talkmagic.co.uk

Consider the change bag. Its a standard magician's prop, we all know it. And there's a problem with it. Many decades ago, similar bags were common objects - they were passed around in church for donations. Way back then they would have seemed a perfectly ordinary object. These days far fewer people attend church, and even if they do that type of bag is hardly used anymore. It seems like a strange object, and might make the audience wonder why you are using it. They might well guess there's something funny about it.

So, I was thinking .... how about a change HAT instead? That would seem a more ordinary object, and raise less suspicion. surely I can't be the first person to think of this, but I've never seen one advertised. Does anyone make such an object?

NVG,

There are a number of change bags on the market, the round one with handle is a little old hat to my opinion but the flat one is much more modern and certainly not 'church' like

Practical Magic used to do a good one, I have one of the originals made by Cheryl herself

How about a 'change' swimming bag/drawstring bag? Would look really innocent and I'm sure not too difficult to make, either...

How about producing a change baseball cap? The shape is similar to the traditional church type change bag, yet using an up to date item and the operation could be along the same lines. Thin fabric could be used to do the biz and the peak of the cap could conceal the operating dingus.

wait, Ive got it................. a change dustinbin liner! Perfect!

Believe me, the change hat is something that has been around for many years. David devants clasic eggs and children routine, used one.
Supreme magic used to sell a number of mock bobble hats, which could be worn, and served as a change bag, or an egg bag.
The thing is, Hats, despite what you might think, are not an eveyday item at the moment.
Therefore, they are as logical as a bag.

As I was reading this thread, I guessed that Dale would know something interesting.

I agree with him that hats just aren't that common these days. People wear baseball caps and beanies, I suppose, but I'm not sure that taking something off your head and using it isn't just as suspicious as a nicely made bag.

I gave always felt it would be nice to make up one with a brown paper bag. I mean that has to be fairly innocent looking. Then again, if you are doing tables or parlour it would probably look a bit tacky.

Maybe a flat (hidden spring) change bag like the sort Duane Laflin uses would be better for those situations.

In saying all that though, for kids shows I wouldn't worry at all about using the old handled collection bag type that we all love so much, after all kids are used to seeing new things anyway - so they don't think anything of it...imh(ana)o

Following the brown paper bag idea, ordinary envelopes are ideal for converting and they are sooooo cheap!

Ive converted a white paper bag ( for sweets) into a change bag type thing for a mentalism bit. Not too shabby!

David Devant did not use a change hat to achieve his effect.

Change hats have been around for a while.

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Steve Dela

a handled change bag has an added advantage as its held open and so can hide larger items before the change, also because of the design a cocealed object can sit on the rig with the bag partialy colapsed and still look empty, very hard to do with a flat change bag.

Here in the states, around Halloween time stores have been selling a thing that looks very much like a change bag. It appears to be an open hand, palm up, with a large hole in the middle and a bag beneath the hole to catch the candy. And yes, just like the change bag of old, it is on a handle. Some of the hands look like monster fingers, and others are just hands, but colored orange or black for Halloween.

I converted one to work exactly like a change bag, and then I realized that my magic style had changed so much I didn't need the gimmick anymore. Wizard magic is best done without gimmicks anyway. So now I just use the thing at Halloween and use it Wizard style with no gimmick. I probably should write up what I'm talking about and stick it in the next Wizards' Journal (#6) in time for Halloween, even though issue #4 was supposed to be our "official" Halloween magic issue.

Anyway, I like the hat idea even better and especially the baseball cap, except it is very shallow and the whole idea might need rethinking to get away with using it as a change device.

Steve Dela wrote:David Devant did not use a change hat to achieve his effect.

Change hats have been around for a while.

www.seamslikemagic.net (slow delivery)

Steve Dela

Hi Steve.
I beg to differ, since Devant clearly shows a hat changer in his own explanation of his eggs effect.