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I've been having a bit of trouble figuring out the best way to switch decks in the middle of a show. I find it's fairly easy to switch around in a party setting but when I'm on the street, it's not so simple. I can't just reach into my pocket and pull out a new deck each time without raising suspicion. Sometimes I put the deck away as if I'm done tricks for the night, then "change my mind" and pull one out again as if I suddenly had a new idea. But that only works once.

Any suggestions?

Put the deck away then do something which isn't a card trick - coins, silks, ropes etc or even get a notepad out for a later trick - anything which looks natural but gives an excuse to visit the pocket and a bit of a time break. Then just pull the switched deck out again as though it's the same one. Don't make a big deal out of it, just infer that it's the same deck and go straight into the miracle.

another way that I it, if you can. Is to do a trick that uses two decks and then carry on with the other deck afterwards. Obviously this depends on the trick that you want to do as to wether this will work or not.

If you do any effects where the spectator signs a card you can claim that you don't want to use that deck for this (these) effect(s) because of the signature(s).

J.J. Sanvert has a nice method of switching decks on his Volume One DVD...needs a jack really though.

Hmmm... A lot of the time we are worrying about things that the spectator doesn't even notice. I changed decks the other day, from red bikes to blue, as I had the blue set up for a trick. The 2 people I was showing this to, didn't even notice I had changed decks untill I mentioned I had borrowed a card from the "the red deck" that all of a sudden popped up in the blue deck.

I hate too much explanation. It's terrible to see a magician that feels he has to explain every single move:
Now I take a deck of cards with red back. I open the box, take out the cards. Look, they all have red back. Look, they are all different on the face. Pick one. Don't show me, show the audience. Put it back in the deck, face down. Now I will shuffle the deck. Look, I'm shuffling the deck. They are all shuffled. Now I will cut the deck. Now I have cut the deck.... ARRGGHHH!!!!!

Less worries - more fun!

When I need to swap decks, i think the best time for me is where people say "Oh do one more trick" and I act like Im packing up, SO I put the deck in my pocket, and people are still begging to do another trick, I say"Alright then" and pull out the other deck.
Heres a tip for knowing which deck is which, on most of my different decks there are very small differences on each eg. On my normal deck of cards, there is no blue sticker (the one with the ace on it)and on my invisable deck, the sticker is folded in half, on my stripper deck the sticker is normaly cut horizontally.
With theses differences, I can easily tell which deck is which.

Hoped that helped

put them away for a packet trick.....when done, then put them away and remove the other deck

Mandrake wrote:Put the deck away then do something which isn't a card trick - coins, silks, ropes etc or even get a notepad out for a later trick - anything which looks natural but gives an excuse to visit the pocket and a bit of a time break. Then just pull the switched deck out again as though it's the same one. Don't make a big deal out of it, just infer that it's the same deck and go straight into the miracle.

I concur dear Mandrake!!

If you worry about deck switching then you are spending too much time doing too many different card tricks in one go. Mix it up. Get them with some cards and tell them that you are also good with other objects, like money..... can I borrow a fiver sir? watch this... - the point here is you've pocketed the cards and got the attention of the individual by talking about what is probably their favourite subject - MONEY!!

After your money magic go back to cards with your second deck then when done if you really have a third switch to make (why oh why would you!!) then do something else that will grab their attention ready for the switch again!

Mandrake has hit the most practical method.

I either move away from cards or go for a packet trick and bring a different deck out afterwards.

Yup its been mentioned. The easiest way to do a deck switch is simply put it away and bring out a coin and do a small effect, or if you are just strictly a card magician you can put the deck in your pocket and talk for a while. I knew a performer who did only cards and when he did a deck switch he would pocket the deck and then start talking. Tell them how he got into magic. Watch Gregory Wilson Card Stunts he does a couple of deck switches.

Thanks everyone, you've given me some ideas. I actually started out almost exclusively with coin tricks (the first thing I ever learned was knuckle walking a coin - which now seems a bit strange in retrospect) so I definitely have a few alternatives up my sleeve (or at least in a palm somewhere...)