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Have just been useing some locator cards in Bicycle. The Long and Wide ones, they are aprox 2 mm longer or 2 mm Wider. I find it has enabled me to perform some nice effects by placing this locator card in to a normal pack.
Which of the 2 cards would you guys find the best, locating a wide or locating the long card. Would be interesting to find out.

I'm not certain how your post will be taken by others around here, it's very close to exposing a method, which is something we don't do on this forum. However, if you are interested in Locater Card ideas, I'd suggest you look into some of Ted Lesley's thinking... he has a major section in his book PARAMIRACLES dedicated to this idea, offering numerous methods.

What kind of first post is that??

I've never even heard of "long" cards. If such a thing exists then I'm against them, they would look like a sore thumb, especially if they're 2mm longer than normal. To me that's pretty much an out-jog!

Surely if you need to immediately riffle to a particular location you'd use a short (or failing that, just some control skill) but what would I know?

What "nice effects" have you been able to perform with a gigantic card sticking out of your deck, then? Was it "I shall now dead-cut to the huge card"?

long and short cards have been around for centuries kate...

don't knock them til you try them...

Mialuca, welcome to the forum! Why not tell us about yourself in the intro forum?

If you've been "guesting" it for a while you probably know that we do try to be careful about exposure here, so please be careful about laying out the exact workings of things (i.e. generally, don't!) I know it's a difficult balance - one man's magic shop advertisement is another man's exposure, and we do discuss the workings of tricks but try to keep them vague enough so that randomly curious people can't type something into google and stumble across a full explanation!

Re. locator cards, there are many types - the ones you mention, plus shorter cards... I myself prefer crimps, which can be done in an impromptu manner with a borrowed deck. They really do mystify people who think they have an idea or two about card controls.

In terms of your question, I would go for the "length" change, because it is more common to use the long ends to cut the pack. Width-way cuts tend to be used in table effects, and I personally do mostly walk-around, in the hands stuff.

I actually had quite a few packs of those as Bicycle Seconds. I only realised, after I'd gone through quite a few decks, that there was a difference. Minor, and I wouldn't have noticed if I didn't keep the filler cards. I'd realised that they'd been cut larger but didn't realise the significance till 5 or 6 decks later. A pack now resides in my, "could come in handy box." Someone else obviously cottoned on quicker and sells them.
I'd have to say that lengthwise would be the one most used, due to plain old ergonomics.

I personally like a 'breather' card if I'm going to use such methods.

However another option is "Pro Control" by Gary Oullet. Similiar to the long card but gives you the ability to 'make' the gimmick in seconds and use a borrowed deck.

I personally like a 'breather' card if I'm going to use such methods.

IMHO, the post genius "c*i*p" ever ever ever devised. What wonders you can achieve with it!

I am sorry about being accused by some members about exposing to much detail about the long and wide locator cards. I do apologise about that but not for using them.
I have just been looking at the topic about Roughing fluid. do any of you think that this subject could be exposure, as we all want the audience to think we are using normal cards.
PS i should know better i am 72 and been involved in magic for 55 years

Just a note to senior member. it is suprizing what you can learn from these topics. You are now aware of these cards.
Also there is a difference on short and long cards, A cut with a short card leaves the short card on top of the lower deck, a cut with a long card takes it away leaving your chosen card avaialble. As regards the effects possible, i suggest you get one and try it.

mialuca wrote:A cut with a short card leaves the short card on top of the lower deck, a cut with a long card takes it away leaving your chosen card avaialble.

Yes, I suppose it would. Only I can't think of much that could be acheived with one that couldn't be acheived much cleaner with something else. If I'm missing something please educate me.

The ablity to table-cut a deck of cards to a specific location is useful, granted, but if you're using one of these long cards then you can't have the spectator handle the deck without risk. If the deck must then be only in your hands for the duration of the effect there are a hundred different ways to cut to - or appear to cut to - a controlled selection without the need for something sticking out and advertising its location.

Maybe I'm just being a snob, but I just don't like the idea. I'm a card purist and I believe in basic card control ahead of gaffs wherever possible.

I do use a short in my inferior version of Shawn Farquhar's 'Shape of My Heart', though... It saves having to do thumb-counts, which I find always look conspicuous.

i always have at least one short 'un in every deck of mine, people have never questioned or even felt the difference...

i really like 'em...i use one in my own swingfinder general effect with a pendulum - someone takes a card, replaces and cuts the deck, and then we use the pendulum to hunt it down and find it...they get a turn too...

in general use, shorts are even more fun when they select it as "their card", as it then becomes completely hands free...

and there's some superb peeks and things you can do with them too..

the pete cassford dvd - miracles with a short card is great..

I'm going to stick my neck out and say that the opening post seemed fine to me (the roughing fluid analogy sounds right), and an awful lot less revealing than some made by people who are far from new to this forum and should know better.

I've even made at least one overly-revealing post myself.

The thing about locator cards, marked cards or gimmicked cards is that (with some exceptions for the last type), the audience should never be aware of them. After all, most adults have heard of marked cards, but used properly, you should be able to give spectators a marked pack to shuffle, and they won't notice anything.

Welcome mialuca!

I'm a big short card fan, I always have one in any deck. I don't think there's any danger at all of it being spotted, I've certainly never had anyonew noitice anything. In gerneral people aren't looking for things like that, they tend to just take it as given that a deck of cards is exactly that.

Id have to agree with the crimp, as it can be done impromptu.