magician business card

[Bill Mullins]

Many of us are aware of Kevin Mitnick's business card, with its built-in set of lock picks. I've often though about trying to come up with something similar for magicians.

But I'm not sure what to put in it instead of lock picks. Possibly:
- a simple paddle, with a picture etched on one side and not on the other
- the hook you use to balance a leather belt

What else might work?
It has to be flat and small, and useful for some sort of magic trick (with a generous definition of "magic trick" -- think Gardner's Encyclopedia).

[MickNZ]

Cyanide tablet, for when the magician keeps showing you card tricks.

[Bob Farmer]

Mark Setteducati has the best magician's business card I've ever seen. It is a card that folds in half. When folded it is the same size as a regular business card. When unfolded, his business details are printed in mirror reverse on one side. There is a mylar mirror on the other side which reflects the business details right way round so they can be read easily. Brilliant.

[Bill Mullins]

Lior Manor (and a couple of other magicians I have seen) have the design used by Tenyo's "Moon Spinner" on their card, so they can do the trick, produce a nickel, and hand out their card (the design of the illusion goes back way before Tenyo).

[PressureFan]

Maybe a thaumatrope with a rabbit and a hat. Instead of thread, there could be pegs on the sides so you could hold it between your fingers and flick it to spin it.

[Richard Kaufman]

Theodore DeLand was the first to put the "Moonspinner" design on a business card. He added two little lines that turned the disc which appears into a baseball!

[liormanor]

Lior Manor (and a couple of other magicians I have seen) have the design used by Tenyo's "Moon Spinner" on their card, so they can do the trick, produce a nickel, and hand out their card (the design of the illusion goes back way before Tenyo).

I started doing it on 1988 and never used the coin.
I just show the optical illusion and tell the client that he needs
to spin my card before calling me, otherwise the call won't go through...
It get some laughs and they keep the card in their wallet for a long time.

Lior

[jplibby]

You could also have a pattern of lines and instructions on the reverse of the card so the person can cut the card and turn it into a hypercard. Design the front of the card so that your contact info is on the part that sticks up so they can't help but see it.

[Brad Jeffers]

Here's an interesting vintage business card of James Hagy's ...



The wand is an actual tiny wooden wand that is glued to the card.

[Bill Mullins]

Many of us are aware of Kevin Mitnick's business card, with its built-in set of lock picks.

Received in today's mail. They are (or were, as of two weeks ago) still available.

[MagicbyAlfred]

Many of us are aware of Kevin Mitnick's business card, with its built-in set of lock picks.

Received in today's mail. They are (or were, as of two weeks ago) still available.

That's an amazing card, and so perfectly appropriate for a security consultant. (Maybe even more so for a burglar, but they don't tend to give out cards. Probably the only kind they would be interested in is a real life get-out-jail-free card).

I like to give out my card at the end of a set or show by producing it from a fire wallet, followed by a quick Tenkai vanish and reproduction before handing it to them.

[jplibby]

Here's a possibly crazy idea.

Write a short book of simple magic tricks as a minibook. Have your business card attached to the cover so it can be torn off if needed.
Here's a site that will format and print those for you:
https://www.minibuk.com/

[jplibby]

That's an amazing card, and so perfectly appropriate for a security consultant. (Maybe even more so for a burglar, but they don't tend to give out cards. Probably the only kind they would be interested in is a real life get-out-jail-free card).

I like to give out my card at the end of a set or show by producing it from a fire wallet, followed by a quick Tenkai vanish and reproduction before handing it to them.

I think a few years ago, there was a business card fire wallet. When you pulled the business card out of the wallet, it would be on fire for just a couple of seconds before the flame went out. Then you could hand it to the prospect.

Another idea would be to have the card designed with all the edges supposedly scorched. Light up the wallet, extinguish the flame, then pull out the scorched business card!

[Zig Zagger]

I like the hypercard idea mentioned above very much!

Further thoughts:

1. Attach a folded bill (like a dollar or a "cheap" foreign bill) and two paper clips to your business card (which should be slightly larger than average) and perform the linking paper clips with itl.

2. Even better, use your very own stage money also as a business card and perform the linking paper clips or any bill penetration / restoration /change with it before handing it out.

3. Also, you could use various optical illusions on your card, like the well-known "blind spot" illusion (a dot disappears as you bring the card close to your face). Or even better, have a rabbit on the left side of your card magically move into the hat on the right side as you bring the card closer to your nose (see the design of one of the magic postage stamps the Royal Mail and Magic Circle put out in 2005: https://www.stampworld.com/stamps/Great ... mps/g2271/).