I've become very interested in magic lately, but I'm a complete novice. Any recommendations  for balloon related tricks/routines from the more experienced magicians would be gratefully recieved.

I've already got the standard needle through balloon thing going. Theres also a neat pencil through a 260 in a cardboard tube idea I saw on balloon blast, but I haven't got hold of the biggish diameter straws it requires.

Have you a link to the pencil thru a 260 in a cardbaord box, I think someone on the forum has a 15 minute act with balloons that is magic related but he is not very helpful and a bit of a right old misery so maybe best not asking him      :lol:
Some people just take take and never give, still it takes all sorts.

Hi,

You might want to try this trick and see if you like it.
http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-pie ... it-popping

Ade

I have just re-read you above post and realised you already know this. lol

I believe there is a balloon swallowing technique out there called "Deep" but I personally can't speak to its effectiveness.

Ah, here it is on YouTube (with an alarming number of dislikes?): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAqkmfTkuTY

This is someone else's effect and he put it onto a DVD, there is a thread on the magic cafe discussing this. The effect is credited to a Doctor from England who went to live in America and his name escapes me for a moment, a senior moment maybe. But the effect was not his either, they say it comes from a street busker in the UK.

Steve Bedwell was the name I was looking for, this is the thread on the magic cafe, http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/view ... 81&start=0

I can't find the episode that the trick was on, sorry, but I can remember it. As it was on a publicly available video, would it be ok to describe the trick? I wouldn't want to ruffle magical feathers with poor etiquette.

Here's another simple balloon trick:
http://prop-tricks.wonderhowto.com/how- ... ck-165080/

And here's a card in balloon routine:
http://www.balloonhq.com/column/stripp/sep06/

There is also a trick called "Pressure" by Dan Garcia, where you put a mobile phone or a pack of cards in a balloon. Just search for it on youTube, there are hundreds of "bedroom magicians" revealing it.

Also in Balloon Magic Magazine issue 27 there is a balloon version of the "Professors Nightmare" where 3 different length inflated 160s become the same length.

I believe that magician Graham was talking about uses this in his act. Don't believe what Graham says about him....he is OK when you get to know him      

Thanks for all the ideas folks.

Found this Don Caldwell post on BalloonHQ which has some nice ideas:
http://www.balloonhq.com/column/caldwell/mar07/

Hope it's ok posting links to another forum

Norm Barnhart has three volumes titled Comedy and Magic with Balloons 1, 2, and 3.
Many of the effects are geared to kids, but he thinks of some very clever uses that can be adapted to any routine.

Jimmy Carlo has a nice reveal in his balloon-ability DVD, we sold the last one this week and Jimmy is away on a cruise working at the moment so wont have them in stock till next month.

RepAIR by Michael Kent is a great one I almost forgot about. I do this one quite often at walk-around gigs.  However, Michael Kent does it on stage for his college shows.  It's quite effective and clean.