Secret Stuff (1990). It was subsequently
released as a marketed item (gaffs includ- ed) in 1993. It’s an extremely clean Inter- national Matrix with a one-at-a-time
reversal. Combining a gaffed coin with sleight of hand can produce some devastat- ingly magical effects. This is such an item.
EFFECT: A matrix routine is per-
formed using a Chinese coin, a half dollar, an English penny, and a Mexican twenty- centavo piece. All four coins assemble at the inner right corner. The performer then picks up the centavo coin, the English penny, and the half dollar. One by one, they vanish from the performer’s hand and reappear under their original cards. The handling is exceptionally clean and magi- cal.
SET-UP: You will need a “Two Copper-
One Silver” coin (invented by Connie Hayden). This coin consists of an English penny shell with an insert which is a half dollar on one side and a twenty-centavo piece on the other. Thus it can act as a cop- per/silver coin, but it also contains the hid- den centavo piece.
You’ll also need a Chinese coin (half- dollar size), a half dollar that matches the Two Copper-One Silver gaff, and a Mexi- can twenty-centavo coin (matching the insert). Actually, any coin can be substitut- ed for the Chinese coin since it is ungaffed and never leaves its position at inner right. I keep all five coins in a coin purse with the gaff at the rear. The silver side of the gaff should face you. When you’re ready to perform, open the purse and remove the four ungaffed coins. Hand them out for examination. Now, you can secretly get the gaff into position in the right hand as fol- lows: Allow the gaff to fall to your side of the purse. Place your right fingers on it and then open the purse wide using both hands (Fig. 1).
Flash the inside of the purse to the spec- tators, as though proving its emptiness. It’s an easy matter now to close the purse as
your right hand turns palm upward with the fingers still inserted. The coin will end up resting on your right fingertips. You can now withdraw the right fingers (with coin) as you table or pocket the purse with the left hand. Move the gaff into classic palm in the right hand. Since you positioned it with silver side facing you, the insert will be against your palm and not fall out.
PROCEDURE: Place four matching
cards (for example, queens or aces) face up near the center of the pad in a squared group with the long sides facing you. Now have the spectators return the coins. Posi- tion the coins with the English penny at outer left. Be sure that the side facing upward matches the gaff. Position the cen- tavo coin at outer right, again oriented to match the insert. Move the half dollar to inner left and again be sure that the face showing matches the gaff. Finally, move the Chinese coin to the inner right corner (Fig. 2).
Using the fingertips of both hands, move two queens from the stack, one to the right and one to the left. Orient them with their long edges parallel to the inner edge of the table. Curl the fingers of both hands inward a bit and allow the coin in the right hand to fall from classic palm onto the right fingertips. You should curl the right fingers enough so that they nearly touch the gaff before releasing it. This way it won’t be seen.
Push down on the inner long edges of the cards with both thumbs simultaneous- ly. This will cause the outer edge to rise a bit. Reach over the outer long edges with both index fingers and pull upward, reach- ing the position shown in Figure 3.
Move the thumbs up and away from the face of the card. Rotate the hands to the position shown in Figure 4. Note how the card now hides the presence of the gaff at the right fingertips. Use the thumbs to push the cards downward onto the fingertips. Finally, move the index fingers under the cards, leaving only the thumbs on top. The gaff is now held securely against the card in the right hand.
Simultaneously, place the now face- down cards over the half dollar at inner left and Chinese coin at inner right. Paul Harris popularized a method (Fig. 5) which is quite disarming, but any handling that doesn’t allow the gaff to be seen or make any noise will be fine. Pick up the remain- ing two queens and cover the outer coins using a similar handling. You are ready to create magic.
You will first make the half dollar at inner left travel to the Chinese coin. Per- form the Dingle/Schneider Pickup Move* at inner left as you mimic the move with the right hand, simultaneously snapping the two cards up. The first coin has trav- eled.
Now the half must be transferred from underneath the card held in your left hand to underneath the right-hand card. Move the left second finger underneath its card and hold the coin. This frees the thumb, which moves to the top, replacing the first finger. The first finger then goes under- neath the card. Snap the right hand’s card face up, reaching the position shown in
Figure 6.
Place the right hand’s card face up and sidejogged onto the card in the left hand. The right fingers can now reach under the left hand’s card and slide the hidden coin to the right and under the face-up card. Immediately, rotate the left palm upward to flash the face of its card. The underside of each card has been cleanly shown. Actu- ally, the coin has been secretly transferred under the right card. You will now secretly flip over the gaff at inner right and add the extra half dollar to the two coins already there.
Table the left hand’s card face down in its original position. Now slide the right hand’s card (with hidden coin) under the gaff at inner right. Place your right thumb onto the gaff. Now quickly turn the right palm downward as you push the gaff (now with silver side showing) off the card and next to the Chinese coin. Apparently, you have just turned the coin over in place. Finally, place the card over the two visible coins, secretly adding the half dollar. Be careful not to let the coins talk.
You are ready to make the English penny at outer left travel. This is easy. Just perform the Dingle/Schneider move at outer left, using the left hand, as you mimic the move at inner right with the right hand. A second coin has traveled. Now simply replace the card and coin at outer left, leav- ing the three coins visible at inner right.
Leave the right-hand card face up behind the three coins. Scoop up the gaffed Eng- lish penny onto the right fingertips. Slide this coin under the other two, ending with all three on the right fingertips with the gaff lowermost. Turn over the card at outer right, exposing the centavo piece, as you say, “Two have traveled. One to go.” Recover the coin with the card.
Now use the left hand to replace the coins at inner right, one by one. When you reach the gaff, begin to turn your right hand inward a bit so that you can take the shell, leaving the insert on the right finger- tips. Place the shell next to the Chinese coin and half dollar. Use the same loading move (above) to load the centavo-coin insert under the card and finally place the card over the three coins with the centavo insert behind them. You may leave parts of the three coins in view at the front edge of the card so that the centavo piece won’t peek out at the rear.
Make your magical gesture and perform the Dingle/Schneider move with the left hand at outer right as the right hand mimics the move at inner right. It appears that the centavo coin has traveled to the inner right. Replace the left hand’s card with coin at outer right. You’re now ready for the rever- sal.
The trick appears to be over since all the coins have assembled at inner right, but some mind-blowing magic is about to hap- pen. Use the right hand to place the centa- vo insert onto the palm-up left hand. Place the English-penny shell overlapping it to the right. Finally, place the half dollar overlapping again to the right (Fig. 7).
Say, “These three have traveled to join the Chinese coin. Watch this.” Close the left fingers, causing the shell to nest on the insert. Immediately open the hand and cleanly place the two coins onto the pad. Your hands are clearly empty. The centavo piece has vanished in the cleanest possible manner. Turn over the card at outer right to show that it has returned to its starting place.
Take the half dollar in the palm-up right hand, in position to be classic palmed. Pre- tend to toss the coin into the left hand while retaining it in classic palm in the right hand. The left hand closes as though it holds the coin. Push down on the outer edge of the gaff, causing the inner edge to lever up. Use the right thumb to pull the gaff inward onto the fingertips in readiness for a Click Pass.* The copper side of the gaff is against the fingertips. Execute the move. You now have the gaff in right-hand classic palm with silver side against the palm and the half dollar in the closed left hand. Say, “Coin number two returns,” as you open the left hand, showing only the half dollar. Place the half dollar on the pad as you remove the card at outer left, reveal- ing the return of the English penny.
To finish, flip the card at inner left face up. Use it to flip the half dollar over as you say, “One last coin to go. Now use the same action described above to load the palmed gaff under the card. It should end with the silver side upward. Use any sort of pass to vanish the visible half dollar while retain- ing it in the right hand. Remove the card at inner left. The half dollar has returned. Mission accomplished.
CLEANING UP: The coin at inner left
is the gaff which is clearly not examinable. There really is no reason for anyone to want to examine the coins since they had the opportunity at the outset. Just pick up the four coins using the right hand. Posi- tion the gaff at the bottom of the stack. Shake them once, allowing the half dollar in right-hand palm to drop onto the stack of four. Put them into the purse, and you’re reset.
FINAL THOUGHTS: The description
is rather lengthy, but this routine takes very little time to perform. The use of the Con- nie Hayden gaff allows the matrix sequence to be very clean. It also makes for some startling magic during the reappear- ance phase, especially the vanish of the centavo coin. Enjoy!
Bouncer
EFFECT: The magician introduces a
flat plastic one-foot ruler. The flat side has the numbers one through five printed on it, as seen in the figure below.
A small black rubber ball is also intro- duced, and the spectators are invited to play a game – a game with prizes! The magician demonstrates how the game works: The ball is dropped in front of the vertical ruler from a particular height. Its vertical position after one bounce is noted. Let’s say that its bounce-height is between the numbers three and four.
A set of five numbered (one through five) envelopes is introduced as the magi- cian explains that the envelopes contain a variety of prizes. The better prizes are in the envelopes with higher numbers. Enve- lope Five is shown to contain a ten-dollar bill.
The rules are as follows: The player may drop the ball from any height. If the ball bounces above the top of the ruler, no prize will be awarded. The winning number will be the number just above the top of the tra- jectory. Thus, if the ball reached a height between four and five, then Envelope Five (with the ten-dollar bill) would be award- ed. The spectator makes her calculation and drops the ball. Luckily for the magi- cian, the ball stops dead at the bottom of the ruler! Envelope One is awarded. It con- tains a balloon which the magician uses to create a nice consolation prize.
REQUIREMENTS: A set of “Bounce/
No Bounce” balls is needed (obviously!). These can be purchased from your favorite magic dealer or from Amazon or eBay for around fifteen dollars. You receive a set of two seemingly identical balls. One
bounces normally; the other stops dead when it hits the surface.
You will also need five pay envelopes with the numbers one to five written on the fronts. A plastic ruler or equivalent is also needed. You can use a marking pen to place numbers on the ruler, or better yet, you can purchase some stick-on numbers at Staples or Office Depot. This gives the prop a more professional look. You might also use number stickers on the envelopes. The envelopes will be loaded with whatever prizes you choose. Obviously, the specta- tor is going to receive the contents of Enve- lope One. It’s up to you to decide how you want to play this.
I think it’s a good idea to load Envelope Five with something that seems reason- able. If you offer a trip to Hawaii, the spec- tators will know that something is going to happen to make this impossible, but a ten- dollar prize seems feasible. The spectators will likely feel that the game can be won.
Envelope One contains the booby prize. It should be something interesting that you can give away. One option is a balloon that you can make into a poodle. Another is a napkin that you can make into a rose. Use your imagination. This is an opportunity to have a lot of fun with the spectators, and you leave them with something memo- rable. Watch game shows for prize ideas and play it like a game show. You’re the host.
PROCEDURE: The method is obvious
to anyone who knows about “Bounce/No Bounce” balls. You will simply switch the no-bounce ball for the normal one before the spectator plays. If you get the balls backwards, you’ll surprise yourself when you perform the demonstration, but you won’t lose any money. I would recom- mend that you keep the normal ball in your left pocket and the no-bounce ball in the right (assuming you are right handed). This way, you can put both hands in your pockets and simply keep the no-bouncer hidden in your right hand as the left hand emerges with the normal ball.
When you are ready to have some fun
with this idea, remove the ruler and the five numbered envelopes from your pocket or close-up case and place them on the table. Explain that the envelopes contain various prizes that can be won and that the better prizes are in the higher numbered envelopes, with the best prize in Envelope Five.
Remove the balls from your pockets, keeping the no-bounce ball hidden in the right hand. You can now take the ball from the left hand between the right thumb and first finger. This allows your right fingers to close around the no-bouncer in a natural way. Use your left hand to position the ruler in a vertical position, facing the spec- tators. You may now explain the rules and give a demonstration by allowing the nor- mal ball to bounce in front of the ruler. Note its vertical position and explain which prize would be won. When you are ready for the spectator to play, you simply switch the normal ball for the no-bouncer. A Bobo switch is a good method. Briefly: Hold the normal ball between the right thumb and first and second fingers. Now pretend to toss it to the left hand, but actu- ally release the hidden ball instead, retain- ing the normal ball in the right hand. Don’t make a move out of this. There’s absolute- ly no heat. Once the no-bouncer is in play, it becomes all presentation. Have fun!
FINAL THOUGHTS: You could use a
magic wand in place of the ruler. You can obtain plastic wands cheaply at most deal- ers. You can then wrap quarter-inch white tape at the appropriate spots along the wand and draw the numbers in with a marker. This might be a more “natural” prop for a magician to use.
The best booby prizes are those that give the spectator something memorable. An animal balloon, a pearl poodle, and a paper rose come to mind. Give it some thought and make it memorable.
CREDITS: Chad Long inspired this
item. His idea was in a booklet called Some
Other Stuff… that uses the bounce/ no
bounce set. His application doesn’t involve prizes, but his is a fun idea, too.