Every year I post this trick on Thanksgiving. It’s a good example of adding a theme to a trick that already exists.
The idea for this trick is in a Jim Steinmeyer book. For holidays, look at what you already do and look for logical connections then make the trick!
Another great book with math principles for things like this is Body Mentalism by Juan Pablo Ibañez.
-Louie
With all of the specialty decks and different cuts or finishes on cards that are available to magicians now, what’s your favorite deck of cards?
For me, the best will always be a deck of Bicycle playing cards from the Cincinnati factory! You can’t beat them, they’re the best! Unfortunately they moved to Kentucky in 2009, so it’s been 15 years since these were made. You can still find them, and I actively seek them out when I travel.
What I love about the Cincinnati made cards is that they last a lot longer than the current cards. A deck of the current Bicycle cards will last me about an hour, where the older stock will last me days!
I’ve quietly amassed a large box of them. If they’re still sealed, then 98% of the time they’re perfect! Occasionally a sealed box will have some sort of moisture issue, but that’s rare.
I never pay more than $3 a box when I find them in out there in the wild (aka a junk shop). You can find these decks on ebay for about $5 a deck plus shipping, which I think is way to much.
If you find a deck, buy them and you’ll remember why these cards were soo great!
-Louie
Over on TikTok I post vintage magic tricks and a recent one that I did was Nick Trost’s Gemini Cards. Also, if you’re not following me over there please do, I’m at: https://www.tiktok.com/@louiefoxx
Gemini Cards is an Out of This World style of card trick. Here’s what it looks like:
@louiefoxx Will the cards match? #cardtrick #magictrick #cardmagic #shuffle #match #vintagemagic #nicktrost ♬ original sound – Louie Foxx
The trick is great, and a fooler. I was trying to think of what it could be done with that aren’t playing cards. Here are some ideas:
Cards with pictures of:
-Red/Black socks
-Cats and dogs
However I don’t want to use things that are pictures drawn on playing cards. So other objects that are “card like” in their natural state.
Here are some ideas:
-paint swatches
-number flash cards: evens and odds match each other
-photographs (maybe of my dog and cat)
-postcards: I have custom made “postcards from home” that I use for a torn and restored postcard routine. I could use those and postcards from exotic places.
I think that the Gemini Cards definitely has potential, just not sure how to use it!
-Louie
For years I’ve been playing with flippy thing that I read in the book Underground Man by Lou Gallo. Here’s what it looks like:
Recently I’ve put in some dedicated time to get it pretty consistent. Then the next thing is to figure out what to do with the move. Lou Gallo uses it as part of a two card production. A while ago I came up with a four ace production that uses it, and I’ll write that up sometime.
The other trick I came up with using it is this:
@louiefoxx Always shuffle the cards! #cardtrick #magic #magictrick #shuffle #triumph #cards ♬ original sound – Louie Foxx
I like this routine, it’s not harder than a traditional Triumph…once you learn to do the flip over move. I’ve been out doing this a lot recently and just wrote it up and it’ll be in the December Vanish Magazine!
-Louie
While I was a hotel, I accidentally discovered you can split a coffee creamer lid!
How would I use this?
Essentially you could reseal something inside the creamer pod and keep the integrity of the original seal.
Do what you want with this new found knowledge!
-Louie
Sometimes there are magic tricks where the instructions are the least effective way to do the trick. Then you realize they are dumbed down to make them easy to do. One trick is The MisMade Card by Daryl.
Here’s how the trick looks when done how the instructions say:
@louiefoxx How to turn a playing card into amazing art! #art #diyart #craft #creatingart #howto #asmr #louiefoxx #impossibleobject #1990s #magictrick #cardtrick #daryl ♬ original sound – Louie Foxx
I did make one change, there’s a discrepancy in the instructions. You can’t do the trick as written. When you tear a card into 4 pieces, you cannot make it form the same pattern as the final mismade cards. The two backs visible will have the borders on the inside. I added a switch of the quarters that show backs.
However the whole, put the card in a sleeve, then wrap it in paper is soo much process and weakens the trick. A better method would be to tear the card in quarters, do the JC Wagner torn and restored card switch and unfold it show the card is restored. It’s a much more direct trick AND you can actually do it.
I do understand why making the trick easy makes it a lot more marketable as a lot of people don’t want to learn a sleight of hand move to do a trick. One of the things I do whenever I get a new trick and start to learn it, is try to figure out a more direct way to do it!
-Louie
Right now is booking season for the summer of 2025 and I’m going a lot of booking conferences and trade shows. My absolute favorite trick to do at these is my Out For Beers trick.
This trick leaves buyers with an item that has been magically altered, that they can show people. More importantly, they trick still works when they bring people over to me who know what will happen in the trick!
This routine starts with a gag and ends with a trick where picture of a full pitcher of beer empties itself!
Out for Beers is $19 and includes free shipping in the USA!
If you order Out for Beers anytime in November 2024, I’ll throw in and extra 25 of the empty beer cards! You don’t need to do anything to get these added to your order, they’ll automatically be included!
Click here to order Out for Beers!
A couple of weeks ago I popped by the Portland SAM magic club. It was their close up contest night! There were three contestants that all did card tricks, and all with very different styles!
Then after the contest we saw some magic by Gaeton from France and a demonstration of the Vampire Block Escape!
The Vampire Block Escape is a trick I’ve seen on shelves of magic shops, but had never seen any actually do the trick. This particular one was homemade and probably 60 years old!!! The trick looked great and while the style of prop isn’t modern, the trick is still great!
I’m a huge fan of magic clubs and if you aren’t popping into your local magic club, you should. Contribute to your local magic community.
-Louie
Last week I did a TV spot to promote National Magic Week and here’s the video of the spot:
Here’s where I could have improved:
It was a decent media spot, not great but not bad either.
-Louie
About a month ago I started selling The Bodega Coin tray. This is the classic multiplying coin tray magic prop, but with new clothes. It’s designed to look like the “need a penny” tray on the counter of a corner store.
The problem with the classic version is there’s really no reason to hold a handful of coins on an ornate wooden tray or a shiny chrome one.
Since I released it I’ve gotten a ton of cool feed back. Doc Dixon gave it a shout out in his newsletter
Doc’s newsletter is great with a lot of solid advice, you can subscribe here.
These are getting out there in the world, and it makes me happy!
I’m glad I put this magic prop out there into the world as soo many people who were aware of the Multiplying Coin Tray, but never did it are playing with it now!
-Louie
PS: You can get The Bodega Coin Tray here!
