Like most children magicians I feature the Misers Dream in everyone of my performances. Once in a while I would take it out and sub with Karrell Fox's multiplying sponge balls to paper bag.
My good friend Buck Macleod who is my prop maker and a fantastic children magician, made a baffler gimmick that is attached to the standard squeaker, this maker a very loud squeak noise.
What is your sub trick for the misers dream?
Tricky Ricky

II interchange Miser's Dream with a sponge ball routine where I have the kids count 2 balls into my hand ( where I really put 3) and place one in a bucket. I ask how many in my hands saying two, but the kids yell three. I do it a couple of times and then say there has to be another ball. I go into the crowd and pull them out from their ears, and then go into balls from mouth and end with a 5 inch ball from mouth

I have performed the MD since 1946. It took a little time, to learn how to make it fit ME. I've done school shows for 50 years! For elementary age kids (Kdg,-6th grade) it's the show closer. I cannot possibly follow it.

In the high school program, it's near the finish.

I would never consider ANYTHING else!

For adults I say "the City Clerk requires me to collect an Entertainment Tax", continue with routine- For kids its "my bucket from my Wishing Well" to collect wishes, continue with routine.

The old pro speaks.
I haven't hears that for a long time now. Every routine in your performance must be you --performance style and humor. Most of the Misers Dream routine I've seen are mostly copies of others. I try very hard to think out of the box.
Well said Mr Oslund.

I tend to open with it after a warm-up, or do it 2nd. I don't have a sub for it, I do it at every show. I used to not do it cause so many other people do it, but it's so good, I gave in, and I'm glad I did.

The late Ormond McGill opened with the MD for years. It fit his stage persona, IMO, extremely well. Al Flosso featured it, after a few short bits. T. Nelson Downs featured it. My first mentor, Stuart Ross, did it in the "middle". I CLOSE with it.

The tricks we do are merely VEHICLES with which we ENTERTAIN people. So.......!

A good coin pail is hard to find and over the years I must've bought 20 or more buckets, pails and others like coffee cans , just looking for the right fit in size, weigh and sound that ringing sound when the coin hits the bottom of the pail.
The one that fits my criteria was bought from LEE VALLEY. For me, this fits me to a tee. Very light but still gives off a nice loud ringing noise when the coin hits the bottom. And to top it off, the price was right.
Tricky Ricky

Right! The late Stuart Ross, who helped me get started, when I was 13, used a "tin" LARD PAIL! (They were common, back then. "Crisco" and, other cooking oils were not available,then.) I used a #10 tin can. Restaurants bought canned vegetables and fruits in #10 cans. They were readily available. Children's sand pails were cheap. A few years later, I bought from Jack Chanin, an ice bucket. ($3.00!) It was light, and had a good "clunk"! Many years later, when the bottom of that bucket was "rounded out" from coins falling into it, I bought a Charlie Miller Bucket from Jay Marshall. It was GREAT, but when I down sized my prop case, it wouldn't fit. I found a stainless steel canister, such as Caféterias once used for silverware. ($.89!)in a thrift shop. I'm still using it.

We need the bucket for the audio illusion! IT'S A COIN TRICK, NOT A BUCKET TRICK!

I always used a bell bucket. For me the best.

Roy Kueppers of Canada made a steel disk that I place on the bottom of the pail. This amplifies the ringing noise as the coins falls. Maybe some of you could try that.
At present I am using Norm Nielsen's palming coins. I'm looking for none magnetic attraction like Neilsen's coins but made from heavier material. Any information would be appreciated.

Tricky Ricky

Usually I end with Misers Dream if I do not end with the Chair Levitation. If I have to cut a show short, I will end with the Misers Dream. My sub trick for the Misers Dream is a different Misers Dream routine. I have three routines.

Hi Dynamike.
Great that you chimed in.
Wow! 3 routines, that must've taken a lot of working. Well, I guess a Pro like you can do it.
I use the Nielsen's coins, but I'm looking for a heavier coins. Material not attractive to magnet. I would appreciate any information from you.
Tricky Ricky

Hi Ricky! I started using Eisenhower "silver" dollars, about 50 years ago. They sound "nice", and are readily available at most banks. ($1.00 EACH!)

I only have ONE routine, but, it's a WINNER. PM me, and we'll talk about it.

If I drop one, and a youngster picks it up, it's REAL!

O

Ricky, I use Eisenhower Dollars also. To me the bigger the better. I know you live in Canada. It will be a challenge for you to collect Eisenhower Dollars. You can try visiting a coin shop in your area. Maybe Eisenhower Dollars are sold there. If not, you might offer money to someone to bring or send Eisenhower Dollars to you from USA. Another way is by searching on Ebay. You might find a good deal. Another way is to try making a deal with that certain magician coin dealer in Canada, Roy Kueppers.

Be aware there is a difference between Silver Dollars and Eisenhower Dollars. Silver Dollars are pure silver and have a higher value. I would not recommend using Silver Dollars, just Eisenhower Dollars for Misers Dream, they are both the same diameter, 38 millimeters.

1 USA Dollar = 1.30 Canadian Dollar

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Huge-Ike-Dollar......Xei.TRS0

Good luck.

[quote]On Jul 25, 2018, Dynamike wrote:
Ricky, I use Eisenhower Dollars also. To me the bigger the better. I know you live in Canada. It will be a challenge for you to collect Eisenhower Dollars. You can try visiting a coin shop in your area. Maybe Eisenhower Dollars are sold there. If not, you might offer money to someone to bring or send Eisenhower Dollars to you from USA. Another way is by searching on Ebay. You might find a good deal. Another way is to try making a deal with that certain magician coin dealer in Canada, Roy Kueppers.

Be aware there is a difference between Silver Dollars and Eisenhower Dollars. Silver Dollars are pure silver and have a higher value. I would not recommend using Silver Dollars, just Eisenhower Dollars for Misers Dream, they are both the same diameter, 38 millimeters.

1 USA Dollar = 1.30 Canadian Dollar

Thanks for the information.
For many years I've used Norm Nielsen's coins and as you know they are quite thin, the Ike dollars are heavier and makes a loud noise much more than the Nielsen Dick Oslund also pointed out that If you drop one and a kid picks it up it's a real coin.
I went to a coin shop and bought 12 at $1.50 each.
Tricky Ricky

I am glad you found them at your coin shop, Ricky.

If you find yourself in a casino you may want to pick up some tokens which have a nice weight and size (like a silver dollar).

They would fit in with an "easy come, easy go" theme. They are loud (if that is what you are going for).

-Mary Mowder

Thanks for the information Mary.
If I go to Vegas this year I certainly will have a look at the tokens. Casinos in Ontario Canada stop using tokens---just cash.
Do you do perform the misers dream?
Tricky Ricky

Not recently.

I used to do it and Then I saw Dick Oslund's performance and became disenchanted with the one I was doing. However practicing Dick's version proved too loud for me (I have unusually sensitive hearing). I still like Dick's routine but clearly I'm going to have to use quieter materials. I just haven't made peace with that yet.

I still think I will do M.D. and frankly I seem to work for a lot of groups who are sound sensitive so maybe the change in materials won't be a problem in the end.

Mary Mowder