talkmagic.co.uk

I have a host of card tricks, but very few practical tricks which are often called 'other' or 'miscellenious' by my magic books.These are tricks involving everyday objects and seem to require years of experimentation to discover, but often seem to have a huge impact on parcipitants.
Of course, in magical tomes there are dozens of tricks like this. However, while very clever, they are often impractical for performance while surrounded. I'd like to open up this post for discussions on tricks which fulfil the following catergories.

1) Impressive and deceptive.
2) Angleproof.
3) No cards no coins!
4) Limited/no set up
5) Portable
6) Trustworthy
7) Can be done surrounded
Sometimes I feel like there is never enough time to learn all the coin and card tricks I want to learn. But it takes me ages to find even one decent 'other' magic trick. Am I alone in this? What does everyone else use?

I use: Eugene Burgers spirt messages ( from Spirit Theatre)
A bare hand production of a bullseye marble
A spoon bend
Hanky or match vanish with T.T
Loochs Design Duplication (from S.A.D)
Grippos Wish (from Paul Harris' Art of Astonishment)

And thats it. Im not even happy with some of these. What do you think?

"no cards no coins" but your willing to carry a large marble a tt etc with you? sounds like your options are limitless...
I'll start the ball rolling tho:
What about some rubber band magic?

Anything using I.T, ringflight, cup and balls, straight jacket escape, swallowing razors, swallowing a balloon, anything using ideomotor movement, knife through arm/neck, blockhead, pulse stop, fire eating, starsign reveal, P.K ring effects, watch smash, actual psychological forces/hypnosis, hand twist, stigmata, blindfold routines, booktests, certain envelope predictions, card tricks without cards (photos, business cards, pieces of paper etc), electric touch, dove pans, change bags.

Yes I find that most tricks with banknotes can be performed completely surrounded, but always carry a baseball bat under your skirt just incase the audience try to rob you.

I'm curious, why no cards and coins? Audiences love cards and coin magic. It is only the magicians that don't. So why limit yourself?

I forget the name of it but one of the best literally-nothing-on-you tricks I know came from Art of Astonishment as well... the no deck predicted card trick? I can't even remember what volume but it's a really good equivoque-esque prediction that really wows them... anyone know what it's called again?

King - are you talking about Hedonists Make Up All the Rules from Volume 3?

For this kind of thing, I think the "go to" guys for impromptu, borrowed objects are Jay Sankey and Greg Wilson. They have tons of work on the very subject you're looking for:

Sankey -

Anytime, Anywhere - a dvd of magic using only borrowed objects.
No Card Tricks
Kaleidoscope
Most of his other DVDs have a mixture of card/coin magic with magic using borrowed objects. Just check out his library, and you'll find a ton of material.

Greg Wilson -

On the Spot - All about impromptu magic
In Action - 3 volume set, all with great material. There are cards and coins, as well.

You should also try thinking beyond what you know - and how to apply what you can do to other objects. You can take a simple coin trick and apply it to a borrowed ring or key, or sugar packet - anything. Card tricks can be applied to other objects as well.

That's it man, thanks. So definitely check that one out. Unless you are trying to not even involve the premise of cards..

Rope magic, particularly Hunter's "Impossible Knot".

Barry

Thanks everyone, all great advice.
I love cards and coins, but I think its refreshing now and then to throw in an unusual trick with ordinary objects!
I'll check out those DVDS, and you got me thinking. I do a coin bend using a sort of bobo switch. Maybe I can use that for a ring bend or something? Thanks!

You probably already knew this but If you vanish something with a TT , you can then easily produce it from inside a bread roll, sugar packet etc. Either by pushing the TT into the bread roll in the act of ripping apart, or by pouring out the contents of the TT behind the sugar packet as you pour out the sugar. You can apply these to eggs and things as well. This allows you to add that extra bit of magic to your effect, which is sometimes difficult with borrowed objects. i would also suggest rubber bands.

Also, why not glass through table? (I just remembered this because I mentioned it in another thread). It's in Mark Wilsons Complete Course in magic.

There is a great glass through table effect in Dai Vernons Trubute to Nate Leipzig.

Its performed standing up, surrounded by people, but it takes a lot of misdirection and boldness!

Revisit you self-working card trick resources. Many of the underlying principles and workings can be applied to ordinary objects.

Imagine asking for the socks of 7 spectators while taking off one of your own and performing the piano trick with them.

Another area to explore is applying the Stebbins stack or similar to items other than cards.

Hello, I would recommend these as good alternatives to cards and coins...
1) sponge balls - not sure why people love sponge magic so much (probably because it happens literally in their hands), but they do, so I use it, and I would recommend you do too for all ages, simple and great fun.
2) flash paper £20 note production - visual and is also a good exit when people are crowding round as you first tell them to stand back a bit (which helps them avoid getting set on fire by a stray bit of flash paper) then, all going well, you can get to the bar to get the next round in with the money you just produced...
3) bottle production from a balloon / silk
4) a good rope routine

All above can be done surrounded

and then you can happily get back on to cards / coins...