Close-Up Magic

Close-up is magic with nowhere to hide. The audience is within arm's reach, the props are in their hands, and there is no stage lighting to help you. It is also where most professional magicians earn their living — restaurants, bars, private parties and trade stands all want performers who can walk up to six strangers and own the table for four minutes.

Everything in this collection has been chosen for that context: props that reset quickly, that pack flat, and that survive being examined. Angle-proof material is marked as such, because a table you can only work from one side is a table you will eventually lose.