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Ed Post the tricks that you have performed...

Senex

Philosopher
Joined
Mar 6, 2007
Messages
6,061
Location
The Connecticut School for Rumpology.
Hehehe... you clicked on this thread. I should be making infomercials. Exploiting optimistic people isn't really so hard.

James Randi is the front man for this organization. He's a magician. This magic part of the site is lacking. I had glory days involving magic when I was is college. Performing magic is nothing to be ashamed about. I bent metal and shamelessly copied Geller's act in my early twenties. However, i also did some straightforward magic tricks.

I used to peform a trick called "wonderbar." You make what looks to be a metal bar rise out of a test tube and levitate. Trust me. That trick is a ten in a bar. Bare fisted cigarette snuffing is a ten. Color changing knives is a ten. Tricks in restaurants involving sugar packets are a ten. I had a gold ring that twine could penetrate. I later learned how to do the same effect with ungimicked equipment. I now rarely use gimmicked equipment (just don't even think about taking my gimmicked pen away) -- but that's not to say gimmicked isn't the way to go. I used to perform a trick where a random :rolleyes: chosen card was selected and the person who selected the card would throw the deck up in the air and I would put a knife through the card in question. I did that trick until the day I had too many beers and sliced my hand open. Learn from my mistakes. Alcohol is the enemy of performing. The audience can drink as long as they aren't belligerent, but if you slice your own hand on your own knife you have to cut back on the beer.

I spent a lot of money on crappy tricks -- and I spent money on tricks I performed until I wore that equipment out. We can't expose tricks here but we can share experiences. I have an opinion that I don't think is foolish concerning the issues of what magic tricks work. I know darn well there are people who monitor this site who are exponentially more talented than I am on my best day. (except my color changing knife trick. I can be surrounded by dozens of astute observers and I can pull it off. We all have our pet tricks we excell at).

Back to the sex part. Performing magic won't get you sex unless you have the same skills at closing the deal non-magicians have. Sorry. My thread title was misleading. I'm just saying that if you are a shy guy like I was when I was young, performing magic was an assett. Most people like magic tricks. Levitate a metal bar or skew a card with a knife. Most people appreciate your effort at entertainment. Magic is cool. getting girls is just as much woo as learning magic, unfortunately it is different woo.
 
I think the Conjuror's Corner part of the forum suffers because no exposures are allowed. The how to instructions are in books in the local library, YouTube and a million other places.
I think that these topics should be in Members Only and a little more leeway given.

As to getting sex I am over a decade married.

If you want tricks consult Neil Strauss.
 
"Sex thread"....that's like "invisible thread", right? It doesn't look like I have either. :(
 
Isn't threatening to post your "tricks" blackmail? Who are you, Heidi Fleiss? :D
 
I was fascinated by magic as a child and decided to become a magician. I didn't read any books on it. I designed all my own tricks. One day I felt that I had enough tricks perfected that I'd put on a show for the public. My best childhood friend, Greg, was recruited to be my stage assistant. This was when I was 9 years old. I think we sold tickets for a quarter.

I have long since forgotten all of the tricks I performed save one: the grand finale, making Greg disappear. I told the audience to watch carefully as Greg and I turned a lightweight portable closet made of metal around 360 degrees tapping on it to show it was solid and without an escape hatch. I even let audience members examine the closet. Then, I told Greg to get in the closet, and shut the doors on him.

Dramatic drumroll and magic words and a wave of the magic wand.... Open the closet and Greg is not to be seen! Wave the wand around inside the closet to show it is indeed empty, then close it back up.... More magic words and wand waving, drumroll, open closet and Greg steps out, throws his arms into the air and we both take a well-deserved bow.
 
I am currently trying to impress my new gf's kids with magic. My repertoire is extremely limited and I am pretty much talentless in the magic dept. My few tricks consist of self-working card tricks (which are actually quite spectacular) and a couple of tricks with gimmicks.

I would be very obliged if anyone could PM me a couple of little simple, but mind-blowing tricks I can perform to a 12 yr old boy and a 15 yr old girl in order that their mother continues to be impressed with me :)

That is all.
 
I am currently trying to impress my new gf's kids with magic. My repertoire is extremely limited and I am pretty much talentless in the magic dept. My few tricks consist of self-working card tricks (which are actually quite spectacular) and a couple of tricks with gimmicks.

I would be very obliged if anyone could PM me a couple of little simple, but mind-blowing tricks I can perform to a 12 yr old boy and a 15 yr old girl in order that their mother continues to be impressed with me :)

That is all.

You have to be kidding yourself if you think self-working card tricks are impressing the off-spring of the woman of your desire. I'm not giving away any secrets but I believe tricks where coins penetrate liquid containers, like quarter through water bottle or soda can are what an up-to-date guy who wants to get in a mom's pants performs today. Self working card tricks were crap before the internet -- you think those lousy tricks got better with age? You have to spend a few hours learning to palm and learning misdirection in general. It doesn't take long to perform a couple of pet tricks you perform.

If you want to do it right you go to Illusionist.com and pay to download directions. If you're strapped for cash, I've read that people benefit from information they don't pay for on the internet. I wish to say here and now I don't benefit myself or approve of others doing this, but it happens.
 
Done numerous tricks,I can do a few sleights too.Elmsley Count is my most proudest achievement. ;)
 
You have to be kidding yourself if you think self-working card tricks are impressing the off-spring of the woman of your desire. I'm not giving away any secrets but I believe tricks where coins penetrate liquid containers, like quarter through water bottle or soda can are what an up-to-date guy who wants to get in a mom's pants performs today. Self working card tricks were crap before the internet -- you think those lousy tricks got better with age? You have to spend a few hours learning to palm and learning misdirection in general. It doesn't take long to perform a couple of pet tricks you perform.

If you want to do it right you go to Illusionist.com and pay to download directions. If you're strapped for cash, I've read that people benefit from information they don't pay for on the internet. I wish to say here and now I don't benefit myself or approve of others doing this, but it happens.

Really, how old are you? That's the kind of comments I hear from people who got interested in magic last month and are already experts. The guys that watch Criss Angel, run out to Ellusionist to buy whatever he did on his last show that didn't rely on camera tricks or stooges and think that they're now a magician.

Not saying that you are one of those guys, but most of that post sounds like one.
 
I have surprisingly small hands and find palming cards, coins, pretty much anything really, very difficult. It's not because I haven't tried. I have spent hours and hours just trying to conceal an item in my hand and no matter how hard I try, my hand looks uncomfortable and unnatural.

I have no problem with misdirection, so if you could point me in the direction of a great trick or two that doesn't need a gimmick or palming, I'd be happy to pay for the instructions. But I'm not trying to be a performer here, just trying to amaze a couple of young kids and please their mum, you know?
 
Oh and thanks to everyone who PMed me with advice and help. It is appreciated.
 
Really, how old are you? That's the kind of comments I hear from people who got interested in magic last month and are already experts. The guys that watch Criss Angel, run out to Ellusionist to buy whatever he did on his last show that didn't rely on camera tricks or stooges and think that they're now a magician.

Not saying that you are one of those guys, but most of that post sounds like one.

Your predictive powers failed you on this one my friend.

I have surprisingly small hands and find palming cards, coins, pretty much anything really, very difficult. It's not because I haven't tried. I have spent hours and hours just trying to conceal an item in my hand and no matter how hard I try, my hand looks uncomfortable and unnatural.

I have no problem with misdirection, so if you could point me in the direction of a great trick or two that doesn't need a gimmick or palming, I'd be happy to pay for the instructions. But I'm not trying to be a performer here, just trying to amaze a couple of young kids and please their mum, you know?

The difference between palming a card and a coin deserves much more than the comma you used to seperate them. I don't usually perform card tricks unless I have something prepared (that's not to say gimmicked). I consider myself somewhat clumsy yet I can palm a coin (you can as well). I only palm a card under particular circumstances (drunk audience, low lighting, limited angles.) If i was thrown in a prison cell and told I could only get out when I could do a card flourish routine I would have a life sentence. That's not to say i couldn't perform an entertaining routine that didn't require the hands of a surgeon.

I know you could learn the basic three card monte move. A fun card trick that entertains and also can be used to teach children how to be aware of being cheated. Buy a bit of invisible thread and a booklet how to use it and you will be able to do amazing things. Learn a couple of tricks with a thumb tip and you can perform miracles (no BS!)

The secrets to performing magic are only a few key strokes away to a person with an internet connection. The issue is if you have the desire and energy to decide what works for your personality and if you want to put in the practice. (You can buy the thread and thumbtip collectively for about $30).
 
/snip... Self working card tricks were crap before the internet -- you think those lousy tricks got better with age? .../snip


Sorry, I just have to pick you up on this point here. I have 4 words for you on the above statement: Out Of This World
 
I can do a 27-cards-in-three-columns trick, which I think is "self-working". I can also make a chosen card turn over in the deck.

Recently I've been working on making a rubber squeezy ball vanish as I toss it in the air. Haven't tried that on anyone yet. Currently I still have to be sitting down.
 
Senex:(Interesting stuff)....If you want to do it right you go to Illusionist.com and pay to download directions. If you're strapped for cash, I've read that people benefit from information they don't pay for on the internet. I wish to say here and now I don't benefit myself or approve of others doing this, but it happens.

Really, how old are you? That's the kind of comments I hear from people who got interested in magic last month and are already experts. The guys that watch Criss Angel, run out to Ellusionist to buy whatever he did on his last show that didn't rely on camera tricks or stooges and think that they're now a magician.

Not saying that you are one of those guys, but most of that post sounds like one.

Senex:Your predictive powers failed you on this one my friend.

That's wasn't a prediction. It's a statement of fact- and an accurate one.

Let's deconstruct your accurate prediction.

Really, how old are you? That's the kind of comments I hear from people who got interested in magic last month and are already experts.

Let's say my prime was twenty years ago, long before Chris Angel or Illusionist.com were on my radar. I've never given Illusionist.com a dime because the lessons they teach I already had books on and learned through books which aren't as easy to learn through video. I've looked through their site a couple of times and thought this is a quick way to learn what took me much longer in the prehistoric time before video days to learn.

I've watched very little Chris Angel videos and have not been inspired to purchase anything he performed that I wasn't already inspired to perform.

What you said is not a statement of fact because it's not true -- it is also inaccurate -- to mirror your redundancy :rolleyes:

Reno:Sorry, I just have to pick you up on this point here. I have 4 words for you on the above statement: Out Of This World
You got me on that one. That trick is sleight free and can be very impressive.

However, if you want to do magic just learning simple sleights can be rewarding.
 
Let's deconstruct your accurate prediction.

Okay, but let's try to deconstruct it a little more accurately:

Really, how old are you?

That's a question (generally indicated by a question mark at the end), not a prediction.

That's the kind of comments I hear from people who got interested in magic last month and are already experts.

That's a statement of the type of comments I hear that have similarities to yours. Unless you have mental abilities that would qualify for the MDC you have no basis to claim that I don't know what kind of comments I hear. Still no predictions.

The guys that watch Criss Angel, run out to Ellusionist to buy whatever he did on his last show that didn't rely on camera tricks or stooges and think that they're now a magician.

That's a statement about the kind of people I hear those comments from. Again, if you think you're qualified to disagree than you should be submitting an application for the MDC. Still looking for what you claim is a prediction.

Not saying that you are one of those guys, but most of that post sounds like one.

That's clearly a statement that I don't know whether you're one of those guys or not. The only way I can see for you to disagree is if you're claiming that I have some way other than what you write to know whether you are or not.

Darn, that covers every sentence in my post and there's not a prediction in sight.

Let's say my prime was twenty years ago, long before Chris Angel or Illusionist.com were on my radar.

Okay, let's say that. So that probably puts you about 20 years younger than me. Not really relevant.

What you said is not a statement of fact because it's not true -- it is also inaccurate -- to mirror your redundancy :rolleyes:

Every sentence I wrote is repeated above. If something is inaccurate then you need to quote the inaccurate words and not try to refute things I never said.

However, if you want to do magic just learning simple sleights can be rewarding.

Learning simple sleights can be rewarding. Learning difficult sleights can be rewarding- for some people they're rewarding because they open new possibilities for magic you can do. For some people the learning itself is rewarding. Learning simple sleights can be rewarding for the same reasons.

But maybe I should have been more specific in the first reply. I'll try again:

You have to be kidding yourself if you think self-working card tricks are impressing the off-spring of the woman of your desire.

If you think self-working tricks can't impress anyone then it's likely that you've missed dozens (hundreds, maybe thousands) of excellent self working tricks (or so-called self working tricks, because there aren't really any self-working tricks. If there were you could go home and let the tricks do themselves).

Maybe you've just been doing them all wrong.

Self working card tricks were crap before the internet, you think those lousy tricks got better with age?

Wrong. Crappy self working tricks were crap before and remain crap. Clearly (going by that sentence) you think that all self working tricks are crap.

We could probably find different opinions on exactly what tricks count as 'self-working'. Many people consider simple (in method) tricks the same as self-working. But the method is irrelevant- the effect perceived by the spectators is the only thing that really counts in the end (except perhaps when performing for other magicians).

You have to spend a few hours learning to palm and learning misdirection in general. It doesn't take long to perform a couple of pet tricks you perform.

Wrong again. You don't 'have' to spend a few hours learning to palm or any other sleights. If you're just starting in magic you don't need to learn misdirection. There are good tricks that a beginner can do just fine without knowing anything about misdirection although many of them would be improved with the use of some misdirection.

I could probably list many tricks created and published by well know magicians that you would (apparently) consider crap because they don't require palming or any other sleights. Add in some very simple sleights (things that are orders of magnitude easier to learn than palming) and the list gets much longer.

The main things wrong with your initial post are:

-claiming that all self working tricks (or even that the majority of self working tricks) are crap.

-claiming that you can't be an up to date guy or impress the offspring without learning sleights (or palming).

-claiming that you need to go to Ellusionist.com and pay for downloads if you want to do it right. (I never said that buying downloads from Ellusionist was wrong- I disagree with your claim that it's necessary).

If you want to continue an intelligent discussion about whether your claims are wrong, that's fine. If you want to continue claiming I made predictions then you may have a reading comprehension problem.
 

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