I have been into magic for a long time, going on ten years now. But only within the last two have I really jumped into it and started learning and absorbing as much as I could. My question is though at what point is it beneficial to join IBM? And is it worth it to join? Any thoughts from member out there would be awesome.

Josh

It is worth it at any time, the Linking Ring magazine is worth the membership alone, plus ring membership (there even is an online ring), conventions, etc. I've never regretted the price or joining.

Ring 2100 used to be a worthwhile reason to join; it's a bit more tangled to use these days if you're not a spend-too-much-time-at-the-computer person. It's still a valid reason, just not as user-friendly as it once was. That said, I commend it for being a safe place to freely exchange ideas, while keeping obscenities out of my inbox.

The Linking Ring is certainly a worthwhile reason to belong to the IBM. Even if you're a brand-new, gawky, Wow-I-have-to-own-everything geek (like me) you'll love the sheer number of excellent magic effects which are included in a year's worth of the magazine. If you love the history of our art/craft, you'll love TLR's looks into the past. Not only correspondence between leading past stars (and columns by still-vigorous stars who were there when history was being made) but excellent articles such as the one which disclosed the True Origins of the Professor's Nightmare. M-U-M is currently my favorite magic magazine, but TLR will move up to Number One when John Moehring & Richard Hatch leave the magazine in a month or so.

The pin is pretty darned cool too.

*jeep!
--Grandpa Chet

Hi Josh,

joining the I.B.M. is one of the best decisions you will make. The publication is a great one, the camaraderie is fantastic, the conventions are super )in fact, I was the first person to register for next year's convention in Nashville), the I.B.M. website is one to be proud of and one that others are aspiring to catch up to. Access to a free personalized website of your own, within the prestigious I.B.M. website is just one of the benefits of membership, too numerous to mention.

The Portal Staff of the website should be congratulated and all the kudos we can give them don't seem enough of a way to say "thank you" for the hard work and dedication they have.

I am a life member of the I.B.M. and happy to be so. Fantastic value for the money and something I highly recommend any member consider doing. The cost of life membership help the endowment fund and so in turn this helps the membership as the money gets put right back in towards the members and their benefits.

There is much, much more that I could tell you about the benefits of joining but I am sure there are over 12,000 members out there who would gladly chime in with even 1 response each.....

Hoping you see the benefits of joining.

Keep a dream in the making for we create our tomorrows by what we dream today.

Maria Ibanez, OM

I have made the decision to join come next month. The reason I am waiting is I am going on vacation next week and need all my money:)
Let me tell you what my decision was based on and hopefully that will help you.
The primary reason is the local ring. This is not the biggest community for magic.
I only know one other local professional magician and he is not someone I enjoy talking to.
So I am interested in the chance to meet other local magicians.
I also am interested in the magazine and such.
There are also some sites that have restrictions unless you are a member of some sort of magicians club.

Thanks a lot guys (and lady )! I think I will join, hopefully sooner rather than later. At the moment I am a little more broke than normal (college books are a setback like no other). But it sounds like IBM is just too good to pass up!

That it is, Josh, that it is. Naturally, I'm partial to the Osterlind issue of a few months back. And the Professor's Nightmare article was worth the price of a good hardback book all by itself!

Let's not forget, also, that the IBM is swift to crack down on members who expose other members' magic/livelihood. Just ask Bill Palmer!

I note that you quote from the Ammar Facts page. Was that one of yours, or do you perhaps have some new ones for us? (We love those Ammar Facts!)

*jeep!
--Grandpa Chet

I love those Ammar facts as well Chet! I ish I was clever enough to think of some on my own. Hey now....that sounds like a clever idea for a post!

Josh