I know I could spend some more money that I don't have on someone's handling of this, but instead, I have the creative juices flowing and want to make the opportunity available to everyone else to participate in this creative endeavor.

Keeping in mind my limited skills, I started by taking a look at the routine Mumblepeas posted, the one in Greater Magic, and the bill to kiwi on Greatest Magic I (I think), here's what I have so far. What do you think, would you add, subtract, etc. I see this for street or living room.

The bill is borrowed and marked. It is folded up and place in the hand of another spectator. I do a quick mental bit, reading the serial number or the name written on the bill. The bill is opened and I'm correct because it's not the original bill at all, but some kind of joke bill instead.

This is the part that's missing.

Then somehow the fruit is produced, cut and soggy bill returned much to the astonishment of all, me included.

I feel like I'm off to a good start and will keep working, but am a bit stalled. I'd like to see how others might get from point A (joke bill) to B (real bill).

As always, thanks very much.

Matt

How about you take back the joke bill in order to magically transform it back to the original one, and switch it for the real one using, perhaps, Juan Tamariz's "Crossing the gaze switch". Then it's bill to impossible location, by your favorite method.

Bob Taxin

Good thinking! I like it.

Two ways to end come to mind immediately.

The first is to simply reach into your pocket while the person is opening the joke bill and take out a little bag (cloth, plastic, paper, whatever) and exchange it for the joke bill. Have the spectator open it and take out the fruit or vegetable. Produce a knife and allow the person to cut the item in half (or you do it). Open the item and viola’ there is the rolled up, soggy, signed bill. Make sure you have some paper towels for the participant to clean herself/himself with.

The second method is for you to have the person refold the joke bill, take it back with the right hand, (the left hand has gone to the pocket and is palming the fruit), perform a shuttle/spider vanish of the bill apparently transferring it from right to left hand, to have the apparent magical and instantaneous appearance of the fruit. As you are displaying the fruit at your fingertips, the dirty right hand goes into a pocket to obtain the knife and leaves the joke bill. Cut open the fruit and etc.

Neither require much, just a standard loading of a signed bill. The Mesika's Signed Bill in Lemon gimmick will do the job nicely.

I know it's not a "bill to fruit" effect, but on Chappy Brazil's Watch Steal Video, they have an awesome routine, which is "Watch to soup can"! A poor sucker's watch is found inside an unopened soup can!!!!! WOW! Lol!

Just my two cents!

5150,
Bird Braiin

Thanks for the help and ideas everyone. I think I have a tendency to want to add too much stuff, bits of business, etc. to a trick. (My original scripts for close up tricks are generally cut down by half by the time I'm done with them.) I think that's what I was doing here. Again the closest distance between two points . . . In this case the joke has been made, get on to the climax.

I like the idea of the bag, makes it seem a bit more amazing. And what's a bill in lemon gimmick? The method described by my limited resources involve a knife, a pencil and a bit of reaming.

Thanks again.

Matt

Mesika’s gimmick comes complete with a gizmo that will do the pencil-reaming bit for you. The gimmick allows you to put a rolled up bill right into the lemon as you are taking the lemon out of your pocket or case. The lemon is set up on the gimmick, already in the bag and loading is almost instantaneous. This is a bit pricey, about $57.00 from Magic Smith http://www.magicsmith.com
Check it out there.

It does put a signed bill into a lemon that is cut open to get the bill out. There are cheaper ways of doing this to be sure. There is one Bill to lemon routine that is being marketed right now for over $300.00 It is a whole act with lots of props.

Ray Grismer has a Three-Signed-Bills to Lime routine in print from Jeff Busby, called
“Limey”. It is a very good routine and well worth looking at. Frankly anything Ray puts out is golden.

AMEN!! Ray is a fellow Idahoan and a friend of mine. Unfortunately, he has been largely forgotten by the magic community. He is now pushing 80, but I guarantee he will still blow you away!!!

Ray is the ONLY magician that Dai Vernon ever said improved upon Erdnase.

Is it just me or are others of you out there who are repulsed by the thought of giving back to the spectator, who was gracious enough to loan you some of their own hard-earned money, a soggy, lemon-soaked bill (even if put into a plastic baggie or maybe blotted a bit with a napkin)?

Any idea of how spectators might react (or stories of how they have reacted)?

What alternatives could be employed to address this?

No matter how well this is done, it's always been a source of irritation for me. And I don't irritate all that easily.

I always offer to replace their bill with a "clean" one from my wallet. However, in about 95% of the cases, they WANTED the soggy bill--it's the one that was magically transported! They want to keep the bill that the magic happened to!

Geoff and Scott,

Something to think about that I hadn't. Thanks.

Matt

My experience is similar to Scott’s. I always offer a clean, dry replacement bill to the spectator. So far, no one has taken me up on it. In the method I use the bill ends up only a bit damp, not soaked.

By the way, the bills come out dry in the Ray Grismer “Limey” routine that I mentioned above! Ray takes everything, including the mess, into account when he thinks through a trick. Three signed bills into a fruit (he uses a Lime but could be anything) and all are found inside the lime and dry!! It is a strong routine and a good place to start. It requires about the same amount of set-up as the old “torn-corner” type of routine. In my opinion, if the bill is not signed, then the power of the effect is lost

One thing to think about - without dipping in the pond of the "too perfect theory" - is that folks may track back and ask the question - was that really my bill?

One solution that comes to mind is the UF Grant (I believe) used by Harry Anderson in his bill routine. (Its outlined in the Anderson book by Mike Caveney as well as in Tarbell ~ somewhere). It allows you to borrow two bills, give a piece back to the assistant, and then find the mates in an impossible location.

Something to think about...

Fredrick, Grant’s “Million Dollar Mystery” is a method taking two different spectators bills and tearing them in half. giving each spectator half of his bill as a “receipt”. Then having the other half of each bill either destroyed or vanished to end up in an unusual location (usually a sealed envelope that a third spectator was holding the entire time). The effect has been published numerous times. It can be found in Tarbell, in Karl Fulves “Self Working Money Magic” and most recently on Dan Harlan’s “Pack Small Play Big” video series (I think that it is on video number 1).

I believe that the signed bill to lemon is a strong effect. There is no doubt in the spectators mind that he/she is pulling his/her bill out of the lemon. Too perfect? Maybe. Strong? Absolutely!

The two effects are totally different. Borrowing two bills and having a half of each end up in a lemon does not make either effect stronger.

In fact, using Grant's "Million Dollar Mystery" principle to have two halves of the bills end up in a lemon - or in any other modified" condition - would be to instantly give away the secret.

The "Million Dollar Mystery" method requires that the bills be kept in their "original" condition throughout whatever routine is involved.

Regards,
Thomas Wayne

I know a lot of folks feel the bill must be signed for the effect to be good, but I also think the entire effect, if presented properly, is just as strong without the signature.

I have a bill to lemon routine I have used for years as my closer, the bill is never signed, but the presentation is done in such a way that the audience does not doubt the end result. One of these days I may publish it.

I agree with you to a point Steve. I have seen some nice routines using the torn corner or last four numbers of the serial number bit. However, I also have noticed that spectators assume that somehow a duplicate bill was used (and they are right).

Signing the bill (or card) removes that line of thinking. If you have a good routine that has been getting strong responses, then I, for one, would never recommend changing it!

I started with a signed bill to lemon routine and, for the life of me, couldn’t (wouldn’t) change it now. Nor could I recommend to anyone to change a solid routine they had for a “newer” one.

In fact, Rich Marotta performed one of the best “torn-corner” card-to-orange routines I have ever seen. He had three oranges and allowed the spectator a free choice of oranges (true free choice!) and found the vanished card inside that orange. The torn corners matched. The free choice of orange added the strength of the presentation.

I look forward to reading your routine someday. In fact, I would honestly love to have the opportunity to see it performed.