Nickles to Dimes
Posted: Mar 4th, '07, 07:50
The Effect
You have a stack of five nickles and a brass cap with a brass ring. You fit the brass cap over the stack of rings, and when you remove it, the spectators are shocked to find the nickles have all turned into dimes!
Cost
$5.00 American, It's very cheap, and worth the price.
Difficulty
(1=easy to do, 2=No sleights, but not so easy, 3=Some sleights used,
4=Advanced sleights used, 5=Suitable for experienced magicians only)
I'd say a 1. The prop does all the work, unless you intend on improvising to use someone else's coins, then it takes some sleight-work.
What They Say
The Effect
You place four nickels on the table. After just a moment of expectation you place a magical brass cap over the stack of nickels. You make eye contact with your spectators, place a finger on the covered stack, do a magical gesture with your hand, and lift the brass cap to reveal four dimes in the place of the nickels. The nickels have disappeared entirely. You retreat from the table as your spectators lung forward and examine the dimes and brass cap. You smile confidently... everything is examinable.
Why we Love it
* The effect is startling.
* It's very small and portable
* We've watched people examine it for 30 minutes before giving up.
What I Say
This was one of the first prop tricks i bought, and I really loved it (still do). The trick is easy to do, and can be done pretty much anywhere (I personally like to do the trick in a spec's hand). Like they say, it's small and portable, which is useful for street magic. They say it's fully examinable, but only AFTER the trick. Pesky spectators might want to examine your props beforehand (if they look closely, they might even figure out the secret), which would ruin it. However, with a decent amount of sleights, the trick can be done with anyone's coins. Being able to do this without giving the secret away is pretty tricky though, and probably boosts the difficulty up to a 2.5 or 3. There are two tricks in the instructions included with the prop, both of which are explained very well. The only other gripe I really have with this trick besides pre-examination is the recovery of the nickles. It's explained as part of the trick in the instructions as "Placing the empty cap into the brass ring, then after tapping on the table, the magician lifts both to reveal the stack of nickles!" Although I can't say much without revealing the secret, what I can say is that if you really want the trick to be examinable, then "tapping" on a table won't be able to reveal the coins, as you'll need more force. Pesky skeptics who see this will quickly spot what went on, unless you're slick with your sleights. You can just make them reappear without worry in private if you want, but it can be a pain if your specs want to see you bring the nickles back. If your specs aren't too pesky before the trick is done, then they really can spend quite a while examining the prop in and out without being able to solve it.
Overall
Even with its faults, I still say it's a good trick. Most people won't suspect the prop, and they're very surprised once it's done (although I've never seen any of my specs "lung forward and examine the dimes and brass cap" with the vigor the description says). Overall, I'd rate it 7.5/10.