Personal interviews
by on Jul.28, 2010, under Card Tricks
Alternatively, we may resort to trick apparatus, switch boxes, fake-load-chambers, and the kind. My personal feeling is that they are liable to fail and what is more, they are by no means essential. Clip boards used in the foyer enable you to bring the real questions on to the stage and work with the information gained from the carbon copy questions when this procedure is adopted. It is a good method.
(8) Planting of Envelopes and Slips. Another rather subtle dodge is to have many envelopes collected but to ADD a few of your own to the supply. It is such an easy matter to do this that we need hardly bother with it here. As a matter of interest, Question and Answer acts have been devised where the performer answers about twenty questions and has no time for more. The twenty which consume his time are all planted by him and not one of them is genuine. (continue reading…)
Cop
by on Jul.27, 2010, under Card Tricks
It has been known for many years that one professional reader gave her clients a foolscap questionnaire that, by the time completed by the sitter, gave the reader enough personal data to sit back and write a biography on the client! If you possess the impudence, you can get away with murder. (Without prejudice!)
(6) The Stooge. Here we go again! Everytime I say "stooge" I get fifty letters telling me it’s all wrong. Let me come back to something I said in Step Four. Stooges are there to be used if you want to use them, and need not be used if you don’t want to use them. You do what you want — and let other people do the same!
I was reminded of this swindle whilst talking about Question and Answer effects with Fogel. It’s very old — but very good. Working a hall or from stage the mindreader hands out envelopes and cards for questions. All are sealed by the audience before they are collected by the performer. On his way audience. (continue reading…)
Desire
by on Jul.26, 2010, under Card Tricks
There are other appliances which work along the lines of a Clip Board. That is to say, function on the impression or copy technique. Such apparatus includes a leather wallet (which I use quite frequently) which by virtue of its smooth yet soft surface, allows a clear embossed impression to be made when anything is written with a ball pen on a sheet of paper rested on the wallet. Having experimented along these lines, I find a black leather wallet to be the best colour for this purpose and since no faking is required, it is a very useful and natural appliance to use. The embossed impression incidentally, can be removed by pressure with the thumbs rubbing over the surface — so it can be used time and time again.
Another appliance was designed by the English Mentalist Eric Mason and is now a marketed item called "Dubbul". This is a wallet-type pocket writing case made in leather, and it gains the information by means of a direct carbon impression. (continue reading…)
Intention
by on Jul.25, 2010, under Card Tricks
With these complications and with the option to use alternative, but equally as effective methods. 1 recommend that you do not involve yourself with chemical techniques unless you enjoy performing troubles.
(2) Light. Again we are dealing with reading a question sealed in an envelope and with the intention of returning it to the writer. Light is simply another method of making most envelopes transparent. Gimmicks have been made for this purpose so that an envelope can be X-rayed" with light BUT once again we encounter snags.
First, if we are to use light then it has to be done secretly and that is not an easy matter. Nelson Enterprises market a gimmick which is suitable when you are using a stack of envelopes and there is a model of a Light-screening unit built into a book which hides the apparatus successfully. (continue reading…)
Worth the trouble
by on Jul.24, 2010, under Card Tricks
Starting off "with knowledge of the problem on hand makes it all much easier for you although you must not forget that if they tell you their question, it is less impressive than when they do not tell you. Consequently, it is a good thing to find out what they want to know — right at the beginning, and if you can, keep it a secret that you have discovered what they want to know.
having been dealt with already in other Steps — do not require further explanation here. However, for your convenience, the following reference to such technique is given here: —
Pencil Reading (Step Two) Billet Switching (Step Six)
The Centre Tear (Step Six) Three Little Questions (Step Six)
The Clip Book (Step Seven) Pellet Switching (Step Six)
(1) Alcohol pr Chemicals. A story is told of a well-known professional reader who worked nightclubs. (continue reading…)
