I think the coins across routine that Will Houstoun does is worth watching.
https://youtu.be/LwZh_I16Bgg?feature=shared

I actually used to play around with this and love Will Houstoun’s work. That last move is a tricky one alright but just looks beautiful when you make it happen. It’s a wonderful coins across routine, a bit differently put but still quite baffling to the specs, and yeah, well worth a good look-see.

Hey, got a PM about this, that basically Houstoun’s effect is not a coins across but more of a 3 Fly. It certainly has a 3 Fly feel to it but is a unique take even at that. But I made them aware that 3 Fly is indeed a coins across and actually was initially called Visual Coins Across, as first put by Jonathan Townsend. They were unaware of this, so it was a teaching moment as to the history of some of these things. Houstoun’s take has some rather interesting and visually appealing moments as to the phases and uses only 2 coins, not 3. And while I’m at it, I must give great praise to Roth’s Coins Across, as it is still one of the very best I have seen, just impossible!

I briefly mentioned Roth’s brilliant Coins Across here, but it deserves a little more…

I decided to do it for some folks at my morning workout and boy did it deliver. Although, there are many Coins Across out there. I have a couple myself including a neat one allied KrazyKoins, but bing honest, there’s nothing like what Roth came up with. It just makes it all look so impossible. Part of it is that there is no rush to it. In many of the other CA they come across a bit speeded up. But not Roth’s take. It is just a brilliantly designed routine, and I have never seen it as well done as when Roth himself does it. Man, what a tutelage. Every aspect of every move has rhyme & reason to it. You can’t do this any better than Roth taught it. Oh, you can stick on another ending but his finale to the spec’s hand is about as right as rain. It is uncanny to do this for people and just how well it plays. One of the women today said to me how much she enjoys magic, especially when it is right in front of your face like that, as she showed her two hands out front and just shook her head…Amazing!

So yeah, while I like to do my own CA, but fooling around again with Roth’s, well, it’s easy to see the difference of a true master of the art. Whether presenting or teaching, he was excellent. His CA is just a small piece of his brilliance, but big enough to show you his overall completeness as to coin magic. If you ever had to just learn one thing, learn this and you will drive people mad forever. There is just no explanation for it but magic.

Finally here…My last few pots have been about Coins Across. That’s what happens when I get stuck in something, especially something good. So I spoke about my KrazyKoins, which came from watching various CA. Then I had to mention the brilliance of Roth’s version, and I think I mentioned Sankey’s take that caught fire years back. And this kinda all started with the mention of Will Houstoun’s 2.0. So, I began to remember where I sorta got started in the effect, and it was from Michael Ammar. He showed a “Simple Coins Across” that caught my eye years back and I kept wanting to go over it again but couldn’t find the old DVD. Anyway, I finally went over it and remembered why I liked it so much…because it’s “Simple.” It uses just 4 coins, which funny I’m not opposed to now, and the coins go across in some sorta basic but still very magical ways. It’s certainly packed into my way of doing it, and with some little updates it’s pretty darn good. I did it just this morning again at my workout and people loved it. It’s easy, just uses 4 coins and is amazing, and that’s all the ingredients you need doing good magic. If you can, try to go back and check it out. Ammar is another stellar close up guy that you don’t hear about much anymore, but he was also quite good with coins within a good repetoire of work. Well, that’s my rundown on this part of coin magic, as all taken out and done for real people.

I don’t do very much coin box work but do admire those that do, like the fine work by friend & Cafe member, Nev Blenk. Anyway, another fine coin friend here made me aware of a wonderful little coin box routine and I thought I’d see what you guys thought of it. The magician is another one you don’t hear much about around these parts, but I think you’ll see clear enough here that he is quite exceptional and his work powerfully put…




*Oh, and do go back and check out Nev’s great book, “Coin & Box” it’s got a lot of this kind of good coin magic in it.
https://www.lulu.com/shop/nev-blenkinsop......geSize=4

I think this is the coolest coin box adjacent thing I've ever seen:

https://youtube.com/shorts/NEJTucuQ76M?si=s_A8IeK78PKTNfCG

I have never seen that. A fun idea. I have the brass teapot from TCC but haven't really played with it yet. RIP Curtis and thank you for sparking my curiosity.

Thanks MB
I worked out what was happening and that is a type of box I have never used. Does anyone know who makes it ?

Great routine and very clever.

Cheers
Nev

Crossing the Delaware by the godfather of magic

https://youtu.be/Vcz-_FOj3JM?si=N8UH12XsGfv938jD

i uses want I call the gosh pien chien move

Oh yeah, that’s a real winner Godfather…Still beautifully done after all these years.

And this is just wonderful work too. So simply put but quite well done & amazing! And yes, once again from another wonderful magician that you never hear about around these parts as to his creatively clever closeup & coin work, but he’s a “champion” for a reason…

I enjoyed that. Do you have that in print somewhere? How are the angles?

And one more little cutey-pie from this guy…Jeki Yoo.

Dan Watkins was asked about on another string here and I responded, but thought you’d guys like to see him as he’s been off the scene for quite a long while now. He, like some fine others here, on the Cafe sorta got a good start by becoming a regular to the NY Coins Guys seminars in which they would come in good contact with some of the best in the art. Those relationships grew over the years, and they found their way in coin magic. Anyway, take it way, Dan…



Hey, recognize the spec in this presentation? He went on to perhaps hit some of the greatest heights of all the attendees and or guests as to these seminars.

Maybe more underground than off the scene

He LIVES! Hiya Dan, long time man.

Oh, and always a lot of good magic going on in the underground.

Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving and now Christmas is straight ahead.

Hey, while I’ve always played around with copper/silver tricks, I’ve happened back across this old one from Michael Ammar that is the same approach but done not with coins but with bills. It’s a nice switch-up to go another way sometimes. And this is not any harder than with the coins and is every bit as cleanly done and magically clever. Packs flat and plays BIG!.

I know we’re always looking ahead for the next big thing, but sometimes it’s already way behind you, and comes from a treasure chest of all that old magic you might’ve unwaringly passed along your way. This is certainly one I found interesting enough to do, pretty easy too. I doubt if many if any do this one much any more, which might make it new -2-you and your specs. Give it a look-see here for yourself that it’s something that belongs right there with your coins…For a great trick well under $10 bucks (unheard of these days), it will fool specs right out their shoes again & again.

Got a lot of PMs about this…Seems like maybe green is the new copper/silver.

And again here…I’ve always liked playing with copper/silver coin tricks, just a wonderful and pretty easy to do piece of magic. And I do know a thing or two about it as my C/S tricks like my fun Copper Silver INC and my old C/S Surprise will attest to.

So again, I recently came across this old bit presented by Michael Ammar but created by another magician and called, BeSwitched, which is basically the same sorta c/s trick but done with bills. It’s magical and quite cleverly done, and I’m glad to hear a few of you actually put the little easy bit together. It’s a nice piece to offset your coin magic. I was rummaging through the old Worlds Greatest Magic set and came across it in the Money Magic dvd. There’s other good stuff there too but this bit by Ammar was just too good to pass up. And I like that he always gives credit where credit is due. He’s a world champion through & through. Anyway, this is some old school magic for sure but that’s where all the good stuff came from. And again, this is pretty easy to do, to construct and carry around in your wallet or jacket pocket. I’ll bet you’ll be the only one doing this one, and I’m pretty sure specs will be quite amazed by it.

Thanks to all that reached out a bit further here on this oldie but goody for the holidays.

Just got this from an old Cafe friend regarding Eric Jones…I did not know this but thought his magic family here would want to know and might find out more in efforts to help Eric if we can…

“… Hey Marion, I just read about poor Eric Jones on Facebook. He is really facing some tough, tough medical issues now...cardiac and brain issues that are really serious. He has a lot more to go through...if he can. No doubt he could use some support including financial…Maybe a GoFund Me page would be helpful at this time?…”

*And here it is…

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-eric-jones

Blessings to Eric at this time.

Well, the GoFundMe for Eric is over $100K and still growing. WOW!!!

That’s a lot of caring, love, respect, recognition, not just for being a great magician but also for being a really good guy on top of it, first & foremost. It doesn’t necessarily mean you do everything right but that you mostly move in the right direction as to yourself and others. Clearly Eric has done that and people remember him as such to help out in such a grand way, we should all be so lucky. I want to thank all of you here that have helped out, I’m sure he appreciates it and will continue to show that appreciation right back.

I can remember when I first met Eric online and then in person at a magic convention here in NJ long time back now…He pointed out everyone to me, and the big, small & all of us were in attendance. I’ve known him for decades now and watched him grow in the art from here to there & way beyond. Always proud of him and cheering for him. Always grateful for the interesting people and great magic God put on my journey.

Anyway, in the spirit of the holidays upon us, thank you all for caring and helping out one of our own here.