Magic Age Cards
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Magic Age Cards
I’m guessing everyone here is familiar with the old Magic Age Cards.
I’m looking for examples of where this has been stretched in different directions.
eg Gardner says Royal V Heath extended it to “Think of a drink”; and I think Eddie Joseph’s Starology is something in this area.
Any other examples spring to mind?
Thanks!
I’m looking for examples of where this has been stretched in different directions.
eg Gardner says Royal V Heath extended it to “Think of a drink”; and I think Eddie Joseph’s Starology is something in this area.
Any other examples spring to mind?
Thanks!
Re: Magic Age Cards
El Mystico wrote:Any other examples spring to mind?
Max Maven's "Racer's Edge" in the Violet Book of Mentalism/PRISM
My own "The Test" from my old ebook Gravel.
Re: Magic Age Cards
I believe it was an Irv Weiner manuscript where I read that if you place the six cards in a semi-circle on a table and look away, asking helper to remove the cards with their number, when you turn back, with a glance, you can work out which cards are missing.
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Re: Magic Age Cards
The "Magi Cards" by Harry Hardin (Conjuror's Magazine Aug 1945) allows the selection of a one-syllable word, a two-syllable word, and a number.
The Magic Age cards take advantage of the fact that by adding any of six numbers, you can encode 1 of 64 numbers. "Magic Arithmetic" by Edmund Rowland (Wizard, Sept 1954) allows you to subtract or add. You use a different set of code numbers, and the range of numbers to be encoded can be extended.
Deland used the principle in "The Million Dollar Mystery," "Did The Devil Invent A Deck Of Cards?," and in his "Radio Mind Reading."
Charles Jordan in "Count The Cut" in Four Full Hands Of Card Tricks.
Stewart James in "Mentalscope" (Stewart James in Print: The First Fifty Years); "Double Time In Spiritland" and "Coloracle" in First Call to Cards; "Synchromagic," in the Pentagram, and in Case For Cards. James used the principle a number of times. Check the indices to the big black books.
The Magic Age cards take advantage of the fact that by adding any of six numbers, you can encode 1 of 64 numbers. "Magic Arithmetic" by Edmund Rowland (Wizard, Sept 1954) allows you to subtract or add. You use a different set of code numbers, and the range of numbers to be encoded can be extended.
Deland used the principle in "The Million Dollar Mystery," "Did The Devil Invent A Deck Of Cards?," and in his "Radio Mind Reading."
Charles Jordan in "Count The Cut" in Four Full Hands Of Card Tricks.
Stewart James in "Mentalscope" (Stewart James in Print: The First Fifty Years); "Double Time In Spiritland" and "Coloracle" in First Call to Cards; "Synchromagic," in the Pentagram, and in Case For Cards. James used the principle a number of times. Check the indices to the big black books.
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Re: Magic Age Cards
The magic age cards dates back to the 1700’s and was the first magic trick printed in the UNited States. The original version was a list of popular aphorisms it was called ‘the impenetrable secret’ and was printed on Ben Franklin’s printing press. Ricky Jay wrote an entire monograph on it.
Punx has a version called the Psycho Bell cards - which were included with one of the three hardback books chronicling his work.
I came up with one based on a psychological test which predicted the persons full birthday.
Dan Harlan’s missing think is a clever one as it uses the graphic design to essentially do the math for you.
And my favorite was the Version released by Klamm - to which I bought the rights - originally called the Pollack Calendar by Ken Allen. The scripting on that is super clever and justifies the numbers on the cards being what they are.
Punx has a version called the Psycho Bell cards - which were included with one of the three hardback books chronicling his work.
I came up with one based on a psychological test which predicted the persons full birthday.
Dan Harlan’s missing think is a clever one as it uses the graphic design to essentially do the math for you.
And my favorite was the Version released by Klamm - to which I bought the rights - originally called the Pollack Calendar by Ken Allen. The scripting on that is super clever and justifies the numbers on the cards being what they are.
Brad Henderson magician in Austin Texas
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Re: Magic Age Cards
A very sophisticated version will appear in the coming Max Maven Genii issue.
Re: Magic Age Cards
No idea what you mean, Bob.
Bob Stull (as in the watch) had a fascinating version that used triangular window cards, hence a lot of information. He had them printed up, but I’m not sure they were ever marketed. I have a set he gave me, but I’m not sure where they are at the moment.
Bob Stull (as in the watch) had a fascinating version that used triangular window cards, hence a lot of information. He had them printed up, but I’m not sure they were ever marketed. I have a set he gave me, but I’m not sure where they are at the moment.
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Re: Magic Age Cards
After seeing your bookshelves in the live lecture last week, I'm not surprised they may be misplaced. (One whole end of my basement is like that . . .)
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Re: Magic Age Cards
Max: I worded that badly--a trick based on Zen Poker in part is coming up in Genii.
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Re: Magic Age Cards
I don't have it, but Galasso's "A devotione del signore" seems to be based on the Magic Age Cards.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3S8XZHzlHaE
https://store.conjuringarts.org/product/a-devotione-del-signore-horatio-galasso/
Martin Gardner discusses a couple of versions in Chapter 6 of "Mathematics, Magic and Mystery", including ones with window cards.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3S8XZHzlHaE
https://store.conjuringarts.org/product/a-devotione-del-signore-horatio-galasso/
Martin Gardner discusses a couple of versions in Chapter 6 of "Mathematics, Magic and Mystery", including ones with window cards.
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Re: Magic Age Cards
I went down a rabbit hole once and uncovered some uses for this principle that combine them with Hamming codes.
https://web.northeastern.edu/seigen/11M ... 20Code.pdf
http://www.ms.uky.edu/~jrge/Papers/Hamming.pdf
https://mthsc.clemson.edu/misc/MAM_2014 ... mateer.pdf
https://web.northeastern.edu/seigen/11M ... 20Code.pdf
http://www.ms.uky.edu/~jrge/Papers/Hamming.pdf
https://mthsc.clemson.edu/misc/MAM_2014 ... mateer.pdf
Re: Magic Age Cards
A mysterious friend reminded me that the triangular trick I mentioned above was not from Bob Stull. Rather, it was from Bob Page, a very clever fellow from Southern California. The trick was called "Weighing Your Thought," and copyrighted in 1966. I still don't know if it was ever marketed per se.
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Re: Magic Age Cards
Phill Smith makes good use of the Magic Age Cards principle in this trick:
https://www.penguinmagic.com/p/6252
Andy over at The Jerx has some good ideas for Phill's trick as well.
http://www.thejerx.com/blog/2016/5/10/my-two-cents-voodoo-card-and-stegosaurus
https://www.penguinmagic.com/p/6252
Andy over at The Jerx has some good ideas for Phill's trick as well.
http://www.thejerx.com/blog/2016/5/10/my-two-cents-voodoo-card-and-stegosaurus
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Re: Magic Age Cards
I like the idea of getting the cues from the cards they don't use.
Re: Magic Age Cards
Bob Farmer wrote:I like the idea of getting the cues from the cards they don't use.
I believe Max was the first to code the discards. In "Racer's Edge" (Violet Book of Mentalism/PRISM).
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Re: Magic Age Cards
I just read Max's effect: that is so good and so much better than the video above. Thank you Tom for the reference.
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Re: Magic Age Cards
The Max Maven routine is great. Thanks for the heads up!
Re: Magic Age Cards
Tom Stone wrote:Bob Farmer wrote:I like the idea of getting the cues from the cards they don't use.
I believe Max was the first to code the discards. In "Racer's Edge" (Violet Book of Mentalism/PRISM).
Thank you for noticing, Tom.
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Re: Magic Age Cards
Paul Swinford's "Color Coded Control Cards" are a (weird) related thing. Swinford also has the spectator pocket the cards which contain his number/card.., thus coding through the discards left on the table as well. However, he was unfortunately not able to come up with any good tricks using them, although he certainly tried: https://www.conjuringarchive.com/list/s ... yword=cccc