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Playing Cards Autographed By Magicians: A Collector's Guide

This book provides an amusing and irreverent look at the specialized hobby of collecting magician's autographs on playing cards. Profusely illustrated, more than 150 famous contemporary magicians are featured, with 192 examples of their signatures on playing cards and more. The book also discusses prices, fakes, who's who in magic, website links, types of playing cards, eBay sales, and personal anecdotes. There are special sections on David Copperfield, Criss Angel, David Blaine, Penn and Teller, Siegfried and Roy, Ricky Jay, Tom Mullica, Richard Turner, Milt Larsen, Max Maven, Lance Burton, Jeff McBride, Amazing Johnathan and Bob Elliott. Find out how to identify a Houdini secretarial fake autograph. Learn about the origins of one of the biggest eBay sales ever of signed magician playing cards. Discover the growing world of collectible playing card decks. The book includes a detailed index covering 414 subjects, along with more than 100 website links to learn more about the individual magicians. There is also a section on where to find magicians, so you can see them in-person, or write to them for autographs.

Paperback: 82 pages

Publisher: Michael E. Johnson (November 8, 2012)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0988534703

ISBN-13: 978-0988534704

Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.2 x 11 inches

Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #3,385,468 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #60 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Antiques & Collectibles > Autographs #7040 in Books > Reference > Encyclopedias & Subject Guides > Antiques & Collectibles

Autograph hunters are a combination of hero worshipers, those who view acquisition of an authentic signature of select populations of famous persons, and compulsive hoarders, as well individuals who strain to make time stand still by having a `piece' of a beloved youth memory or experience. There are organizations devoted to collecting autographs of admired celebrities of various pursuits : sports figures, stage personalities, writers, politicians and even Magicians.Michael Johnson, himself an award winning Magician and also an award winning journalist, has crafted a book which comprises signatures of world famous conjurers. Johnson shares his adventures to satisfy his passion - getting the prestidigitator to sign a playing card or deck of cards while avoiding forgeries and while the same time getting a bargain. Readers of the book ("Autographs of Famous Magicians") will also find the names of magicians known only to other devotees of the magical arts.To view the signature brings back recollections of having seen the magician or having read his book. It brought back memories and with that smiles.Standing in line at an author's reading at a booksellers event, waiting for the author to sign his (now your book) achieves an emotional personal connection with someone you admire. People who do that are experiencing a glimpse of the psychology of the quest for fame and perhaps immortality.Michael Johnson is not a psychiatrist (I am) consequently he writes of the pure passion of collecting autographs of magicians without need of finding motivations.

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