Hi All

Anybody know anything about this?
I'm wondering how it differs to 'Red Rover' or 'Red Sea Passover.' Is it an improvement?

Here is the ad:
"This is David Blaine's single favorite effect. The actual deal-closer David used for most of his professional career. It helped him close the deal on his first Network T.V. special: Street Magic.

Here it is:

You show someone a batch of twenty cards... all different. You give her ten of the cards to hold. You now have her just think of one of the remaining ten cards. She never says a word. No one except her knows what card she’s thinking of. These ten cards are counted again. Strangely... there are now only nine.

The one card she’d been thinking of has vanished! She’s still only thinking of her card… it’s never been named out loud! She counts the other ten cards she’s been holding… ten cards you haven't touched since the beginning. But now she has eleven cards!

The strange traveler has arrived... her thought-of card is now staring her in the face!

Strange Travelers is a streamlined version of a classic effect that was Nate Lepzig's favorite over 75 years ago. Other variations have come and gone. David rediscovered this hidden gem, and the rest is history.

"And the really good news: Blaine's favorite effect is extremely easy to do: No palming. No difficult moves. Just a simple elegant handling that just about anyone can learn.

Complete with Paul Harris' revised gimmick and routines which includes a version where you start and finish with a normal deck.

Strange Travelers: David Blaine's favorite effect, his actual deal closer, can now be yours."

I'm wondering if it just a DVD or a complete trick.

Frans

I've read the description and it is obvious...
An old method.
Nothing new

Yeah! Its an old method. But for $19.95, what can you expect? For someone who don't know how it work and the fair price, I think it is worthwhile.

I love the cover on it, Paul and David sitting across from each other on the subway- its priceless.

Daryl has a very nice variation of the classic thought of cards across effect. It's called Crossed Thought and you can find it here for 14.95:
http://foolerdoolers.com/store/productde......d=200102

I didn't like the gimmick that came with the trick, though it is usable, but instead I had Neil Lester make me one that is just great for only a couple of dollars.

Hey Joe,

Yes the cover is real cool. The pic was taken by Lou Garbayo and was then cleverly enhanced by Garrett Thomas.

Running at 44 pages with over 50 illustrations, this is a little more than you may think. Paul Harris has really added some clever touches. It's a killer effect with some very easy and subtle handling touches.

Cheers

Ben

This sounds very interesting. Perhaps a new slant on Cards Across, which is a classic effect in card magic.

Robert

Ben-
Thanks for providing that information. Sounds like a lot of thought and work went into that booklet.

Does anyone know if the gimmick for this effect is easy to carry around and ditch when needed? I mean is it just a gaffed card or more? Also does anyone know if the impromptu is any good ?

Lol I did not recognise Paul.

Well this happened to me before. During the last FISM Paul Harris was staying in the same hotel I was in and many times I had breakfast a few tables away from him, all the time saying to myself how much he looks like Paul Harris. Grrrr!! I want to bang my head against a wall everytime I remember. Any idea whether he will be attending this years FISM?

Cool picture by the way.

How is this different from Sankey's Astral Projection?

In Astral Projection the number of cards isn't important in the trick. Here you first have two sets of 10 cards and later one set of 9 and one of 11. The eleventh card is the one from the other set of cards . In Astral Projection the set of cards that is given to the spectator is never examed before the trick begins. You could never tell whats cards there are in the set beforehand. Sounds a little complicated, but those who have Astral Projction will get it.

Frans

Is this easy to pick up??

Thank you Frans.

Not at all. Just place your hand on top, close your fingers, get a good grip and lift.

Sorry, but I had to say it.

I have a feeling you get 20 gaffed cards, but I could be way off base, and I don't want to speculate a method. I am also interested if anyone gets a review to this

This appear's to be Lin's Leap (by Alex Lin). This was sold by Tannen's in the early/mid 90s (when Blaine would have been a regular). The trick is now sold by Tannen's under the name "Card Leap". Scroll down a bit and you'll see it here:
http://www.tannens.com/cart/cat39.html

There was some controversy when the trick's title was changed under prior management at Tannen's. I'm sure someone else could fill us in with the specifics.

You don't get 20 gaffed cards, but you have the right idea.

The trick is terrific and I've seen several magicians do it professionally and on tv, including Lyn Dylies who did it on the Clint Holmes TV show in the early 90s (on Channel 9 in NYC).

I find it quote amusing to read in teh ad that David Blaine "re-discovered" this. trick.

That should be "quite amusing" and not "quote amusing".
"teh" should be "the".
There's an extra period in there. And I'm sure there are other typos. Sorry about that.

I first learned Lin's Leap (AKA Card Leap) when I bought the effect from Tannen's back in the early 1990s. It has been in my repertoire since then. I have added some personal touches and handling modifications, but if this is Lin's Leap being re-marketed as "Strange Travelers," I'd be interested to see how David Blaine and Paul Harris turned a 2 page set of instructions into a booklet with over 40 pages???

Scott