The Genii Forum

For years I have made my Penny Punches for close friends. Due to requests, I am making them available to others for a short time. Please see: http://jamesriser.com/Magic/CoinPunch/R ... nches.html

Riser Coin Punch ... $5 each postpaid (until April 30, 2017) payable by PayPal to jriser@jamesriser.com

James P. Riser
5635 East Fairmount St.
Tucson, AZ 85712-4221
(Five two zero) eight eight 5-three 66 seven

Jeepers, what a bargain!

Richard Kaufman wrote:Jeepers, what a bargain!

Yep, way too cheap. I am doing a marketing experiment to determine if it is possible to give magic away. The $5 covers the materials (coins, envelopes, tape, postage) coin modification time, internet time, wrapping/addressing the coin punches time, time/gas to post office. There is no real profit on this week and a half experiment in marketing and human behavior.

Profit, if any, will come if I win on a wager concerning the final results of the experiment in typical "magician's behavior". Marketing is a hoot!
Jim

Yeah, it's not easy to modify a penny.

It's a wonder that the company that sells pennies modified to this extent, can do so for just 50 cents apiece!

But then again, they have found a way to pass the costs of raw materials and labor on to the consumer, as each customer must supply their own penny, and turn the crank themselves.

That's hardly a fair comparison. Pennybiz machines make product in the tens (hundreds?) of thousands, Jim will sell dozens.

Plus, the average penny smasher has no quality control. Coins come out off-center, have the thickness dialed in wrong, and have the dies misaligned. Jim won't release a bad coin.

A 1976 Pinto and a new Lexus will both get you to the grocery store, but there isn't really a comparison.

Since so many people collect squashed pennies at the Disney parks, Disney tends to keep its machines in good condition. Their quality is fairly consistent. Emma used to collect them when she was wee.

Brad;
The impressed penny you show is a token - a souvenir. The Penny Punch is a tool for real performers. The Penny Punch can help a person earn a living. A token sits in a drawer. Imaginative folks will comprehend the differences. BTW - the Penny Punch is not rolled onto the coin. The real question is how many magicians are willing to invest $5 in a tool which can make their work easier? This seemingly expensive (to some) item is not for everyone. This is how it should be. Of course, the pdfs that come with it are mere electrons and of little value to collectors of tokens.
Jim

Money where mouth is = I bought one!

Jim Riser wrote: The Penny Punch is a tool for real performers.

As a tool, is there a practical advantage that a punch made from a penny has over a more traditional card punch?

Hidden in plain sight.

I bought three. So far, I'm winning

Not sure what side of the bet you are on, but I bought one! Can't beat the price!

I'm in for a pair.

--Brett

The first two rounds of the Penny Punches are currently arriving at their destinations. Feedback on them has all been positive to date. Please feel free to let me know how this card punch works for you and if you have come up with any novel uses. Remember - This should be quite handy for mentalist effects.

If you have not yet received yours, please be patient - things are getting made and mailed as fast as possible. All but the last minute orders (by April 29 midnight Tucson time) will be shipped out before the weekend. Thanks for participating in this experiment.
Jim

Got the two I'd ordered today and am glad I did order two. Not just for the great price and the expectation that I'll lose one, but they nest nicely, so by putting one on top of the card and the other beneath, you can get a nice card bump by squeezing the two pennies together with the card sandwiched between.

Richard Hatch wrote:Got the two I'd ordered today and am glad I did order two. Not just for the great price and the expectation that I'll lose one, but they nest nicely, so by putting one on top of the card and the other beneath, you can get a nice card bump by squeezing the two pennies together with the card sandwiched between.

Richrd;
If you want a real defined blister, you can place a nylon washer over the area of the punch. Try several sizes of I.D. on washers to get the blister you want. For most jobs I prefer the softer edged blister (thumb pressure only). It is less visible but still easy to feel.
Jim

Mr. Riser, after reading your last post here I am thinking that I have misperceived the purpose of the penny punch. I was under the impression that the device was to be used "on the fly" so to speak, or in other words used in performance to surreptitiously mark a card, possibly from a borrowed deck. This would be possible due to its small size.

Is it intended more as a tool for prepping a deck prior to performance?

Bill Marquardt wrote:Mr. Riser, after reading your last post here I am thinking that I have misperceived the purpose of the penny punch. I was under the impression that the device was to be used "on the fly" so to speak, or in other words used in performance to surreptitiously mark a card, possibly from a borrowed deck. This would be possible due to its small size.

Is it intended more as a tool for prepping a deck prior to performance?

Bill;
Yes, the Penny Punch was designed to be used "on the fly" but can also be used to mark card, envelopes, etc. beforehand. It is really up to the performer how it is used.
Jim

Two ordered---the envelope marking applications and the portability sold me--plus, I want to support this worthy experiment.

Mr. Riser: I've been looking for a way to mark the sides of a leather Himber wallet so they can be told apart by feel. Can these punches do that?

erdnasephile wrote:Two ordered---the envelope marking applications and the portability sold me--plus, I want to support this worthy experiment.

Mr. Riser: I've been looking for a way to mark the sides of a leather Himber wallet so they can be told apart by feel. Can these punches do that?

If you slip the Penny Punch down into an internal pocket so that there is one layer of leather and slightly moisten the spot on the outside, it should imprint a blister. Let it dry to setup. You may need to do the washer bit (described above) and weight it down to give the leather time to mold itself.
Jim

Thanks! Just so I understand, the nylon washer goes on one side of the leather, and the punch goes on the other side, correct? (Sounds like I might need to find a thick washer)

For leather you will achieve much better results with a tool called "dimple pliers". These are typically used for jewelry work, but also used with leather work.

I just sent $10 for 2

Gazzo showed some work on a smaller but similar punch when he lectured for us at the Buffalo Get-Together a few years ago.

lybrary wrote:For leather you will achieve much better results with a tool called "dimple pliers". These are typically used for jewelry work, but also used with leather work.

Dimple pliers will not reach down into the tight corner of a wallet pocket of a good Himber wallet. If you want to rip the seams of the wallet, dimple it, and then resew, you could try the dimple pliers. It would be difficult to resew and match the look of the original leather seams. I would not use them for this task.

erdnasephile wrote:Thanks! Just so I understand, the nylon washer goes on one side of the leather, and the punch goes on the other side, correct? (Sounds like I might need to find a thick washer)

Yes. Hardware stores like ACE have a variety of nylon washers that would work. You could easily do a "reverse blister" (a small depression) in the leather too.

BTW - this (any blister form) is not how I would mark a Himber wallet for touch.

Jim Riser wrote:

erdnasephile wrote:Thanks! Just so I understand, the nylon washer goes on one side of the leather, and the punch goes on the other side, correct? (Sounds like I might need to find a thick washer)

Yes. Hardware stores like ACE have a variety of nylon washers that would work. You could easily do a "reverse blister" (a small depression) in the leather too.

BTW - this (any blister form) is not how I would mark a Himber wallet for touch.

Perhaps embossing the leather would be the way to go?

erdnasephile wrote:

Jim Riser wrote:

erdnasephile wrote:Thanks! Just so I understand, the nylon washer goes on one side of the leather, and the punch goes on the other side, correct? (Sounds like I might need to find a thick washer)

Yes. Hardware stores like ACE have a variety of nylon washers that would work. You could easily do a "reverse blister" (a small depression) in the leather too.

BTW - this (any blister form) is not how I would mark a Himber wallet for touch.

Perhaps embossing the leather would be the way to go?

If I wanted to mark the wallet for touch, I would just use a dot of black silicone in a corner.

This Penny Punch marketing experiment has now concluded. No more requests will be accepted. Thank you for your participation.

So what did you learn?
What did your experiment in "typical magician's behavior" prove?
Did you win your wager?

Brad Jeffers wrote:So what did you learn?
What did your experiment in "typical magician's behavior" prove?
Did you win your wager?

Results are for internal use only. Yes, I easily won my wager.

Jim Riser wrote:

erdnasephile wrote:

Jim Riser wrote:
Yes. Hardware stores like ACE have a variety of nylon washers that would work. You could easily do a "reverse blister" (a small depression) in the leather too.

BTW - this (any blister form) is not how I would mark a Himber wallet for touch.

Perhaps embossing the leather would be the way to go?

If I wanted to mark the wallet for touch, I would just use a dot of black silicone in a corner.

Thanks!

Jim Riser wrote:Results are for internal use only. Yes, I easily won my wager.

Look who's laughing now ...

I seem to recall that there was at one time a thumb tip available that performed the same function. I have not seen anything like that in a while. I could be wrong. Getting old, you know. TT's were made from metal when I was younger.

Got my penny! Nice nice nice. Thanks, Jim.

Okay, I was sort of right. There is a trick on Page 7 of 50 Tricks with a Thumb Tip by Melbourne Christopher titled "Living or Dead" and a following trick titled "Cards Controlled." The magician is told to prepare a thumb tip by tapping the inside with a nail.

Update: All of the penny punches have now been mailed. Those who beat the deadline, enjoy your new tool against the unsuspecting spectators. Thanks for your participation and feedback during this experiment.
Jim

I love the penny punch. You must have sold a lot of them. Mine is #2001.

Mine has #1981 !!!
Should be a lot of fun!

Richard Tremblay wrote:Mine has #1981 !!!
Should be a lot of fun!

May I ask: where did you see the numbers? I see "James P. Riser" stamped on mine, but no number?

erdnasephile wrote:May I ask: where did you see the numbers? I see "James P. Riser" stamped on mine, but no number?

Hint:

Doh!!!