Ed Post the tricks that you have performed...

[Bob Klase]

I'm only kidding. I was just hoping firecoins would tell his story and you would as well. I'd prefer how you woo'd girls with spongeballs over cold reading but I'm only looking to save the $4.50 for the Penthouse Variations magazine.

I don't have many stories. I went in the army 6 months after high school and got married less than a year after that. I did get a date with a girl in 9th grade after she saw me at a rehearsal for a school talent show, but after a couple dates she decided to go with a guy that had a motorcycle.

Yes it does. I'm in the bar bathroom trying to create a plausable looking fourth sponge ball while others are using gimmicked tarrot decks.

I did use that tarot trick with a girl I was dating a few years ago, but we'd already been together for a couple weeks so it didn't have any effect on deal closing. It doesn't use a gimmicked deck though.

 

[dezrah]

Wow, we're all over the place here, aren't we? Well, I guess I'll chime in.

I'm a semi-pro magican (I get paid to perform, but it's not my main source of income) I do close-up, and some stage mentalism and geek magic. I'd link to my site, but I'm a noob. My profile has a link.

For beginners, I have to second the Micheal Ammar recommendation. You can't go wrong with any of his "Easy to Master (insert noun) Miracles" VHS or DVD's. Something newer, and incredibly comprehensive is Joshua Jay's "Magic, The Complete Course" It wins for being cheap, thorough, full of great material and it's available at your local chain bookstore.

As far as impressing women? I'm probably not typical, but I got my first date with my wife due to "Color Monte" over 10 years ago. It's not the game, it's the player.

 

[Senex]

As far as impressing women? I'm probably not typical, but I got my first date with my wife due to "Color Monte" over 10 years ago. It's not the game, it's the player.

Color Monte is a gambling style card trick. We know it eventually led to marriage but don't let that get in the way of how you impressed her with the trick on day one. Some of us rascals may not learn the full leason -- but we will pay attention for the beginning of the story

 

[firecoins]

It doesn't take hours to palm a coin and pretend to put it in your other hand where the gimmicked coin is. Certain successful palming isn't that hard.

I can say with certainty that you do not palm coins as well as I do.

 

[firecoins]

See Michael Close's Workers 5 for some great ideas with a memorized deck. That's what finally inspired me to learn one 15 years ago.

I did many years ago.

Don't forget, the title of this thread has been edited to remove mention of getting girls. That's because the conjurer's corner can be accessed by new people just checking the site out and the conjurer's corner should look wholesome by non-conjurers. However, we all know that if we don't make money out of performing we are looking to meet girls. I'd like to read how you woo'd a girl with a memorized deck or something called "three fly ungimmicked."

Magic tricks can start a conversation. Did you expect me to say I magically make their clothes disappear?

How do you get from a memorized deck to closing the deal? Is that such a hard question?

memorized deck is a method, not a trick.

 

[webfusion]

The one trick that I have always depended on to amaze and baffle ---->

http://kismif.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/ball-cup.jpg

 

[dezrah]

Magic tricks can start a conversation

I couldn't agree more. Magic is what can set you apart from the crowd, but it's YOU that she'll be interested in or not. A kick-ass magic trick done well can get you started, but you have to have the goods to "seal the deal"

Magic tricks are not the main course, they are the appetizer. Magic is a poor substitute for personality and genuine interest in the other person.

 

[Senex]

I can say with certainty that you do not palm coins as well as I do.

Certainty? You must have seen my last performance with coins or believe you are god's gift to coin magic. It's a good thing you didn't say you couldn't palm a color changing knife better than I can -- because you might be wrong.

I couldn't agree more. Magic is what can set you apart from the crowd, but it's YOU that she'll be interested in or not. A kick-ass magic trick done well can get you started, but you have to have the goods to "seal the deal"

Magic tricks are not the main course, they are the appetizer. Magic is a poor substitute for personality and genuine interest in the other person.

You're preaching to the choir my friend (how did you do that pass again?)

I was just fishing for stories. It's sad that I am in real life a kind, fun, gentle and sincere fellow. That doesn't get me far. The few times I go undercover and become a woo predicting, bending and sugggesting makes me more attarctive to the ladies is a sad state of our community.

 

[magicflute]

What's your opinion????????????

Basically, any well performed trick is good, whether it uses sleight of hand or not. Many times presentation is more important than the trick itself. You can just show a trick and get a good reaction. Create a mystery with your presentation and bowl them over!
I have an idea. Maybe we can work with the JREF to upload tricks we have created or instructions on how to perform some classic, then those interested can download the files for a small donation to the JREF. I think this might be a solution to the problem of trading information and at the same time benefiting our favorite foundation.
Your thoughts?

 

[Senex]

I have an idea. Maybe we can work with the JREF to upload tricks we have created or instructions on how to perform some classic, then those interested can download the files for a small donation to the JREF. I think this might be a solution to the problem of trading information and at the same time benefiting our favorite foundation.

Your thoughts?

This site is James Randi's vision (and the longer I post here the less reason I realize I have to second guess him. This website is very special). I agree sharing secrets are best done elsewhere.

I do believe that the Conjurer's Corner should be more of an active part of the site. I'm trying to do my part and show that speaking of your magic routines that were successful can be helpful to others without explaining methods .

In my opinion Randi is a magician who saw how the fun and wholseome entertainment of magic was being used for evil. Let's not forget the fun and wholesome part it was intended to be (or could be, or should be).

 

[firecoins]

Certainty? You must have seen my last performance with coins or believe you are god's gift to coin magic. It's a good thing you didn't say you couldn't palm a color changing knife better than I can -- because you might be wrong.

I am not god's gift to coin magic but I do know classic palming a coin take more than a few minutes of work. I spent a few months on it. The muscles in the hand need to be strengthed to give the hand the ability to look natural while palming coins. It did not take several minutes to get. I know many people who classic palm including David Roth and not one of them learned it in several minutes.

 

[Bob Klase]

I am not god's gift to coin magic but I do know classic palming a coin take more than a few minutes of work. I spent a few months on it.

I've never known anyone that learned to classic palm a coin that fast, but I wouldn't say it's completely impossible (and I may be reading too much into what he wrote- he didn't say he does it well).

It is possible that someone could learn it quickly, but they would be a rare exception. Telling others that it's easy and they should be able to learn it in a few minutes would be a little like Einstein telling people "geez, how can you not understand special relativity? It's just math."

It might be interesting to see a video clip of Senex's classic palm.

 

[Senex]

Certainty? You must have seen my last performance with coins or believe you are god's gift to coin magic. It's a good thing you didn't say you couldn't palm a color changing knife better than I can -- because you might be wrong.

I am not god's gift to coin magic but I do know classic palming a coin take more than a few minutes of work. I spent a few months on it. The muscles in the hand need to be strengthed to give the hand the ability to look natural while palming coins. It did not take several minutes to get. I know many people who classic palm including David Roth and not one of them learned it in several minutes.

Who said anything about several minutes? When I said you must have seen my last performance to be certain it was because you then would know coin palming is not my forte and then could have been certain. I was being self-deprecating; not mocking you.

I've never known anyone that learned to classic palm a coin that fast, but I wouldn't say it's completely impossible (and I may be reading too much into what he wrote- he didn't say he does it well).

You see firecoins? You misinterpreted what I wrote.

It is possible that someone could learn it quickly, but they would be a rare exception. Telling others that it's easy and they should be able to learn it in a few minutes would be a little like Einstein telling people "geez, how can you not understand special relativity? It's just math."

It might be interesting to see a video clip of Senex's classic palm.

I was thinking more along the lines of handing out a coin with your right hand, palming a gimmicked coin in your left and palming the legitimate coin while feigning just exchanging the coin between hands. That doesn't take months to learn. There are tricks with built in misdirection that require only a couple of hours of practice at most. You don't need to be Cardini to get away with palming a coin in front of your friends and family. .

In my day I could have been the front man performing Merill color changing knives on Youtube.

 

[Bob Klase]

I was thinking more along the lines of handing out a coin with your right hand, palming a gimmicked coin in your left and palming the legitimate coin while feigning just exchanging the coin between hands. That doesn't take months to learn. There are tricks with built in misdirection that require only a couple of hours of practice at most. You don't need to be Cardini to get away with palming a coin in front of your friends and family.

For some reason I got it in my mind that we were talking about a classic palm. Now I go back and discover that everywhere I remembered you referring to 'classic palm' you'd actually written 'successful palm'. There are certainly others that you could learn to do reasonably well with a couple hours practice.

In my day I could have been the front man performing Merill color changing knives on Youtube.

I still have the set of Merrill knives I bought back in the late 70's. Along with all the other stuff I still have (much of what I never use) from the 60's and 70's I'm never sure if I should consider myself a collector or a guy that doesn't know when to get rid of stuff taking up too much room. Probably the latter applies.

 

[Bob Klase]

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?

Don't know if Reno is still hanging around, but for coins this isn't a bad place to start, and it's on sale.

Introduction to Coin Magic

 

[dezrah]

I was just fishing for stories. It's sad that I am in real life a kind, fun, gentle and sincere fellow. That doesn't get me far. The few times I go undercover and become a woo predicting, bending and sugggesting makes me more attarctive to the ladies is a sad state of our community.

Well, I guess I'll tackle the last point first. If I'm at all convincing when I claim that I have AMAZING PSYCHIC POWERS and I can do a half-assed cold reading and/or spoonbend, then the only rational response is shock, awe and a little fear. This is because the general public is conditioned to be amazed by the supernatural. There is "no explanation" for what they just saw, so it rightfully rocks them to their core when they see it happen.

On the other hand, if I claim I'm a mentalist or </shudder> a magician, then the audience is conditioned to expect corny jokes, card tricks and spongeballs. Assuming that I'm one of the few who avoid those obvious cliches and I present strong, impactful material, I may get praise and admiration for my cleverness or dexterity but I will not get the aforementioned shock and awe. This is because no matter how amazing my performance or "abilities" are, at some level the audience is aware that "it's just a trick".

The hardest part of being an "ethical" mystery performer is trying to prime your audience for an emotional reaction without relying on the supernatural as a crutch. It is possible, but rare. The easier (but still effective) way is to go for emotions like nostalgia, humor and/or excitement. (ex: Lance Burton, Mac King, Sigfried and Roy) To really get your audience to feel the unsettling and intoxicating rush of "real" magic takes a mastery of material, setting and character that few of us will ever attain. Rag on David Blaine all you want, but it's his creepy, deadpan persona that sells the Balducci levitation as a miracle.

Okay, that went long, I promise I'll get to the "wife" thing soon.

 

[Senex]

On the other hand, if I claim I'm a mentalist or </shudder> a magician, then the audience is conditioned to expect corny jokes, card tricks and spongeballs.

Hey! There is nothing wrong with performing spongeballs

Assuming that I'm one of the few who avoid those obvious cliches and I present strong, impactful material,

Hey! Spongeballs can be impactful. You must suck at performing spongeballs don't you? Admit it.

The hardest part of being an "ethical" mystery performer is trying to prime your audience for an emotional reaction without relying on the supernatural as a crutch. It is possible, but rare. The easier (but still effective) way is to go for emotions like nostalgia, humor and/or excitement. (ex: Lance Burton, Mac King, Sigfried and Roy) To really get your audience to feel the unsettling and intoxicating rush of "real" magic takes a mastery of material, setting and character that few of us will ever attain. Rag on David Blaine all you want, but it's his creepy, deadpan persona that sells the Balducci levitation as a miracle.

Well, unlike Chris Angel who won't even perform a standard pass without the camera "missing" the move, Blaine allows his close-up moves to be on video. However I saw him do the Balducci on TV and I saw both his feet several feet off the ground. I can sell spongeballs as a miracle with that kind of TV editing (now that I think of it, I sell it as a miracle just as is).

Okay, that went long, I promise I'll get to the "wife" thing soon.

Well I hope she has more appreciation for a good spongeball routine than you do.

 

[MattusMaximus]

Last night at dinner with Chicken Pot Pie and her family, I stuck a fork in my eye. Instant hit, especially when the gore spewed all over the table

 

[Senex]

Last night at dinner with Chicken Pot Pie and her family, I stuck a fork in my eye. Instant hit, especially when the gore spewed all over the table

Did you spew coffee creamer all over CPP? hehehe... I learned that from Penn and Teller. A classic trick to do at a diner. I almost gave an aunt of mine a heart attack when she had to dodge my eye juice. It works best when you've been drinking. That gives plausible deniability to the fact you might actually poke your eye with a fork.

 

[MattusMaximus]

The creamer didn't go all over CPP, but I did make quite a mess of the table. After the food was removed, of course.

Great trick - simple to perform, and dramatic as hell. Totally groovy