It is a huge book which I think is out of print. What do you think about it? Any highly recommend tricks inside?

Alex Hui

The books is very rare and sought after. I don't have it, but judging from Hartman tricks in other publications, the quality should be very good.

In a word ........ Excellent.

Published 1991. About 670 pages, 260 items, 1500 superb illustrations by Joseph K. Schmidt, 24 chapters. Mr. Hartman's explanations are very clear & easy to follow. Unfortunately, out of print. A few of my favorites are:
Blow Away Change, Throw Force, Every Which Way, and many others.

Richard

I've only got his further 2 books - Trickery Treats and AfterCraft.

Can I be honest? They are bloody awful!

I just find the plots reworks or reworks and the bulk of the material typical 'magic for magicians' (confusing plots and a raft of sleights to achieve end results with very little commercial impact).

Maybe I'm getting old, bitter and twisted; but I've just finished working through Steve Beam's Semi-Automatic Vol 5. and that was complete tripe from start to finish as well.

I seem to recall reading a friends copy of Card Craft years ago and the one thing I remember the most was the terrible illustrations.

Terrible illustrations?

Joseph K. Schmidt is one of the top illustrators of magic books (Pallbearers Review, Chronicles, Epilogue, Karl Fulves' Self Working series, Matin Gardner Presents, Effortless Card Magic, Duffie's Card Compulsions, The Card Magic of Nick Trost...to name a few). His illustrations are very clear and convey the message most effectively.

Barry, Card Craft is "head & shoulders" over AC & TT. Have you read other volumes of Semi-Automatic? Is it just Vol.5 you dislike?

Cheers,
Richard

I heard a lot of good words about Card Craft in the past but it may be first time to hear some negative comments.

I think we could not expect those beautiful illustration/crystal clear photo in the 'old books' but as long as we can understand the woking from the illustration, it is ok for me. After all, we are not buying the book for the pictures, since what concerns me is the content.

So, return to the original posts. what are your favourites in the book?

Alex Hui

Richard,

CardCraft must be a very good read; I've seen excellent reviews. His further two efforts are very poor - just my view of course! However, I certainly can't fault the illustrations; they are crystal clear.

Semi-Auto Vol 5 is the first I've read - I beleive that the series is now up to 7? I brought it as Al Smith in England recommends the books but I really thought it was dire!

I could go on and on but would no doubt be called a whinging Pom!! Other works I feel are pretty poor are the Art of Astonishment series, Roy Walton's 2 books and Card Zones by Duffie/Sadowitz.

On the other side of the coin, a recent book that I purchased by cheap and cheerful Dover is Buckley's Card Control - excellent!

Barry,

As an Aussie, I would never use Pom, let alone whinging....... well, not in the same sentence

Semi-Auto Vol 5 isn't my favorite from the series; 2 & 3 cetainly are.

Ahh, Buckley's Card Control has some real gems in it. Once again the "old" books (70 years) deliver. Did you know he was an Australian?

Cheers,
Richard

Yep I did see that Buckley was from sunny Queensland. From the Country that gave us the best sport in the World.....Speedway!

As for Buckley's Card Control; I adore this book and can't believe that it's taken me years to buy it. It's so cheap it's almost criminal and the content, in my view not only the sleights but the effects, are better explained and more direct than many of the modern day publications being written.

As this post was about CardCraft, does anyone know if its being republished and is there a reveiw of its content? I've searched The Café to no avail.

It has been 3 years since the rumour said the book would be reprinted soon. But it seems that there is still no further news of the book.

Alex Hui

Sad to say, I count CC as one of my most overrated books. I did learn the Kelly Bottom Placement from it which is a move I like (many don't care for this move) so it wasn't a complete waste. Perhaps I never gave it a proper chance but after trying about 20 routines in this I just felt it was dull card magic with mostly regurgitated plots and principles. I offer this opinion not as someone with a deep appreciation for card magic, but more as a typical MagicCafe consumer who wants relatively quick gratification from an expensive purchase. I've heard other people I respect say how much they liked it and so I will revisit it sometime, but my initial foray of delving into it for two solid days and finding nothing particularly exciting will push that revisitation into the distant future.

Perhaps those who enjoyed this book can point to a couple of strong routines that I may have missed.

Though I am selling the Card Craft in new condition in other session, it doesn't mean I dislike the book and sell it...it just happened that I have one extra copy.

Alex Hui

How much is this book selling for these days?

I have Card Craft, After Craft, and Trickery Treats.
I'm not going to sell them, but I agree with Tim, I would be interested in knowing what they are worth.

There's a blushing joker effect toward the end of the book which I use all the time. Great visual climax!!!

BJ

In defense of Joseph Schmidt - may his memory be eternal - the folks who called his illustrations "awful" have not done their research obviously - and I am not talking aesthetics. Joseph Schmidt NEVER illustrated from photographs OR had the magician "pose" the shot. He created his illustrations strictly from the written instructions he received.

Are they fancy with a lot of whoosh and bang that Richard Kaufman was not for? No. But, they get the job done. Schmidt, like Kaufman, Hahne, Onosaka, and others, were/are accomplished magicians.

To CardCraft: To each his own of course. I find Hartman's work wonderful and so do many of the best in the business. It is completely inaccurate to state that Hartman's work is mainly rehash. For anyone who wishes, I will provide quite an EXTENSIVE list of BIG names that use Hartman material.

The thing that IS a little problematic is that Hartman's effect descriptions seem to underrate the effect, and his prose is somewhat dry. But, I love this book and I really love Hartman's thinking. Judging by how much he is published throughout journals, other's books, etc., it would seem that more than a few find and have found merit in his work.

But, we all like different approaches and that is a good thing

I DID think however that it was necessary to explain how Joseph Schmidt did his illustrations. Funny, until I read these posts today, I have NEVER seen any negative commentary on his illustrations. But, there is a first time for everything.

Ahimsa,
Vlad

I purchased Card Craft when it was first released - great material and extremely inspiring to anyone who takes the pasteboards seriously.

Something that others haven't mentioned in this particular topic: The last section of the book explains in full detail all of the sleights used - very useful even for a seasoned professional.

Just my two cents.

Interesting to see that the other 2 books from Hartman haven't got very good press in this thread... Are they of the same ilk?

Card Dupery and Trickery Treats, two of Hartman's other books got pretty good reviews in the magic magazines. I would say the material is similar to Cardcraft in that there are different levels of difficulty, plots, new sleights and variations on existing material.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy either of those two books or Aftercraft.
While you won't like everything you'll find plenty that you like.