I'm glad people are having fun with these contests. Here's a chance to be creative and win a prize.
Answer the following question:

How many magicians does it take to change a light bulb?

You may substitute "cardician" or "coin mechanic", or something similar instead of "magician" if you which to be more precise or more insulting."

Rules: You must abide by Café rules regarding language etc. 1 entry per post and a maximum of 5 posts allowed.

What do win? The best answer will win an autographed copy of my book 21st Century Coin Mechanics with The Companion Video CD, and some authentic old Chinese Coins, dollar size or larger. You will also win a light bulb autographed by Thomas Edison which you must pick up in person (you will have choice of color ink)

The best answer will be chosen by my wife Esther who you may know did the photography for my book.

Best of luck to everyone,

Larry

How many magicians does it take to screw in a light bulb?

100. 1 to change the bulb and 99 to say "that's not the way Vernon would have done it."

Vandy

In Discoverie Of Witchcraft, there is a reference to changing a bright orb of light using one magician and his assistant, plus two convicted witches that weren't as yet hung or drowned. However, the earliest published reference was a letter from Thomas Edison, himself an amateur magician, of changing the COLOR of a lightbulb from clear to red, in an effort to improve his marital relations. It likely did not work, as in the Smithsonian there is a glass case with pieces of one such red lightbulb, and divorce papers.
In the 1942 book, Handle With Gloves, Jack Chanin describes how during a performance in the New Victory Theatre, the main light blew, and he and his two assistants had to climb up to the rafters and change the bulb, or the audience would have left and asked for their money back. Yes, they all wore gloves. In the Amateur Magicians Handbook, there is a description of using the Balducci Levitation to change a bulb without the aid of a ladder or any help.
The only other reference that I found was in March of 2003, on the Magic Café, KNOWITALL asked the same question. There was no real answer. People began posting about the motivation for changing the lightbulb, a good plot to be used in the presentation of changing the lightbulb, the intention to change the light bulb, how Mickey Silver would change the light bulb, and the use of nomenclature - fingertip technique, visual bulb change, open palm vs closed palm change, and how would the changing of the bulb be affected by using a s***l over the bulb. Finally, there was a big fight between cetain manufacturers about the porper way uhhh, PROPER way to lassen the bulb, uhh, LOOSEN the bulb, screw the bulb wayne in uhh, WAY in,using trivits or magnets, and who was ripping off the technique. Darn, gotta go, my light just went out.

10, 1 to put the lightbulb in and 9 to think it was their idea first

5 - One to make to burned out lighbulb disappear. One to make a new lightbulb appear. One to make the new lightbulb light up before it is plugged in. One to levitate the lit up bulb to the socket and one to magically screw the lightbulb into the socket.

Craig

Two. One to unscrew it and one to pour out the milk.

One to change the lightbulb, and 23,043 to discuss how they think he did it, and where they can buy the effect.

Then it takes two more to complain that it's not worth the money to find out how to change a lightbulb because it's easy enough to figure out on your own.

Then one more to explain to the other two magicians that they are stealing.

I thought magicians had assistants?

It does not matter as long as they are one ahead.

How many coin magicians does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

Three…one to screw it in. Two to argue like little kids over who makes a better lightbulb…Lassen or schoolcraft!

How many magicians does it take to change a light bulb?

1 magician and 10 other people to wipe
the geek off of it.

How many magicians does it take to change a light bulb?

Just one, but he would constanly be saying "Let me show you this just one more time".

Three. One to grab the bulb and two dancing magical assiatants to turn the ladder.
:bigdance:

Sorry about the spelling for assistant.

Entry #2:
Two. One to unscrew the bulb and the other to catch the coins falling out of his sleeves, toppits, and DMC position.

Five. One standing on the table holding the bulb, and four turning the table.

Phedon

How many magicians does it take to change a light bulb?

It depends on if the light bulb is gaffed, what you want the light bulb to change into, and whether or not you want to end clean.

How Many Stage Magicians does it take to screw in a light bulb.

100!
1 to stand in front of the audience and add a lot of misdirection while the other 99 jack up the building and place it on a very expensive platform that can rotate on 360% rotations without the audience knowing.

:-P

Joe Rindfleisch

How many Gospel Magicians does it take to change a lightbulb?

100... one to change the bulb, and 99 to sing, "I saw D'lite, I saw D'lite."

RevJohn

We will never know. Magicians don't leave thumbprints.

KeithP

How many magicians does it take to change a light bulb?

You are all obviously wrong. LOL There are two possible scenarios that could happen.

The first one is: The magician would realize that someone just turned the switch to OFF, and he could use this to his advantage and wave a silk in front and have the stage crew flip on the switch, thus "magically" changing the bulb. The spectator won't know the method, it's the act of changing the bulb that matters; the entertainment value.

The second one is: In order to change a light bulb, you need to unscrew the bulb, place it in a change bag (this is how you really "change" them anyways), make a magical gesture, then pull out a new bulb, then screw in the bulb, and turn it on.

TomK