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The Amazing Noobini Inner circle Oslo, Norway 1658 Posts |
I've practiced with coins whenever I need a break from cards for about a year and a half. Not every day or even every month but often every day for periods. A couple of days ago I realized that I have slowly gotten fairly solid with a good many palms, steals and puts. Yet I haven't learned a single coin routine yet. These are mostly palms that have been practiced unconsciously while watching old Star Trek episodes.
So I have now read a ton of these coin forum threads. Something I haven't closely followed before. Also I have seen coin YouTube videos. And I have become tempted to get myself either a silver Johnson Hopping Half (Walking Liberty) set or a Walking Liberty Scotch and Soda set. Or maybe both as long as I'm paying for the international shipping and probably toll fees and everything? I can't decide. But is this a good place to start learning actual tricks? I only know things like retention vanishes but no coins across or other complete coin routines. I haven't gotten past the palms in Bobo yet as I have paced myself. It is obviously a long road to travel. I guess I just want to buy something new. A toy. A reward maybe. I have done the same moves so many times now that I feel ready for something new. But should I simply stick with my regular old coins for now and turn the page to the next chapter? Or BUY and take what could possibly be a shortcut to being able to do something that looks impossible? I am a little bit impatient. It has to be my decision obviously. But I need advice. Another consideration is that as an amateur I will not have much opportunity to gather people around a table to put on a show. There will be mostly impromptu situations where it may play better here in Norway if I do something with regular Norwegian coins, as all my foreign coins may come across as special props here anyway. Or then again maybe people don't think like that. I don't know. (For my own sake I use old US silver because that is what I like to handle and look at.) (Of course the entire dilemma exists partially because of the cost of getting these nice coin sets.) Well... another post I couldn't keep under five billion words. Sorry.
"Talk about melodrama... and being born in the wrong part of the world." (Raf Robert)
"You, my friend, have a lot to learn." (S. Youell) "Nonsensical Raving of a lunatic mind..." (Larry) |
Jaz Inner circle NJ, U.S. 6111 Posts |
You say, "There will be mostly impromptu situations where it may play better here in Norway if I do something with regular Norwegian coins, as all my foreign coins may come across as special props here anyway."
In this case I would continue with Bobo's and sleight of hand. Half dollars were common when Bobo's was printed so they were used for illustrating the sleights and effects. There are a good many that can be done with other, smaller coins. In impromptu situations I prefer to use common coins (most often quarters) since half dollars have become a bit of a novelty. Don't get me wrong. There are those times when I do use halves and foreign coins. In impromptu situations where people don't know I do magic I usually justify my having them in some way. I'm not sure how common these Norweigan coins and sizes are but they are comparable in size to some U.S. coins. 10 kroner, 1995, 24.0 mm. US Quarters 1828-present, 24mm. 20 kroner, 1994, 27.5 mm. Pretty close to U.S. halves. US Half Dollars 1837-present, 30mm. I'm liking the 5 Kroner with the hole. As an amateur, and if you must buy yourself a reward, the Johnson Hopping Half set is a good investment. Good luck. |
The Amazing Noobini Inner circle Oslo, Norway 1658 Posts |
Thank you for your thoughts, Jaz! Impressive how you found the Norwegian coin measurements so quickly!
Having now thought a little after reading your reply to my post, I think that I will prefer to continue using the US silver coins as long as they are examinable should someone be extremely curious. The local currency is usable but I just don't like those coins very much. I think they are ugly and they are more difficult for me to handle so far, being smaller coins. And of course... they are not silver. I have only aired a silver Half Dollar coin a few times and it arose great curiosity each time. "Why do you have that?" I have answered simply that I think old silver coins are beautiful. This seems to be accepted. (The next time maybe I should say that they are also saltier and then proceed to toss one into my mouth, inspired by Mickey Silver.) If anything, people's curiosity has been an opportunity to do a little something with the coin. Opportunities that I have mostly wasted so far. (I did a couple of disastrous attempts very early on in my practice and it has scared me away from performing anything until I feel more prepared. But inside I silently scream "look at meeee, over here over heeere" every time I get a perfect cue like someone suddenly starting to talk about magic. Which happens.) No, my worry with foreign coins are mostly focused towards the gaffs I haven't yet bought. A mix of insecurity for these new unknown devices, as well as guilt for "cheating" probably. Fear of getting caught. But I cannot see why I shouldn't simply be able to switch in a regular coin should I absolutely need to. Especially with HH where as I understand it, you end up with the coins in your pocket anyway so you may simply fish out whatever you want really. However... I now see that Dan Watkins has a free explanation on his web site entitled "Sticky Coins" which is inspired by "The Gadabout Coins" in Bobo. To me it plays just like the Hopping Halves. No gaffs. To buy or not remains a dilemma. I will ponder on it some more. In another thread two people said that the Johnson silver gaffs were "disappointing". No further explanations were offered. I'm also thinking that maybe they will break easily should one be dropped. Gravity is often strong around me. Thanks again!
"Talk about melodrama... and being born in the wrong part of the world." (Raf Robert)
"You, my friend, have a lot to learn." (S. Youell) "Nonsensical Raving of a lunatic mind..." (Larry) |
sethb Inner circle The Jersey Shore 2719 Posts |
Noobini -- Although there are varying opinions, many coin workers will tell you there is nothing stronger than some good basic sleight of hand combined with a good coin gaff. There is no reason why you need to use only sleights or only gaffs, you are depriving yourself of a good arsenal if you do that.
I agree with Jaz, get yourself a Hopping Half set, it will provide you with a number of excellent gaffs that can be used in many different ways. While you're at it, you may want to get a Copper/Silver coin (about $10) and few extra English Pennies, these will match the US half you already have. Click HERE to view. I would pass on the Scotch & Soda, which is a good item, but not as versatile as the Hopping Half and is also somewhat overdone, in my humble opinion. But if you like the basic concept, get a Dime & Penny set, which works the same way but is a bit less expensive. If you get the cheaper Royal version, click HERE to view, you don't even need a bang ring, just shake the coins in a shot glass and you are reset. At that price, get two sets so you'll have a spare! If you are worried about dropping things, which I agree is not good for many gaffed coins, get yourself a close-up mat or a large mouse pad with a cloth surface. This protects your gaffs in case of drops and also masks the odd sound that a gaffed coin sometimes makes when it is dropped or placed on a hard surface. It also makes it easier to pick up the coins quickly and gracefully, and provides a sort of miniature "stage" that focuses attention on your presentation. As you noted, if you can do a Shuttle Pass, you can ring in a gaffed coin when needed and then switch it out indetectably, so I wouldn't worry about anyone examining your gaffs. Besides, there is no rule that specs must be allowed to examine everything anyway! Although there are plenty of good coin tricks and routines in Bobo, you may also want to explore David Roth's book, "Expert Coin Magic," which was recently reprinted and is a worthy successor/supplement to Bobo. Click HERE for more info. Good Luck! SETH
"Watch the Professor!!" -- Al Flosso (1895-1976)
"The better you are, the closer they watch" -- Darwin Ortiz, STRONG MAGIC |
The Amazing Noobini Inner circle Oslo, Norway 1658 Posts |
Thank you Seth! After reading your post I went directly to the Warehouse to place my orders. However... even though the web shop page didn't mention this... once I had added the items to my cart and was ready to check out, it suddenly said "OUT OF STOCK" next to my cart items. This was the Walking Liberty versions of both the C/S coins and the HH set. Very disappointing. Don't know why they couldn't just have added that information next to the items to begin with.
So now I have no choice but to stick with regular coins for now. Because I definitely want the silver coin versions. I suppose I could get one C/S from Schoolcraft in the meantime which is $60 including international shipping. About double that of a Johnson in other words. And no HH. No... I guess I just have to wait. And read. I have bookmarked the Roth book in my wish list bookmark folder. For now I need to do more reading and less new book shopping. But I'll get to it eventually. Thank you for helping out!
"Talk about melodrama... and being born in the wrong part of the world." (Raf Robert)
"You, my friend, have a lot to learn." (S. Youell) "Nonsensical Raving of a lunatic mind..." (Larry) |
krintz Regular user 135 Posts |
I'd definitely recommend:
1. Getting a scotch and soda. Most people I've run into have never seen it, and NOBODY has ever figured out how it's done. 2. Hopping Halves. So versatile... ridiculous how great a value HH is. Get Johnsons. Maybe they're not as good looking as the Big Boys' coins, but they're never gonna be closely examined. You'll switch 'em out. 3. MB's amazing Crimp Change (do a 'crimp change' search here). It's all done with real coins, and is one of the best sleights out there. 4. Splurge on one the Big Boys' coins. I got a Schoolcraft quarter flipper, but it doesn't matter which one you get. You'll own a work of art that just might be worth a helluva lot more than what you paid for down the road. But get it to enjoy it. Keep in mind, this is only a hobby for me, so take my advice with that in mind. KRINTZ |
sethb Inner circle The Jersey Shore 2719 Posts |
Noobini -- Sorry you weren't able to obtain the Johnson gaffed coins in silver. Now that you mention it, I do remember someone saying that Johnson had stopped production of the silver versions, not sure why.
However, I'm sure you would be quite satisfied with the "regular" Johnson coins. They are very well made, usually much superior to Sterling and some other mass manufacturers. And if you (gulp!) accidentally spend one, lose it or damage it, it won't cost you an arm and a leg to replace it. So go for it!! SETH
"Watch the Professor!!" -- Al Flosso (1895-1976)
"The better you are, the closer they watch" -- Darwin Ortiz, STRONG MAGIC |
The Amazing Noobini Inner circle Oslo, Norway 1658 Posts |
Yeah, you're right, Seth! If they are out of production then sitting around waiting for a set to reappear is probably a waste of time. I may as well buy a regular Johnson set. It seems to be good enough for everybody else so I guess that makes them more than perfect for me!
Although I did see a closeup photo of it on a different web site and I have to say that it looked a bit suspicious up close. Hopefully I will get away with it in a closeup situation. Hehe. Accidentally spending one... I wonder if that has ever happened to anyone. I'm sure it has.
"Talk about melodrama... and being born in the wrong part of the world." (Raf Robert)
"You, my friend, have a lot to learn." (S. Youell) "Nonsensical Raving of a lunatic mind..." (Larry) |
sethb Inner circle The Jersey Shore 2719 Posts |
Don't forget that nobody knows the coins are gaffed but you. If you handle them casually and act as if they are the real McCoy, then few will even think about suspecting that they are not what they seem to be. That's a great advantage of performing with coins, they are a common household item and do not create suspicion -- unless you act suspiciously with them.
Plus, since half dollars are pretty rare even in the US now, the specs won't have anything else to compare them to. And many people here have never even seen an English Penny before. Unless you are performing for coin collectors, I wouldn't worry about it! SETH
"Watch the Professor!!" -- Al Flosso (1895-1976)
"The better you are, the closer they watch" -- Darwin Ortiz, STRONG MAGIC |
The Amazing Noobini Inner circle Oslo, Norway 1658 Posts |
http://www.martinsmagic.com/?nd=full&key=2209
Here BTW is the photo I mentioned earlier. Looking at it again now I would say that it sounds almost unlikely that someone who sees this suspicious looking coin would not smell a rat. I mean, since he knows that you are a magician about to perform a trick and this is to take place with foreign coins for some reason. I don't know... yesterday I had made up my mind but I always wait an extra day or two. If not I would have bought the entire internet by now including the green background color of this web page. Today I am back to being skeptical. Meanwhile, I have practiced an ungaffed variety which is now almost up to patter rehearsal level. Perhaps not quite as impossible looking, but very nice. I'm being difficult now, I know.
"Talk about melodrama... and being born in the wrong part of the world." (Raf Robert)
"You, my friend, have a lot to learn." (S. Youell) "Nonsensical Raving of a lunatic mind..." (Larry) |
mballen11502 Loyal user Memphis, TN 202 Posts |
The way I see it, you might as well use the best equipment - I'd get Schoolcraft or Lassen coins whichever sets you choose to buy.
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Vegasvent Loyal user Phoenix 288 Posts |
I do the day or two wait also, but with my usual luck the item I decide upon is already gone.
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"My Wife says that either all of my Stuff goes, or she does......" "Boy, I'm sure gonna miss her cookin'." |
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