Anyone still have this classic in their repertoire?

Having received some great direction and advice from Peter MArucci (a seasoned expert on routines all things magical) Im considering adding this classic to my repertoire and would love to know a little more about your approach.

Do you use all sleights or coin cathers?
What is your finale?
Has anyone seen a coin wand recently? (i.e. folding coin appears at tip of wand)

Would love to hear your patterlines, stories, and personal expreiences. I think we could all learn a little more about this classic by sharing our approaches.

I do Miser's Dream in every show I do. I always use an ungaffed bucket either a Champange bucket or a Piggy bank bucket that I made. My act is a silent act done to music but I always use an audience member where they mime me and they do the magic.

Eddie

Thank you boltt for your input - exactly how do you involve the spectator? do they produce coins?

Here an idea to end. fold 5 bills in quaters. palm these bills. empty the pale and pretend to take something out of the air and put in bucket - actualy you throw the bills in. show hand empty reach in and open bills and show it .

Great idea blake - many thanks! I could even spring some bills, really appreciate your input.

Yes, Since they are mimicing me. I do the move with no result. When they do the move the coin is produced so they are doing the magic not me. They of course don't know how they are doing the magic and of course I don't seem to know either.

I stopped doing it long ago but the best I have seen is Jeff Mc Bride's Routine. Just amazing and an example that you don't need words to communicate with an audience.

Boltt, this sounds like a tremendous effect - does the coin 'appear' in the spectators hand?

I have never had the pleasure of seeing a presentation such as this and I would love to hear more about it.

HI All,

I was wondering if anyone else uses Jeff McBride's EZ Misers Dream? It looks not too difficult to do and has a lot of surprises in it. Any thoughts on it would be most appreciated.

JoJo

Hi David,

regarding your question on coin wands - Colin Rose makes and sells them. They are pricey but good.
He also sells Pat Pages booklet on the Misers Dream which is very good. All you need to know !

Eddie

Den (last name has left me) made a great post in the children's section.

I have added the miser's dream to my show this summer and have kept it simple, perhaps so that I can master it and then build on it.


Here is the gist:

I use a large coffee canister... something most people have seen. It also works great for storing stuff in between shows.

I start the show with it and bring out the can and a jumbo wand to bang on the bottom... turning the can upside down indirectly says it is empty while I bang on it. I ask if they like music and joke about playing the drums... but "I can't sing, so let's get the magic show started."

Also, banging on the bottom gets their attention when they are a little chatty waiting to get started.

I have done it with a volunteer and have done it solo. I prefer solo and then bring up a volunteer for the last couple of productions.

For each production, I use a quick joke (read in Bobo's coin book, or from people's contributions here).

Towards the end, the last production, I mime what I want a volunteer to do re: reaching in the air and grabbing a coin that they will throw into the bucket.... they hear a clink.

They are given a round of applause while my hand dips into the bucket to p*lm a half dozen coins quickly and take out a coin saying, "I believe this is the coin you produced." I ask them to come forward to get and keep their coin and then produce the p*lmed coins.

It is short, magical, has funny bits, and includes a volunteer.

I would like to be able to incorporate a jumbo coin production but am not sure how to approach this. I don't perform with a jacket. Ideas... please suggest.

cheers,

John

I have been doing the Misers Dream for years and it works under nearly all conditions for all kinds of audiences. I always use it for childrens' shows, but it works just as well for adult banquet shows.

I use two different buckets, depending upon the performing conditions. For stage work, I use an Owen's bucket that has holders inside as well as a dropper.

For closer quarters - where someone might get a look in the bucket - I use a "Bell bucket" that I got years ago from Magic, Inc. It's the same bucket Jeff McBride uses. Using the Bell bucket requires all sleight-of-hand.

For children's shows onstage I use light jazz music under my talking. In my routine I get a volunteer onstage, produce five coins (Down's palm), then get the volunteer to try it. I produce another from the volunteer's ear, toss it high in the air, catching it in the bucket. I get the volunteer to mimic the same action. Then I have him do it again, throwing it up even higher. This time however, I use the delay gag.

Finally I have the volunteer hold out both arms and I pluck six coins from under the arms, working my way around the body. While behind his body I steal a large final load and produce those from his nose.

The routine always goes over very well. It truly is a classic.

Jim Snack,

5 coins from downs... wow! I use the downs to vanish a coin only to have it clink in the bucket, which lets me produce that same coin.

I like the idea of going around the body and the stealing a load.

A few q's if you don't mind answering:
is this a load of additional coins from inside the jacket? How are they produced? How is the load set up?
thanks,

John

John, I suggest you check out 'World Class Manipulation'. It covers, in depth, coin holders, clips, productions, and even teaches a miser's dream routine. It is well worth checking out.

I'm looking for the gimmicked cocktail shaker to do the misers dream. If anyone knows where to get one please turn me on to it.

Also, Chris Korn does an amazing misers dream. Levante's is pure excellence and he is quite knowledgeable about the many moves people have invented ovef time to use with it. If you ever get the chance to see him lecture...run to see it.

John,

To clarify...5 coins from Downs palm...these are Neilsen palming coins..very thin. I use the last one for re-productions. I like openly dropping four coins in the bucket first. The first one is dropped from about a foot away, then I gradually get closer to the busket with each subsequent drop.

It strenghtens the illusion when the audience really sees some coins entering the bucket. By the fifth coin, they are not paying as much attention.

I do no body loads. I have a Kellar style dropper that holds 7 or 8 coins in the bucket near the top, plus two other holders inside the bucket. One holds six coins, the other about 15. The smaller holder is what comes with the Owen bucket. The final load of 15 coins is in an Abbott's holder that I have duct taped to the inside the bucket. This is a holder that holds half dollars and swivals on a pivot.

After I pluck the final coin from the volunteer's elbow and openly drop it in the bucket. I show my hand clearly empty, then steal the final load from the bucket as I look one more time around his body. His body blocks the audience's view. Then I go right for his nose. It never fails to get a big reaction.

Incidently, never tell the volunteer to "blow your nose" or you will very likely end up with a handful of something you don't want! Yes, it has happened to me. I will sometimes say "hold your nose" as I touch his nose and release the coins. To the audience it sounds pretty much the same, but he can hear it clearly and then won't "blow."

The first magician I ever saw do Miser's Dream was Andre Kole who came to visit my college way back in the 1970's. I'll never forget the reacton of the people sitting around me. It's been in my act ever since.

Glenn: Joe Porper is about to release a cocktail shaker and coin wand combo with quarters for misers dream that is awesome (as well as my new linking finger rings). http://www.porperoriginals.com The tricks are not on the site, but email him.

Jim, you make me want to break out my champagne bucket and Nielsen coins!

I was doing a coin production as an opener for a while and got comfortable with eight Nielsen coins in Downs palm. I produced the first five at the fingertips and changed the fifth coin into four with a rollout finishing with coins between all of my fingers. The coins were gathered and vanished as the candle was blown out.

Hello ALL!
I have not posted anything for awhile. But for this forum I love the Miser's Dream. Just recently I got into it. Why? I had a empty bucket that used to have pea nuts in it ahha. Then I just fooled around and all that and... poof! I fell in love. I don't think anyone cares but yeah laterz!

Kevin Vu

Porper's Miser's Dream is now on http://www.hocus-pocus.com.

Check it out...