Hi everyone, Happy new year. I’m working on my own stage show for later this year and love the idea of having a misers dream in it. Where is a good place to start learning it, and any other suggestions. Thanks

I'm learning from Jeff McBride Bride's silver goblet, but as I don't think this is available anymore with Copeland closing shop I'd check Jeff McBride a other videos. There is a simpler one on manipulation without tears and then another on world class manipulation volume 1.

PM'd you with some info to get started.

Good luck with this classic effect! SETH

The best resource I've found is Robert Baxt's "Baxt, A Boy & A Bucket." This video covers logistics and tips that I haven't seen anywhere else. It also simplifies handling.

If you want to go in depth, I recommend Levent „Ultimate Guide to The Miser’s Dream“

I wasn't aware of the Baxt DVD and haven't seen it, but it seems like a good production and a worthwhile purchase, especially at the $20 price tag. The Levent 3-DVD set is a very deep dive into the Miser's Dream and was very well done.

I have also suggested the $20 Chris Capehart "Miser's Dream" DVD, which I have seen and also thought was well done. SETH

NOTHING quite like Levent. I like Capehart for the kids' comedy as well.

The Bobo book.

There's a chapter in 'Magic Page by Page', by Patrick Page.

I've only performed this once, using a routine from Walter Gibson's 'What's New in Magic'. This requires a gimmicked tumbler; I found a clear plastic one which was much easier to modify.

What's New in Magic... my first magic book. Love it, and of course, I still have it.
Magical for me at 13 or 14 years of age.

If you are going to do it for a child Baxt and Capehart are all you need.

I just finished watching the Robert Baxt DVD and his take on the Miser’s Dream. I thought it was excellent and covered all the bases, from the equipment to the sleights and moves, the patter and the routine. I especially liked the way he got into the effect without having to palm anything in advance, and how he subsequently got that right-hand palm going without needing a steal, by using a very unsuspicious move that also takes the heat off the dirty hand. Great thinking!

I would just make one small suggestion: whatever bucket you’re using, try to get one with a rolled rim. That rim does two things. First, it strengthens the top edge of the bucket and helps to prevent any warping or bending. But it also helps to prevent the bucket from slipping from your hand because your thumb can rest against it. This requires less pressure from your hand to hold onto the bucket and creates less strain on your bucket hand, so you can do "what you need to do” more easily.

When Robert showed and discussed the various buckets he’s used, he did have one with a rolled rim, but didn’t make a point of that feature. When you go bucket shopping, keep an eye out for the rolled rim, I think you’ll be glad you did. BTW, you should be able to pick up a sturdy stainless steel container with a rolled rim for under $20 in the Kitchen or Housewares departments of Target or Wal-Mart. And if you find one you like, consider buying two, so you'll have a spare! SETH

I'll have to second RicoGood's post. Saw Levent perform and lecture on the Miser's Dream, lots of info.

Levant is for sure the encyclopedia but it can be overwhelming for a newbie.
I basically do the Baxt routine at every kid and family show and it’s a big hit.
I find that one of the kid’s ears is “blocked “ and not producing coins and then pull a sponge donut out of his ear and say “.there’s your problem”
It will plays well

Very cute idea!

The only thing about the Baxt routine that gives me pause is having the child stand on a chair. I understand why he does it -- better visibility for the specs, and better positioning for him. But what happens if the child slips or loses his balance and falls?

Maybe I'm a little paranoid about this, but I speak from experience. When I was pitching Svengali Decks, I used to put a small 12" stepstool next to my pitch table so that the shorter kids could see better. At one show, the stool slipped out from under a child as he was getting off of it, and he landed hard on his bottom. Fortunately he seemed to be OK, but I had visions of subpoenas and lawsuits flashing in front of my eyes. I did carry liability insurance at the time, but still, who needs that kind of problem? SETH

I agree and I do not put a child on a chair. I was mostly referring to the structure of the routine and the fact that most of the magic is auditory. Really my routine is a combination of Baxt and Capehart, both good resources for the family magician

BTW, kudos to you on your "donut from the ear" idea -- very cute, very easy and I'm sure it plays big! SETH

Thank you Seth!

When Al Flosso performed the Miser's Dream, he would produce a string of sponge sausages from the kid's shirt, and it always got a big laugh.

But your donut idea is better and more logical because it comes from the child's ear, where some coins have already appeared. The donut also makes more sense, because it's something the kid was more likely to eat. And from the magi's perspective, the donut is easier to palm, easier to load and easier to produce. Great magical thinking here!

Finally, the kicker patter about the donut blocking the release of more coins is related in a wacky way to the basic premise of the routine. It's also a fine funny joke that's not made at the child's expense, since everyone knows that it's impossible to have a donut in your brain. SETH P.S. But on second thought, I have known some adults who actually might have a donut in their head instead of a brain . . . .

Here's a great Miser's Dream story for all those who love the trick. I am never without a bucket and a stack of coins even if it's an adult show and one time this just about saved my life: It was more than 20 years ago and I was booked into a comedy night at a bar out in the countryside. I thought it would be like every bar and Comedy Club I've performed at and was prepared with all my sophisticated gags and comedy magic. But it turned out to be a biker bar! The crowd was in leather and outfits out of a casting call for a rough biker gang. Me, I was out of my element and my fist three minutes of killer material that I did all the time just laid there and stunk up the place because I was not a biker. I could feel the crowd turning on me but just when I seriously started to fear for my life I spotted a 7 year old kid in the bar. Why a seven year old was in a bar when the drinking age is 21 I was not going to mention to the crowd, the kid was obviously the child of some of the bikers there. But I called that kid up on the stage and started doing all my cute kid show schtick with him for my Miser's Dream routine and the people were eating it up with a spoon. I tuned the crowd around and made this little kid look like a hero to them for the next 6 minutes. After that they were on my side and I could do no wrong and we had a great show, but I will never forget the night that the Miser's Dream saved my life.