The Genii Forum

In the last chapter of Harry Lorayne's "The Magic Book" from 1977 is a small trick called something like "From 1 to 10".

I've seen it in other sources as well, with other titles, using spongeballs etc.

Can anyone advice on how to properly credit this item?

If it's the thing where you have two items and you count from 1 to 10 and they both end up in one hand, it comes from Martin Gardner.

Wonderful! Any idea on the source and publishing year?

In "Roy Benson by Starlight", it's described within his Benson Bowl Routine as the "Chinese Count". It's also noted that both Dai Vernon and Johnny Thompson preferred a version with an eight count.

Also from "Roy Benson by Starlight":

"This is an old effect that Benson always referred to as the Chinese Count, though many magicians know it as a match transposition that Dai Vernon called the Chinese Matches. According to a description of the effect in the September 1958 issue of The Gen, Vernon said it was a trick he first saw performed by a Chinese magician."

In Martin Gardner Presents (1993), the references are:

Leslie Hunt's Move (with matches) in Match-ic (1935) by Martin Gardner

Passe Passe Sponge by Martin Gardner (1940), marketed trick sold by Ireland Magic Co.