talkmagic.co.uk

I can't remember who I was reading about the other day but they said they prefer cards in mentalism (like telepathy cards) to be handwritten because if it's printed people will think "ah, it's a trick!". This surprised me because I have the opposite reaction. If it's printed I think "this looks professional" and depending on the quality might assume they printed them themselves.

The reason I ask is because I'm making up Mental Numbers cards from PMM and I think printed cards would appear 'more random' than handwritten ones. And I was just wondering other people's opinions?

Perhaps I'm in the minority with my love of things printed up all nice.

It's all down to personal preference, really. If you think printed cards will look nicer, use printed cards.

With the effect in question, you have the luxury of an easy choice. If you do them by hand, you can comment that you made them up just prior to meeting your audience. With printed cards, they could very easily pass as a type of arithmetic flash card set.

In the end, all that matters is the effect. Printed/hand written - whatever the case - whatever gets the job done, and works for you, is what you should use.

It's a tricky one.

Printed cards could be suspect because they are 'props'.

Hand-written ones are irregular, so maybe you've marked them in some way or other.

This stuff concerns only us, IMHO. Choose a route and take it with confidence. It will be fine, whichever you opt for.

And buy my ESP cards. They are the best on the market

Well, I've just spent the last hour pulling my hair out but my work is now done - I've made an an excel file which generates 90 Mental Number cards at the click of a button. The random serial numbers and subsequent calculations all automated. And the way I've set it up, no set will ever be the same either.

Now I need a lie down.

Why 90? Annemann suggests 50-100 cards but as I discovered any card after one with a x9 serial pushes the starting total over 100 and that leaves 2 choices - either drop the hundreds for the calculations or the 1s. Either way, it will create duplicate 6-digit numbers in the pack. And if by chance two spectators get the duplicates, the whole random element falls apart.

These are things you learn when you have to sit down and work it out.

And Ted, I spotted your ESP cards not long after I bought some Beyond ESPs. But I'll keep you in mind for the future.

Ah. I see why you were pondering the printed/non-printed issue now In your place I'd self-print every time. Handwriting would not reduce the suspicion, but would only increase your workload (IMHO, natch!)

me_simon wrote:And Ted, I spotted your ESP cards not long after I bought some Beyond ESPs. But I'll keep you in mind for the future.

Wait until your eyes start failing you, then you'll be glad of the MK-MOD ESP test cards

Ted wrote:Ah. I see why you were pondering the printed/non-printed issue now In your place I'd self-print every time. Handwriting would not reduce the suspicion, but would only increase your workload (IMHO, natch!)

It was one of those methods that I loved from the moment I read it but the work! My God, the work involved. No to mention dropping the cards would make me cry. This way - print, cut and I'm done.

The printed / handwritten thing is also something I've been wondering with some telepathy cards I've made. I think with them I'll mix them up depending on the routine.

Ted wrote:Wait until your eyes start failing you, then you'll be glad of the MK-MOD ESP test cards

Yeah..... they can be a bit like that.

I think where you're performing is a factor, too. I love the DIY, hand-written look, but it's one thing to pull out a hand-written prediction (say) from a buff envelope when you're performing to a handful of people for the fun of it. If you're performing on stage, for money, then the audience needs to see what they've paid for. It would be unprofessional to turn up with hand-written or otherwise readily knocked up props.

Also, you're more likely to want to print stuff on stage when it needs to be visible to the audience. Especially if, in amongst your printed predictions and whatnot you need to hide something handwritten.

Mr_Grue wrote:I think where you're performing is a factor, too. I love the DIY, hand-written look, but it's one thing to pull out a hand-written prediction (say) from a buff envelope when you're performing to a handful of people for the fun of it. If you're performing on stage, for money, then the audience needs to see what they've paid for. It would be unprofessional to turn up with hand-written or otherwise readily knocked up props.

Also, you're more likely to want to print stuff on stage when it needs to be visible to the audience. Especially if, in amongst your printed predictions and whatnot you need to hide something handwritten.

I always go for the hand-written notes, even on the back of blank playing cards, I try to let the spectators sign as many cards and items as possible too, so (for me and the way I perform) hand written is the way forward ... BUT, I did see a REALLY cool printed gimmick on a playing card for an amb car routine (it just said "look in my mouth" hahahahaha) ... each to their own, as has been said before, go with what works for you

Dan

How on earth did you make an auto generating number excel file, thats pretty sweet, you selling it ?

Magical_Trevor wrote:How on earth did you make an auto generating number excel file, thats pretty sweet, you selling it ?

The short answer is I'm single and have a strange love with excel formulas.

The longer answer is it just involved sitting down with a pen and paper, mapping out which cells would do what and including lots of =IF(), =LEFT() and =MID() functions with a splash of lateral thinking. But it's hardly sellable. The back end is far too messy at the moment so it might break if someone else uses it. But it spits them out looking like this http://a.yfrog.com/img618/2185/83563860.jpg. I'm still deciding on a font though. And will probably do a 1.1 version on the weekend. So in short, it's still in draft phase.