I was trying to learn the coin in bottle routine presented in bobo's book.... I've never actually seen it performed and am having a bit of trouble understanding how he explains getting the coin out of the bottle and onto the spectator's hand.

He says to hold the bottle horizontally and so i assume you would hold the bottle on the sides with your hands. Hmm, i don't want to get too much into the details but my problem is by holding the bottle in this manner, isn't it obvious the coin isn't in the bottle anymore?? does this makes sense? or if someone could PM me and i can explain in more details.

Thanks

Darwin

Hey Darwin,

When you hold the bottle in the manner described by Bobo at that particular time, the "coin" is still in the bottle. It's with a quick jerking motion that the coin is dislodged and shown back out of the bottle and in your spectator's hand... ready for examination along with the bottle.

Give it a re-read and stop trying so hard. I bet you will find that it makes a bit more sense if you really try to visualise the situation.

If that fails, David Roth has a very nice coin in a bottle routine on his Ultimate Coin Magic Collection Volume #1 (on DVD) and Expert Coin Magic Made Easy on VHS. Also, Michael Ammar has a very nice handling/explanation on his Magic Castle Lecture video. Check 'em out!

I have a coin in bottle ending that gets gasps, and gives a little kick to the finish. Basically after showing the coin can't fit back through the neck, the coin is shown sitting in the bottom of the bottle, then it visbly drops through the bottom of the bottle with a *clink* and into your hand. Not sure if this is original, I'm sure someone has come up with this before, I was inspired by David Roth's handlings in his Expert Coin Magic book. Think flying shuttle pass and email me if you want more info.

I do something similar to yours Andy. I explain how last time I tried to get the coin out I shattered it all over the place and it made a horrible mess. I don't do that any more. As you can see it can't come out through the top, it is too big, you can't shake it out no matter how hard you try (shake shake and shake it out into your hand over the top).

Let the bottle bounce against the real coin in your hand so it sounds like the coin is still in there - you can even let people see it through the bottle.

So how I get it back out is the same way it went in... through the bottom. I just twist (I make a twisting motion like I am twisting the bottom off) and allow the coin to fall from my hand onto a table or spectator's hand.

hey yeah that's the way i was imagining the bobo book.. talking bout rattling the real coin so you can "show" the coin falling out the bottom again. I don't want to just pop it out through the top of the bottle.

that's where i got confused with Bobo's book cuz he said to hold the bottle horizontal.. i imagine Dan that you hold the bottle vertical when you are rattling the bottle with the real coin? And when you say let the spectator "view" the coin still, this only works with a clear glass right?

Actually, I find that a slightly tinted glass helps better hide the coin in the bottle. You can show that it's clearly inside, but the spectator really can't get a crystal clear view of it through the coloured glass.

Note that Bobo's book advises using a Coke bottle 1 because they were quite common at that time and 2 because they were slightly tinted.

The bottle is horizontal during the rattling, then vertical during the show. If the glass is too dark, seeing the coin in the bottom through two layers of glass doesn't look as good to me.

Dan I reckon if you have the coin strike the bottom just before it falls out it adds immensly to the illusion when the *clink* is heard.

Hey maybe there's another place for a muscle pass if the glass was dark enough so they wouldn't miss the coin not being there for a second.

Actually, I let the coin rattle on the bottle side during a horizontal display, and I let it rattle on the bottom during a vertical display, and I tend to prefer tinted bottles to obsure the view of the coin, and since everyone has SEEN the coin in the bottle a quick show of it through the bottle when it is out (from the side or bottom) works fine. Sometimes I don't bother, but I always use the sound of banging the coin against the side of the bottle and bottom before I finally produce it from the bottom.

ok thanks guys! your messages helped me understand the mechanics a lot more now. Now on to practicing

That a great idea Dan.