The Genii Forum

While wandering around Mall-Wart, I came across some very nicely made magic tricks by Hanky Panky Toys. I bought most of them, because the packaging looks cool. One of the items was the "Magic Mirror Glass," an excellent version.

So here's the idea: place a duplicate of a force card behind the mirror. Show the empty glass. Table it. Force the card and place it back into the deck next to a sticky card (so you have an instant double card).

Hand the deck to the spectator and tell him to throw it up in the air. You apparently catch the card in the glass.

Thanks
:)
That's a lot more effective than the approach where you fill the glass with water, cover with a plate and all with a hank - to have a card appear underwater.

Another great idea from the devious mind of Farmer. Thanks, Bob!

Here's a way to make the glass look really empty, even close-up. Remove the mirror from the glass. Cut a circular piece of mirror Mylar and glue it on the bottom of the glass on the inside. Put the mirror back in and place the glass on the table, mouth down.

This really looks good because the surface can be seen through the lip of the glass and then the mirror reflects that surface. The Mylar obscures the bottom and the inside of the glass cannot be seen (this is better than doing something stark like coloring the bottom black). If you drape something over the glass, but let the front show through, it's angle-proof.

I was also thinking about having the glass mouth down on the table and then cover it with an aluminum cocktail shaker (mouth down). Now all angles are covered. You remove the cocktail shaker and hold the glass in your hand to cover the bad angles. Then replace it and cover it.

Place the deck on top of the cocktail shaker, snap your fingers, then deal through the deck -- card is gone. Remove shaker, reveal card.

Jon tells me Tannen's sold something like this, a card appearing in a glass covered with a plate or a silk ("Submerged").

Another thought: a signed card appears in the glass. Duplicate card in glass. Force duplicate in deck and have back signed. Shuffle deck, controlling it to bottom. Palm off.

Reveal card in glass and as it is removed turn glass so palmed card takes over from card in glass.

A playing card appearing in a mirror glass is not a new idea. Using the mirror glass to apparently catch the card from a sprung deck is something I have not heard before.

In the signed card version: you remove the cover, revealing a cardback outin the glass. Could you load the signed card on the other side of the mirror as you pick up the glass?

That way you could lift up the glass, dramatically turn it around, revealing the selection, which you then remove from the glass, which looks empty.

Small point, I guess, but the selection would be revealed before you touch it.

I vaguely remember a trick by Art Emerson that had a duplicate card concealed in a patterned handkerchief. You covered the glass with the handkerchief, loading the card from the pocket.

Chad Long has a great substitute for a card sword, in which a toy dart gun shoots the card.

And totally off-topic, but since Bob brought up Walmart:
People of Walmart
My wife worked at Walmart for a while when she was in college, and she confirms that this is pretty accurate. (and if you think it was as funny as I did, the same singer - a student at Belmont in Nashville - has "People of Walmart 2" on youtube as well).

Another idea: you don't need a mirror glass. Cut two pieces of Mylar slightly larger than a playing card and glue them on to a thin piece of card board. This goes around the inside of the glass, not in the middle, but pushed against one side so the cardboard curves and is right up tight against the side. Put the dupe card behind this.

Have a an 18" square of black silk bunched on the table. Lay yhe glass on its side, mouth towards you, mirror side down. This looks perfectly like an empty glass.

After the dupe is forced, pick up the glass and silk, hiding the mirror side against your palm. Hand the silk to two spectators and have them hold it out by the corners, like a trampoline, and drop the deck in the middle of it. Have them toss the deck up in the hair, etc.

Another idea: a cone of plastic that fits the inside of the glass with the Mylar on one side. This can be stolen out if necessary.

I have that Emerson trick somewhere. I think there was a secret pocket in the hank.

Some quick thoughts about card stabbing:

1 Milbourne Christopher published "Super Stab" in the October 1948 issue of Hugards Magic Monthly.

The effect briefly is a selected card is shuffled back into the deck, the deck put into its case and the case tossed into a paper bag which the performer holds in his left hand. The right hand holds a large knife which is pushed through the bag and pulled upward and has the selected card impaled. A toss is made with the left hand and the deck flies out and is caught against the bag and all can be examined.

If anyone is interested and can't get this issue let me know.

2 As many of you know. I am interested in "Perverse Magic" and I've often thought of doing the card stab effect by having a card selected, shuffled back into the pack and then explaining to the audience that you are going to toss the deck into the air and stab it with the sword and you will get the selected card.

You do what you said you would but when you stab 51 cards are on the sword and the selected card falls to the floor. "Damn!" you say in disgust.

Can this be done?

Not with a mirror glass.

"Damn" I said. Deck switch with 51 pre-stabbed cards. Giobbi did 8 deck switches in one routine at the Genii 75th. Inspired me!

Jon tells me Tannen's sold something like this, a card appearing in a glass covered with a plate or a silk ("Submerged").
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"Submerged" was a Joe Karson trick for Tannen's.