"40 cents"(#138)

Forty Cents (#138)
by Frank Lane

Forty Cents is what we'll call this one because we use four dimes. This is really an after dinner trick, but you could use it after breakfast or on a rug, if you have one. It's the principle of four objects placed in the corners of a napkin or a handkerchief and finally they all reach one corner. Lots of fellows who read this book are magicians who wish to entertain their friends with the minimum of effort in practice and this will suit them to a "T".

I'll detail the method I use, as I do this in restaurants just as the check comes. The idea is that you spread out a napkin and place a dime at each corner, or about an inch or an inch and a half in from the corner. Now you take a playing card, or a business card and cover the upper right dime, and taking another dime in the left hand, you reach under the table, hold the edge of the dime against the table with left hand, and then let it bang flat against the table itself, giving the impression that it has gone thru the table, then your right hand lifts up the card and there are TWO dimes, where there was only one a moment before.



Maybe I should tell you that you have an extra dime with a tiny little magicians wax on it, and this is stuck on the face side of the playing card, or as I do, stick it on one side of your business card, because it is more natural to use a business card in a cafe. Looks more impromptu.
When you cover the upper right dime with the card, your second finger releases the waxed dime, as you lay the card down. Now your left hand goes under the table with another one of the dimes, as described above, and as it comes out, the dime is resting on fingers of hand, your right hand picks up card and spectators see the two dimes.- Your right hand goes over dime in left hand, your left hand takes the card with dime underneath, and then transfers the whole business to the right hand, which deposits it again on top of the two dimes.
You repeat this move with the other dimes, and finally you have the four dimes under the one card. You have two methods of getting rid of the other dime, the last one you placed under the table. Either snap it up your left coat sleeve, or allow it to drop into your trousers cuff. Sometimes I have a little wax in my finger nail of left hand. The first time I go under table with my hand, I deposit the wax there, and when I am ready to get rid of the last dime, I simply stick it to the table. When I go out, I whisper to the waiter that there is an extra dime (yes, extra) stuck under the table, and to go get it. They may think you're kidding them BUT THEY'LL ALWAYS LOOK.

"coin through Ashtray"

Coin through Ashtray(#137)

Here's a fairly simple effect thats been around for some time, but it usually requires a little prep that makes it difficult to perform in a walk-around or restaurant location. I've simplified it to the point where it can be performed at a table with a minimum of preparation.
Begin ideally with a small tin ashtray. It can be one of the little disposable foil ashtrays like those seen at fast food restaurants. I have also found them in packs of ten or so in grocery stores if you need to purchase your own.

It's not necessary to tell your audience what you're going to do... just do it. This sometimes increases their curiousity, as they are not only watching you, but trying to figure out what you're going to do.

Take the ashtray and place it on top of a glass. Remove a piece of paper from your pocket, about the size of an index card, along with a coin about the size of an American quarter. If you want to be brave, you can also take out a sharpie and ask someone at the table to please make a big 'X' on both sides of the quarter. Specifically tell them a " big X " to eliminate the possibility that some highly focused individual will make really small X's.
Once done, recap the Sharpie and casually lay it on the table in front of you. Take the quarter, put it in the center of the paper, and fold the paper from the top edge to the bottom edge. Fold the paper again, from left to right and then right to left. Pause during the folding process and make a comment or two. This gives the spectator just enough time to 'forget' exactly what directions you've folded so far.

If you're using fairly thin paper you can hold the folded paper, coin inside, in front of you using both fore fingers and middle fingers on one side and both thumbs on the back side - facing you. Momentarily make a little 'small talk', like " has any of you ever seen a real coin pass through a solid object ?", as you squeeze the coin front and back, forcing it to leave a raised impression in the paper.
Secretly allow the coin to slide out the bottom of the paper packet into your palm, as the coin is only sealed from the top and the sides. There are other ways, detailed in many magic books, to fold the paper, but this is the most straight-forward. Taking the packet in the hand without the coin, reach down almost as an after-thought and pick up the Sharpie with the other hand and drop it - and the coin - into your shirt or jacket pocket.
Put the packet into the ashtray, take out a pack of matches or lighter, and light the paper. As it burns, focus everyones attention on the glass - where they will shortly see the quarter pass through the ashtray and fall into the bottom of the glass.
All you need as a set-up is a quarter with two X's drawn on it, attached to the bottom of the ash tray with a small bit of wax. Of course, the heat from the fire will melt the wax and allow the quarter to fall into the glass. Use the right weight of paper to give the wax enough time to melt. Flash paper is way to quick, and cardboard may take too long to burn or produce to much smoke. Experiment.
A glass full of water will increase the amount of time the spectators have to watch the quarter as it falls. If you're using your own ashtrays, you can have the quarter already attached. Glass ashtrays are usually too thick to heat up properly. Since an 'X' is fairly generic, the spectator is not apt to realize that it's not their X on the coin.
It's worth the effort - if you take time to develop the proper patter and presentation...

"Coin In A Hat" (#136)

"COIN IN A HAT" (#136)

An old favorite is the trick in which the magician finds, with his finger tips, a coin which has been marked and then shaken up in a hat with a number of others.
Briefly the old method is this: A number of coins, say eight or ten half dollars or quarters are borrowed. One is chosen and marked by several spectators. As it is passed from hand to hand this coin becomes warm while the others lying on the table remain cold. The operator has merely to find the warm coin.
The new method

is even simpler. Cut tiny scrap of Scotch tape, the new adhesive

paper that is always ready for use without being moistened, and lay it on your table, adhesive side up. Borrow the necessary coins, half dollars or quarters, and put them on the table. Take any one and hand it out to be marked. This done, take it back and lay it on the scrap of Scotch tape, which adheres to it.
Borrow a hat and sweep the coins into it. Hand the hat to a spectator and let him shake it thoroughly, mixing the coins, then he holds the hat up high. It only remains for you to put your hand in, find the coin with the scrap of tape on it, scrape that off with your nail, and hand the coin to a spectator for identification.
Such are the bare bones

of the trick and, baldly presented, it is just another trick, but properly worked up it is quite effective. For instance, you may have the spectator who marked the coin hold your left hand and, when you have found it, pretend to have received a slight electric shock. Nine times out of ten the spectator will aver that he felt it too, particularly if at that moment you give his hand a little prick with the point of a pin which you hold between your fingers

"Spoon Bend" (#136)

“SPOON BENDING MIRACLE”(#136)
Here we learn about creating a startling illusion

The great writer & philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson said that, “the most dangerous thing is illusion.” Emerson probably never saw this particular illusion, which is not a danger to anyone, but rather, a great ice breaker.

You allow the examination of a simple metal spoon to a friend. You take the same spoon and, with effort, use both hands to bend the spoon in half. You ask your friend to remove the spoon, still bent, from your hands. The spoon is magically restored at the instant it is removed!!

Secret: You use a nickel hidden in your hand. The spoon is held by both hands: the large, bottom part of the spoon, is placed in the palm of your left hand, while the handle is gripped by the right hand so that the handle cannot be seen by the spectator, but is visible to you. So now it appears that you will come forward with the handle until it almost touches the spoon in your left hand. In reality, the top of the spoon in your right hand will be behind a nickel. When you bring your right hand down it will appear that you are bending the spoon because the spectator will see the metal between your thumb & pointer finger and assume that it is the thin part of the spoon! Your friend will not see the handle of the spoon as long as you keep your right hand in front of it. This is very deceptive! When you have your friend remove the spoon, just place the nickel in your pocket while the initial shock remains! A little acting is always helpful in pretending it is causing you some strain in bending the spoon. I have never performed this trick without the spectator enjoying it. I hope it brings you the success it has given me.

"Mental Envelope Prediction" (#135)

"Metal Envelope Prediction"(135)

This month's idea is just one of the solutions emailed to me by Wayne Rogers, it's a fantastic routine idea!First, the specs draw on their cards and hold them face down.Next, the performer shows 3 envelopes each with a post it note ”covering a number”. ie the envelopes are numbered and the numbers covered.Each spectator is handed an envelope and told to drop their picture in it and seal it in. One spec mixes the envelopes and hands them to the performer.Performer fans the three envelopes and asks one spectator which number envelope they want. If they say, “One” performer lifts each post it note to findno. 1 and hands it to the spectator.The other second spectator selects another number and is given that envelope.Last spectator gets the last envelope.Recap what has happened. Each person drew a picture and sealed it in an envelope. They each chose either 1, 2, or 3 and received that envelope.All three spectator’s open their envelopes and they have somehow selected their own picture.

Secret: there are no numbers under the post it notes:

They are nail written on when the choices are made. You have secretly marked each envelope and know who it was given to. When they make their choice, select the correct envelope, lift the post it note to “check the number” and write the chosen number in before handing the envelope over.NB I would be inclined to use some post-it glue stick in addition to the normal glue on the note pieces, just to be sure that they are not accidentally lifted to expose there is no number underneath.

"Phyic Dice" (#134)

Psychic Dice(#134)

An old bartender's favourite. Ask your subject to drop three dice in to a glass of water. Then ask them to hold up the glass, total the numbers on the bottom faces of the dice and then put the glass back down. You dip your finger tips in the water, mystically rub them on your fore-head and magically tell your subject the total they have.
All you do is subtract the total of the dice's upward faces from 21. Remember opposite sides of a die total 7 and 3 x 7 is 21.

"Stebbins #5"

"STEBBINS #5" (#133)

Tell the spectator that you can tell them how many cards down the pack their chosen card is and ask them to choose any card, number and suit. Then locate the card with the same suit as the one named by the spectator, which is nearest to the bottom. Subtract the number of the card chosen from the card of the same suit near est the bottom of the pack. Then multiply the answer by four and then subtract the number of cards that were below the bottom suit card, the result will be how many cards down from the pack you must count to reach the spectator's chosen card. If the chosen card is a higher value than the suit card on or nearest the bottom of the pack, just add 13 and proceed as above.
For example: if the spectator chooses the 9 of diamonds and the card with the same suit nearest the bottom is a 5 of diamonds, you will need to add 13 to the 5 of diamonds, making a total of 18. Now subtract their card, the 9 of diamonds from 18, this leaves the number 9, multiply 9 by 4, which equals 36, then subtract the number 2 (which is the number of cards below the bottom suit card). This totals 34, so the 9 of diamonds is 34 cards down from the top of the pack.

"Stebbin's Drop" (#132)

"STEBBIN'S DROP TRICK" (#132)

(refer to # 129 for the setup)

Hold the pack of cards in your right hand and slowly let them drop into the palm of your left hand, asking your spectator to say "stop" where ever they want. Secretly look at the bottom card of the remaining pack in your right hand and ask the spectator to take the top card of the pack in your left hand and memorize it. Tell them they must concentrate on their card, you then name their card.

Stebbins #3 (#131)

"STEBBINS #3" (#131)

(refer to #129 for the secret setup)

Cut the pack a couple of times, then secretly glance at the bottom card as you pass the pack to a spectator, mentally add three to the bottom card and increment the next suit, this is the value of the top card. Ask them to cut the pack into four piles. Announce you are going to predict the top card off of each of the four packs. You already know the card on the first pack, so start from the opposite end and name card you already know, then when you pick up the card you will then be able to see its true value, then you name that card before you pick up the second card and continue to do this until you have named all four cards. Then simply show the cards you have just named to the spectator.

"Stebbins System #2" (#130)

"STEBBINS SYSTEM # 2" (#130)

(refer to #129 for the setup)

A spectator cuts the pack, you take them and secretly glance at the bottom card as you put them behind your back, ask the spectator to name a random card, you then pull it from the pack. Simply add three to the bottom card and increment the next suit, this is the value of the top card. Now just count through the cards until you come to their card, where you pull it out and show them.

"THE STEBBINS SYSTEM"(#129)

"The Stebbins System"(#129)

This is no ordinary card trick, this is the mother of all card tricks, and once learned you will be able to perform many different card tricks that defy all logic, because you will know the position of every card in the pack.!!! The cards must not be shuffled or disturbed in any way, but the performer can cut the cards and have several spectators do a straight cut. This will not disturb the order of the cards. This master system arrangement of the cards is far more impressive than just arranging them in numerical order in the suits i.e 2,3,4,5,6, e.t.c. as this sequence looks completely random to the spectator who will not suspect that the cards have been pre arranged.
The cards must be stacked as shown in the table below, by first placing the ace of clubs on to a table face up, then the four of hearts and so on until the whole pack is set in the master system order. This order is also known as the Si Stebbins order----

Clubs: A,Q,K,J,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2
Hearts: 4,3,2,A,K,Q,J,10,9,8,7,6,5
Spades: 7,6,5,4,3,2,A,K,Q,J,10,9,8
Diamonds: 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,A,K,Q,J

Rule 1 Each card has a numerical value, Ace=1, jack=11, queen=12 and king=13. Rule 2 Each card is THREE numbers apart, Ace, 4, 7, 10, etc. Rule 3 Every thirteenth card is a card of the same value, but a different suit.

Master System trick 1: Fan out the cards, ask a spectator to pick a card, separate the pack at that point, placing the top half on to the bottom of the pack while secretly glancing at the bottom card, you will instantly know the spectator's card. Simply add 3 to the bottom card value and call the following suit. You now know the card value so you can improvise your own tricks from here.



Hint: To remember the order of the card suits, it is useful to think of the word CHASED i.e C H aSeD

"predictive Cards" (#128)

"Predictive Cards" (#128)
Effect: The spectator is shown a fanned out set of cards and asked to pick one & concentrate on that card. The chosen card is not revealed by the spectator. The magician appears to read the spectators mind and pulls out or even tears up the spectators secretly chosen card.
Preparation: For this trick you'll need two sets of cards, each with five cards. (The cards should be five different cards, but should resemble each other (for instance, if you had a Jack of spades in one, use a Jack of clubs in the other). ie SET ONE : JC,KS,KH,QS,JD. and SET TWO: JS,KC, KD,QC,JH.

Method: Hide the second set of five cards, but keep them somewhere close, so that you can secretly switch them with the other set of five cards. Now, fan out the five cards. Tell the spectator to remember and concentrate on one of the cards. Now, as you collect the cards, you'll need to switch between the two sets. Now spread out the second set of cards on the table, face down.
Use some play acting and appear to be concentrating deeply as if reading the spectator's thoughts. Place a finger on one of the spread ot cards and slide it out from the rest of the cards. The finishing move is up to you, either:

1) Turn over the remaining four cards to show that the spectator's card has been removed.
2) Tear the card that you removed into small pieces, making sure that the spectator does not see the face up side of the torn card.

A simple trick but with a powerful finish. This trick is only as good as the performance and patter that you can use to make it entertaining.

"Invisible Dice" (#127)

INVISIBLE DICE(#127)

TRICK: The spectator rolls a pair of invisible dice. After doing what seems like some random math the magician divines the numbers that they rolled.
The magician hands someone an invisible pair of dice. He asks that they roll the dice and inquires, “What number did you roll?” After their response, the magician insists “Roll them again.” Upon complying the magician asks, “What number did you get this time?” After responding with a different number the magician proclaims, “So they are not loaded!” Everyone chuckles.
The magician asks that they roll the dice one last time. He adds, “This time don´t tell me what you rolled. Instead choose one of the two numbers that you rolled and double it. Now add five to your new number. Multiply the result by five and add the number on the other dice to it. What is your new total?” Upon their response the magician astonishes everyone by revealing the number(s) that they rolled. The magician adds, “Do you know how I guessed your numbers? It was easy… you left the dice sitting on the table.”

SECRET: The real method uses a little math.Let´s say they rolled a 5 and a 2.If they choose the 5 and double it that makes 10.Adding 5 to 10 makes 15.Multiplying 15 by 5 equals 75.Adding the other number 2 to that total equals 77.The secret is to subtract 25 from this last total!77 minus 25 equals 52.The result 52 translates that they rolled a 5 and a 2.

This always works. It is amazing!

If you decide to try this on an elementary school student, someone who has been drinking, or someone who just doesn´t seem that bright, you might want to hand them a pencil and paper or a calculator to work out the calculation. :-)