Seth,
You said "they have the same card printed on both sides" I think all double face decks come this way.

Once when I was working a market I ran out of two card monte and had to make them up in between pitches.I was in a hurry and put 5 same both sides in some directions.

A kid came back and said: Hey mister mine is broke" I still didn't know what I had done and was thinking to myself " how can a two monte be broke" Well I found out how...LOL

The funny thing about this story is that four of the same both side never came back.I can see these kids at home saying: "
Yea..right the guy said this is easy...its going to take me a week to learn how to make it work like he did it.." Hehehehe...

Don

Thanks, Don, for the info and the story.

Meanwhile, I'm saving all those same-sided double-faced cards for something -- someday, I'll think of a packet trick to use with them, and then I'll be RICH! SETH

For my Zibit,I've done the TT vanishing silk to start a tip getting the attention of the folks then bringing them in closer for a couple of rubber band tricks and then finally pitching Doug's "Strange Thing" Zibit with very good results.
(Doug, I hope I'm not talking too much).

Rappel

I just looked at my catalog for the double-sided cards at Don's recommended wholesaler. Price list 5/17/2007 they were still $1 a deck. May have gone up since. Glad I bought a bunch, tho I don't like the Zodiac brand as well as those from the other supplier Don told me about.

However, the other supplier is much higher than $1--BUT you can buy 'em by the EACH instead of by the deck. That is, they don't come in boxes of 54. If you order 288 sets as I did, they come in one long box. I think it was $75 for 288 sets. But I was new and in a hurry so.... I guess you pays your money and you takes your choice.

John

And furthermore...;-) While I did find 2 cards in the Zodiac decks with 2s on both sides, they were different suits, so all the cards are available for the 2-card Monte.

Maybe I just got lucky.

John

John,

With the Zodiac decks the 9's are the same on both sides and and one 2 and one other card that I can't remember. You need to check all of them.

Don

Just wanted to add that such fantastic buskers and street performers as Cellini, Gazzo, and Chris Capehart all started building their tip on the streets with the vanishing hanky trick.

I also know that, if one wanted, a full 5 - 10 minute routine can be demonstrated during a TT pitch by combining a series of TT effects. There are tons of them. However, the great aspect of pitching Svengali decks is that the crowd can see what they're buying! They know they are purchasing a special deck that can do miracles! They know what they're getting for their money. With a TT, I don't think many pitchmen would want to outright show the gimmick he intends to sell the crowd. Yet, with a Svengali pitch, you can show them the deck, and even get them involved! With that in mind, Svengali pitching is the way to go.

However, as former the US Demonstrations Manager of Marvin's Magic, I, along with my sales team, developed a variety of killer TT demos and pitches that were specifically designed to entice consumers to buy the magic set the TT came in. We never had to reveal what it was or how it worked to make a sale, yet the poewr of the amazing hanky vanish seemed to be the icing on the cake for many who grabbed a magic set for their children or themselves. So yes, the TT can be pithced but I believe it should only be pitched in a magic shop / novelty toy store environment. If you are out on the streets, stick with pitching Svengalis, magic mice, squirmles, and other standard easy-to-do tricks that are not in the working repetoire of every professional magician!

Michael Matson

I pitch the "vanishing disappearing silk hanky trick" - it's an easy pitch. The nice thing about it is that once people see the tip, they are happy with their purchase. Who cares if they can actually do it or not, they aren't paying for lessons. And as Michael pointed out, it can be used to build a tip.

The biggest downside to pitching tips is skin color. Black people want black tips, and you can't convince them a white tip will work. With the increase in Mexicans at my market, I find myself pitching them less ... not trying to be raciest or anything, its just about the money and the darker ones cost me more money and I have to sell them for the same price. But I do keep a few on hand.

I actually pick up a few extra sales from older guys that come to me to tell me about a trick they or their buddy used to do with a fake thumnb. "I just so happen to have them right here".

-JoeJoe