Until August...

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This is the last post until August. Regular posting will resume Monday, August 5th. The next newsletter will be sent to supporters on Sunday, August 4th.

This video is (unintentionally) a perfect example of Tuesday’s post on Vanishes.

He’s clearly practiced and his technique certainly far surpasses mine. But because he’s trying to hide a red thumbtip in the process, he can never just open his hands and display them normally. So there is no conviction whatsoever that the scarf actually vanishes because he doesn’t do the one thing you would want him to do to prove that.

Also, related to that post on Tuesday, the Ghost of Lou Tannen wrote me with this fairly comprehensive list of complete coin vanishes…

On a recent post, you mentioned wanting to know more coin vanishes where you actually end with both hands empty. A while ago I made a list of complete vanishes of a single coin (so not a coin from a group like Scotch and Soda or something) that are actually fooling. Here are the techniques I listed:

  • Topit

  • TKO

  • Raven

  • Coin on a pull

  • Top pocket ditch

  • Malini ditch as you pull sleeves back (in side jacket pocket)

  • Lapping - esp. revolve vanish 

  • Sleeving

  • Jack miller hold out

  • Greg Wilson's pitch and ditch 

  • Fickle nickel

  • Folding coin in a thumb tip

It's worth noting that most magicians don't know about the idea of putting a folding coin in a thumb tip, and I've fooled most magicians I've shown it to. It's a very old idea but it's so much fun to fool magicians with a thumb tip. I'm curious what your go to complete coin vanishes are?

The ones I use the most often are this lapping one, occasionally this long distance sleeving one, and one where you false transfer the coin into your left hand (retaining it in right thumb clip) and in the process of waving your right hand over the left, the coin is ditched in your breast pocket. Which I’ve always found to be a particularly satisfying vanish.

I’ve also used a Raven, Pitch and Ditch, and the vanish Joshua Jay does at the end of his three coin routine where the coin is stashed under the watch.

But a folding coin and a thumb tip is a really intriguing option. I’ll definitely play around with that and see how it goes. It won’t be a go-to given the requirements, but there may be a circumstance I can see myself using it.

Okay, everyone. See you back here in August. Enjoy your mid-summer break. Eat a hot dog. Go to a pool party. Do something.