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Hi, ive been studying coin magic about 4months now, ive got most of my vanishes off to a fine art now. One thing i cant work out is, after ive done the vanish wether its Finger Palm, Shuttle Pass or Thumb Palm, what do i do with the coin in the retension hand. Im able to false transfer the coin, but people always say after the vanish, its in your opposite hand? And low and behold there its is?
How can show both hands empty, without the use of lapping?

Thanks!

If you're at a table, you can always lap the coin after the false transfer and before the "vanish". If not, you can use the Kaps or Ramsay subtleties and flash your dirty hand as empty (subtlety is the key word) while gesticulating before you show the vanish.

sleeve or lap it...

A little misdirection and then drop it into a pocket. Take your time to reveal that the coin's gone and get the audiences attention on the hand that you want it to be on. Drop the other hand to your side as a natural movement and pocket the coin.

Lady of Mystery wrote:A little misdirection and then drop it into a pocket. Take your time to reveal that the coin's gone and get the audiences attention on the hand that you want it to be on. Drop the other hand to your side as a natural movement and pocket the coin.

This works for me every time. The hand with the coin supposedly in it is a perfect distraction in itself. Keep it moving, attract attention to it and nobody will see you pocket a coin. Works with sponge balls as well.

On a slightly different tack there is a nice distraction I use with Sankeys Holey Moley which would work with a coin change. When I get to the end and reveal the altered washer I throw it down on to the table or in to a specs hand if there isn't a table. Everyones eyes go to it and the other washer just goes in to the pocket.

You could use a small ITL so the coin 'vanishes' out of the hand (as in MELT COIN VANISH) and show both hands empty but then reappear the coin saying they were right all along and then cleanly pocket the coin

Are you using the vanish as an actual effect ?

The reason I'm asking is that most coin vanishes are meant to be used as part of a routine, rather than a stand alone piece.

jim

The problem is not in your sleight of hand it is in your presentation. Unfortunatly making a coin vanish is not enough because despite all the evidence to the contrary, people are not stupid. If the effect ends with the coin vanished and you have handled the coin with both hands then the logical assumption is that it is going to be in the other hand. Doesn't matter how good the vanish is.

To help you out, think of the vanish as a utility move rather then an effect. Why not learn a coins across routine. Four coins in one hand and one at a time they end up in the other. There is a multitude of non-gimmicked methods out there, do a little research and find one that fits you. It will be a good start.

The problem is, people realise magic doesn't exist.

So, then you show them a coin in one hand, and then it vanishes, the logical - and correct - supposition is that it is in your other hand. And it is. And they are right.

This is a massive problem with all coin magic. Even David Roth and so on.

The way round it is (I reckon) gaffs.

If you use a shell to vanish a coin, it really vanishes.

As soon as you show your first hand empty pick up an object with the loaded hand. This tells the audience that the coin is unlikely to be in that hand as you have just opened it to pick up an object. If that object is a wand you can use it to misdirect the audience again by pointing to some second object, apparently the object into which you intend to reproduce the coin.
Sorry if I'm a bit old school but that has always been the successful way to do it.

V.E. Day wrote:As soon as you show your first hand empty pick up an object with the loaded hand. This tells the audience that the coin is unlikely to be in that hand as you have just opened it to pick up an object. If that object is a wand you can use it to misdirect the audience again by pointing to some second object, apparently the object into which you intend to reproduce the coin.
Sorry if I'm a bit old school but that has always been the successful way to do it.

Good points. Michael Ammar refers to this as ''finger fixidness''. The average person thinks that the hand can only do one thing at a time, and that the fingers are the only functional part of the hand.

jim

Agreed, I think folks will automatically suspect the load hand if it is hanging casually by your side doing nothing. However if it is doing something with a red herring then all eyes will take interest in the red herring and those suspicious thoughts will not have a chance to be formed.

screwystewie wrote:The problem is, people realise magic doesn't exist.

So, then you show them a coin in one hand, and then it vanishes, the logical - and correct - supposition is that it is in your other hand. And it is. And they are right.

This is a massive problem with all coin magic. Even David Roth and so on.

The way round it is (I reckon) gaffs.

If you use a shell to vanish a coin, it really vanishes.

or you can learn to perform.

There are plenty of 'complete' coin vanishes about, ie where the vanish is the effect. Bobo has plenty, or this one's pretty good:
http://www.sankeymagic.com/detail.aspx?ID=48174

If people are busting you, then you also might want to rethink the structure of the routine. Also ask yourself why are you putting the coin in the other hand to vanish it. Could be as simple as moving something on the table or scratching your nose, what ever it is it has to make sense and be natural.
If your just vanishing a coin to vanish it, then you'll be busted more times then not.
Notice in my French Drop video, how I justify putting(grabbing) the coin in my left hand. I needed to pull up my left sleeve and I needed to pick up the pen that was on the right side.
I hope you know what I'm getting at.
Tim
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-lH4ycPkoQ