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 1,011
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#12 |
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 395
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This person tells you they're in Croatia. They can barely get a hold of a deck of Bicycle cards. Telling them to "try the local magic shop" or even "local pharmacy" for something like zinc stearate isn't exactly being thoughtful.
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#13 |
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Master Poster
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Largo, FL
Posts: 2,389
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It's not? There's a big difference between having trouble finding Bicycle Cards (a product made in the USA and difficult to buy in many parts of the world), and having trouble finding things that are readily (and often more) available in many places outside the US.
My sister's husband is from Croatia. They go visit there every year. Going to "local" pharmacy" may not be as easy as finding a drug store in New York City, but it is a civilized country. Of course if you have any better suggestions feel free to mention them. That should be at least as thoughtful as no suggestions at all except to complain about other suggestions. |
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#14 |
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 395
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You seriously think, on a worldwide average, it's easier to find zinc stearate than something common from the US? There are plenty of places, even in the US, that don't have a pharmacy or similar store for hundreds of miles, or a magic shop for thousands of miles.
Quote:
Quote:
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#15 |
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Skepticifimisticalationist
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Third in line
Posts: 8,399
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Sorry but there is no other solution. If your cards are getting sticky, the only way to make them slippery again is to use the zinc, or buy new cards. There's absolutely nothing else that can be done. Sorry if it's not helpful, but there's really a lack of alternatives.
Besides, living in Croatia, I very, very strongly doubt that he'll need to travel "hundreds" or "thousands" of miles to find what he needs. I'm sure Zagreb has at least one pharmacy in it. |
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__________________
"Democracy is just a lot of ********, it's just been a cover for the criminal nature of the Jewnited States of America...I'm hoping for a Seven Days in May scenario, where sane people will take over the US...they will imprison the Jews, they will execute several hundred thousand of them at least." - Bobby Fischer, world's most vocal anti-semite, speaking on the September 11 terrorist attacks. |
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#16 |
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Master Poster
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Largo, FL
Posts: 2,389
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No. I seriously think that it's better to give a suggestion that is possible, no matter how difficult, than to just say "too bad, all the solutions to your problem are difficult so I won't offer any".
Perhaps you can name one place in the US that doesn't have a magic shop within 1000 miles? I don't think so. Perhaps in a few more years when the internet finishes putting them out of business, but right now there is no place that far from the nearest magic shop. I believe they're called regions, and I don't know which one he's from. I also don't which city, street or house he's from. Now that I think about it, he may be from Serbia and not Croatia. I do know that when he left it was still part of Yugoslavia. None of which makes any difference to the topic. No, he did not ask that. If he'd asked then I'm sure someone would have answered it. |
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#17 |
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 395
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Originally Posted by OnlyTellsTruths
Originally Posted by Dikobraz
Originally Posted by OnlyTellsTruths
Your first two responses, on the other hand, don't need any further clarity as to your understanding of the thread. Try re-reading it "perhaps". |
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#18 |
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Skepticifimisticalationist
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Third in line
Posts: 8,399
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No, talcum powder fogs up the cards.
Next. |
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__________________
"Democracy is just a lot of ********, it's just been a cover for the criminal nature of the Jewnited States of America...I'm hoping for a Seven Days in May scenario, where sane people will take over the US...they will imprison the Jews, they will execute several hundred thousand of them at least." - Bobby Fischer, world's most vocal anti-semite, speaking on the September 11 terrorist attacks. |
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#19 |
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Master Poster
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Largo, FL
Posts: 2,389
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As Joshua already said, "If your cards are getting sticky, the only way to make them slippery again is to use the zinc, or buy new cards."
As for: I already said I don't know. Perhaps it wasn't clear that I really don't care either. I understand the thread perfectly well. No need to re-read it. All of my responses are also perfectly clear. |
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#20 |
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Muse
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 783
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I live in a very small town in Israel and there are at least 6 pharmacies where I can get about anything that I need.. I believe there are at least 2-3 in any other town, and over 10 in the big cities. So I really doubt that it's much different in Croatia or any other civilized country. I hope you understand that buying medicines is a bit more important than some magic cards. |
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#21 |
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Master Poster
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Largo, FL
Posts: 2,389
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#22 |
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 395
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I must apologize. I don't know what gave me the impression any of you were being less than thoughtful in your responses. Hopefully I didn't scare off our friend from Croatia.
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#23 |
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Critical Thinker
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 293
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Fanning powder and Bicycle cards don't get along very well. The special "air cushion seal" of the Bicycle cards ends up collecting the powder in little pockets, and you never get the smoothness of the fresh deck back again.
Fanning powder works great with just about any other kind of card I've encountered. I like to use cards that are very fresh from the package, I don't mind the extra slipperiness, but the effects you have to worry about are ones where packets can slide around once placed on the table. Tabling a double as one card is a good example--you don't want to try that with a fresh pack of Bikes and their slip & slide air-finish. As long as everything takes place in my own hands I can handle the slipperiness, in fact I enjoy it. |
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#24 |
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Master Poster
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Largo, FL
Posts: 2,389
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