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Are you tired of using an old mouse pad for your close-up magic performances, but unwilling to part with $350 for Dan & Dave’s Magic Surface? Then this new line of close-up pads from Murphy’s Magic might be for you.

As the $6.95-$24.95 price range might suggest, these are no-nonsense pads that trade visual flare for resilience and a budget price point. They come in two sizes; 11″ x 16″ and 16″ by 23″, three degrees of thickness, and four colors. The back is non-slip, and the acid dyed fabric top won’t run or fade. The mat is easy to clean and resistant to creases and stains.

That last part is important. As I said earlier, they’re not the fanciest mats in the world, but if you’re looking to ply your trade out in the elements, or if you work bars or lounges where people can get careless with their drinks, cheap and cheerful mats like these are the way to go. 

The mats will soon be available at all good magic supply retailers, but the folks over at Murphy’s Magic suggest you get them from Hocus-Pocus.

There are plenty of innovative magicians who have turned their phones from pocket-sized computers into magic tricks. One of the latest efforts to make the impossible happen with a phone is a trick called Starlight from Paul Harris and Chris Perrotta. Harris, in case you didn’t know, is pretty smart about the whole magic thing. 

When Starlight goes into action, the beam of light from a phone will reveal two symbols on a playing card, so potentially two letters (say, a viewer’s initials) or a number and a symbol (such as to reveal the card chosen by an audience member). 

Magicorthodoxy has a review of the product, and he’s generally into the gimmick. Starlight gets brownie points for being well made and easy to use, but he did express concerns about the device being a bit fragile.

If you’re excited by what Starlight has to offer for your act, you can pick it up from Murphy’s Magic. 

Asad Chaudhry of 52Kards has shared a video discussing Sucker Punch, a special set of poker chips for magic tricks designed by Mark Southworth. He offers a thorough assessment of the product, including the difficulty, the quality of instruction, and the cost.

The product includes 16 chips and online instruction for six different effects taught by Eric Jones, the acclaimed coin magician from Murphy’s Magic. Sucker Punch is a versatile option for practitioners of coin magic. Not only are the effects visually impressive, but Chaudhry was particularly impressed by the value. At $39.95, it’s one of the least expensive gimmicks for coin magic and the build quality is excellent. Check out the whole video to also have a chance to win your own Sucker Punch in a 52Kards giveaway. Or to ensure getting your own, head to the 52Kards store.

Blackpool Magic Convention has more than a few things to see and do, which means you’ll want to strategize your time there. First off, check out the official beginner’s guide if you’re a newbie. Second, do a little research in advance to see what vendors will have so that you can plan your suitcase space accordingly.

Murphy’s Magic has kindly released a trailer showing the magic that it will be debuting at the show. The video above puts the tricks from creators such as Adrian Vega and Greg Rostami through their paces. For the most up-to-date information about what Murphy’s is bringing to Blackpool, head over to their website.

The 66th annual Blackpool Magic Convention is happening on February 16-18.

2017 was jampacked with incredible new effects and updates to many old standbys, and Murphy’s Magic picked out the ten best tricks of the year. The video above is filled with gimmicks, practical effects, and even some books and DVDs by the best magicians of their respective fields. Did your favorites make the cut? 

Luke Dancy of Murphy’s Magic interviewed David Koehler, the designer of a popular playing card deck called Wonder. The pair talked about the development of the Wonder deck (from its humble beginnings as a school project) to how the moves of cardistry inspired the design, even though Koehler admitted he’s not a particularly gifted performer in that field.

Given how many magicians may also dabble in other creative fields, there’s a lot of curiosity about how one goes about getting their own card designs made. For you aspiring artists, Koehler shared a bit of wisdom about letting your work reach a conclusion.

“Once you do design it, just realize that if you think it’s good, other people will think it’s good,” he advised.

Any creator knows that feeling, the worry that whatever you’re making can still be better. It’s true of card designers and it’s true of composing a card trick. Check out the whole interview on YouTube for your daily dose of artistic inspiration. 

Ekaterina has a pair of reviews for you today. First up is Haunted Revolution, which she mostly enjoyed, though she finds fault with the quality of the product you receive. She’s less enthusiastic about The Twixter, because to her it’s just a reveal and not a complete trick. Her critiques of both products cover aspects like price, the quality of the directions, and whether it’s well-suited for beginners or not. As a bonus at the end, she includes some footage from her recent trip to Vancouver. 

Murphy’s Magic has been a fine purveyor of tricks, cards, gimmicks, and other magical products. Many of those products have been submitted by actual illusionists, who then produces, markets, and distributes them to dealers all over the globe. This video highlights some of the best products currently available, including the Butterfly Playing Cards by Ondrej Psenicka, The Gift by Angelo Carbone, and Whiplash by Josh Janousky. Check out the video above, and if you have a trick you’ve designed that you’d like to sell, Murphy’s Magic is currently accepting submissions—maybe you’ll see your trick in a video like this next year!