I want to put together an act using currency instead of cards. When I try real money, it's a little too difficult because of the thinness and fanning powder makes the bills grip more. Does anyone know of any play money or magic stage money that will be good to use?

Good idea. I really like it and something "I think" no one else has come up with. I suppose you really can't back palm it. I have seen a gimmick that produces dollar bills in a fan.

Hope this helps

Lee

I came up with that idea like 3 years ago. And credit cards too. But you know what? I gave up lol . Good luck if you can master it.

Why not just stick a stiff piece of paper between two bills? You could even just stick a stiff piece of paper or cardboard to the back of the bill if no one is going to see the back.

I too have also tried this. It's very difficult, hahaha. Just like Ben, I too gave up LOL! Go figure.

Good luck to you.

-Chris

I do have a book explaining Kolma used to do it. And Jeff McBride says he uses money at times also. But he never shows it.

Yep, I've tried it myself, and it is very hard. Doubling up the bills is a good idea, but I would probably use play money and practice with different thicknesses (two bills stuck together, three, four etc.). Credit cards I tried as well, and even though I still can't do multiples, I did find a nice way of producing one that sometimes fools magicians.

Sable

I would try gluing bills onto playing cards. If you can do split fans with cards, this would seem the best way to reproduce the same feel. Fred Kaps did bill productions as part of one of his FISM award winning acts, although I don't know what method he used.

Thanks for the advice, but I tried that already. I learned that idea from "Magic As A Hobby" by Bruce Elliott. The only problem is the money won't fan out smoothly. Fanning powder makes it stick more. I will never give up though. I have some more ideas. Thanks everyone.

Dynamike,

I also have the Kolma routine from a general magic book out of print. I purchased the manipulation bills from Supreme Magic back in the early 80's.

They arrived printed in pound note style and were larger than American bills so I had an instant copy place cut them down. They were printed on glossy art paper, the kind I used to use as a child for finger paint paper.

The paper is glossy and heavier than most paper, but thinner than playing cards. I put a lamination sheet on only one bill so I did not wrinkle the bill during production.

Now that we are in the computer age, I have found some HP Glossy Photo paper that is actually a plastic. I can't tear it easily. Just scan those beautiful new 20 dollar bills, and print on this paper. It has a little rough texture to the feel. So fanning powder should work as on linen finish playing cards.

I have not produced it myself but have tested the paper. Go to your local Office Depot, your dream may become reality.

Bill

I am not telling you to counterfeit money. You can edit the scan, or you can use play money or I have found foreign money sold as note pads on one side. Our local grocery has an Americian bill note pad. If your printer does not print more than one picture on a page, check the HP tips web site. There are a number of different ways to do this. Some programs also come with printers that print multiple pictures on a page.

This effect is not new. The late Fred Kaps produced fans of bills in his act. The effect was published by Werry in Germany and sold by Supreme in Great Britain. In Ian Adair's soft cover book Television Card Manipulations, there is a short section on this effect with some photos of the bills and the moves employed in doing split fans with them.

I recently read that Kaps had bills printed on playing card stock. I think Pete Biro posted this somewhere.

Fred Kaps' bill was pictured in Genii Magazine back in the early 1980's. It looked much like a U.S. bill with his picture in the center.

I have a very old copy of his early act. His bills looked like they were made out of card stock for fanning.

Bill

Kaps had his bills made and printed to his specifications. You need to go to a printer and find out what paper stock, how thick, how big to make them, etc.

If you are serious about this you will go to the trouble.

Fred's bills were made to look like US Dollar bills, but had his picture on them. I have a few somewhere in my stash. Kaps had different sizes for different handlings. They were NOT stuck on playing cards, but printed on special stock.

Wonderful idea.
Of course you could also go back to Tarbell and check out the bill production in, I believe, volume 6 or is it #7?

Osaka Bills are a marketed item. I am guessing you are already aware of this resource.

Enjoy the journey.

Harris

Harris,

Osaka bills is a take-off of a Pat Page idea. I have used it and it is only an idea without merit.

I don't think it would be practical in the real world, also I kept tearing the bills.

Bill

IMHO the Kaps handling of Pat Page's "Easy Money" is as good as it gets. Anything else is over-kill. If you present it the way Kaps did, it fits.

He would show pieces of magazine pages cut and say, "When I travel I don't like anyone to see I have money (spreading and showing the paper pieces) but when I need to buy something (change to Dollars) I have the money."

BANG. It is direct, and well done.

Pete,

Yes, I did "Easy Money" a very long time ago. It is great but I see it more as a close-up trick, than a stage trick.

There is just something about producing a fans of bills that appeals to me and Dynamike (who started this thread).

Bill

To me the problem with photo paper is the back of the paper. It has a lot of grip, making it harder to spread. But it did work after a lot of practice for the "One Card Production" using the b*** palm. When I glued a manipulation card between two other pieces of paper, it has a lot of thickness, I could not manage a lot. Now I use realistic looking fake money for the "Split Fan" and the "One Card Production." I use baby powder so the cards won't grip hard. After a lot of practice, it seems a lot easier. The two problems with the fake money is there is no spring to do a lot of flourish and it is hard to hide with the "One Card Production." I might have to cut it a little shorter. After seeing a small clip of Fred Kaps performance recently, it helps me stay inspired.

In the book "Magic as a Hobby" it shows more manipulations that can be done with the bills.

I do perform part of the bill rountine after I finish my coin rountine. It is getting there, slowly but surely. When I have the whole act together, I will be thanking all of you after each performance for your support with helping me accomplish my mission.

Peace, Love and Soul

Dynamike

PS I see we only discuss this thread in different years in January only. lol

Fanning Powder works better than baby powder. Also you can use those instant shine sponges for shoes. These are the best for having the cards slide.

Photo paper at the Staples and Office Depot by HP is made of a plastic type of paper not the traditional photo paper, like before home printing. They come in 8"x10" sheets. They are very thin and are ideal material to print your own production bills.

For single card productions, fold the top of the bill to a size of a playing card by its length. When produced the end should open and by applying pressure will stay showing the full length. This method is only used for a small quanity of single productions.

Good luck!