Bob Ostin - A lifetime of magical inventions

Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

material, which is easily cut with a sharp knife, yet will make very durable and
attractive props. A visit to your local hobby store could well prove to be worthwhile.

To use the case, the chamber is loaded, with whatever you wish to produce, and
set inside your jacket pocket with the chamber nearest the body. When the deck is
removed, the case is held with its flat side to the spectators, the chamber being
nearest you and out of their vision. Now set the case on the table. Do not push the
chamber inside the case with your fingers, as this is not necessary. Instead simply
lay the case on the table, and as the case is lowered it automatically covers the
chamber, which can proceed no further because of the table top.

When you wish to produce the loaded items, the case is scooped from the table,
thumb on top and fingers underneath to prevent the chamber descending. The
underside of the case may be flashed prior to the production of the items if desired.

It is possible to redesign the chamber so that you can actually reload the chamber
during the performance making further productions possible.

Notes: Bob actually has a gimmicked matchbox inside the load chamber, which is
set to drop four coins into his hand when the box is pushed open and a match
removed. The match is struck, used to heat the hand, which then produces the coins!
For more details of this, see Seeing Is Believing on page 141.

Corner-To-Corner Dice Stack

A fake (three dice stuck corner-to-corner) is required as shown in fig.1 below. The

fake is stolen from the left hand pocket and secretly held in the left fingers. The same

hand steadies the stacking board, or table, to give cover for the load.

With the right hand, stack four dice, and then lift the cup to show the stack. Pass

the cup into the left hand. The right hand knocks down the stack of four, and under

cover of the resulting noise, the left hand drops the fake into the cup. One of the

tabled dice is now set apart and the right hand slides the remaining three dice

together and picks them up, as a stack, between the first finger at one end and the

thumb at the other.

They are now apparently slid into the cup, but in fact are placed onto the left

fingers (or under the cup, as in fig.2) as the right hand removes the cup, which

contains the fake stack.

The usual dice stacking moves are

now gone through with the fake

rattling about inside the cup. The

cup is then lifted to show that the

upper two dice have somehow

stacked themselves corner-to-corner

on top of the lower dice. They are of

course seeing the fake stack.

As soon as this has registered the

left hand apparently knocks the stack The loose dice go under the
down, but actually steals the fake cup and into the hand. The
into a thumb palm and releases the
loose dice, which it has been holding fake stack, as shown
opposite, is already inside

the cup.

out.

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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

A Better Cigarette Pull

This is such a • ':'l;~'~f';~'"' •
simple idea, but
worth its weight in
gold! The standard
cigarette pull,
which consists of a

metal tube

attached, by a

length of elastic, to

a safety pin, can be

greatly improved

by fastening (with

glue, solder etc.) a The pull. The pull classic palmed.
coin to it, as shown

in fig.1 opposite.

If you now classic palm the coin, as shown in fig.2, rather than simply holding

onto the vanisher with the fingers, as you would normally do. The ability to classic

palm the coin allows far more freedom of movement with the hand handling the

cigarette prior to the vanish.

The "Four-In-One" Routine - Plus One!

My original'The "Four-In-One" Routine' appeared in Fingertip Fantasies (page
17/20, Goodliffe Publications, 1968),but I have since made an addition as follows ...

Cut the bottom off the cigarette lighter and insert a book of matches, which fit
neatly inside and will not easily drop out.

Set up: The lighter and matches are in the top of your left jacket sleeve, the
cigarette is in the lower part of the same sleeve, and four loose matches are pinned
by your right thumb against a coin in your right hand.

Routine: Show the coin and appear to place it into your left hand. The matches
are taken, but the coin is stolen back and sleeved up your right sleeve. Open the left
hand, showing the matches and let them fall to the table.

Recover the coin, from your right sleeve, produce it then apparently place it into
your left hand again. Open the left hand, showing that the coin has vanished, then
produce it from the front of your jacket, as the cigarette is retrieved from the left
sleeve.

Perform the 'Push in Vanish' with the coin, as you appear to put the coin into the
left hand again. Sleeve it up the right sleeve. Open the left hand to display the
cigarette, and then place it in the mouth, as though the routine is over.

Both hands now drop to your sides - allowing the coin to fall into your right
hand and the lighter/matches into your left hand. Produce the lighter (pulling it off
the book of matches, which remains hidden in the left hand) and show it. Produce
the coin and apparently place it into the left hand, for the final time, but retain it in
the right hand. Show the change to the book of matches and ... that's it!

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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

The

MflGIClflN

(Formally Club 71
For The Magician)

The following ten items were first published in The Magician magazine
(formally Club 71 - For The Magleians and are reproduced here by kind permission

of owner - Geoff Maltby, editor - Walt Lees and illustrator - Alexander Allen.

Topsy Turvy (Club 71 March 2003)
On Ho liday Thanks to Roy (Club 71May 2003)

The Gone Card Trick (Club 71 Summer 2003)
Bandinage (Club 71July 2003)

The Green Die Mystery (Club 71 Autumn 2003)
Die Easy (Phil Goldstein Club 71 November 2003)

The Green Die Ro lls (The Magician January 2004)

ofSign Five Prediction (The Magician February 2004)

Secret Enclosed (The Magician March 2004)
Twister (The Magician June 2004)

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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

Topsy Turvy

Effect: A long strip of paper is pleated, concertina fashion, and then cut to form a

string of little men, all joining hands. Most people have done this sort of thing at

some time in their lives - usually as children. But in this instance, impossible as it

may seem, one of the little men in the middle of the string is upside down!

Because all the evidence of trickery is destroyed during the performance, the strip

can be left with a spectator to keep. The upside-down man is an integral part of it

and there is no elue as to how he managed to get reversed. Thus it is an ideal

novelty giveaway for children's entertainers and table hoppers.

Method: Although specific dimensions have been used in the following

instructions, these are by no means inflexible. There is absolutely no reason why the

sizes could not be scaled up or down as required. So close-up or stand-up versions

are both possible. Come to that, you do not even need to have little men, you could

make girls, animals or what you like within reason, once you understand the

principle. Iwill offer some suggestions later.

The preparation may seem complicated at a first reading, because it is necessary

to go into a lot of detail, but really it is quite simple. Once you get the idea, a large

number of sets can be quickly prepared simultaneously. First, however, you must

make a template around which to draw the little men, so that they all come out

exactly the same size and shape.

Take a piece of stiff card three inches by two. Fold it in half lengthways and draw

the little man (fig.I). Cut around the outline and open up the shape, as in fig.2. You

will need to keep this template and use it every time you make up a set.

Next, take a piece

of thinnish paper

measuring three Il• A ~ ;i ~.
iinncchheess. bIysusgixgteesetn you 1\

learn with newspaper.

Later, when you are

more practiced, you

can experiment with

various fancy papers.

My latest models are

made from dolls-

house paper with

vertical stripes. These

help with the folding

ete.

Fold the paper in

half across its width,

and then in half

again. Repeat until

you end up with a •
tiled strip, which
when opened out has

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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

eight two-inch divisions (fig.3).
Now, fold the shaded portion in fig.3 in half to praduce fig.4. Next fold the four

right-hand tiles back under the left-hand ones so that fig.5 results - or at least, it will
do once you have taken your card template, folded it in half and used it to draw the
half of the little man shape also shown in the diagram.

Fig.6 is a dose up of the section with the little man outline you have just drawn.
Use a sharp knife to cut along the top and bottom lines of his arms but do not cut
thraugh their ends, where they join hirn to the main strip.

Again use the knife to cut along the dotted line fram top to bottom (except for the
arms), about one eight of an inch in fram the fold, which marks the boundary of the
adjoining piece.

Finally, cut out the entire shape of the little man, apart fram the ends of his arms,
which you leave attached to the main strip of paper.

Open out the whole strip so that the little man appears, as in fig.7. In this
diagram, the left-hand eighth-of-an-inch strip is shown shaded. Cut this away, but
leave the corresponding right-hand strip alone. All the cutting is now finished.

Apply a light coating of gum to the right hand strip marked Y in fig.8. Take care
not to let any get on the ends of his arms. Now draw X over to Y and stick them
together. The end result will be fig.9, i.e., a strip of seven sections with a little man
figure folded in half between the third and fourth panels.

Once the gum has dried, pleat the paper, concertina fashion, along the existing
creases, but in such a manner that the cut-out man remains exposed at the back,
with all the folding being done in frant of hirn. An easy way is to fold the left-hand
side first, away fram hirn. Then fold the right-hand side on top of the left.

The precise method of folding is not critical so long as the figure is not trapped
inside and remains prajecting fram the back. The result should look like fig.lO when
the cut-out is folded over on top.

The template is now used again but this time fully opened out. First fold the little
man over to the left, out of the way, whilst you lightly draw raund the template on
the folded paper. This outline is in an upside-down position, as shown by the dotted
lines. When you have done this, return the little cut-out man to his position in fig.lO
over the dotted lines.

To complete the folding, bring the frantmost panel back over to cover the cut-out,
as in fig.l l. You can mark this with a pencil dot so that you know, at a glance, which
is the right way raund when you start the effect.

I usually prepare a dozen or so sets at a time, and leave them to flatten under a
heavy book. They can then be carried without any danger of opening out
prematurely.

Presentation: Remove the folded strip, noting where the little man is by means of
the pencil dot. Open it out briefly to display it. Do this so that the little man is at the
back and cannot be seen. Be sure to avoid a bright light fram the rear so that his
shadow does not show thraugh the paper. Also take care not to tilt the paper so that
he is spotted swinging about behind.

Re-pleat the strip so that the little man is exposed, but at the rear towards you.
Cut araund the dotted lines shown in fig.lO. Be sure to cut on the inside of the lines
so that any evidence will have been destrayed when you finally open out the strip.
You will, of course, need to cut beneath the upside-down man. I have found that a
feint line drawn on top of hirn helps me to know where the scissors need to go when

Page 53

Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

masked by hirn during the cutting. A few trials will show you •
how much you need to bend hirn out of the way without
exposing hirn - very little!

At the completion of the cutting, open out the strip and there

he will be - upside down in the middle!

Postscript: As already mentioned, other shapes could be cut here
used. In some cases it is not necessary to have a central figure

reversed - it could be a completely different shape instead, e.g.,

a row of triangles is cut, but in the centre is a circle, or the odd Cut along dotted lines

one could have holes to represent a card, or you could have a row of little men with

a little woman amongst them (I am sure you can work out how to make sure people

can tell the difference!) Personally, 1'11stick to the upside-down man for now.

Do make sure to gather up the cut-off pieces and dispose of them. The only clues

to the method (the gluing and pencil outlines) are amongst them - weIl, not quite!

The upside down man is the only one with a fold down his middle. If this worries

you, simply fold the whole packet down the middle before you commence. They

will then all look exactly the same. I didn't want to mention this earlier, in case I

made a complicated explanation even more complicated.

For those of you who would like to go further with the Little Men theme, I would

strongly suggest ~
that you have a look
at David Harkey's

•book, Simply
Harkey, in which IU 1\ \ 11-Cut away shaded
there is a very
clever routine called areas

Handiwork.

David' s effect is

quite unlike mine,

but one routine

could weIl follow

the other under the

pretence of

repeating the trick. Glue X onto Y
The surprise

caused by a

different ending

could be both

amusing and

amazing under the Do not glue ends of anns
right circumstances.
G) --..I • •
Finally, go to the
trouble of making ,I
up my Topsy Turvy
routine, and try it .)

I,
II

,I •

out. I think you'll be

delighted with the

response.

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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

On Holiday Thanks To Roy

This routine is based on Roy Walton's Past Help published in Pabular Vo1.2,No.2
(1975), wh ich was very clever and much fun to perform. The following gets away

from using playing cards by substituting pictures of objects instead. As the
specific names of the objects play no part in the mechanics of the trick, you can

substitute different images if you prefer.

Requirements: Either photocopy and enlarge my sixteen drawings below, or else

get busy with your computer clip art files and produce your own designs. Either

way you will need sixteen cards showing SUBLIMINAL CONDITIONING
different pictures of objects and their names. EYESIGHT TEST

The Eyesight Test card must be worded

and laid out exactly as shown opposite. You "HOLIDAY PRESENTS"

can alter the wording, within certain limits, SOUTHPORT

once you understand how, and why, it EASTBOURNE

works. But for now, I will assurne you do TORQUAY

not, and are using the one depicted. This CLACTON-ON-SEA

card should be large enough for everyone in N.H.S. APPROVED
the audience to see.

Effect: Four spectators are

called upon to assist, and each is

asked to choose a different

holiday resort from the Eyesight ~ .. ~ .
Test card. They then take any four ~
of the picture cards each and are
_,--,}}:t~~)I;~?:l

instructed to mentally select one

of them as a present or souvenir

to take back horne.

The magician, by means of

spelling the names of each

person' s resort, discovers their

thought-of presents. Some

amusement can be generated as

the objects are revealed - 11All the

way to Eastbourne for a kite!" etc.

Presentation And Working:

The picture cards are shuffled and

the assisting spectators take four

each. This is a free choice.

Display the Eyesight Test card

and ask the participants to

imagine they are going on holiday

to one of the places shown. They

can either freely decide among

themselves who is going to go

where, or you can allot a town to

Page 55

Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

each. How this is done does not matter, provided that they all get different places,
and you know who to associate with which destination.

The assistants are then asked to mentally select one of the objects in their four-
card packets. Having done so, they can shuffle their cards face down. This changes
nothing, as you have no idea of who is thinking of what, or where it is in the packet,
anyway.

Collect the packets face down in the following order. First Southport, then
Eastbourne on top of it; Torquay goes on top of that and, finally, Clacton is added.
False shuffle and then deal the cards into four face-down piles on the table. You must
deal the first four cards into a line, then the next four on top of them etc. Do not deal
a pile of four and then another pile etc. This will not work.

Next, turn the four piles face up and spread them a little so that all the pictures
are visible to the participants. When you do this, ensure that each pile remains
separate from the others and that the order of the cards is unchanged.

Ask the Southport spectator to tell you which pile his or her card is in. Once you
know, you could immediately announce the name of the object, because the order in
which the cards were collected, and the manner of dealing the piles, has ensured
that all the Southport choices are the bottom cards of the face-up piles. However, if
you were to do this, the more observant audience members may be able to
reconstruct the method. So a subtler means of discovering the choice is resorted to.

Pick up the indicated pile, turn it face down and speIl S-O-U-T-H-P-O-R-T,
moving one card from the top to the bottom for each letter. When you reach the final
T have the thought-of object named. Then turn over the card to show that you have
arrived at the correct one. Replace the card on top of the face-down packet, which
you then turn over and lay face up to the table.

Next turn to the person destined for Clacton-on-Sea ,and carry out the same
procedure, but at the finish, replace the selected card on the bottom of the face-down
packet before turning it face up and putting it back on the table.

The third person to go to is the one who chose Eastbourne. Carry out the same
spelling procedure but at the finish place the selected card face up on the table,
retaining the remaining three in your hand.

Casually ask the final spectator - Torquay - if his or her object is amongst the
three in your hand. If the answer is yes, speIl to find it using only the three cards,
first turning them face down. Otherwise, place the three in your hand on
Eastbourne's tabled card and ask which pile it is in. On being told, speIl TORQUAY
in that one to find the last card.

Having learned the above, try this variation for a faster, less dealingful
presentation. When Southport is named, hold the packet face-down beneath the
table and remove the top card ... it will be their choice.

SpeIl for Clacton-on-Sea as above. Next, let the spectator do the spelling for
Eastbourne, but take the last three cards from hirn or her. Then if Torquay' s card is
present among those three, it is the top one. If it is in another pile it will be the third
card. You apparently read their minds and remove the appropriate one.

Postscript: Notice that the first four words on the card with the place names on
are Subliminal Conditioning Eyesight Test card. This helps me to remember the
order in which to approach the participants for the final revelations. If you look at
the initialletters of the first four words, you will see that they are S, C, E, T which
also stand for Southport, Clacton, Eastbourne and Torquay!

Page 56

Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

The GONE Card Trick

Effect: Two small plaques are shown to have single letters on either side. These
are placed on the table and a card is then selected. It is returned to a small packet of
cards.

The performer uses the letters on the plaques to spell the word G-O-N-E, during
which all sides are fairly shown.

Suddenly the card is found to have disappeared from the packet. The plaques are
separated to reveal that it has inexplicably arrived between them.

Requirements, Preparation & Set-up: I have previously used the principle of

these plaques in a children's trick called POST and also in an earlier version of this

routine.

They are made from Plasticard, a most useful material obtainable from craft or

model shops. One plaque is solid and unfaked, the other is hollow and acts as an

envelope to conceal a card. The illustration below shows the construction, but note

that for the hollow OIE plaque you will need to use thinner Plasticard so that the

finished result will appear the same as the solid GIN one.

In my first set, I used the same thickness for both plaques and made the GIN one

by sticking three layers together. But it is much easier to use two different

thicknesses and save yourself the extra work.

One final word; Plasticard is very easy to work with. You just score along the line

you want to cut with a craft knife, then bend, and it will break apart cleanly. The

necessary adhesive is obtainable from the same shop - and they usually have the

stick-on letters as well.

Having made the plaques,

insert a duplicate of the card

you intend to force. Then place o
the G plaque on top of the 0
one, so that the cut-out is
concealed.

Have a card to match the

one hidden in the plaques on

top of the deck.

Presentation and working:

Hold the pair of plaques by Hollow Solid
their opposite long sides with plaque plaque

both thumbs on top. Slide the

G plaque to the left and allow

your right thumb to cover the E Thickness of N
cut-out in the 0 plaque, plaques
concealing the visible bit of the greatly
card. As you do this, speIl G-O
aloud. exaggerated
for clarity
The G now goes under the

o and you then turn the

plaques over towards yourself,

Page 57

Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

end for end so that N now appears.
The N plaque is slid over towards your right but does not clear the side of the E

plaque below it until the right first or second finger has pressed against the portion
of the card framed in the cut-out and withdrawn it completely. It then is held
concealed beneath the solid plaque.

Once you have the card secure, continue to move the N plaque to the right so
that the E can be clearly seen. None of this should take any longer than the few
moments required for spelling aloud the letters N and E.

If you have done all this correctly, you will now have the card hidden under the
N plaque, whieh is then placed back on the E as you complete the spelling of G-O-
N-E.

The card is sandwiehed between the plaques ready to be revealed when you
separate them. The handling is very clean and at the completion the cut-out is on the
underside of its plaque, so is not seen.

Now that the handling for the production has been described, here is the method
for the force and vanish of the card.

Shuffle the deck, but keep the top card in place. Next deal a small number of
cards face down onto the table, but do not say how many there are. You will need to
know yourself but count silently. Assurne you have dealt six. These cards are picked
up and spread in a small face-down fan for the spectator to point to one. The
selected card is removed and placed, face-unseen, on top of the still fanned packet.

You now close the fan but get a break beneath the top two cards - an automatie
get-ready for a double lift, which move you now proceed to do. Show the force card
to the spectator and then turn the double face down on top of the packet.

The packet is next placed on the table as you talk about word power. To illustrate
what this is, use the plaques as described above, to speIl G-O-N-E.

The plaques now have the duplicate card between them and are placed on the
table. Piek up the packet of cards and hold it face up stating that such is the strength
of word power that the card really has gone!

To prove it you deal the cards one-at-a-time onto the table, turning them face
down on top of each other as you do so. Assuming you are using a packet of six,
you buckle the bottom one on the count of four, so that the two cards above it can be
taken, as one, and go down together - the force card being hidden. The final card is
then dealt on top. The selection has apparently vanished.

Ask if they know where it has gone, then slide the plaques apart to reveal its
arrival.

Note: The above routine is basieally the same as Bob's Magieal Ca$h Cards,
whieh can be found elsewhere in this book. It is included here merely for the sake of
completion.

It should be obvious from this that the principle is capable of a great many
variations, making it ideal for applying to routines that need to revolve around a
certain product or company. So long as you can come up with a four letter hook-
word, that encapsulates the product or company ... it is ideal! It should also be
obvious that you can vary the size of the plaques to suit the size of your audience.

The illustrations that accompany the description of Magieal Ca$h Cards are
different from the ones here. If you had trouble understanding the construction of
the hollow plaque from the description there, all should be crystal clear now.

Page 58

Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

Bandinage

Effect: A spectator shuffles a borrowed deck and then hands it to the magician,

who states that he has a favourite card - the three of clubs.

Another card is freely chosen and returned - this will represent the spectator's

lucky card -let's assume it is the jack of diamonds. The performer does not need to

know what it is, but everyone else should see and remember it.

Having given the deck a shuffle, the magician wraps an elastic band around it,

crossing this over so that the deck is secured on all sides.

Next, the magician states that, with the deck behind his back, he will first try to

find his own favourite card, the three of clubs, and contrive to bring it to the face.

The deck goes behind his back for only a moment. When it returns to the front,

the three of clubs has somehow been brought to the face, still trapped beneath the

band. This, however, is only a preliminary.

"Now for the real magic!" announces the performer, and turns the hand holding

the deck palm downwards for a moment, so that the three of clubs is facing the

floor. When the hand is turned palm up again, the jack of diamonds has replaced the

three as the face card of the deck, even though the rubber band has not moved!

The deck is immediately returned to the lender, who may remove the band and

find no clue as to how this remarkable effect was achieved. The vanished three of

clubs is discovered somewhere in the centre.

Preparation: First you must make a feke which consists of three or four cards

stuck together and attached to a pull. (I prefer to use Poker sized ones but Bridge

cards are fine.) To construct this, fasten a loop of fine nylon fishing line to the back

of an old card. The length of the loop is such that about three inches of it extend

beyond the end of the card. Fig.l shows the detailed arrangement. Note how a piece

of card goes through the centre of the loop and is stuck to the back of the card to

really secure the nylon as shown. Also, notice where the loop is threaded through

two small holes in the card. The reason for the necessity to do this will become

apparent shortly.

Take a low spot card (this will have a better •
chance of contrasting well with the chosen one, and
in the above example 1suggested the three of clubs)
and stick it over the face of the gimmick so the spot

side shows. As a result, the holes through which the

thread passes, will now be covered. Next stick

another old card face down on the back of the

gimmick so that the loop emerges from being

trapped between the two.

Stick a piece of matt black paper or fablon to

completely cover the back card. You should now

have a thick three of clubs (or whatever) with a

black back and a loop of nylon securely attached to

one end.

Place an elastic band around the gimmick so that

it is crosses over, as in fig.2. You will have to cut the

band in order to pass it through the nylon loop and

Page 59

Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

then knot it again on the rear side.
Only one more thing needs to be done before you can proceed with learning the

routine. Fasten a piece of the same nylon cord to the centre of the loop. This is the
pull and has to be able to go up your right sleeve, across your back and down the
left sleeve where it is secured by a black elastic band (or your watch strap) to your
wrist.

You will have to experiment to find the best length to suit yourself. It will depend
largely on how long your arms are. You want the gimmicked card to be just hidden
inside your sleeve when your arms hang down in a normal relaxed position.

Try putting your coat on and drawing the feke out of your sleeve. Hold it lightly
in your right hand with the hand back upwards. You should find that if you extend
your arms, or just the left hand, the card will be drawn up the sleeve. The nylon
loop acts as a guide which prevents it from snagging on the cuff.

Working: Show an elastic band, which matches the one on the gimmick, and ask
if you may borrow a deck of cards. Say that they must be Poker size or the band will
be too loose. This is a crafty way of making sure that the deck will match the size of
your gimmick! Should you prefer Bridge cards you can use the same ploy by saying
you do not want the band to be too tight.

Before taking the deck, have it shuffled. If working for magicians, make a little
move as though you have glimpsed a card, although actually you have not, but it
gives them a false lead for later. For lay people do not worry about this.

State that you have a favourite card and name the one on your fake. You can now
either simply show them the top card and then control it to the bottom, or have one
selected and returned - so long as it finishes on the bottom. (I would mention here
that in the fifty-two to one chance of them taking your favourite card, you can finish
there and save this trick for later!)

Once a card has been selected and returned as above, pick up the elastic band
and stretch it around the deck in a similar way to the one on your feke. Take care not
to expose the bottom card while doing this.

Now for the action. Place the deck behind your back, as you say you will try to
find your favourite card. Once your arms are behind you, the pull will go slack and
you can reach up your sleeve and draw down the gimmick, placing it on the face of
the deck. Feel the surface for the knot in the elastic band as you do this, so that you
are sure of it being the right way around.

The end is in sight. Bring out your hand holding the deck so that your fingers
cover where the band goes over the edge, disguising the fact that a card has been
added. Also hold it with the back end tilted up a little so that the nylon loop is
pulled down over the end and cannot be seen from the front.

The spectators are now looking at your favourite card but a miraculous change is
about to take place. Turn your hand back upwards and extend your arms a little.
The pull immediately takes over, and the extra card goes quietly up your sleeve. As
soon as it does so, the hand turns palm up and the chosen card is staring them in the
face!

Immediately hand over the deck and ask for your band back. Then watch them
look through the deck for your favourite card, which they will of course find
somewhere in the centre, much to their surprise.

I have written this out in great detail and do hope that you will give it the
attention it deserves. It is too good to spoil.

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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

The Green Die Mystery

Effect: A card is chosen and returned to the deck, which the performer shuffles so
that its position is not known.

A second spectator is handed a large die, which has already been shown and
examined, and is claimed to have magical powers. The assistant is asked to decide
how many times it is to be rolled - say from one to five, although there is no limit.

Assurne the answer is three, and that on the first roll it shows a five. Five cards
are counted from the top to the bottom of the deck. This is repeated for the next two
rolls, so that the card ultimately arriving on top is there completely by chance. This
is removed and balanced on the die.

The spectator, who originally selected a card, is asked to name it. The one just
arrived at is then turned face up to show that, regardless of the fairness of the
procedure, the second spectator has rolled the die exactly as required in order to
locate the chosen card correctly!

Method: This is really cheeky, but most effective - and as we are so often told, it
is only the effect that counts. So, I hope you will appreciate its simplicity.

First, find a really attractive die, the larger the better. Next you require a Rough &
Smooth force deck (I can hear your groans already!) and finally you will need to
understand the subtlety of the handling.

The routine commences with all the attention on the die. It is given for
examination and talked about to some extent. Only afterwards is the deck
introduced and spread face up to show the mixed condition of the cards.

Turn the cards face down and let a spectator point to one. This is cut to the top
then lifted off (fingers at the outer end, thumb at the inner) and shown to the
spectators,as you turn your head away. Remark that you do not want to see it. Note
that this method of displaying the card avoids having to push it off, something
which is not always too easy with these decks.

Replace the card on top and cut it into the deck. Then do a quick overhand
shuffle, so that it is apparently lost.

The second spectator now decides how many times to roll the die. Much
attention is given to this decision, as though it were of great importance! The
spectator then rolls it, and after each roll you quickly count that number of (double)
cards from the top to the bottom of the deck. Because they are going from the top to
the bottom, everything looks fair as the deck does not diminish in size.

At the completion of this rolling and dealing/ counting, you remove the top card
in the same way you did when it was originally selected, so that again you do not
have to push it off. This handling is justified and made to look natural when you
reach forward and balance the card on the die.

It is all over now. Build up the tension by commenting on how fair the handling
was, then turn the card face up to show that it is correct.

Walt Lee's editorial postscript: If you are a second-dealer, you can dispense with
the trick deck. Just get the card to the top and second deal. There are two advantages
to this. One is that you never have to deal more than six continuous seconds. The
other is that focusing attention on the die takes the heat away from your hands. In
this case, you would deal the cards directly onto the table, then return them to the
bottom of the deck before the next roll.

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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

EasyDie By Phil Goldstein

Phil Goldstein's routine is reproduced here,
for the sake of completeness, with the full
permission of Phil, Geoff Maltby and Walt
Lees. My sincere thanks to them all for their

generosity. - Bob Ostin.

Dice and playing cards form a pleasing combination that
has been explored by many, myself included. The Autumn
issue of Club 71 - for the Magician contained a commercial

routine by Bob Ostin, The Green Die Mystery, that
employed a gimmicked deck of cards.

Editor Walt Lees offered an alternative method with a normal deck and
second dealing. In toying with those ideas, I devised the following, in wh ich

sleights and gaffs are eschewed. - Phil Goldstein.

The plot is similar to the Ostin effect. From a shuffled deck, a spectator selects a
card. Five more cards are withdrawn. The balance of the deck is put away. A
participant mixes the six-card packet, so that the location of the selection among the
nulls is unknown.

The performer comments, "These six cards correlate to the six sides of a
regulation die." With that, a die is introduced, and rolled several times to verify that
it is ordinary. A procedure is explained, "A participant will roll the die, and
whatever number comes up, that quantity of cards will be transferred from the top
to the bottom of the packet. By following this procedure to its logical conclusion,"
says the magician, "we will arrive at a specific card." The card thus arrived at is
indeed the previously chosen one.

"Following this procedure to its logical conclusion" is a deliberately ambiguous
turn of phrase, which allows for options that will yield the desired results.

To begin, you will need to determine the position of the selection among the
nulls. If the deck in play has a one-way back, this is an exceedingly easy matter.
Otherwise, there are alternatives. Perhaps the simplest is to gain knowledge of the
selection's identity (via a force or glimpse). Once that card is mixed with the nulls,
openly turn the packet face up and spread the cards for displayas you tell the
participant, "You are the only person who knows which of these cards is our target."
Of course, during that brief display you note the position of the selection.

There are yet further avenues, such as crimps or nicks. I willleave that choice to
the reader.

At any rate, once the position of the target card is determined, cut or shuffle the
cards in such a way as to bring it to third from the top in the face-down packet.

Hand the packet to a spectator and, with the appropriate introduction, bring out
the die. After the die has been examined, describe the upcoming procedure, using
the wording given above.

A person is asked to roll the die. Now, if the number three is rolled, the work is
over. Direct the person holding the packet to transfer the first card from top to
bottom, then the second. As the third card is removed for transfer, halt the activity.

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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magieal Inventions

Point out that this third card is the one arrived at by the roll of the die. Have the
original partieipant name the target card, then have the stopped-at card turned over
to reveal the successful result.

If the rolled number is two, the effect can be completed with equal effidency. The
person holding the packet transfers two cards from top to bottom. Point out the
fairness of this, explaining that pure chance has determined what card has been
arrived at - pointing to the new top card of the packet. Have the target card named,
then have the top card turned over to reveal the successful result.

Now, if a number other than three or two is rolled, it is still a relatively simple
matter to arrive at the desired card. Whatever the rolled number, have the person
holding the packet make the designated number of transfers. Now, continue by
saying, "That number was determined by chance. We'll continue, with another
arbitrary choiee." Ask a spectator to use one finger to tip the die over in any
direction - left, right, forward or backward - to produce the next number to be used.

Now, if the initial number was one and the tipped-to number is two, you've
reached the desired total of three. Therefore, stop the procedure and have the card
thus arrived at turned up to reveal that it is the target card.

If the total of the initial number and the tipped-to number is more than three, fear
not. Another viable total is eight. That can be achieved in three different ways: rolled
two plus tipped-to six, rolled six plus tipped-to two, rolled five plus tipped-to three.
In any of these situations, after the second transfer activity is completed, the card on
top of the packet will be the target card.

If the total of the initial number and the tipped-to number is other than eight,
there's still no problem. Have the die tipped over a second time, in the same
direction as the previous turn. The spectator holding the packet is told to transfer as
many cards from top to bottom as the number now atop the die.

Thedie is then tipped over one last time, again in the same direction, and the
new number on top dictates how many cards are to be transferred. (If the second
tipping action is needed, the third tipping action will also be necessary. Hence, you
can specify the full quantity of turns early enough to convey the idea that the
complete procedure was defined in advance).

Diee are laid out such that opposite sides always total seven. The sequence of one
roll followed by three tip-overs guarantees that the final total of transferred cards will
always be fourteen. Happily enough, this means that once the final set of transfers
has been made, the card atop the packet will be the previously selected one.

The Green Die RoZZs

I was interested in Phil Goldstein' s Die Easy in the November issue of The
Magieian, because it is based on my Green Die Mystery, which appeared in the
Autumn Club 71 - For The Magieian.

It set me thinking of yet another method for achieving the effect without using a
gimmieked deck and, in this case, without any alteration to the rolled die or to the
position of the chosen card. So here it is!

Have a die examined and say that you will use it in conjunction with a magie
spell to find a chosen card. Stress the words magie spelZ. Now have a card selected

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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magieal Inventions

and control it to fourth from the top in a face-down packet of six.
Next, have the die rolled until the spectator is satisfied that the number arrived at

is quite by chance. According to the number you proceed as follows ... If they roll the
numbers one, two or six say, "Now for the magic spell!" Then simply speIl the word
O-N-E (or two or six) dealing off one card for each letter. Turn over the next card-
the 4th. If they roll the number three say, "Oh dear, I really will need a magic speIl!",
as though you are not sure the trick has worked then (in a louder voice) say, "The
magic speIl is HELP!" Count off three cards and turn over the next card - the 4th. If
they roll the numbers four or five - speIl F-O-U-R (or five) and turn over the last
card - the 4th. I know its cheeky, but it solves the problem.

The main thing is to mention the words magie speIl prior to the rolling, so that
with three and four it looks like a gag. For the rest it does not appear to be a
contrivance that you have not mentioned previously. Possibly someone may wonder
what would have happened if you had spelled three? (five letters).

Walt Lee's editorial postscript: For three, you could turn the packet face up and
count. You could also do something similar when spelling one, two and six.

Sign 0/ Five Prediction

Effect: A deck is thoroughly shuffled by the spectator and then cut into five face

down packets. Next a matchbox is removed from the pocket and shaken, as you ask

how many matches it may contain. The matchbox is now placed on the centre

packet, and the spectator is asked if it is to be left there or moved to another packet.

Whatever is decided is carried out, so that the box is on a packet of his choice. The

other four packets are now discarded, the box is opened and the index corners of

four cards are tipped out. The top four cards of the selected packet are dealt face up

and match the corners - a remarkable prediction!

Method: Many years ago I devised a fake matchbox with which I could add

cards to a deck. This routine uses a much improved box and does away with the

matches in a crafty way so that when it is rattled the spectators think it contains

matches, whereas in fact it contains the index corners of cards. I use corners instead

of half size cards, as the latter are too big to rattle effectively.

First, let.us deal with the construction of the box. The type used is a Swan Vestas

box. Cut four cards into an 'L' shape (fig.A.) and stick them to the bottom of the box

so that they are set in from the side and end by about a sixteenth of an inch. Next,

cut an 'L' shaped piece from the bottom of another box, the dimensions are shown in

the illustration (fig.B.)and

stick it on top. Finally strip the • •
paper from another part of the
spare box and paste it on
around the edges of the

additional bottom and smooth

in with the bottom of the box.

This last step is not essential as Cut four pieces Cut one piece from Stick' X and 'B'
onto 'C' (matchbox).
the bottom of the box should from playing cards. bottom of matchbox.

never be seen, but it makes a

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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

nice job of it. You should now have a box which looks normal, but has a very
shallow false bottom which is open at one side and one end (fig.C.)

Here is how it is used: Place the four cards you are going to predict into the false
bottom face down, also place the matehing index corners from another deck into the
box. To prevent the cards being dislodged in your pocket, place an elastic band
around the box and cards, as shown in fig.D.

The Handling: Have the loaded box in your right hand coat or trouser pocket,
and you are ready to go. The deck is shuffled by the spectator and cut into five
packets, as you emphasise that you have no way of knowing how many cards are in
each packet. This has nothing to do with the effect, but is strong misdirection for
what is to follow.

Next, reach into your pocket and push off the band, then remove the box as
shown in (fig.E.) so that the hand covers the protruding portions of the cards. The
moment the box leaves the pocket, start to shake it as you ask, "How many matches
do you think it holds?" Whatever the answer, you place it down on the centre pile so
that the concealed cards line up with the packet. You can now relax as you ask
whether they would like it moved to another packet. If they say they would, pick up
the box, again covering the protruding cards, and place it on the designated packet.
The remaining four packets are discarded and you complete the effect as follows.

Your right forefinger points to, and presses down on, the cards beneath the box.
Your left hand then slides the box slightly to the left and slightly forward, to
disengage the loaded cards, and enable you to lift the box off the packet.

Now, so far you have been talking about numbers, matches and cards, but you
now say, "I was only kidding, there are no matches in the box, just pieces of playing
cards". Tip the index corners out of the box, which is placed in your pocket. Then
have the top four cards dealt onto the table. Show that they match, and congratulate
the spectator on having achieved a wonderful effect. The matchbox has been, by
now, long since forgotten.

•

"~~"
c'

,

() .

Cards in bottom of box - How they are held in
held by the elastic band. your right hand.

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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

Secret Enclosed

Effect: This is an updated version of something 1first published under the title
Inner Secret in Abracadabra (january 1986).

Two different-coleured paper napkins are screwed up and used for abrief sponge
ball style routine. The elimax, however, is both startling and funny - when one ball
is found inside the other ... even though a spectator has been holding it tightly!

Requirements & Preparation: Buy a couple of packets of good quality paper
napkins one red, the other yellow. If you examine how these are made, you will find
that each napkin consists of two layers of thin paper fastened together around the
edges by being pressed into an embossed design. It is this which makes the routine
possible.

To prepare, separate the layers of two napkins, one red, one yellow by gently
pulling them apart, starting at the centre of each. You now have four napkins but of
only half their original thickness. Take one of the yellow ones, fold it into quarters,
then roll it into a little ball. Keep this, plus a single layer of the red napkin and put
the other two aside for later.

One more thing you will need is to have a wallet with some money in it, in your
jacket pocket. Now take anormal yellow napkin and you are ready.

Presentation & Working: The little balled-up yellow napkin is held secretly by
the curled right third and fourth fingers, as you place both the visible ones (the
normal yellow and the thin red) on the table.

Ask a spectator to choose a colour, forcing yellow by the following equivoque. If
yellow is named, tell the person to pick it up whilst you take the red. If red is
selected say, "I want you to remember that you chose red, as something strange will
happen to it a little later." Then pick it up. Either way you get the red one.

Now say that you are going to fold your napkin into quarters, and you want the
participant to do the same with the yellow one. When this has been done, place your
visible napkin over the finger-palmed one and wrap the corners down around it,
then immediately roll it into a ball with the concealed one safely inside.

The spectator rolls up the yellow one in a similar-looking manner. The result will
be two balls of the same size and weight. Unbeknown to the audience, the red has a
yellow one inside.

Set the two balls about nine inches apart on the table. The left hand is placed
palm upwards, so that its fingers briefly cover the left ball. As the right hand
apparently puts the other ball into the left hand, and the fingers supposedly elose
around it, the one beneath them pops into view. This distracts the audience' s
attention at the precise moment when the chicanery takes place, enabling the right
hand's ball to be simply retained behind the fingers. The left one is then taken into
the right hand, which now contains both. 1 am told this is a Martin Gardner concept
(Walt Lees - 1always thought it was Laurie Irelands, but 1could be wrong.) and is
certainly most effective.

The hands are tapped on the table and opened to show both balls in the right
hand. This is then repeated, and any other suitable sponge ball moves can be added
ifyou wish.

The surprise finish is now performed as follows. Ask the spectator to pick up the
red ball and hold it tightly in a elenched fist. State that you will bet that you can

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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

make the yellow one join it, despite their closed fingers. Reach into your pocket and
take out the wallet. Open it and remove some money, which you place in a
prominent position. Casually leave the wallet on the table but towards the rear edge,
a little in front of yourself.

Put the yellow ball on the money and say, "That's the bet." Pick up the yellow
ball again, and apparently place it into the left hand really retaining it in the right. As
the right hand moves away, and you talk about the bet, it picks up the wallet and
returns it to the pocket. The ball goes along with it and is ditched.

You are now clean, and can build up the climax before opening your left hand to
show that the ball has gone. The spectator opens his (or her) hand. To your dismay it
appears to contain only the red ball.

At this point you say, "Wait aminute!" Showing that both your hands are empty,
take the ball and open it out to reveal the yellow one inside, then quickly pocket the
money and run!

Postscript: It would seem as though it ought to be magically stronger if the
spectator opened out the ball. In practice I have found that people, who are unused
to doing so, fumble about and are generally far too slow. So to keep up the
momentum, I prefer to do it myself.

Twister

Effect: An ace is removed from the deck and placed face up on the table. A die is
now shown and set down on the centre spot of the ace.

A card is next selected, returned to the deck and shuffled in. The performer then
deals cards onto the table by the side of the ace. Suddenly, without being touched,
the die twists around. The card held in the hand, at that moment, turns out to be the
selected one!

Method: First you must make a faked die - don't panic - it really is quite easy.
Find a cheap plastic one (mine came out of a Christmas cracker). It needs to be
hollow, as you are going to remove one of its sides. You will be able to tell if it is the
right sort, because you can see the hairline joins where it is fastened together.

The easy way to remove a side is to drill a hole through one of the spots and
either push or pull the appropriate section out with a piece of bent wire. The hole
you drill should ideally be through a central spot - the one, three or five.

Once you have pulled the side off, the hard work is done. Place a small magnet
into the die and secure it with a suitable adhesive, e.g. balsa cement. Stick the side
back on and finally seal up the hole through which you drilled, again using balsa or
polystyrene cement. But, and this is the subtlety on which the trick depends, leave a
tiny blob of the adhesive protruding from the hole, so that it solidifies as a Iittle
lump. When it is dry, paint it black (if the die is white) or white (if the die is black),
as it is supposed to be a spot. The result will be a die with a magnet in it, and a
protruding spot to act as a pivot point on which it can twist - all the rest are either
flush or recessed.

Apart from the special die you need a small bar magnet, which can be secretly
gripped between the base and tip of the left third finger.

Before going any further, you must test the relationship between the die and the
bar magnet to find out which is the correct polarity. To do this, place the die pivot

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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions
side down on a card, so that it has a smooth surface to twist on. Now move your left
hand, with the magnet concealed, slowly towards the card until the die spins. Once
you have found the correct orientation for the die to be either repelled or attracted,
remember which spots were facing you beforehand, and which way round you were
holding the bar magnet.

Working: The handling is as follows. PIace an ace on the table, with the die on
the centre spot facing in the correct direction. Now have a card selected, returned
then control it to a known position. It is easy to do this, even though the bar magnet
is concealed in your left hand.

With the deck held in the left hand, where it hides the magnet, start dealing cards
onto the table about three or four inches to the right of the die. All the emphasis is
on the right hand as it takes the cards. Silently count the cards, and when you reach
the selected one, allow the left hand to come a little dos er to the die. Suddenly the die
will twist around in an unexpected manner.

All the attention reverts to the right hand, which now turns its card face up to
show that the die has found the correct one.

Postscript: You can, of course, do this with a borrowed deck. Also, it is not too
difficult to go south with the bar magnet.

(Formal1y Club 71
For The Magician)

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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions Bird

Two Routines For The Pecking

The effect where a toy bird moves around a circle of cards, and stops at the
selection, has always amused laymen. The problem, however, has been getting the

bird to stop in the right place. One solution is for all the cards in the circle to be
the same! However, the difficulty then is convincing those watehing that they are
different! Here are two solutions - the first for magicians, the second for laymen.

Routine 1: Have eleven all-alike cards on top of the deck. On top of these have
one indifferent card. You now ask someone to select a card. Do the slip-force, where
one card from the all-alike bank is run beneath the remaining cards until the
spectator points to one, at which stage the deck is broken at that point as his card is
slipped above the bottom card (force card) of the right hand packet. Both hands are
then raised for his selection to be seen. In effect you have forced a force card! But
because it has been moved from the bank, indifferent cards are seen either side of it!
Be careful not to expose the all-alike cards at top of the deck. The deck is re-
assembled, false shuffled and then a circle of face down cards is dealt ready for the
performance of the bird.

This circle will consist of the indifferent card at 12 o'clock, the remainder being
force cards. The bird is wound up and placed by the spectator in the centre facing
any way they like. After the bird has completed its gyrations, and is pointing to a
card, you pick up the card at 12 o'clock - the indifferent card - and flash the face as
you say, "No-one knew where your card was, but the bird knew !" You then use this
odd card to scoop up the remainder and return them to the face up deck. The single
tabled card, remaining with the bird, is now shown as the chosen card.

At this stage you will wonder what would happen if the bird stopped at the odd
card. Well, if it does, you have a different but very funny finish. Especially as this is
the version for magicians! You say, "[ust look at this perverse bird. I've been training
it for months and it had to pick (whatever the odd card is). If it had stopped here, or
here, or here, (turn the all-alike cards face up) it would have found your card, but it
had to pick the wrong one!" Everyone will assurne this was the comedy finish you
wanted, so they are left wondering how you made the bird stop at the one odd card!

Routine 2: This simple, so easy, solution is the one I use constantly for laymen.
I'm surprised that, so far as I can tell, it has not been thought of before (perhaps it
has?). I use a rough-and-smooth forcing deck and it is handled like this ... First, the
bird is shown the cards, and so of course are the spectators. The deck is now turned
face down and a card pointed to. This card is cut to the top and lifted off and shown
to the spectator. It is then returned and the cards are mixed up a bit. The bird is then
placed on the table and little packets of cards are pushed off and placed around the
bird. You now say that the bird will stop at the packet of cards containing the
selected card. When the bird stops at a packet you say, "Wouldn't it be amazing if
the bird had not only found the correct packet, but your card was right on the top?"
Lift off the top card, which of course has to be their card, and whilst they are giving
the bird a round of applause, casually pick up the packets turning them face up as
the deck is re-assembled.

One final point. To prevent the bird wandering, I place it on a little glass dish just
large enough to take its feet.

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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

The Searcher

It was whilst trying to invent a new card force that the following routine was
born. I have christened the move, used to accomplish the routine, the Elevator
Placement (or E.P.)move. It can, I believe, be used for many other purposes. It

may (or may not) be a new move - not being a cardman, I wouldn't know.
All I can say is... it was new to mel

Effect: A selected card is inserted face up crosswise into the deck. The deck is cut

at this point and it is seen that the face up card has been placed right next to its mate

(ie. the ace of clubs next to the ace of spades). Both the original selection and the

insertion into the deck are quite free of deception.

Method: Stack the deck in pairs. Now have a card selected and turned face up.

Cut the deck at the point of selection and complete the cut. Glimpse the bottom card

and if it is the mate of the selected card, shuffle the deck leaving it in place. If it is

not, shuffle but leave the top card in place, (its mate). If the card was on the bottom,

slide it slightly over to the right. If it is on the top, double undercut it to the bottom,

and in the process, leave it protruding to the right. The spectator is now asked to

insert their face up card crosswise into the deck anywhere they like (fig.!).As soon

as this is done you emphasise the fairness of everything so far and then carry out the

E.P.move as follows ... The left fingers go under the deck, but not as far as the card

you moved to the right. The thumb then presses lightly down, and the right hand

upper packet remains stationary whilst the left hand packet, with the face up card,

moves to the left (fig.2) as you say, "Are you quite sure that this where you wanted

to place your card?" The original bottom card is now beneath the right hand packet,

but all attention is on the left hand packet. Should they say, "No!", let them remove

the card, reassemble the deck with the bottom card still protruding, and start again.

The upper portion is now dropped on top of the lower portion, thus placing the

original bottom (mate card) onto the face up card - the E.P.move. To complete the

effect, turn the deck face up so that the crosswise card is now face down and

pointing to the right. Tip this card

over to the left, with all the cards ~ ~ ~~ •
//>r\-,above it, and show th~t the .two. r=l-~·Ht/
cards match at the pomt of insertion ', .

(fig.5).

It will be obvious that the E.P. •
move can also be used to place a
card beneath the crosswise card
with just a slight change in the
handling. The gap between the

packet and the stolen card facilitates

this action. Also, of course, a

business card or prediction could be

substituted for the face up card. •
I think that my good friend Peter

Kane would have liked this, and I
hope that you will too.

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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

The "Colour Conscious" Force

This is a neat little device which will force a person's name (or indeed anything).
It is unusual, easy to construct, and has one aspect which may deceive some of
your magician friends.

Construction: First obtain one of those large wire paper clips, which Woolworths

(and many other stationers) are currently selling - the one I use measures 3" long by

1/2" wide, but I believe even larger ones are available and would be

better.

The paper clip is now clipped over a piece of blank card for about 1"

of its length and is stuck in place all around on one side with a clear

adhesive. I use Balsa Cement, and when it is set, the card is trimmed

away all around the clip - so that the little gimmick, as shown in fig.1, is

produced.

You must now write on the card the name to be forced, choosing a

name, which will enable you to disguise the edge of the card within the

clip - in my case the first stroke of the name Peter, as in fig.1.

Next, take a piece of stiff card and fold it off-centre, as shown in fig. 2.

Use a pack of feIt tip pens to mark out the card, as also shown in fig.2.

The arrows are in fact ALL different colours and the two points, of each

coloured arrow, meet when the card is folded flat, as in fig.3. The thinner

lines, between the names, are all in black ink. The names (Albert, Ronald,

Joan, Harry, Robert, Daniel, Dorothy, Owen, Thomas and Roy) are also
-- -- •along the crease,
written in black ink, as is the name Peter on the paper clip gimmick.

Set-up: Predict the name Peter, and place it into an envelope. Now

fold the card,

-- --back of the card,
and clip the

envelope to the
-- -as depicted by the
-dotted lines in
- -figA. You could, if
- --you prefer,
- -dispense with the
- -envelope and
-- -simply have your
-prediction folded
-- --and clipped
-- --Handling:
beneath the card.

--. --card, holding it
Show the folded

-. -thumb above, and
closed with your
-remove the
~
•envelope (or
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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

Afolded prediction) from below stating that it

Wr--::::--."111"'"contains a prediction. hand it to someone to
holdonto. ~

Now open out the card, leaving the clip

in place, and show that each name has a

coloured arrow pointing to it. Do not linger

over this as someone may remember the

position of the names, What 1do is show

the list to the spectators upside-down, as in

fig.4, but with the card fully opened, for

onlya second or two, as 1remark, "I don't

want you to be affected by the names - only

the colours". The card is now folded flat

again.

At this stage you can patter about your

certainty that the spectator will choose a

certain colour, as you slide the paper clip

back-and-forth along the edge of the folded

card, being careful not to expose the fake.

When the spectator finally calls, "Stop!"

you emphasise the colour he has stopped at

and then open the card out - and here is the

clincher - when the card is opened, a name is seen within the clip (Peter) and the end

of the arrow in the correct colour is still pointing to it!

The envelope is now opened and the prediction proves to be correct. It will be

obvious that many variations on this theme will be possible, and that the size of the

card will be dependent only on the size of the clip - the larger the better.

The Table-Hopper's Check Card

Before you get too excited ... this is not a trick! However, 1believe that, to table-
hoppers, it will prove a very useful aid.

Having spent so much time, when hopping Tab

tables, taking out a pen to mark off where 1had Table Numbers (cut along dotted lines)

been, 1came up with the following idea. -----------------------.

Carry, in your close-up box, a little card as

shown opposite. Write, with a borrowed pen if
you like, your designated table numbers in the
left hand column, and as you work them ...
simply tear off the tabs to the right of them.
When they've all gone ... you've finished!

The advantages are that there won't be a

trace of biro on your shirt, and there is no need
to carry a pen around either!

Note: You don't really need to cut along the
dotted lines ... if you can tear carefully!

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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

Sleightly Haunted

This is the deck that cuts itself using a borrowed
deck and no threads. The gimmick is made from a
sheet of brass or tin. A piece about 1 and 7/ 8th inches
long and 1/4 inch wide is required. This strip of metal
is pointed at one end and has a small blob of solder at
the other end on both sides. The solder blob is filed
away at the inner end giving it a vertical face to the
metal strip. The pointed end of the strip is turned
upwards at one end for about I/16th of an inch.

At the start, the gimmick or 'pick' is held under the
right forefinger, which is slightly crooked to receive it,
in a sort of finger palm. The pointed end is nearest the
finger tip and the solder end nearest the palm.

Borrow the deck and spread it face up between the
hands for the spectator to indicate any card. The card is not removed from the deck.
When the spectator has pointed to a card you elose the deck and at the same time
the 'pick' is slipped above the selection. Release the 'pick' which is stuck in the deck
up to the solder blob but of course keep it concealed from the audience. Turn the
deck face down bringing the 'pick' to the left side of the deck. The fingers of the
right hand conceal the pick from view. Only a light packet of cards is required above
the pick, so you may have to cut a few cards from the top to the bottom of the deck.

The deck is set on the right palm, the 'pick' under the tip of the third finger as
shown in the dia gram. The fingers curl a little inwards and the third finger applies a
little pressure to the 'pick'. The 'pick' slowly levers up the upper portion of the deck
and causes it to swivel to the side on its point providing an eerie cutting effect. It
appears to happen without any movement of the hand or fingers. The left hand
approaches and completes the cut stealing the 'pick' in the process. The top card of
the lower half of the deck is flipped over to reveal the selection.

Thought Transmitter

Effect: A small box, with a button protruding from the front is shown all around.

It is described as a Thought Transmitter. The back of the box is now removed to show

the inner workings - with a cod explanation.

The Thought Transmitter, you explain, to give

it its full title, is a High Speed Thought Wave

Oscillator Box, and is wound up as you patter.

Someone chooses a playing card, concentrates

on it, then takes the box, points it towards

someone else and presses the button. This

second person is asked if he has received the

thought of card. He says he has and ... names it!

Method: The button on the front of the box Hand-buzzer.
is actually a hand-buzzer (vibrator), which can

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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

be bought from any joke shop. This hand-buzzer is shown in fig.l. The box is
covered in wires, lights etc. and the insides can have various (non-functioning)
electronic components glued in place. The back panel of the box slides into place,
however, unknown to audience, a playing card is stuck on the rear of this panel.
When the box was first shown the card was hidden inside. Once the innards have
been shown, the back is replaced the other way round, so that the card is outside the
box. To do this you merely lower the box onto the tabled back section.

A duplicate of the card stuck to the back panel is now forced. They concentrate
on their card then take the box, point it towards someone else and press the button.
This second person sees the card on the back of the box, and is therefore cued to
name it. The sound of the hand-buzzer covers his initial surprise at seeing the card.

Note: Bob always holds onto the box whilst they press the button. This means
that there is no chance of them accidentally exposing the method.

On Edge

Effect: The words WHICH CARD? are seen written along one of the long edges
of your deck of cards. A card is selected, and the rest shuffled. The writing on the
edge, obviously scrambled by the shuffling, now reads ... TWO OF CLUBS.When the
selected card is flipped face up ... it is the two of clubs!

Preparation: Cut a window in one of the long sides of your Bicycle card case, as
shown by fig.l. Now cut a piece of white card, a little shorter than the length of the
card case. With an indelible
marker pen write the words
TWO OF CLUBSacross the
piece of card, as shown in
fig.2. Next draw aseries of
thin, horizontal pencillines
across it, as also shown by the
thicker lines in fig.2. Cut
several horizontal slits across
the card, but not completely across. Start them lcm in from one end and stop them
lcm in from the other. Next, hinge this piece of card inside the card case, with tape,
so that it can either be seen through the cut-out window, once it has been hinged
down and the deck inserted, or... is hidden, pressed against the roof of the case by
the inserted deck. Finally, square the deck and carefully write the words WHICH
CARD? along one of the long edges with an indelible marker pen.

Set-up: The deck is inside the card case, with the words WHICH CARD? visible
through the cut-out window. The two of clubs is atop the deck ready to be forced.

Performance: Draw attention to the cut out in the edge of the card case. Let your
audience see the words WHICH CARD? written along the edge of the deck inside.
Tip out the deck, and force the two of clubs on someone. Now, have them shuffle the
cards. Take them back and replace them into the card case, but in doing so... move
the flap down so that it is seen through the window. Show the cut-out window and
comment on how their (or your) shuffling has rearranged the order of the cards so
that the ink in the original wording has rearranged itself too, and now reads TWO
OF CLUBS.Have them flip their card face up and ... it is the two of clubs!

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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

Star Trek

This is based on a very old trick, and has seen many variations. The method
described, however, does away with numbers and has an attractive modern theme.

Effect: Eight coloured discs are shown. It is

explained that each one has the name of a

different celestial body printed on the other

side. The celestial bodies present are also

printed on the box (or envelope) used to MARS
house the discs. The spectator mixes them

and then just thinks of any one of the stars,

planets etc. present. The discs, having been

weIl mixed, are then dealt onto the table,

colour sides up. You now explain that

you will tap the discs, one-at-a-time, and

he is to speIl his chosen destination, but VENUS ~<1/fS
not out loud ... just quietly to hirnself, one

letter for each tap. You ask if he has any

idea where his thought of celestial body SATVRN NEPTUNE
is... he doesn't! You say, "You have no idea

WHERE it is and I have no idea where or MILKYWAY
even WHAT it isf"

So... he mentally speIls his destination,

one letter for each tap, and stops you on ANDROMEDA
the final letter. When he does so you say,

/lI think you have arrived. Where were you CRAB NEBULA
heading?" When he replies, you turn over

the disc and there it is!

Preparation: To make the discs, buy a packet of different coloured sheets of card

from a craft shop. You need a card for each colour of the spectrum ie. red, orange,

yeIlow, green, blue, purpIe, black and white. Now cut discs from the card. Mine are

7cm in diameter, and were cut out using a compass with ablade where the perteil

normally is - obtainable from most good stationers. Using Letraset rub-down letters,

print the names of the eight celestial bodies onto the discs as foIlows... On the RED

disc print the word SUN (speIls with 3Ietters). On the ORANGE disc print the word

MARS (4Ietters). On the YELLOW disc print the word VENUS (51etters). On the

GREEN disc print the word SATURN (6Ietters). On the BLUE disc print the word

NEPTUNE (7Ietters). On the PURPLE disc print the words MILKYWAY(8Ietters).

On the BLACK disc print the word ANDROMEDA ( 9Ietters). On the WHITE disc

print the words CRAB NEBULA (10 letters).

Those of you who own computers, printers, laminators etc. will be able to print

the required coloured circles, onto a sheet of white card, and the names of the

celestial bodies on the other sides. Once they are lamina ted and cut out, you will

have a very professionallooking set that even a dealer would be proud to seIl.

The illustration above shows the MARS disc, and a box easily made from

Plasticard to house the discs. Bob uses a folded piece of card (7cm x 16cm), covered

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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

in a prismatic coloured fablon, which slips around the discs inside the box and
prevents them from falling out.

Method: Proceed exactly as described in the effect as follows ... The first two taps
can be on ANY dises, after that you MUST tap them in the spectrum sequence of
red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purpie, black and white. When they say, "Stop!"
you will be on their chosen destination!

As I mentioned earlier this is a very old idea but the above presentation updates it
and looks pretty. You can make it look even more attractive by sticking self-
adhesive stars on the dises, obtained from the same craft shop.

Incidentally, you can recall the spectrum sequence of red, orange, yellow, green,
blue, purple, black and white by using the well-known jazz number - ROYAL
GARDEN BLUES. If you then imagine that there is a jazz festival running for a
fortnight, you can extend this to ROYAL GARDEN BLUES PLAYEDBOTH WEEKS.
This mnemonic also gets over the problem of there being two colours that begin
with the letter B.

Notes: Originally, Bob did not have the celestial bodies printed on the
box/ envelope. He housed the discs in a box that had the words STARTREK printed
on one side, which was also covered in coloured self-adhesive star stickers. This was
because most people know how to spell them, and if you explain that they will
shortly spell their celestial body as you tap the dises, they have ample time to save
any embarrassment by switching from, say, ANDROMEDA to MARS.

If you choose to take this short-cut in production, you would show the names of
the celestial bodies on the dises, calling them out as you do so, and ask someone to
think of any one of them. Then explain that he will shortly spell its name etc. Call
out the names a second time to make sure that he has one in mind. The only
problem that might arise with this method is if the person remembers that his
celestial body was on the red disc. This is only a minor problem if, when you ask
hirn if he knows WHERE his celestial body is, he points to the red disc and replies,
"There!". If you choose not to print the celestial bodies on the box/envelope, there is
no real need to house the discs in any receptacle - simply pop them in a breast
pocket.

Obviously the cards need not be circular. Reetangular ones will fit your
laminating pouches without the need for any awkward cutting.

Finally, Bob also has a more high-brow version
featuring discs that have the names of the composers;
BACH (4),ELGAR (5),MOZART (6),VIVALDI(7),
SIBELIUS(8), BEETHOVEN (9), STRAVINSKY
(10) and RACHMANINOV (11)printed on one
side, and the design shown opposite on the
other, but on each disc the baton of the
conductor points to a different coloured seetion
of the outer band. This allows you to instantly
spot which disc to tap in the original ROYAL
GARDEN BLUES PLAYEDBOTH WEEKS order.

However, if you think spectators may have
trouble spelling ANDROMEDA or CRAB NEBULA,
imagine the trouble most people will have with the above
composers! Suffice to say, that Bob uses the stars and planets!

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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

GOODLIFFE'S

The following eight items were published in Abracadabra magazine and are
reproduced here by kind permission of Davenports and Abra editor Donald Bevan.

(Triad Cavalcade Abracadabra: 1564, January 17th 1976)

The "Optical" Coin Production
The Signature Fiddle

The Serendipity Card Change
Inner Secret (Abracadabra: 2087, January 24th 1986)

The "No Load" Dice Cup Production

(Abracadabra: 2741, August 7th 1998)

Pr e des tin a ti 0 n (Abracadabra: 2355, March 15th 1991)
Spectator's Choice Coin Penetration

(Abracadabra: 2355, March 15th 1991)

Signature Transposition (Abracadabra: 2355, March 15th 1991)

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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

Triad Cavalcade

Wherever magicians gather, especially in the north of England, you will find Bob
Ostin. Usually in the midst of a crowd on his hands and knees or at a small table,
working close-up miracles. Born Robert Arkley in 1929,Bob's earliest memories

related to magie are of his mother telling fortunes with playing cards, at whieh
she was very adept. This turned Bob's interest towards magie at the age of eleven,

being weaned on the books of Edward Victor.
This interest continued during his early teens. but it was not until National

Service, with the Royal Air Force, that Bob started performing seriously.
On demob, he developed an act and worked clubs and theatres for the next
eighteen years. Wishing to spend more time with his wife and children (two boys
and a girl) he dropped out of the club scene to take up children's magie semi-

professionally and to do close-up magie for the fun of it.
To magicians Bob Ostin is best known for his close-up performances, lectures,

marketed effects and magazine contributions. In 1968he wrote Fingertip
Fantasies, published by Goodliffe and highly praised in this country and

overseas. For the moment, the book is out of print.
Bob's contributions this week include a coin production which, in his hands, is
quite startling. H's easy to do too. There's an oldie dressed up for impromptu use
and a third item mainly for showing to magicians' but easily adapted for others.

The "Optical" Coin Production

This method for producing four (or more) coins from between two cards is based on
an optical illusion, which you really will not believe until you have tried it. Bright
shiny coins should be used for the best effect.

I use this effect to follow my Vanishing Deck, which was published in Abra: 1348
(see page 33 of this book). At the completion of the vanish I was left with two cards,
and wanted to produce the coins so that I could follow with a coin assembly.

To start, the coins are finger palmed in the right hand, with the two cards lying
on the table, or removed from the deck. The left hand picks up a card and places it
lengthways face up into the right hand, so that the coins are covered, as in fig. 1. The
second card is placed crosswise over the first, the right thumb holding the
assembled cards, and coins, as the hand is tilted a little so that the spectators can
clearly see the position.

Up to now they should be
expecting an effect with the
cards and have no idea that
the coins are there. Now for
the move, which is intended
to give the impression that the
coins are prod uced from
betuieen the cards. The left
hand approaches, palm up,
and the first finger goes above

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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

the bottom card and between the top card, whilst the second finger goes beneath the
bottom card and above the right fingers, until it rests on the bottom coin of the stack,
as shown in fig.2. The hand moves smartly back again, and the coin is withdrawn. It
slides along beneath the bottom card until the fingers leave the cards with a slight
upward motion, so that the top card is momentarily bent upwards and released as the
coin appears, gripped between the two fingers! If it is done right it actually looks as
though it travelled from between the cards. I know it doesn't sound possible, but I
can assure you that the illusion is perfeet. No one seems to realise that one finger
went beneath the cards!

The important point is not to make a big thing of it. Just put the cards together
and produce the coins in quick succession.

The Signature Fiddle

This effect is based on an old card trick, but its present dressing is far removed from
the original.

Effect: A spectator is requested to draw lines on a piece of notepaper to divide it
into four quarters. He is then asked to place his signature in one quarter so that it
almost fills the space available. He passes the paper to three more spectators who
each in turn sign one of the remaining
quarters. When this has been done, the paper
is folded and then torn along the lines to
produce four slips of paper each bearing a
signature. Finally, the packet of four slips is
torn in half and the resultant bundle of torn
signatures is cut a few times so that no one
knows which piece of whose signature is
where - if you see what I mean? Up to now
the performer has not touched the paper, which has been supplied by a spectator
and should therefore be beyond suspicion.

The pieces are now handed to the performer, behind his back or under the table,
and after a few moments ... he produces the torn slips, two at a time, placing them
face down on the table. When they are turned face up, it is seen that each signature
has been repaired.

Method: The method is very simple. Proceed exactly as described in the effect,
until the bundle of eight pieces has been formed. Tell the spectator to push a few
pieces from the top of the packet and place them underneath, so that no one knows
where the signatures are. The impression being given is that this action is mixing the
pieces, whereas in fact it is only a running cut which does not destroy the sequence.
The pieces are handed to you. behind your back or under the table. and all you need
do is... push off the top four and hold them between the first and second fingers of
your left hand whilst the bottom four are held between the third and fourth fingers.
The right hand now takes the top piece of each packet and places them on the table
as a pair. Do the same with the balance of the pieces. When the pairs are turned face
up, the signatures are seen to be complete.

Sometimes I have worked this with famous pairs like Anthony and Cleopatra,
Laurel and Hardy, etc. It is also possible to have the pieces torn twice so that sixteen

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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

small pieces result, but it is then necessary to count four lots of four and place them
between the fingers, taking the top piece from each packet of four to resurrect the
signatures, also handling sixteen pieces of paper behind your back is rather tricky, so
I usually do it as described. For those willing to take a chance, you can tell the
spectator to mix the pieces and very often the mix will merely be aseries of cuts as
small pieces of paper are hard to manage.

The Serendipity Card Change

Sometimes we plan the effect, sometimes the method comes first. This little
novelty came about completely by chance - hence the title. It happened like this. I'd
just performed Roy Walton's intriguing effect Card Warp. and was left with a card
that had been folded in both directions (and then straightened out) in my right
hand. So, for no good reason I backpalmed it and, to my amazement, found I had a
folded card at the back of my hand. Now read on...

Effect: The right hand holds a card at the fingertips, as you explain to your fellow
magicians that you have found it much easier to back palm a card after it has been
folded into four and then straightened out again. They will usually smile
condescendingly at this, as the card does not look very elegant with its crease
showing, but you back palm it. So far nothing extraordinary, until you explain that
the card is more easily hidden because the creases cause it to shrink! The hand is
turned so that the card at the back can be seen, and it is indeed a Patience card,
which you remove and place in your pocket with the comment, "Trouble is... it ruins
the cards!"

Method: To make this fake card, first fold a card lengthways and then across its
width in both directions. Make sure that it folds easily by bending it back-and-forth
a few times. Having done this, hold it in the 'ready for back palming' position, and
make sure that the end furthest from the fingers is allowed to fold a little forward
towards the spectator. Back palm the card, and you will be surprised to find that it
folds itself neatly in half on the back of the hand. In fact, if the third and little fingers
release their grip, it is half way to being folded in quarters! If it does not work first
time try again, and make sure the outer end is well forward prior to the back palm
move.

Once you have the knack of doing this, all that remains is to open out the card
and place it back up on the table. Next, take a Patience size card and stick it, face
out, on the lower left segment
of the folded card (fig. 1). A
spot of glue in the centre of
the small card is sufficient
and the edges of the small
card overlap the creases of the
large card. When the glue
sets, try it again (fig. 2), and
this time you will find that
once the card is back palmed,
then the hand turned back
towards the audience, the

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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

small card comes into sight and conceals the folded card behind it (Fig. 3). The left
hand presses the folds flat. as it removes the card from the back of the hand, shows
it briefly, and places it in the pocket.

One further tip. If the end of the small card is bent a little, it will help to ensure
that the outer end of the folded card falls outwards, as required, before the back
palm.

I'm sure that Abra readers will find other effects using the same idea. For
instance, it doesn't have to be a small playing card that appears, it could be your
business card (a duplicate in your left hand being switched in, after the diminish, so
that it could be handed to the spectator), or it could be a book of matches. Let's see
what you make of it.

Inner Secret

Bob Ostin I.B.M. British Ring Winner 1961

This is a kind of sponge ball routine but done with rolled up paper handkerchiefs
or napkins. It has a very surprising finish, which is good for both magicians and
laymen.

Let's deal with the handkerchiefs first - These are obtainable in the large stores,
usually to be found amongst the cake decorations and birthday candles, and are
made in different colours. You will need two packs of good contrasting colours - say
red and yellow. If you examine the handkerchiefs you will discover that each is in
fact two handkerchiefs fastened together around the edges by an embossed design.
If you pull them apart in the middle they will separate. You now have two
handkerchiefs for the price of one! More importantly you have a handkerchief which
looks just as big opened out, but is only half the size when rolled into a ball - an
important factor later on.

Separate a handkerchief of both colours to give four single handkerchiefs. Roll a
yellow handkerchief into a small ball then place a red handkerchief onto the table
and fold the corners into the centre. Place the balled up yellow on top and roll the
red around it. The idea of folding the corners in first is so the yellow will not show
through a single layer of red. Roll this double yellow Ired ball, to make it as small as
possible, and place it in your left jacket pocket. Fold in quarters a single red and
yellow and place them into the same pocket. You are now ready to present the
routine.

Ask a spectator to assist, reach into your pocket, finger palm the double ball and
bring out the handkerchiefs. These are opened out and placed onto the table, as you

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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

ask your helper to choose a colour. If he chooses red - which they usually do - pick
it up and roll it into a ball, but don't make it too tight as you want it to look
something like the palmed one. It is not as difficult as it sounds to roll the tissue
whilst retaining the finger palmed double, but if you have difficulty you can ask the
spectator to do the rolling, and hustle them a little, so they don't have time to make
too good a job of it! Should the spectator choose the yellow say, 'Tm glad you chose
the yellow, because something interesting will happen with it a little later", and then
proceed to roll the red as above.

From here, up to the surprise finish, I do my standard sponge ball routine, which
uses only two balls. You can of course use any other routine so long as you finish
with just two balls on the table. For completion sake, here is my routine - it has been
kept very short to lead quickly into the elimax.

Pick up the balled handkerchief in the R/H and apparently transfer it to the L/H,
dropping the palmed double ball onto the table. Pick it up and pretend to split it in
two. I use Phoa Yan Tiong's Finger Rubbing Move. The two balls are placed about
nine inches apart - the L/H is placed palm up over the left hand ball, and as the
R/H apparently places the right hand ball into the L/H, and the left fingers elose-
the ball beneath the hand comes into view and is taken in the R/H so that the R/H
now contains both balls. I believe Martin Gardner originated this most deceptive
move.

The hands are tapped on the table and opened to show both balls in the R/H.
This can be repeated, although I don't bother. Now ask the spectator to choose either
ball. As soon as the choice is made, pick it up and do an apparent transfer to the
L/H saying, "I will hold the one you choose", and immediately pick up the other ball
and say, "You hold the other one. Don't let me take it away", and place both balls
into the spectator's hand continuing, "Hold it tightly." If you do this correctly, they
will elose their hand so tightly that they will have no idea they have both balls. This
works regardless of them not being sponge, as paper handkerchiefs are also pretty
soft and compressible. You now say, "Go!" Show your ball has vanished and, as in
the standard sponge ball routine, they open their hand and find both balls. So far,
it's a standard type routine, but now for the finish.

Say that you will repeat the effect under impossible conditions. Pick up the double
ball (you can tell which it is because it feels harder). Place it on the spectator's hand,
move your hand away, and say, "elose your hand." Pick up the yellow handkerchief
and roll it into a ball, which is apparently placed into the L/H, but retained in the
right hand. (I use the roll palm vanish). Pick up the other red ball as you say, "We
don't need this one", and place both red and yellow balls in your R/H pocket. You
are now elean and ready to present the finish as strongly as you can.

Ask if they think there is any way that the yellow could possibly join the red?
Don't say the yellow ball - just the colour. Whatever the reply, open your left hand
to show the yellow has disappeared! They open their hand, and to their
disappointment and your feigned surprise, the yellow ball is not there! Until you
smile and say, "Open the red ball- and the inner secret is revealed.

This finish is so unexpected, you could easily win a bet with it if you were so
inelined.

Note: An updated version of the above is Bob's 'Secret Enelosed' routine, which
you'll find elsewhere in this book. Inner Secret is described here for the sake of

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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

completion, but also because there are minor differences between the two routines
that you should be aware of.

You may like to incorporate factors of each routine into the version you
eventually decide to perform.

The UNo Load" Dice Cup
Production

Having stacked dice (please read on) playing cards are produced frorn the cup
one-at-a-time in quick succession until alrnost a full deck lies on the table.
A startling c1irnax,which actually rnakes the stacking easy.

Method: The cards are in the cup to start with! The load is set up as follows -

take three or four cards and bend them across their width so that they can be placed

into the cup. The bend stops them falling out. Now take another small number and

repeat the operation, but stepping them for about half their length to one side.

Continue to do this until you end up with almost a full deck in the cup. With some

cups a full fifty-two may be possible, but the important thing is that the more you

put in, the tighter they grip the cup and will not fall out. More importantly, you will

end up with a cup full of cards with a hole up the middle.

Now for the satisfying bit. When you stack the dice, you stack them in this

narrow hole. So not only do you have a great climax laying in wait, you also cannot

fail to stack the dice! .

However, let me mention here, for those adept at stacking, that it is not all that

easy, as you have to make sure the hole goes over the dice as you pick each one up,

but there is a way out of this problem as follows...

Pick up the first die using the cup, shake it and then drop it out of the cup. Now

say, "That's one." Drop it back in and pick up a second die. Say, "That's two." Drop

it down the hole and stack two and continue in this fashion until all four are

stacked. Expert stackers will not need this handling, but for others it's a cute way of

stacking when you cannot really do it!

Having stacked the dice, look into the cup and spotting the value of a card, (you

did put them in facing the right way I hope), you name the card and then pull it out

of the cup saying how did that get in there. Then continue producing them one-at-a-

time for your startling climax.

Here are a few more thoughts for you on this basic idea. First, for those of you

who can dice-stack, it would probably be a good idea to switch cups, doing all your

normal stacking, and then as an afterthought, do one more stack (having switched

the cup). For magicians this is hardly necessary, as they simply do not expect the

cards to be in there, but it's a thought.

The very rich among you could, no doubt, use five or ten pound notes, but I have

not been able to try this out yet for reasons I will not go into, or how about a roll of

wide ribbon? Now that would look really impressive but its over to you now.

Should you come up with a really good use of this principle, do let Abra know so

that we can all share it.

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Predestination

Effect: Fourteen cards are dealt from the deck, seven face up, seven face down.
They are shuffled together, face up, face down, after which two cards are removed
and placed on the table as a prediction, one of these being face up, the other face
down. The spectator now holds the packet beneath the table, or behind his back, so
that neither he nor the performer can be aware of the face up, face down situation.
The cards are mixed and he then reverses cards as often as he likes so that no one
could possibly know how many are facing in either direction. When he is quite
satisfied the cards are brought back into view and are dealt in front of the two
'prediction' cards, face down cards in front of the face down card, and face up cards
in front of the face up card. The spectator should then be amazed to find that there
are, say, five face up cards in front of the face up five spot, and that when the face
down prediction is turned, over, it is seen to be a seven spot which is the number of
face down cards. An open, and closed prediction, both proving correct.

Method: This is very cheeky and there is one 'card man' who will probably never
speak to me again when he reads this. Still, as Armemann said, "It's the effect that
counts". I had this idea for a very long time but could not do anything about it until
good quality double facers and double backers became available. Here is how they
are used. Remove twelve cards from your deck, then replace them with seven
double backers on the top of the deck, and five double facers on the bottom. Finally,
place a five spot and a seven spot on top of the double facers, making sure that
similar cards do not appear amongst these double facers. You wouldn't want a
duplicate to appear or people might think you were cheating!

You now patter on the theme of 'fate', and saying that you will demonstrate by
using fourteen cards, deal the top seven onto the table, then remarking that you will
have seven face up, turn the deck over and deal another seven from the bottom. The
cards are reversed in the deal so that the two normal cards will be beneath this face
up packet. Casually pick up a packet in either hand, turning the double facer packet
over for a moment, so that they see a back, then shuffle the two packets together.
You now explain how you want the spectator to turn cards face up, or down, whilst
they are out of sight, and demonstrate by turning over the only two cards you could
turn over - the normal five and seven. After this give the packet another shuffle, and
saying that you will use two cards to make a prediction, remove the five and seven,
without drawing particular attention to them. Then place the five face up on the
table and the seven face down.

The spectator is now handed the packet and holding it beneath the table or
behind his back (or if only you and he - with his eyes closed), goes through the
shuffling and reversing procedure, of course he must end up with five face up and
seven face down, as predicted! If he didn't, it would be a good trick!

One final thought. You could start off with a straight deck and have the fake
packet on your Iap, or gripped between your knees beneath the table, to be switched
in as you take his normal fourteen. Then, for just amoment, place it beneath the
table as you illustrate what you want hirn to do, but I am not sure if it is not gilding
the lily, and prefer the version as described. Also, of course, the numbers of cards
can be changed. I just happened to have a five and a seven.

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Spectator's Choice

Coin Penetration

Effect: The spectator is asked for a coin - "...any coin will do". This is then
penetrated by a pencil, and almost immediately returned unharmed.

Method: Drill a S/16th" hole through a E2.00, SOp,lOp and 2p coin, for although
you ask for any coin it is almost certain that one of the above will be offered.

Note: Since this routine originally saw print, the E2.00 coin has been issued.
These are still quite rare, so you may prefer to use just the SOp,lOp and 2p
gimmicks.

Should a smaller coin be produced you remark that, "Perhaps a larger coin
would be better" , and in view of what follows, this will be accepted.

Have the four (or three) coins, in order of value, in your right hand, which is in
your right trouser pocket. As soon as the spectator presents a coin, ditch the three
not required and come out with the appropriate coin fingerpalmed. The borrowed
coin is now taken in the left hand, picked up by the right hand, and switched as it is
dropped back into the left hand which closes over it (only momentarily) before it is
held with the thumb covering the hole, as in fig.l.

The switch must be undetectable for this routine to be effective. Abrief
description of the switch I use will follow after the method.

The right hand follows through from the switch to remove a pencil from the top
pocket. You then tap the edge of the coin, as in fig.2, with the pencil as you say, "Soft
wood, hard metal." Do not say that you are going to penetrate the coin, but rather
give the impression that the coin may penetrate the pencil, so that the coin

•

\

Coin does not slide
because of the angle.

Coin heading for
the sleeve.

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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

penetration comes as more of a surprise when you suddenly say, "Watch" then,
placing the point of the pencil under the thumb, it is pushed through the hole and
displayed for amoment, as in fig3. Note that the left hand is holding the pointed
end of the pencil whilst the right hand, with the coin fingerpalmed, is still holding
the other end. The coin should also be near the right hand fingers at this stage. The
right hand is now apparently going to remove the coin from this end of the pencil
and immediately hand it back to the spectator. This is accomplished as follows.

Move the right hand over the coin, and as you do so the left hand presses the
pencil upwards so that the coin is pressed hard against the right palm. You will now
find that if you keep this pressure on and move the pencil towards the right, the coin
will not slide along the pencil, but will tilt at an angle and move along with the pencil.
This move is the secret of the disposal of the fake coin into the right sleeve and is
done quite quickly.

The impression given is that the right hand is moving the coin back along the
pencil towards the left hand (figA.), but although it still holds the finger palmed
coin, the fake coin remains, due to the pressure on the right palm and wrist, on the
end of the pencil and enters the right sleeve. Do not try to slide the coin off the
pencil and into the sleeve. It is a very hit and miss affair - more often miss! This is
how I discovered the 'tilt and jam' handling. Once the coin is in the sleeve, relax the
pressure and it will fall off the pencil into the sleeve. The left hand draws the pencil
back out of the right hand, whieh opens to reveal the original borrowed coin, whieh
is returned to the spectator.

Although the above has taken quite a bit of describing, the actual effect is over in
less than a minute. I do not think it is a 'show' item, due to bad angles from the
front, but is excellent as a quieky for just a few people really dose-up.

The coin switch I use: I

shall refer to the two coins as IN
'A' and 'B'. Have coin 'A'

finger palmed in the right As the thumb
hand, held by the third and moves away,
little fingers. Coin 'B' is now and the fingers
picked up between the first straighten, 'B' is
and second fingers and thumb c1ipped between
so that it is almost concealed the second and
by these fingers, as in fig. 5. It third fingers
is held so that if all the fingers
and'A' is
released.

were extended, the third finger

- in straightening, would dip it Iß'
between itself and the second
finger, and that is what •
happens, for as the fingers are

straightened, coin 'A' has to fall, which makes the timing automatie, rather than

'taking one and putting another'.

In practiee, just forget coin 'A' and simply piek up a coin as described above and

apparently drop it into your other hand, actually dipping it between your fingers,

then add coin 'B' which will look after itself once the dipping action has been

mastered.

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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

Signature Transposition

Way back in the mid-seventies during a session with Peter Kane, he suggested the
following effect for which he had come up with a highly ingenious method.
I tried to work something out for myself, and here it is,

Effect: Both spectator and performer sign the back of a card. The spectator is led
to believe that the cards will change places, but instead ... it is the signatures which
transpose.

Method: Sign the back of a card, making sure that the signature is towards the
outer end of the card. Place this card fourth from the top of the deck and you are
ready to begin. Spread the cards as you ask the spectator to point to any card, but as
you do so, run the first three cards from left to right and then draw the fourth signed
card beneath them (without disclosing the signature) and continue to run the
balance of the cards above this card. Cardmen will recognise this as the Hofzinzer
force or contral, but you are not, however, going to force this card, but instead, when
the spectator points to a card, you jog his selection forward about half its length and
slip the signed card beneath it. You then emphasise the fairness of the selection as
you cut the right hand portion to the bottom, leaving the outiogged card on top of
the deck with its inner end covering your signature, as in fig.I. Square this selection
on top of the deck, as you hand the pen out to have it signed. Once the card is
signed you double lift to show the face of the card, then turn the double face down so
that it pratrudes over the right side of deck. Turn your hand back uppermost, and
drawing back the spectator's signed card with your thumb, deal the pratruding card
onto the table. This is an old switch which most magicians will be familiar with. At
this stage he should believe that his signature is on the back of this card, whereas in
fact it bears your signature!

Let us continue. Take the deck face up into your right hand, (the spectator's card
is on the bottom). You now say that you will select a card by chance, and shuffle the
face up deck, keeping his signed card in place at the bottom. The old swivel cut force
is now carried out to apparently cut a card from the centre. This would normally be
done with a face down deck, and the card would be turned up at the completion,

•

Signature is The top portion swivels on your right second finger, and is cut to the
under here. bottom, but your left thumb goes between the two packets as this is done,

and pushes out the original bottom card.

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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions
but as the deck is already face up and you do not wish anyone to see the signature
at this stage, you leave it face up. For those who do not know this move, here it is.
Hold the deck face up, as in fig.2. The left thumb now strikes the inner left corner
and cuts off about half the deck which is swive11edaround the right second finger
and comes to rest in the left hand. The left thumb immediately pushes the lower
card of the upper packet out from beneath that packet and (for our present
purposes) drops the upper packet on top so that it protrudes, as in fig.3. If this is
done quickly, and neatly, it appears that it was a random selection from the middle
of the deck.

Remove this card, without letting anyone see the back, then holding it towards
yourself, say, ''1'11sign this card" and picking up the pen, pretend to sign it, but just
scratch your finger on the back, keeping the point of the pen away. You then drop
the card on the table a little away from the other selection.

It is rea11ya11over now. Cover the cards, one with each hand, and say that they
will change places (they don't of course), but having failed you then show that,
incredibly, the signatures have transposed.

Should you not want to sign cards, the effect can be done using stickers. When
you reach the stage where you are apparently placing a sticker on your selection, you
just stick it on your first or second finger and come away with it hidden.

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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magieal Inventions

Ring And Cord

This is Bob's variation to the first phase of Ray Grismer's ring and cord routine.
In the original routine you pretended to put the cord through the ring when it really
went at the back of it. Bob's alteration is to actually put the cord through the ring, so
that the spectator sees this happening, and then seeretly withdraw it.

Here's how: Hold the ring between the second finger and thumb of the palm up
right hand, so that the left hand may insert the cord from the left. As this is done, the
right little finger is raised and lowered again onto the cord so that it is trapped
between the third and little fingers. The end of the cord is seen at this stage to pass
through the ring. Now the right hand turns back uppermost and at the same time
the fingers trapping the cord are raised and the end of the cord is pulled out of the
ring. The left hand now approaches and draws the end of the cord downward over
the thumb and ring. From this point on it is back to the original Grismer routine.

Note: Max Maven believes Ray Grismer's routine first appeared in the
"Magicana" seetion of the Genii magazine, sometime in the 1970s. He didn't know
the specific issue, but thought anyone with a file of the magazine should be able to
track it down ... happy hunting!

The Cridge

Effect: A card visibly bends at one corner..

Method: The corner is pre-creased, and one The dotted line is the pre-creased corner.
end of a narrow a strip of card is glued to it, as
shown opposite. With the card held face up,
pull on this strip, and one corner visibly bends!

For magidans ... say that you prefer the
Cridge to the Crimp. They ask what it is... so
demonstrate the automatie crimping of a card
with your Cridge card! For laymen, it can be
used to find a previously glimpsed selection in
a face up tabled spread. The Cridge card is held
just above the spread and slowly moved along
the cards. One corner bends when you are right
above their card!

David Britland, in one of his many helpful
emailsduringthewritingofthisbook.thinks
that the name Cridge came from a spoof Abra
article by Francis Haxton about an impossible
card move?
Place a spot of glue under the strips of card at
the points marked X in the illustration.

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Improved "Lie Detector"

My original'Lie Detector' routine (Fingertip Fantasies, page 46/49, Goodliffe
Publications, 1968)has been improved since the book was published.

Set 19 cards below a crimped card at the bottom of the deck. A card is selected,
the deck undercut, and the card returned. Cut at the crimp - their card is 20th down.
The answer to each question contains letters in multiples of five, ie. Black? (5),
Spade? (5), or Clubs? (5), Plain? (5), Court? (5).

Variation: Red? (3), Diamond? (7) and 3+7= 10 (twice five). See the book for the
full routine, but note this change for the last question. Ask, "Have you been lying (5)
or telling the truth (5)?" If they reply, "Both!" this is even better as it was not
prompted and you can now deal four cards and turn up the next one!

The Multi-Card Gimmick

The gimmick consists of a card with a number of strips of different cards stuck to
its face, as in fig.l. The gimmick is a very old idea, but used as folIows, to force
one of six cards, it is given a new lease of life.

Have the multi-card fake sixth from the top of

the face down deck with five identical force cards

J~79153(duplicates) above it. Now, count off six cards and

spread them face down. As this is done, draw the

+11. 4t + 4fourth card over to the right, beneath the first three
cards, and run the fifth, the fake, above it. This is

the Hofzinzer Slip Force move. Keep the cards

spread as you turn them, as a unit, face up.

The slipped card will now cover the edge of the

multi-card fake, and you will appear to have six

different cards. Because the cards are spread there

is no block of five as in other methods. Fig.2 shows

a side view as the spread of different (?) cards are

shown.

The spread is now closed up, the cards turned •
face down and dealt in a tabled row. A dice is now
rolled to select one of the cards, and provided the
spectator doesn't roll the number five,

which is the position of the fake card, • Side view when the cards are spread
the force will be successful. faces up.

Number five can, of course, be Ir=~-~-~~
easily avoided by simply counting from
the appropriate end of the row of cards.
If you are happy to use this ruse, do so.

I prefer to use a fake dice with two Multi-card fake This looks like a spread situation
whether viewed from either side.
twos and no five spot in order to avoid

this problem.

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Magical CaSh Cards

Effect: Two small plaques are shown with letters on each side. The letters are

now used to spell the word CASH, and when the plaques are separated ... a folded

twenty pound note is revealed between them!

This is based on my children's trick 'POST', but was devised as a magical gag to

use at the bar.

Preparation: First, you will need to make the plaques. Mine were made from

Plasticard - a most useful material obtainable from craft or model shops. The

illustration shows the construction but note that for the A/H plaque you will need

to use the thinner plasticard so that the CIS plaque r-----------------------------
can be cut from the thicker card and will be
roughly the same thickness as the hollow A/H Plaque' A' is hollow and has the t:20
plaque. In my first set the CIS plaque was made
note inside.

r------------------ --------

from three layers of the thin material, but it is much

easier to use the two thicknesses and save yourself

the extra work. One final word, Plasticard is very

easy to work with. Youjust score along the line you

want with a craft knife, then bend, and it will break

along the line. The adhesive is obtainable from the

same shop, and usually the stick-on-letters as well.

The Handling: Having inserted the note, place

'C' on top of 'A' so that the cut-out is concealed.

Hold the pair of plaques at the sides with thumbs L______________________ __
on top. Slide 'C' to the left and allow your right

thumb to drop into the cut-out and conceal the The cut out is on the 'A' side.
note. As you do this, spell'C - A'.
L_

'C' now goes under' A' and you turn the

plaques over towards yourself end for end so that

'5' now appears. The '5' is slid over towards your

right, but does not clear the side of the 'H' plaque

beneath it, until the right first or second finger

presses through the cut-out and the note is

withdrawn beneath the '5' plaque. Once you have

it secure, continue the move to the right so that the

'H' now appears as you continue with the spelling

of '5' and 'H'. If you have done this correctly, you

will now have the folded note hidden under the '5'

plaque, which is now placed back onto the 'H' to

complete the spelling of 'CASH'. The note is now

ready to be revealed when you separate the

plaques. The handling is very clean and at the

completion the cut-out is not seen, but when you

place the plaques on the table at the finish (or

return them to your pocket), do be sure that the

opening in the side of the hollow plaque is not 'H' is the other side of 'A' when tumed
exposed. side-for-side.

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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

A few final comments. It will help the fast '5' is the other side of 'C' when tumed
withdrawal of the folded note if you put a bit of side-for-side.
wax or similar sticky stuff on the part of the note
which appears through the cut-out. 1usually show
the plaques both sides first and then say, "I am
going to spell the word CASH", but having
moved the 'C' and 'A' sides, 1hesitate as 1say,
"That stands for current account." This gives me a
slight break in the action to secure the note, before
continuing with the spelling of 'S' and 'H', which 1
remark stand for "some hope".

A patter line is to tell the spectators that the
plaques are a new type of cash-card, which does
not require a machine!

When you get used to the handling, try holding
a few coins in the curled right hand fingers - it
does not impede the handling. When you have

produced the note you can then roll it into a tube,
hold it vertically and blow down it, at the same
time release the coins which appear to come from
the rolled up note as you say, " They give change
too!"

Note: The letter cards here are depicted poker
sized. For those who may wish to make a set
without using Plasticard, you can photocopy them
and then use the various hot (or cold) laminating
systems that are currently available to construct
your 'hollow' card and the other. An unblemished
'A' card is reproduced below for this purpose.

You may like to compare this routine, and set of
instructions, with that for Bob's The GONE Card
Trick, which can be found elsewhere in this book.
By reading both, you may more fully understand

the construction of the plaques.

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The Nautilus Card

Effect: The ace of spades, which represents a submarine, is placed face up

crossways amongst three face down blue backed cards representing the ocean. The

submarine rises and descends between these cards and eventually, when trapped

between just two cards, is placed onto the palm of the hand - the bed of the ocean. It

then penetrates the card beneath it to finish on the hand.

Preparation: First you must make a fake card as follows ... Take a blue backed

Bicycle Rider Back design card and cut it in half lengthways - right through the

rider of the bicycle. This design is quite good at hiding the cut when the fake is

complete. Now take just one half, say the right hand half, and use either fine grade

wire wool, or emery paper, to rub down the ends of this half card (from the face) so

that they taper to paper thin. This half card is now stuck to the back of another card

of low value - a one-way face card, say a three of hearts. It is fastened only at the

extreme ends, the adhesive covering about a quarter of an inch. The result is a fake,

as in fig.I. This fake can be further improved by very carefully darkening the cut

edge, although this is probably not necessary as everything is covered in the

handling.

Set-up: To commence the routine, have the fake second from the face of the face

up deck flanked by two other spot cards. The ace of spades (the submarine) can be

anywhere in the deck.

Performance and method: Patter about the ace of spades being a submarine and

run through the deck to locate it, and drop it face up on the table. Say that three

other cards will represent the ocean and remove the three cards from the face of the

deck, the fake being the middle card. These three cards are now turned face down,

so thatthe centre opening on the fake can be entered from the left. The reason for

making the fake with a one-way face was so that, from a face up position, it would

be possible to tell whether the cards should be turned face down end-over-end or

side-over-side to arrive at the above position. The ace of spades is now picked up

face up, and as you say you will demonstrate its ability as a submarine, you put a

slight downwards bend in the outer right corner to facilitate its entry into the fake

card later in the routine. You are now ready to commence the demonstration.

Pick up the three ocean cards and hold them, as in fig.2, then insert the face up

ace of spades beneath the top card, the corner going first and entering the fake until

the position shown in fig.3 is •
reached. You now say that the
submarine is just below the
waves and is about to dive!

Close the spread of three • Fake.
cards and turn the whole
packet round so that the ace of
spades is pointing in the

opposite direction, then spread

the cards and, thanks to the

fake, the submarine has

apparently penetrated the centre

card and now lies above the

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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

bottom card. The ace is now caused to rise again by simply reversing the actions,
this can be repeated if you wish, and you are then ready for the finale.

Say that perhaps an ocean of threes cards is confusing, remove the bottom card
and point out that the ace is trapped between the three of hearts and the, whatever it
is - say four of elubs, and as you say this you separate the two cards in the following
manner ... The left hand takes the ace and the fake (three of hearts), the thumb goes
onto the protruding ace and the fingers go beneath the packet. The left hand now
turns back uppermost, taking the ace and the three so the face of the three is seen,
whilst at the same time the right hand retains the top card and turns palm up. It
looks like the left hand is just holding the two cards together whilst the position is
shown (see fig.4.).

Now reverse, these moves so that once again the ace is seen between the two
cards held in the right hand. Say that the left hand is the bed of the ocean then place
the cards on the left hand, tuming them around, as you do so, and slightly
spreading them. Pause now for effect, then the left thumb pushes the top card to the
right so that the packet eloses, and it continues to push so that the two cards are
spread in the opposite direction, and the ace appears to have penetrated the bottom
card! The left thumb now holds back the ace, as the right hand draws away the other
two cards.

The final clean-up moves now take place. The left hand turns the ace so that it
lies across the fingers and the bottom card (the fake) of the two remaining on the
right hand is tipped face up on top of it, and the last card follows, also being turned
face up. The three cards are spread casually and dropped onto the face up deck.

One final word. I experimented a great deal with the fake, even producing one
out of a single card by splitting and cutting, but it's just not worth it. The fake, as
described, works perfectly and no matter how much it may be improved it could
never be examined, so the time is far better spent in perfecting the routine.

Coins Through Table

And Basket Vanish

This is Bob's variation on Walt Rollins' routine from Bobo's Coin Magie. Walt

used an additional coin. This has been eliminated by the discovery that if a Copper I

Silver coin is placed silver side up, together with the other coins, in the cup, tipping
them out automatically turns the CIS coin over, and it emerges as a copper coin.

At the end of the effect the coins are in the cup, which is placed back into a little
basket from which it was removed. Both basket and coins are now vanished from
the handkerchief. Here' show: The basket has a needle protruding from the bottom
and so becomes a hook basket. It is secretly hooked onto a small close-up pad, which
rests on the table, and is then covered with a silk. The silk is faked as for the glass of
water vanish. The right hand lifts the silk, with the fake beneath, whilst the left hand
lifts the close-up pad and swings it under the right arm so that the basket is at the
back of the arm. The left hand flicks the silk out for the vanish of the basket.

Instead of the last coin in the routine I use a decorative ring. The lid of the basket
has a piece of sponge rubber fastened to it. When the lid is elosed, it presses the ring
on top of the coins and all is secure so no talking is heard during the vanish.

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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

The Credit Card

Here is a good use for that odd-card-out of the deck - the joker.

Effect: A joker is very fairly shown to be free from deception, except for a slot

down the centre. You explain that this is the most useful card in the deck, as it is a

credit card, and as this is said, a silver coin emerges from the slot. Once this surprise

has registered the coin is pushed back through the slot and disappears. Both hands

are empty and the card is left for the spectator to examine.

Method: Take a joker, and using a scalpel (or razor blade), cut a slot in the centre,

as in fig.I. If the blade is sharp, the joker can be in the deck, until required, and the

slot should not affect any other routine, or be obvious until attention is drawn to it.

Performance: Have a coin palmed in the right hand as you run through the deck

and remove the joker, explaining that this is your credit card. Show the card on both

sides a number of times, turning it over end-tor-end ete. between your fingers so

that the spectator is convinced that you have nothing but the card in your hands. The

slot should not be obvious at this stage, although it would not matter should it be

noticed, as a moment later you are going to draw attention to it as follows ...

The card is held by the left fingers as the right hand points to it (good chance to

steady the palmed coin), as in fig2. The forefinger is now rubbed back-and-forth

along the slot fairly quickly (an action done to condition the spectator for a later

move) as you say, "If I do this ... a slot appears in the card." The card is then held, as

in fig.3. As the left hand moves up and the right hand down to open the slot. The
hold on the card is now changed to that shown in figA, and it is turned to the left
ending up, as in fig.5. This brings the left fingers directly below the palmed coin,

G •which is released from the

palm and falls onto the

fingers. At this moment, 810t in

without any delay, the left card.

hand moves away to the left •

with the stolen coin and turns

back uppermost, the fingers

drawing back, as in fig.6, so

that the underside of the card

is seen - the coin remaining

hidden beneath the

fingertips.

The move is now

reversed. The hand turns

palm up, and after a slight The steal - coin
delay, for effect, the coin is drops onto fingers
pushed through the slot
beneath card.

when, if all the moves were

executed correctly, its

appearance should come as a Coin hidden. From here - back to fig.2 for
complete surprise to the the vanish, but coin on fingers
spectator - and so ends part
instead of palm.

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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

one - the prod uction.
Now for the vanish. Holding the card, as in fig.7, the right thumb pushes the coin

through the slot so that it falls onto the right fingers beneath the card. The hold on
the card is then immediately changed back to that shown in fig.2, and once again the
right forefinger rubs the slot to dose it. It is in this action that the coin is shot off the
right fingers and up the sleeve!

This rubbing action, to sleeve a coin, was first shown to me by Bobby Bernard
many years ago. I have used it on many occasions since and always say a silent
thank-you to Bobby, as the coin goes shooting up the sleeve. It is a beautiful move
and ideally suited to this routine, for, as you will have remembered, the spectator
was conditioned to the move way back before the production of the coin!

The card is now either dropped on the table or handed to the spectator - both
hands are seen to be empty - as you remark, "A very useful card - the joker."

Card Case Hold-Out

This is such a simple idea. There are several ways to 'hold back' a card
(or number of cards) inside the card case, as the rest of the deck is tipped out.

Here's one of my methods ...

If you take a look at your own Bicyde card case,

and then compare it to the card case depicted in •

fig.l, you should be able to locate the imaginary

shaded area (in reality it's white) on the inside of

the flap in the illustration. It is here that a simple

gimmick will be glued in place.

The gimmick is shown in fig.2, and is simply a

piece of a second card case that has had the

imaginary shaded area plus as much again from

behind it cut away.

Once the underside of the imaginary shaded

area of the gimmick is glued onto the imaginary

shaded.area of the case, your D.I.Y work is done.

You.can.now insert a card (or any small

number of cards) into the case and position the

flap 'A' of the gimmick so that the underside of it

is resting against the card(s) in the case. The rest of

the deck can now be inserted above the flap 'A'

and the card case main flap and side-flaps can be dosed.

When you wish to perform ... Flip open the main flap and, with the case held in

the position shown by fig.l, dump out the cards into your waiting empty hand. Flap

'A' holds back the card(s) below it and the card case flaps can be dosed and set

aside.

When you wish to reveal the cards in the case... simply open the main flap and,

with the case held upside-down in relation to fig.l - so that the words 'BICYCLE-

RIDER BACK - PLAYING CARDS' are seen on the upper surface - you can tip out

the previously held-back cards from within.

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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

The following four items were first published in Talon or New Talon magazine and
are reproduced here by kind permission of copyright owner Martin Breese
and editor/creator David Britland.

Postmaster (New Talon Vol.l, No.3, 1987)
Araby Location (New Talon Vol.l, No.3, 1987)
Tilt To Countdown (Talon Vol.l, No.l, 1980)

Paper Prison (New Talon Vol.l, No.l)

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Bob Ostin - A Lifetime Of Magical Inventions

Postmaster

Bob Ostin never ceases to amaze me. Every time I meet hirn I ask, "What's new?",
and he says that he's not been doing much magie really, but he did have an idea.

He then proceeds to baffle me with a beautiful piece of close-up magie.
Along with Joe Dignam Bob helped shape my magie al thinking, and I'm glad that
he's represented in these pages. This is an excellent item for the mentalist, but it

is more than just a triek and you'll see that the principle can be used in many
effects. - David Britland.

Effect: The performer takes a sheet of paper, tears it into eight pieces and asks

members of the audience to call out objects, anything at all, and these are written

down on the slips, which the spectators fold into small billets. The billets are mixed

and one handed to the performer who holds it to his temple. After a little

concentration, the performer names an object. The paper is immediately handed to the

spectator who opens the billet and confirms that the performer's guess is correct.

The performer correctly divines the contents of each billet - each one being

immediately checked by the spectators. There is no switching of billets and the whole

thing looks remarkably clean.

Method: Bob has combined two different principles. You must be acquainted

with the basic mnemonic method of memorising ten objects in order. This is, the

system where you have ten or twenty key words, each word cues a number and

then an object. I'm not going to detail the system here, as you'll find it in Corinda's

Thirteen Steps To Mentalism and many This side •
other places. However, you'll have to up. •
be able to do this to work Bob's
routine, although you'll still be able to ••
use the second principle in other
routines. •

This second principle is a way of

marking the billets. The unusual thing • •
is that you are starting with a large ••
sheet of paper and then tearing it into
eight pieces, which are marked ready
for the routine. Another feature of the

system is that the spectators may fold • •
the billets, yet you can always see the
markings. This method was devised by

Bob Ostin and the purpose of this •
article is to describe this system. •

Bob uses a template, as in fig.l. This •

is simply a piece of card, the same size

as the paper he is to use, punctured ••
with small holes. This is placed over

the paper, and with a pencil you make • The template. Mark it on one side so that you
dots on the paper using the holes in the don't use the wrong side (or have the template
template as a guide.
the wrong way up) by mistake.

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