Reference help with originator of "Coin through sugar packet"

A place where beginners can participate, ask questions, and post their views. However, beginners typically ask a lot of questions about sources, tricks, books, and so on. In fact, all magicians are interested (or should be) in the provenance of tricks, ideas, and related matters. This department will service these needs.
rossco
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Reference help with originator of "Coin through sugar packet"

Postby rossco » October 2nd, 2008, 9:47 pm

Hi, I am trying to determine whether or not this trick - "coin through sugar packet" is considered "public domain". This trick is available from many sources, but I cannot find out who the inventor of the trick is or when it was first being performed.

I am a moderator on a magic site and have been tasked with determining if this trick is in fact "public domain" as it is a trick which is accessible to members (provided they have the proper access. If the trick is NOT considered public domain then I can have it removed from the site. (For those who are interested, the site is: Magichat

I thank you for your time and effort in help me with this research.
Rossco

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Reference help with originator of "Coin through sugar packet"

Postby Richard Kaufman » October 2nd, 2008, 9:58 pm

What is "coin through sugar packet?" I have heard of coin from sugar packet ... can you be more specific?
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rossco
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Re: Reference help with originator of "Coin through sugar packet"

Postby rossco » October 2nd, 2008, 11:10 pm

Sorry, my mistake it should have been as you say "coin from sugar packet"

my appologies.
thanks rossco

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Reference help with originator of "Coin through sugar packet"

Postby Richard Kaufman » October 3rd, 2008, 12:31 am

This is an old idea. I would guess it dates not long after the first sugar packets were introduced. Should be easy enough to find that out by googling.
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AnthonyBrahams
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Re: Reference help with originator of "Coin through sugar packet"

Postby AnthonyBrahams » October 3rd, 2008, 8:37 am

Sol Stone in his lecture notes and Apocalypse.
Scotty York, in DVD set, 1Professional Tricky Bartender.
Slydini?
Anthony

Jonathan Townsend
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Re: Reference help with originator of "Coin through sugar packet"

Postby Jonathan Townsend » October 3rd, 2008, 9:27 am

Agreed - getting a dime (marked or not) into a packet was a pet trick of several notables - even inspiring others to explore things like pulling a frenchfrie out of a ketchup packet (Joe Monti) or signed bills etc.

This dates back in our literature at least as far back as Hofzinser's Insoluble Impromptu where a borrowed ring is later found inside a playing card. There's also the bit where a signed card winds up between two index cards which have been stapled all the way around the edges. Same for the cover of a matchbook more recently.

Hardly ideas or methods which have been let loose into the public domain IMHO.

Then again if a book can be found or purchased by a non-magician perhaps it is time to call all such and sundry "public domain" and reconsider the nature of our market.

Kindly note I'm using a "magician's perspective" on the term public domain, avoiding any mention or misuse of the term copyright as such does not exist in the real world relating to trick themes and methodologies.
Last edited by Jonathan Townsend on October 3rd, 2008, 9:28 am, edited 0 times in total.
Reason: if a layman can find it ... perhaps it's no longer a secret at all?


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