Which Coins

Discuss your favorite close-up tricks and methods.
Guest

Which Coins

Postby Guest » July 10th, 2006, 9:09 am

I am just beginning to do coin magic and am wondering what the benefits and downfalls are to each coin. I am a 6'4" with pretty big hands and the half dollars do not seem to fit right for the palming moves. Any suggestions would be great.

Guest

Re: Which Coins

Postby Guest » July 10th, 2006, 9:20 am

Originally posted by CPReinhard:
I am just beginning to do coin magic and am wondering what the benefits and downfalls are to each coin. I am a 6'4" with pretty big hands and the half dollars do not seem to fit right for the palming moves. Any suggestions would be great.
The methods (palming etc) are entirely secondary to the context of your performance and the material chosen for your audience.

Some people do magic with "coins". Some do magic with "money".

Between your material (visibility and venue-appropriateness) and your performing character ( why would a normal person from 2006 carry silver dollars from 1906 loose in their pockets as if they were money? ) there are LOTS of choices to make.

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Pete Biro
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Re: Which Coins

Postby Pete Biro » July 10th, 2006, 9:39 am

Someone who wants the spectators to see the coins and a performer that would like to do things like Slydini's work would carry large (Silver dollar) sized coins.

It's all showbiz, and you should use what fits the occassion.

If you do impromptu borrowed coin stuff then maybe you need to do tricks with nickels, dimes and quarters, or even pennies.

Whatever works.
Stay tooned.

Guest

Re: Which Coins

Postby Guest » July 10th, 2006, 11:32 am

When you are just learning coin sleights, use a large coin that is comfortable for you to work with. After you master the move, try "downsizing" to smaller coins. You will find that you can do MOST of the moves with dime-sized coins, but only after you have practiced and learned the moves with whatever makes you comfortable.

Guest

Re: Which Coins

Postby Guest » July 10th, 2006, 11:58 am

Originally posted by Spellbinder:
When you are just learning coin sleights, use a large coin that is comfortable for you to work with. After you master the move, try "downsizing" to smaller coins. You will find that you can do MOST of the moves with dime-sized coins, but only after you have practiced and learned the moves with whatever makes you comfortable.
But spellbinder, the audience is not there to see him do moves, they want MAGICAL entertainment.

Guest

Re: Which Coins

Postby Guest » July 11th, 2006, 1:59 pm

Thanks for all the great advice, I will keep practicing. I have also heard of something called soft coins, what is a soft coin. It seems that you can make a coin into a soft coin, how is that done.

Thanks
Chris Reinhard

Guest

Re: Which Coins

Postby Guest » July 11th, 2006, 2:09 pm

Originally posted by CPReinhard:
...I have also heard of something called soft coins, what is a soft coin. It seems that you can make a coin into a soft coin, how is that done.
Better to read of such things. Try Galloway's book The Ramsay Legend on that stuff. Soft is kinesthetic for "well worn". Not so sure one can machine is the oils etc that seem to help with such coins.

Guest

Re: Which Coins

Postby Guest » July 11th, 2006, 2:20 pm

Chris;
Here is one way to soften a coin:
http://www.jamesriser.com/Magic/Softening/Coins.html
Jim

Guest

Re: Which Coins

Postby Guest » July 11th, 2006, 2:44 pm

Originally posted by Jonathan Townsend:
But spellbinder, the audience is not there to see him do moves, they want MAGICAL entertainment.
As he stated in the first post, CPReinhart is just beginning to do coin magic, Jonathan. Remember when you were just beginning? First you practice the moves. When you get to the point where the moves can't be seen, the magic begins to happen in the minds of the audience. As for entertainment, if they see what he is doing as magical, entertainment follows. Give him time to learn his craft.

Good Luck, CP!

Guest

Re: Which Coins

Postby Guest » July 11th, 2006, 3:09 pm

Originally posted by Spellbinder:
First you practice the moves.
I suspect working on moves first might make sense to become a technician, though perhaps not for a performer.

To me it seems more useful to get as much of the audience frame work in mind before getting involved with stuff they SHOULD never know is going on. My perspective anyway: Character, motivation, script, props, blocking (staging) and then under the stage... the mechanics.

In this case, what are the coins to the character of the performer and what about the activities with the coins are of interest to the audience? From that perspective ones choice of props etc is a simpler matter as the rest of the context is established.

Spellbinder asked if I remember starting off... yes. A year or so of theater group at the boys club before even thinking about magic.

Guest

Re: Which Coins

Postby Guest » July 24th, 2006, 10:52 am

Originally posted by CPReinhard:
It seems that you can make a coin into a soft coin, how is that done.
For those of us without a well-equipped workshop, here's a method that I've used.

Lay the coin on a sheet of paper (to avoid spillage of varnish). Pour clear nail varnish onto the coin, quite liberally, brush it over the entire area. Leave it for a long long time to set. Repeat as necessary. Then do the other face of the coin.

I used this method very succesfully with some English Crowns. (They're the same size as US Dollars, but a bit thicker. And not being silver, they don't simply wear with age.)

Dave


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