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budja New user 98 Posts |
I got a new Hopping Half set and I got it in the local currency. The idea was that since it was local, people would be less suspicious of it. It was supposed to just a local coin. But here's the problem, it is that familiarity that makes it suspicious. It is an expanded shell coin so you can't help it to be a little thicker. I am just talking micrometers thicker here but because people know what the real coin looks like, they can see that it is a bit thicker than usual. I know to keep the hands moving and all that but at some point, they will focus on the coin and when they do, it will be a bit thicker. I think for my next gaffed set, I will go with something that is not of the local currency so people won't know how thick or what it really looks like. What do you guys think? Has anyone else experienced this?
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Adam Joseph New user 77 Posts |
I do my hopping halves routine with a normal set (US half and english penny). But I use a handling that allows the coins to be examined first. You could open your routine by having the coins examined. You can say something along the lines of: "Some people think I do this trick with trick coins, so please examine these coins to make sure they're real". And since you'll be handing them real coins that they are familiar with, they'll sit there looking at real coins and believe that the coins are legitamate and then hopefully not question the legitimacy of the coins throughout the routine.
To have the coins examinable at the start: Have the US Half s***l in your left hand finger palmed. Have the English Penny gimmick finger palmed in the right hand. First hand out the real US Half to be examined. When they are finished, hand them the English Penny and take back the US Half with your right fingers and nest into the s***l in your left hand. Then take the English Penny back. Then just put all the coins into your hand. And you can even tell the spectator to remove the bottom coin and have them remove the real english penny. This phase could have been done with normal coins, so even if they suspect that you just had an extra coin hidden in your hand, it will throw them off track. Because in future phases, they will be on the lookout for an extra coin and hopefully will not suspect a gimmick. Hope that helps. Tommy Wonder had a good explanation in his tamed card routine where he really encourages the over-examination of the real cards in the hope that the spectator will not bother examinging the gimmick cards in the future. So that's kind of the logic I use with the examination of the hopping halves coins. But since I use the standard coins, it's good have them examined because people are unfamiliar with US half dollars and english pennies. |
Payne Inner circle Seattle 4571 Posts |
Magician's guilt is a terrible thing. I sincerely doubt that, if handled as if they were normal coins, that your audience will ever see the discrepancy. You see it because you know it's there.
Trust me, perform it a few times and you'll see that if you don't treat the coin in a suspicious or unnatural manner your audience won't suspect a thing.
"America's Foremost Satirical Magician" -- Jeff McBride.
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budja New user 98 Posts |
Payne,
I'll follow your advice as well and perform it a few times. I might be subliminally sending the message that it is a fake coin. |
inigmntoya Inner circle DC area native, now in Atlanta 2350 Posts |
>> I know to keep the hands moving and all that but at some point, they will focus on the coin and when they do, it will be a bit thicker.
At some point you do need to stop your hands from moving or _that_ will seem suspicious. Flash the edges, but only when in motion. At any points in the routine where there's a bit of a pause and they're likely to focus on the coin(s), control the spectators' view so they don't see much of the edges and can't tell how thick they are. Hold them up facing out at chest or eye level so they're viewed straight on, or have the coin(s) flat in your hand at waist level so they're viewed from above. |
tomsk192 Inner circle 3894 Posts |
All good advice above. As JT often points out, you need to handle gaffs as casually as you would normal coins.
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Magnus Eisengrim Inner circle Sulla placed heads on 1053 Posts |
Quote:
On May 27, 2014, budja wrote: Have you performed with this set? You will never know how it plays until you use it. And after using it, modifying your presentation. Stop a stranger in coffee shop and show the routine. You'll learn a ton. (And yes, I have tried out new things with strangers in coffee shops. They laugh and enjoy the interaction.) John
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.--Yeats |
CarpetShark Special user 576 Posts |
I'm not sure what to tell you, 'cept that I have the Johnson HH set, and have never had anyone spot the differences you talk about. Take M.E's advice and give it a go.
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