Tricks – Page 41 – MagicShow.Tips

Think Before Using a US Flag in Your Show

One of the things that drives me nuts are magicians, or any performer that uses a flag in their show and doesn’t understand the US Flag Code. These are rules that define what a US Flag is, how it should be displayed and handled.

You can read the Flag Code here.

Someone recently posted in a magician’s group of their show and the American Flag in the picture being backwards was all that I could see!

There are a couple of flag code violations in the pictures above. First the flag is backwards, and then there are props on top of the flag. This isn’t a huge deal to most people, but it’s like doing a gospel magic show, but all of your crosses are upside down! It takes virtually the same energy to correctly hang a flag as it does to incorrectly display the flag.

If you use a flag, learn to handle it respectfully!

-Louie

Sharing a Trailer and Tips!

One of the great things about working with other acts is sharing tips. Not so much “secrets” but like what media players we’re using or why we like certain cases.

I had the pleasure of sharing a green room (trailer) with David Anthony and Ron Diamond. Both of them were insanely generous and open about chatting with things that they use or do that could help me improve my show and my business!

These two people understand that when everyone is doing the best they can, it’s better for everyone! Go out there and share what you know!

-Louie

Vintage Magic Trick – Carnival Cards by Tom Ogden

This vintage packet trick is interesting, as it feels like Emerson and West’s Color Monte, but with four cards. Here’s what Tom Ogden’s Carnival Cards looks like:

@louiefoxx Vintage Magic Trick: Carnival Cards by Tom Ogden #vintage #magictrick #cardtrick #carnival #magic #louiefoxx #cards #gambling #vintagemagic ♬ original sound – Louie Foxx

This uses the same move and the effect is very similar, except for the fourth card on the table. I’m curious what came first, it looks like Color Monte was released in 1974 and the Carnival Cards is undated, but based on the packaging, my guess in late 1970’s to early 1980’s.

Here’s the changes that I would make to the Carnival Cards trick:

It’s strange that Carnival Cards uses gaffed cards, because they aren’t needed. I kinda wonder if they were added to make the trick feel more “different” from Color Monte?

-Louie

Vintage Magic Trick – John Kennedy’s Cigarette Thru Any Coin

This is a fun trick that I remember seeing advertised in the 1990’s. It’s John Kennedy’s Cigarette Thru Any Coin! Here’s what it looks like:

@louiefoxx Vintage Magic Trick! 1990’s CIGARETTE THRU ANY COIN by John Kennedy #magic #johnkennedy #cigarette #cointrick #closeupmagic #louiefoxx #sleightofhand #vintage #antique #seattle ♬ original sound – Louie Foxx

I thing this trick is interested as there are a couple of methods working at the same time to create the illusion of the cigarette going through the coin. I don’t know if this is an improvement over the traditional method with a gimmicked coin. Kennedy’s method would have you have to do a switch of the larger object, which complicates doing the trick with “borrowed” objects, which makes the trick stronger.

Cigarette through coin is a classic bar trick like coin in bottle where the strength of the trick is that is uses borrowed objects and everything can be returned at the end and handled by the audience, so everything feels impromptu. It’s that unplanned feeling of it that makes the trick hit really hard!

-Louie

Nick Trost’s Grave Location

If you read this blog, you know I like playing with old packet tricks. I’m currently at the Ohio State Fair in Columbus, Ohio and noticed that Nick Trost lived here when he was alive and putting out packet tricks.

I did a little bit of research and found out that he was buried in St Joseph Cemetery in Lockbourne, OH. I drove out there to try to find his grave and the cemetery was gigantic, so I asked the office for help.

The gave me a map to the location of his grave in the very back of the cemetery. That map saved me hours (days?) of searching and I found him really quick!

It was a nice drive out there and gave me something to do that morning before my shows at the Ohio State Fair.

-Louie

Watch The Magic Trick

When I’m out doing roving magic and someone wants to show me a trick, I always say YES… as long as it’s an appropriate time. There are times when it’s not appropriate, like it’s a crazy big event and I just need to get to a lot of people, or I have to physically be somewhere else and need to leave.

The magic that people show me now it way better than it was 5 years ago. I had a kid show me David Harkey and Jay Sankey’s East Meets West! This is a pencil thru dollar bill that was cutting edge in the early 1990’s! The kid did it really well!

Another reason to allow people to show you tricks is that it shows you the kind of magic that people who have had a passing interest in magic are exposed to. It’s no longer just the 21 card trick, they’re learning way better stuff, but I’ve also noticed that those people have a better appreciation for magic than the guy in 1997 who showed you the 21 card trick.

-Louie

THE ROCKET Card Fountain – Review

I’ve been using The Rocket Card Fountain for about 9 months now and I still like it.

I have learned recently that with it being 3d printed, it doesn’t handle sitting in the sun with no shade at 108 degrees during a 45 minute show very well. This is a very extreme situation for it to be in and knowing what I know now, I probably wouldn’t use it if I was in that situation again. What happened is that part that holds the cards warped in the heat and no longer holds the poker size playing cards.

I was able to get it to sort of work by putting it back in the sun and then trying to reshape it. However the fix was simply to cut a deck of cards narrow.

Worked like a charm and the cards shoot out just fine! I’m still happy with The Rocket Card Fountain, but it’s good to know it doesn’t handle extreme temperatures very well.

-Louie

Vintage Magic Trick – Jail Bird by Nick Trost

Nick Trost put out a ton of magic tricks in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Today I’m playing with Jail Bird, which is a penetration of a card through a brass fastener.

Here’s what it looks like:

@louiefoxx Jail Bird Card Trick by Nick Trost a Vintage Magic Trick #magictrick #magic #cardtrick #closeupmagic #packettrick #louiefoxx #nicktrost #vintagemagic #antiquemagic ♬ original sound – Louie Foxx

The problem with the trick is that in the instructions, you come out with the trick set up and then do the trick. It really needs to be set up in front of the audience and while not hard to do, it’s not in the instructions. I don’t know if that was to make the trick “easy to do” or “self working” or the limitations of trying to keep the instructions to one sheet of paper.

It’s a interesting effect, but honestly I don’t know a context were I would really use this trick as it’s kinda a quick one off sorta thing.

-Louie

3D Printing Magic Tricks

A couple of weeks ago I had a thought go through my head that was that I’d like to 3d print a new magic trick. It’s been a while since I’ve 3D printed any new magic tricks. I’m not looking for simply printing a trick that I found a model of online, but to design something and print it.

I was reading a trick with pennies in Bob Farmer’s Flim Flam book and that got me thinking of the using a “need a penny, take a penny” trays that many stores have by the cash register.

It only took a few tries to get the size of the tray to what I wanted and two tries to get the gimmick the right size.

This tray solves a problem with trying to borrow coins, as people don’t really carry coins anymore. I ask to borrow some pennies and then say, “it’s OK if you don’t have any” and take out the tray with pennies on it. It gets the tray into play logically and with a laugh.

This was a fun project to make and I’ve been having fun doing the trick!

-Louie

Working on the O-Korto Coin Box Routine

The O-Korto Coin box routine is a lot of fun to do, however the thing that I don’t like about it is that it uses three boxes (only one lid) and that’s a lot of pocket space and pocket management. In an attempt to streamline it, I’ve eliminated one box and am only using the small box and the Boston Box. This cleans up the pocket management a lot!

The routine plays almost the same as in the O-Korto Coin Box Routine instructions. The middle phase where the coins won’t fit into the box has been moved to the end of the routine. The routine goes:

The coins go into the box and they coins penetrate the hand
The coins go into the box (without lid) and the box penetrates the hand
The coins won’t fit into the box when a spectator tries to put them in
I put the coins into the box – this is a bonus fourth effect

That gives me the same three main effects, but with only two boxes. I’m liking it in my pockets this way a lot more!

-Louie