NO!!! That's not ridiculous At all! That's What I have been saying for the last 45 years! The old masters used to say "The Only one who can Really get Away with The Judicious use of a Gimmick is Someone who does not Need One" So Yea Learn your S.O.H. 1 ST. Then when you handle a Gaff If will fell free and easy! And you won't be saying to yourself! " OMG I got this thing On the Table! I hope no one see's it" And Then when you Combine S.O.H. Wit a gaff You will get the best of Both Worlds! They will say It can't be A gaff because he did this! And It Can't be S.O.H. Because He did this! SOOOO It MUST be MAGIC!!! Ok that's my 2 Cent's!

J-Mac,

Nothing condescending here. As magicians, all of our moves are secret (or are supposed to be), and if performed properly, we get satisfaction, don't we? Sometimes more than others. When we have a spectator handle a gaff and they are completely unaware of the fact, is that not (secretly) satisfying?

I went back over the review of this routine (the two-part version). In the second part, the spectator hands the gaff to the magician, no?

Much of magic is illogical. If we were really able to vanish a coin, why would we first put it into our closed hand? Why not just lay the coin on our palm, snap our fingers and have the coin vanish right in front of our eyes?

Some magic is more illogical than others. I can't see the point of putting FOUR coins in a person's hand to make just ONE coin disappear/appear. (Again, I'm talking about the two-part version.)

I always Use it As a Joke! ( I use it as the last coin in a 4 coins across to there hand! )" Look The last coin will Jump from My hand to yours" Then I place the last coin in there hand! ( Ha-Ha) THEN you come back And say Ok I will do it for Real! THEN you take it back out, Have then close there hand, Vanish the coin, And it's back in there closed fist!