I need a good place to find the Hummer Whirling, or UFO, or Hummingbird Card at the lowest price. So far the lowest price is at Penguin, and it is 9.99$ Pretty good, but I want to find out if there is anything lower.

If you want the U.F.O buy it from Houdini's don't buy an unauthorized one such as the one Penguin sells. yes The one Penguin sells is an unauthorized copy of the U.F.O.

Hummer's Whirling Card, the original, IMHO is still the best. PM me for some advice on this.

Why would you buy this? You can make it for pennies...

Best, PSC

Hi Randy,

I respect your opinion, but I have to stand up for my company and disagree with your post.

I know there's a fair amount of disagreement about the origins of this effect. We've consulted many experts and they've all said the same thing. The U.F.O. is itself an unauthorized version of an effect the origins of which can be traced back long before my company (or any of the other major magic manufacturers) started producing it.

Penguin Magic has never carried the U.F.O. version of the effect. Before we started manufacturing the Hummingbird Card (in my opinion the best version on the market at the best price) we carried one manufactured by Fun Inc. Before that we carried a version manufactured by Murphy's Magic Supplies.

These are not unauthorized versions of the effect, they're competitive versions. The consumer ends up with better products and more choices.

Sincerely,

Maxwell Murphy
Penguin Magic

Pete is right about the Hummer whirlaway card. There is one very fine point about the original version that is not in ANY of the ones I have seen on the market. There is a printed source for the original version, but it is, to my knowledge, out of print.

It was mentioned in the column of a fellow who wrote for TOPS magazine until he passed away. He was a close personal friend of Robert Hummer, who originated the effect. Hummer was always afraid that "the dealers" would "steal his tricks." He was very secretive about all of his material.

He was often thought to be paranoid about this. Maybe he was right!

I have to disagree strongly with what Maxwell said about Penguin's version of the Hummer Card. The Video demo of there version has an ex Houdini's employee on it. Also the demo is exactly as it is done in Houdini's magic shops. There maybe those who do not want to believe that but it is the truth.

I don't mean to sound like I am trying to sling mud. I respect all of the above posters to this thread. Mostly I have the utmost respect for Pete Biro, and Bill Palmer.

I did want to bring up the above fact tho about penguin's version. You can form your own opinion from what I have said.

This is not about who is stealing who's stuff. The kid just wants to know which one is the best value for his lawn-mowing dollar.

Teenmagician, the truth is, they're all about the same. I have UFO. It works like a charm. My good friend has Hummingbird, it also works like a charm. I say, if you've got limited funds than go with Penguin.

Pchosse does make a good point, however. This can be made at home for next to nothing. However, you won't know how to handle it. That's what is really costing you when you buy it from a shop, cyber or brick. You're paying for the detailed descriptions on the handling, set-up, storage, etc.

PM me if you're curious.

What Firedice siad is true to a point. It was asked about a less expensive version. But I just felt that some facts should be brought out,wich they have,by Myself and others.

Thanks everyone! Say, if anyone has any ideas about what to use as the string, let me know, because I can't find old pantyhose for IT. I do have transparent nylon thread.

Just buy the Hummer card, it's the best version as already mentioned. The difference in price is so low that it practically makes no difference, and you'll get enough of the "stuff" to last you months!

Regards,
James Luff

The best bet for your money is to buy Jon LeClaire's DVD, it comes with all the material you need and instructions for several effects, not just one. By spending another $20.00 you get professional visual instructions, several tricks and material plus a detailed description on how to "harvest" your own thread. You can always go to a sewing shop and buy it on the spool.

Perhaps someone here can provide Jon's web site, it seems to have magically dropped off my Favorites.

I think you'll find it here: http://www.leclairanimator.com/

Regards,
James Luff

Do what Hummer did, let one hair grow until it is four feet long, and use it for the effect...

Best, PSC

P.S. Pete, do you remember Whitey Roberts? I have a video shot in a hotel room with Whitey, Jack McMillen and a bunch of us, and Whitey is juggling the china plates from Room Service, when suddenly he throws one at the cameraman. The plate shoots out toward the camera, then suddenly turns left and sails around his body, returning to his hand. Best version I've ever seen!

I loved Whitey Roberts. He and I worked Fran's 50th Celebration in Chicago together. His file of jokes in the Castle Library takes up about 10 feet of shelf space (in binders).

Yah, Hummer's hair... hahahah... I have a hookup from a pair of glasses (I put 'em on to watch the NEXT trick).

Oh, the juggling bit. Also with three balls, it is called "The Kidney Swing." I used to do it too.

I think that most would agree that we all work hard for our money but, let us not forget that more times than not, we get what we pay for.
Teenmagician14, you've been given some very good advice in this thread. I recommend that you listen to it. With all due respect, remember it's primarily the secret you are paying for and that should be respected and honored. Lee.

Everything in life has a cost. Although making your own whirling card from scratch will cost you a lot less monetarily, how much time and effort and trial and error would it cost you to "perfect" the routine. If you find out that it does save you time and money to make your own, then more power to you.

Sometimes, you may realize that it would've cost you a lot less to pay for someone's experience and teachings. You'll learn how to do it right the first time around. Like the old saying, the fastest shortcut is to do it right the first time. When you pay for a marketed effect, hopefully the instructions share with you enough information to help you avoid costly mistakes and give you enough tips to perform an effect properly producing the greatest response. Thereby helping you avoid headaches and costly mistakes when trying to figure everyting out yourself from scratch.

If you still need some IT, I have a spool from a few years back and it has TONS of IT left on it! I can send you some if you'd like.

Daniel Santos

There is a technique in the Encyclopedia of playing card flourishes, simply by throwing, similar to the boomerang card. *** hard to do, and probably doesn't look as good, but worth checking out.

I start out by doing this when I show the effect. I do a couple ungaffed spins, and then a couple of boomerangs. I give the card to the spectator and they can never manage it. I take it back and add the magic to do some really impressive spins and throws!

Regards,
James Luff