Just got my hands on the new, exclusive-at- least- for- the- moment, air-cushioned Aladdin Deck. Yes, the feel is pretty much like Bikes and why, it even includes a 2007 calender (practical stuff, compared to the useless Texas Hold'Em Rules we always get )!!

But, personally, I still prefer Bikes. Only for the simple fact that the back design looks nicer (more magical feel to it). In fact, if I'm rich enough, I would have all my decks to be Vipers, Ghost or Tigers... Yes, I am that particular about looks.

I know some people love Aladdins for the fact that it's the most commonly used cards here and it will eliminate the problem of people thinking it might be a gaffed deck (even when if it's really gaffed). Uncle Bob is one of them and I could tell he really love it by ordering 2 dozens (and I heard he's going to resell it for $5... :P )

For me, I have performed long enough with Bikes so people doesn't really question me anymore. Added to the fact that most of my "special" decks are Bikes, I can't do a D*** S***** if I had used Aladdins.

Anyway, there's really nothing wrong with using Aladdins. in fact there's a lot of right in using it. It just depend of your preference.

erhm, thanks for the review on AC Aladdins. :rolleyes:

Is that a review of the deck or your personal preferences????

I'm confused

Since Singaporean homes (and many parts of this region for that matter) tend to favour Aladdin decks, it does make sense to work with Aladdin; it lends more athenticity to magic and does create an impromtu feel to it, since there'll be nobody in the audience who'd question the glaring back design.

I'm not going to enter the debate as to which deck's better - bikes or Aladdins; don't really matter to me. I personally still prefer Bikes simply because I'm used to them.

The New ACA (Air Cushioned Aladdins) feel pretty good when you break them out of the box. And they seem to last quite a bit - though not as long as Bikes. Uncle Bob performed with a deck and said he gave it away at the end of the night because it was beginning to stick. Bikes would last a little longer, according to him.

I had a chance to mess with a new deck the next day (courtesy again of Uncle Bob Chua... ^_^ ) The deck feels just like normal bikes, but there are subtle differences, two of which were of utmost important to me as a card worker.

The cards faro well, but the stock of the cards are cut slightly different than Bikes. They surely feel different. They seem to faro top down slightly better than bottom up. Bikes tend to be quite neutral about that and either top down or bottom up approach are roughly the same.

The air cushion finish is almost like a cross between bikes and a regular aladdin. The cushion relief is not as high as bikes but slightly higher than regular Aladdins. So you get less air cushion than a bike but more so than regular Aladdins. I don't think it matters that much, but it does make DLs much easier as there's a tad more friction between the surface of the cards.

If you can afford bikes and don't mind the 'oh it looks like a magic deck' comment every now and then, I'd recommend you go for Bikes. If you're a working magician, these are great as they are a household item as well as slightly more affordable than Bikes. I know many working magicians also give away their bikes at the end of a long show, Aladdins would be easier (a little) on the pockets for sure.

Shade
PS: Either way, it's a good addition to any card collector. BUY AT LEAST 2. LOL.

LOL... thanks for the review! :lol: By the way, in case you guys aren't aware... they come in both red and blue *wry grin* I'm really glad USPC has finally made Aladdins in better quality for us now... so anyone who's interested, feel free to add your name to the thread I created in Marketplace and add your orders there. Cya guys this Thu for the new batch of ACAs!

Cheers,
ning ^_^

I got a few from Ning as well. They are probably going to last me a few years :D .

For those who are interested, you can add your orders here.

Shade gave a comprehensive review of the air-cushioned Aladdins so I'll add my two-cents.

Two years ago, I was told that air-cushioned Aladdins surfaced on the local scene and were available at 7-Eleven. Priced just below $4, it was also discovered that they only came in blue decks. They were snapped up by local magicians immediately and soon went out of stock. New stock came in but there were NOT air-cushioned. So, we all chalked it up to a defective batch that got mixed up somehow. I never got a chance to buy them then.

Now, hopefully this is more than a small limited run, although I know that Ning is bringing in a fixed quantity at this price. So once it is gone, they are gone.

I thought of getting them at the micro convention but I later found out that they were sold out even before the convention. Why Ning never told me before hand is a mystery...

Anyway, besides the fact the Aladdin's are recognized here as compared to bikes are the fact that air-cushioned gaff cards can be used here with the Aladdin's. That is a big plus. A double facer, Macdonald's Aces, blank card card etc can now be used.

You can also do a colour changing deck from Bikes to Aladdins because the cards match up now.

Finally, plus, they are cheaper especially as a practice deck. So, more or less the same feel but for less.

I'm getting them because I never know when I need to ring in Aladdins into my performance. I can foresee a Casino theme for a corporate event where the croupiers are using Aladdins. By using non-bikes and cards that match the croupiers, it just adds that much more to the overall deception of the magic. Or I could have gaff cards set-up in an Alladdin which I plant with a croupier... that would fry any audience.

Highly reccommended because the supply may not last!

Best,

J C

Yep, I remember the frenzy when the fluke happened... :lol: The news certainly got most of us buying Aladdins in hope that they were of air-cushion stock!

I have current stock for these ACAs (new orders!) but they seem to be flying off the shelves verrrrry quickly... LOL. Hot stuff indeed! ^_^ So! If you're interested to grab some, just add your name and order here :) ...New Year, New Cards!!!

These ACAs smell like Bikes... :lol: You can check them out yourself on Thursday when I pass them to ya! *grin*

Cheers,
Ning

Eh.. isn't a review suppose to be a personal opinion of how the things are?

I certainly will get my hands on this deck of card. But I still have a few stacks of bikes before finishing.

I just curious? Do they come in double back, black face?

I think most people still stick with bikes is because of the gaff cards they have, most of them are bike backs.

But looking at the quality of the alladdins, I can foresee myself getting back to making gaff cards. :P

You can use Bicycle gaffs like double facers, blank backers, etc. but of course if you want Aladdin specific gaffs you'll have to make them yourself by card splitting. Guess the card splitting book you got years back will come in handy for you Larry ;)

I just had 9 guys come by my place (geez, I wonder what my next door neighbours must think)... and evryone seems very pleased with the ACAs! ^_^

Cheers,
ning