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I'm looking for some great effects that use everyday items, for example matchbooks, keys, phones, glasses, pens, etc... and don't require pulling anything peculiar out of your pocket (e.g. Envelopes, cards with shapes or images on them). I don't mind carrying a small gimmick or duplicate objects for switches, etc, but I don't want the spectator to think that I've been carrying around some object in preparation for the trick. Namely, I'm looking for tricks that SEEM completely impromptu, though they might not be in actuality. Anyone have suggestions for research?

Thanks,
David

I was talking about this today - about being prepped but not looking like a geek.

Aside from actually doing impromptu magic with anything handed to you, there is coinvexed/2.0, "the light" by chris congreave, such gimmicked items as coin unique etc, flipper coin in bottle, david penn's "refraction", key bending, "ladybug" by paul harris, self-tying shoelaces, and many more besides.

Though I would just recommend learning the muscle pass

And metal bending! Oooh oooh! Me me! Metal bending! Oooh!

Or as Mr Voodini would say - palm read and who needs magic?

If you can vanish a coin in the standard way then you can use the same method to vanish a key. The produce it from anywhere - your elbow, spectator's ear, bread roll, etc.

Possibly some stuff with a TT? Salt, cigarettes?

Fork/spoon bend?

Just about anything with coins qualifies (as long as you use current British coins, of course). Business cards. Some book tests.

Henning Nelms, in "Magic and Showmanship", has a section on how to be prepared while not seeming to be. I'm not sure how practical it is.

There is a book called "Magic with Everyday Objects", by George Schindler. You can get it on Amazon.

Barry

Greg Wilsons Pointless?

Thanks for the suggestions guys! I'll look into them -- and I'll also post back with others I may find.
-David

I can't remember if this was in wilsons but it's great to do when with friends,

Prep a pack of polo's/lifesavers by carefully opening one end, rolling up a £20 and pushing it in the hole. When in company, pop to the shop and buy a pack. Do your switch, open the pack with maximum audience and loudly proclaim that you can't believe you found one.

Casually mention that there is a secret promotion going on. Polo sales will rise and the world will be a better place.

Alec

Fork bending always goes down well. I'd highly recommend investing in something like Liquid Metal or Psychokinetic Silver. Use the stuff all the time and gets the best response. Even if you use your own cutlery, with a bit of thought you could s***ch the cutlery in at tables etc

Paul Zenon told the audience on countdown that little polo trick just recently

Flood wrote:Paul Zenon told the audience on countdown that little polo trick just recently

Will this senseless exposure never cease?!!!

Alec

magicofthemind wrote:Just about anything with coins qualifies (as long as you use current British coins, of course). Business cards. Some book tests.

Henning Nelms, in "Magic and Showmanship", has a section on how to be prepared while not seeming to be. I'm not sure how practical it is.

There is a book called "Magic with Everyday Objects", by George Schindler. You can get it on Amazon.

Barry

That was one of the first magic books I bought. It was an ex-library copy I found and was so pleased to find a magic book in this way. It covered some basic tabletop ideas. There is magic with cutlery, serviettes, salt and pepper pots, coins, mental magic, matches, etc. The mental magic section covers a number of good basic ideas. There is a magicians choice and a nice calender prediction. Some of the items aren't as everyday as when it was written in the 70s, but a few nice ideas.

I like Hilford's E’voque for magic with everyday objects. Basically impromptu, simple to perform. It places the attention on the spectator and entertains.

gregory wilson: on the spot. all impromptu stuff

I love watching sleight of hand, like the Linking Cigarette by Akira Fujii.

Basem wrote:I love watching sleight of hand, like the Linking Cigarette by Akira Fujii.

Is that the one that's essentially CMH but with cigarettes? It's completely unworkable in a real world environment!

For magic with every day objects just see anything with coins

Learn a good retention vanish and you're sorted