Andy Martin

Pat Page invented Easy Money c.1957 and it became so popular that it was almost instantly copied, improved, and/or ripped off. It was the inspiration for the one of the greatest magicians of all time and only three time FISM Grand Prix winner, Fred Kaps, to create his version called Flash Cash which became pretty much the gold standard for decades.

Of the many ripoffs of Pat’s version, Greg Wilson’s popular and wonderful version Hundy 500 of Easy Money is not one of them and has the blessing of Pat Page. It is so great when we can all get along and credit creators and inventors and seek permission when possible.

I’ve been performing this for over ten years myself (with the same gimmick which is certainly starting to wear a little) and it pretty much is my goto non card effect and a perfect way to get the audience interested. I’ve see a few other modern versions but none of them have convinced me enough to want to stop using this version. I particularly like the part of the routine where Greg does the simple, and surprisingly effective, count of five $1 bills to ten. Even if you don’t do it that well, it sets you up nicely for the eye-popping visual change to five $100 bills at the end. The bills can be shown very cleanly and I’ve never had an issue with spectators clamoring to inspect the money … though they always ask me to do the same for them.

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An all time classic rope effect by Paul Young + Bob Carver c. 1957. It is basically the same as phase one of Quad Rope Lets by Hen Fetsch.

A detailed and interesting history of Professor’s Nightmare can be found here.

Performer shows three ropes. If you wish they may all be examined. One is short, the second is longer and the third is very long. Taking all the ends together the performer ‘stretches’ the ropes until they are all the same length and then displays them separately one at a time. Just as easily and magically the performer then causes all the ropes to return to their original unequal lengths.

Very easy to do, this is one of those rare Rope Tricks with nothing to ever replace.

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From a time when Paul Richards’ was the infamous Packet Trick King of Olde Buffalo Town c. 1997 this is one of Paul’s most successful sellers with over 25,000 units sold. And what a beauty it is.

What seems like a simple prediction turns into something more – much more. Three magical moments occur, each getting progressively more impossible. Cleverly constructed to lead the audience down the garden path; then hit them squarely between the eyes with a shovel! WHITE BIKES is a very easy effect to perform and always leaves the audience astonished. It uses no rough and smooth, no knuckle busting moves, no deck switch, and it can be a different selection each time you perform!

The enclosed instructional DVD also includes a fantastic “no count” bonus handling as well as additional ideas and insights to get the most out of this incredible routine.

Comes complete with Bicycle gaffed deck and detailed instructional DVD.

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Dr. Daley’s Last Trick c. 1954 (The Dai Vernon Book of Magic, pg 210) is a very popular effect which has spawned many variations. The effect itself also has much in common with Milbourne Christopher’s Red and Black Aces c. 1948 (Tarbell Course in Magic Vol. 5).

Many purists are going to stick with the non-gimmicked card version. But what I love about Jon Allen’s version is that it is easy to do and you clearly show the two kings in your hands even after you have supposedly placed the fives on the table. Then Bam! they switch places – hard to be that clean with normal cards. This is pretty much my goto item if I want to show just one trick to someone. Clean, easy and very visual!

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The Finest Quality Magic Wallet? Jerry O’Connell’s wonderful wallets go back at least as far as the 1980’s, and maybe even the 1970’s. Many of his wallets are still made today by Propdog in the UK. I will say that although the new line of Jerry O’Connell wallets are very well made, I do prefer the original ones that Jerry made himself. The leather seems better and they appear thinner overall.

If you have read my reviews over the years you’ll notice I have an affection towards magic wallets. What can I say I am just intrigued by all the styles. However, what has become clear to me is that there isn’t any one wallet that will do all things you need. I have given up saying “This is my new favorite wallet”, because invariably it changes with my next wallet. What I have decided is that if you like wallets there are a number of very fine wallets on the market that each do something unique. There are also many bad wallets on the market.

This may not be my favorite wallet, but it is certainly the one I use the most and, when it comes to craftsmanship and quality it is hard to beat the beautiful work of Jerry O’Connell. I use his No-Palm Wallet in conjunction with Doc Dixon’s incredible Carpe Cajones and just this year I also use it for Del Ray’s wonderful Computer Deck. Now for this effect, the O’Connell wallet is just perfect. No other wallet I own does the job better, and certainly no wallet is made better.

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I know that many British magicians and authors like to say that Wild Card was created by Peter Kane but this is simply not true.  It is true that when Wild Card was first released by Lou Tannen there was no mention of Peter Kane’s inspiration which ruffled a lot of feathers and that is pretty much what caused bad blood between the two ever since.  But Frank Garcia clearly states the source on the very first page of his book Wild Card Miracles (c. 1977):

WILD CARD was originally inspired by an idea called ‘Watch the Ace’ by Peter Kane and described for him by Gus Southall in Hugard’s Magic monthly (April 1962). The effect was called to my attention by Bill Simon.

I like the account as detailed on Magicpedia concerning Wild Card:

Bill Simon read the Kane effect and showed it to Lou Tannen one day at Tannen’s Magic Shop shortly after it appeared. Lou asked Frank Garcia to work out a handling of the effect so Tannen could place it on the market–and this is how “Wild Card” was born. The Garcia handling is very different from Peter Kane’s. Had Lou Tannen put “Based on Peter Kane’s ‘Watch the Ace'” on the instruction sheet, Garcia would have received the credit he deserved for his superior variation. Instead, the Garcia marketed handling carried no credit and Garcia was accused of stealing Peter Kane’s trick. In fact, Garcia used only Kane’s idea of doing the routine with double-faced cards.

Having read Peter Kane’s original Watch The Ace description in Hugard’s Magic Monthly I know for a fact that I would never have performed this effect.  But the way it is explained by Frank Garcia made it much more palatable for a hobbyist with my skill set.  In fact the version that I learned and still perform today was called One over the Eight and was in Harry Baron’s book Card Tricks for Beginners.  Harry’s version is very similar to Routine #2 (pg. 17) described in Wild Card Miracles, though attributed to Dave Lederman.

Either way I thank Peter Kane for inspiring Frank Garcia to create such a beautiful card effect which is probably my all time favorite packet trick.

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Jack Hughes, the legendary British Inventor, Craftsman, and Dealer who invented many staples in magic that we take for granted today (including: TV Card Frame (1936), Attaboy (early 1930s), Clatter Box (1963) and many more. He also invented this beauty (or an earlier version of it at least) Coins in Glass (before Copenetro)  even though when Bob Kline introduced his version of Coins in Glass called Copenetro (with the same method) almost 10 years later in 1947, he claimed he had invented it and that Jack Hughes was the pirate.  I think history speaks for itself here and there is little doubt in my mind that Jack Hughes was the originator of the Visible Coins to Glass effect that many people attribute to Bob Kline. You can read more here.

I used to perform this version of the effect all the time as a teenager and into my 20’s – it was always easy to set, reliable in operation, and a great crowd pleaser.

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Released in 2018, this is the first Limited Edition release from the amazing Kent Bergmann’s 3D Magic Works and what a beauty it is. Kent has barely been in business for two years, and already there is no other magic manufacturer that gets close to the Digital Printed marvels that he produces. Aimed squarely at the Magic Collector there are only 30 numbered sets of First Class and each set includes genuine USPS Limited Edition “Art of Magic” postage stamps to add to the exclusivity.

First Class is the most expensive effect Kent has produced to date, but when you look at the individual pieces it represents amazing value for what you receive. Many people believe with Digital Printing you just press a button and out pops the finished article. This could not be further from the truth and Kent details some of the process here. Digital Printing certainly makes it easier to reproduce the same pieces accurately and consistently, but it takes real attention to detail to produce such wonderful effects as these.

With First Class the spectator picks any of five beautiful “Art of Magic” stamps and places the chosen one into the Outgoing Mailbox. After emptying the five Incoming Mailboxes of their white envelopes, they are clearly empty and closed up. Then the stamp disappears from the Outgoing box and appears in the correct Incoming box, and just in case the spectators were wondering what appears in the other boxes they all now have uniquely colored envelopes themselves.

This first Limited Edition sold out within a couple of days, and based on the quality and value of this set keep an eye open on Kent’s site because I’m sure the next miracle will be snapped up even quicker next time!

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In 1936 legendary British Inventor, Craftsman, and Dealer, Jack Hughes, invented what became known as the Television or TV Card Frame (or sometimes Television Glass Frame) where a chosen card appears trapped between two plates of glass set in a houlette. I don’t think there is much doubt as to what version of this classic effect beats them all? Yes it is Bulletproof from the original owners of Collectors’ Workshop, Rich Bloch and Nick Ruggiero, c. 1992.

“I Heard He Did A Great Card Trick”
“I Couldn’t Tell – – I Was in the Eighth Row”
It’s amazing. Otherwise reasonable performers persist in doing card tricks on stage – with standard size cards! True, the first three or four rows are stunned into submission. The rest of the audience has to take it on faith. CW decided to respond, and in so doing, we created what we think will be regarded as the most exciting stage, platform or parlor effect of the decade.

Performer opens a jumbo deck of cards. Spectator freely selects a card and signs his name across the face. The card is immediately torn into pieces and deposited in a small, cloth bag. Performer then displays two pieces of clear lucite. Explaining that he is about to recreate the famous Chung Ling Soo Bullet Catch, the performer bands the two plates together with elastics. These, he announces, are the Bullet Shields. The two transparent plates are placed upright in a thin, unprepared, wood frame, and the frame is mounted on a thin, unprepared transparent lucite tray. All pieces may be examined (for those of you into silly stage waits). The tray is now placed on an unprepared table or, if you
wish, held by the spectator. Displaying a pistol, the performer explains that most bullets are designed to destroy. “This bullet, however, has been specially designed to restore. Let me show you what I mean.” Handing the gun* to a spectator, the performer holds the small bag in front of the plastic shield, advising the spectator to fire when ready. The spectator does so and, with a “Bang”, the following things happen:

The small bag drops open, and a bullet drops out onto the tray. Instantly, the signed jumbo card appears between the two lucite “shields”. The shields may then be removed and handed to the spectator who opens them, retrieves the card and verifies the signature.

It’s an inexplicable effect, well conceived and brilliantly executed by the craftspeople at Collector’s Workshop. And, you can see it all over the theater.

This is the one to beat!

This is by far the most convincing and effective of all the TV Card Frame effects. Uses jumbo cards, a beautiful wooden frame, that has no possible room to conceal a whole jumbo card, combined with an entertaining routine.

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In 1936 legendary British Inventor, Craftsman, and Dealer, Jack Hughes, invented what became known as the Television or TV Card Frame (or sometimes Television Glass Frame) where a chosen card appears trapped between two plates of glass set in a houlette.

This version from Owen’s was first released c. 1958 and it is one of the best examples of the Classic Card Frame designed by Jack Hughes. A vanished card or picture appears visibly and instantaneously between two glass plates mounted in a handsome, naturally finished wood frame of Owen’s original design. They also have a version for Jumbo cards. It looks beautiful, shoots the card up high and works perfectly every time.

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