Without a doubt, I recommend Bicycle cards. I'd lean more towards the Rider Backs, but the Standards aren't bad either, though I think they're inferior. And I'd also recommend that you buy them from magic shops:
As for quantity and color, to start off right, I'd buy two blue decks and one red deck. One blue deck will be your main performing deck. The other will be for deck switches to prepared stacks, duplicates, effects with two identical decks, and so on. The red deck is for all color-change effects, like routines such as the Chicago Opener or a deck color change.
And I suggest you use blue more because my magic teacher told me that a card (or an entire deck) changing color from blue to red is more impactful for the spectator than from red to blue.
Also, Bicycle cards are ideal because almost all gimmicked effects are sold with Bicycle cards. I mean, you'll easily find a deck of all identical Bicycle cards in any magic shop, but you'll never find a deck of identical Juggler brand cards (for example).
Lastly, I'd tell you that if you prefer red or another deck/color, always stick with that same one. Because when doing deck switches with gimmicked or prepared decks, if you use different decks, the spectator will think, "Why is that a different deck?" I say this from experience 😅 A trick was ruined for me one day because of it, and since then, I always buy BLUE Bicycle decks.
I hope this helps and that you do well with your Bicycles.
With all due respect to my fellow magicians, the ideal deck for beginners is the same one pros use: Bicycle Standard. I guarantee you, no matter how much you spend, you won't notice any difference with the Supreme Line, Rider Back (they're the same, just a different box), Elites, etc. Plus, 99% of the gimmicks you'll use are made for Bicycle cards.
You'll notice Tally Ho cards are a bit less slippery, which I like because sometimes cards just slip right out of my hands. They're also a bit more durable and recover better from humidity.
Bee cards are excellent, but they don't have white borders, which makes them really tough to conceal when you turn them over.
I haven't used Copag much, but the ones I have (some NEOs) are also fantastic, durable, and a bit stiffer. They're less slippery too.
From there, you can explore gimmicked decks, as others have mentioned. Out of all of them, the Svengali deck might be the most interesting because its principle is used in others (Nudist, Pop-Eyed, Six Pack, Berglass Effect, Bogus Effect, etc.), and it's good to use it to understand that concept. A cheap 3-euro one will do, as I don't think you'll use it much in actual performances.
The Stripper deck and the Invisible deck have some really cool properties, but the first one is rarely used for practical effects, and the second one is used by virtually all beginner magicians. Do you want to be just another one?
The great thing about the Invisible deck (or Brainwave, or any variant) isn't its properties, but that it makes you think: you need a code to set it up, and you can use a classic one or create your own. And you can apply that to the rest of your magic: suit order, color order, value correspondence, even how you store the deck in its box. The effect itself is secondary (the patter is always the same, "this morning I dreamt of a card...."), the important thing is that it will force you to be disciplined in your thinking.
Down the road, you'll come up with ideas where you'll need blank face cards, blank back cards, double-faced cards, or forces. Don't worry, there's almost everything on the market; I use blank face cards a lot, for instance. You'll have plenty of time to buy them as your needs evolve.
Hi. Well, I'm not sure there's an ideal deck out there, but in my opinion, Bicycle cards are excellent for starting out (and for continued practice, too).
I'm totally with @malbisudlf2 on this. To start, you don't need gimmicked decks. In fact, I'd recommend against using them for your first few performances, especially if you're doing magic for family and friends. Since they've known you forever and then you suddenly show up as a magician, well... they usually won't accept it right away and will want to inspect the cards, and so on.
That said, I do recommend you start practicing with the decks @malbisudlf2 suggested.
Definitely Bicycle, hands down. But paying a euro or so at a discount store compared to what actual Standard or Rider Backs cost is a whole different ball game.
And what about gimmicked decks? Should I have any of those, or are they more optional? If they are important, which ones would you recommend I start with?
To be honest, when you're starting out, you don't really need any gaffed decks, but the first ones I'd buy would be the Invisible Deck, the Stripper Deck, and the Svengali Deck.
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Without a doubt, I recommend Bicycle cards. I'd lean more towards the Rider Backs, but the Standards aren't bad either, though I think they're inferior. And I'd also recommend that you buy them from magic shops:
https://tienda.magiaycardistry.com/producto/bicycle-standard/
As for quantity and color, to start off right, I'd buy two blue decks and one red deck. One blue deck will be your main performing deck. The other will be for deck switches to prepared stacks, duplicates, effects with two identical decks, and so on. The red deck is for all color-change effects, like routines such as the Chicago Opener or a deck color change.
And I suggest you use blue more because my magic teacher told me that a card (or an entire deck) changing color from blue to red is more impactful for the spectator than from red to blue.
Also, Bicycle cards are ideal because almost all gimmicked effects are sold with Bicycle cards. I mean, you'll easily find a deck of all identical Bicycle cards in any magic shop, but you'll never find a deck of identical Juggler brand cards (for example).
Lastly, I'd tell you that if you prefer red or another deck/color, always stick with that same one. Because when doing deck switches with gimmicked or prepared decks, if you use different decks, the spectator will think, "Why is that a different deck?" I say this from experience 😅 A trick was ruined for me one day because of it, and since then, I always buy BLUE Bicycle decks.
I hope this helps and that you do well with your Bicycles.
Later,
With all due respect to my fellow magicians, the ideal deck for beginners is the same one pros use: Bicycle Standard. I guarantee you, no matter how much you spend, you won't notice any difference with the Supreme Line, Rider Back (they're the same, just a different box), Elites, etc. Plus, 99% of the gimmicks you'll use are made for Bicycle cards.
You'll notice Tally Ho cards are a bit less slippery, which I like because sometimes cards just slip right out of my hands. They're also a bit more durable and recover better from humidity.
Bee cards are excellent, but they don't have white borders, which makes them really tough to conceal when you turn them over.
I haven't used Copag much, but the ones I have (some NEOs) are also fantastic, durable, and a bit stiffer. They're less slippery too.
From there, you can explore gimmicked decks, as others have mentioned. Out of all of them, the Svengali deck might be the most interesting because its principle is used in others (Nudist, Pop-Eyed, Six Pack, Berglass Effect, Bogus Effect, etc.), and it's good to use it to understand that concept. A cheap 3-euro one will do, as I don't think you'll use it much in actual performances.
The Stripper deck and the Invisible deck have some really cool properties, but the first one is rarely used for practical effects, and the second one is used by virtually all beginner magicians. Do you want to be just another one?
The great thing about the Invisible deck (or Brainwave, or any variant) isn't its properties, but that it makes you think: you need a code to set it up, and you can use a classic one or create your own. And you can apply that to the rest of your magic: suit order, color order, value correspondence, even how you store the deck in its box. The effect itself is secondary (the patter is always the same, "this morning I dreamt of a card...."), the important thing is that it will force you to be disciplined in your thinking.
Down the road, you'll come up with ideas where you'll need blank face cards, blank back cards, double-faced cards, or forces. Don't worry, there's almost everything on the market; I use blank face cards a lot, for instance. You'll have plenty of time to buy them as your needs evolve.
Hope this helps, all the best!
Hi. Well, I'm not sure there's an ideal deck out there, but in my opinion, Bicycle cards are excellent for starting out (and for continued practice, too).
Cheers,
I'm totally with @malbisudlf2 on this. To start, you don't need gimmicked decks. In fact, I'd recommend against using them for your first few performances, especially if you're doing magic for family and friends. Since they've known you forever and then you suddenly show up as a magician, well... they usually won't accept it right away and will want to inspect the cards, and so on.
That said, I do recommend you start practicing with the decks @malbisudlf2 suggested.
Keep up the magic!
Definitely Bicycle, hands down. But paying a euro or so at a discount store compared to what actual Standard or Rider Backs cost is a whole different ball game.
And what about gimmicked decks? Should I have any of those, or are they more optional? If they are important, which ones would you recommend I start with?
To be honest, when you're starting out, you don't really need any gaffed decks, but the first ones I'd buy would be the Invisible Deck, the Stripper Deck, and the Svengali Deck.