Hi
I am very new to coin magic and would love to learn the Hopping Halfs routine. Currently, I do not have a set of gaffed coins but the ones made by Johnson I assume would be a good set to purchase (?). Can anyone direct me to instructions on how to perform this routine? The folks at Steven Magic Emporium told me that the Johnson coins sold for the Hopping Halfs routine do not contain instructions.

They do contain instructions. Odd that Stevens Magic Emporium stated otherwise. Perhaps they have the trick in stock in their inventory whose instructions for some reason are missing or weren't shipped, but that would surely be an oversight. Every Johnson item I've ever purchased new contained instructions.

Try inquiring with another dealer, to help insure that you receive a set that does include the instructions (printed as always on Johnson letterhead).

I would say that you can also order it directly from Johnson, but it appears that they may be out of stock, as it isn't currently listed on their website. (They temporarily unlist items when they're out of stock, then re-list them when they're back in stock.)

Thank you Karnak for the info!

RKP,
Plenty of routines on Youtube
Here is one from Mr. Magic which is the classic one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PM4gKdr1YTU

If you buy it from Johnson they will include instructions

TC

I really like Majeck Bailey's presentation. Exactly what I am looking for. Thank you all for the help.

That's pretty much the "classic" presentation, but I've moved away from that for a couple of reasons:

1. You're "challenging" the spectator, making them sort of the butt of the joke
2. By it being a challenge - heck, at the end of the video above he even says "figure that one out" - it becomes a puzzle, not magic.

Yes, I present HH as a re-enactment of how some other magician had once shown it to me and fooled me badly with it. I thereby make myself the poor bemused scapegoat, rather than my spectator (similar to the standard patter in Color Monte: "One day this guy approached me, and showed me these three cards...").

I pretend to still be at a loss to explain why the pocketed coins keep reuniting, even when for some mysterious reason it always happens, every time, and right in my own hand. ("I really don't know why this keeps happening, but it always does -- see? It just baffles me.")

Excellent advice! I greatly appreciate all of your pointers and routines. I am just venturing into coins and the hopping halves looked like a great place to start. Thank each of you once again!

RKP
I'm a total newbie and hopping halves was my first purchase. So fun and people love it.

HH is great value, because it equips you with utility items you can use separately in many, many other routines.

Use just the expanded half dollar [ together with a few regular half dollars and do J B Bobo’s Coins Thru the Table, or David Roth’s Coins Across, or Peripatetic Coins, or a zillion others.

Use just the unexpanded English penny [ and its matching copper/silver insert and do the classic Sun and Moon routine (again see Bobo’s book) or variants thereof.

“ [ “ is symbolic shorthand, BTW.

Here is a routine I posted on here a few years ago. Since football season is coming up maybe you will like it? Maybe not...LOL When it transferred from the word doc to this format, it kind of got messed up. Just read through the errors...lol

I call it "Hopping Coin Toss"

Hoping Coin Toss:
Next time you go to your friends or the sports bar to watch the big game dust off your Hoping Halves and get ready for some amazing but easy coin magic....What? You don’t own Hoping Halves! Put on your Nikes and run to the nearest magic shop. You should never leave home without packing your Hoping Halves.

Pull out your Hoping Halves and put both coins in your open left hand. Start telling the story of what happened to you the other day at the football game. They found out I was a famous magician and invited me to do the coin toss. I was out in the middle of the field with the captains and getting ready to toss the coin. I looked at one of the players and asked which coin he wanted to use, the silver one (as you say silver show both sides of the silver coin), or the copper one (show both sides of the copper coin). The player said silver so I took the copper coin and put it in my pocket. (Actually take the first copper coin and place it in your pocket and as you do turn your left hand towards you and cover the two coins with your thumb. (Note: you have to own the hoping halves for this to make sense). Then the other player said, hey hold on I want to use the Copper one. I said ok, ok, so let’s start over. (Open your left hand to show both coins are back). I said if you want to use the copper coin then I will put the silver coin in my pocket. (Put the first silver coin in your pocket and do the same move again).

Wait a minute the other guy yelled. That’s not fair… Do you know what I said? (Open left hand to show both coins are back), I said your right so let’s start over. (Pause for just a second you usually will get a few laughs here). Here’s what we’ll do. Let’s flip a coin to see who gets to choose… (Take the silver coin and flip it like a normal coin flip) catch it and say the second team won and choose to use copper, so I put the sliver in my pocket, (as you do the Hoping Halve move). The first team that chose said wait this is crazy, you said I could pick. I said your right. (Open left hand to show both coins again).

It was wild so here’s what I did. I closed my hand (close your left hand that is holding both coins and nest them, turn your fist face down) I asked him to choose copper or silver… What do you think he said? (Actually ask the person you’re doing the trick for to choose). Whatever they answer you say that’s exactly right… So I took the Copper coin out and put it in my pocket. (Slowly show both sides copper and put it in your pocket). Now I wanted to see if they were paying attention so I asked both team captains what Coin was left in my hand? (Pause for one second to let this moment soak in) one team said Silver, the other said Copper… Do you know what I said? NOTHING! (Open your left fist to show your hand empty). The games over! Wipe hands like your cleaning up and smile 

This routine works because it contains both magic and a sports story. You will look like a real coin worker, and you will entertain them at the same time. Using the punch line at the end and talking about what “The Team” said, and what you answered, takes away the awkward ending of making them look stupid and you the hero. Have fun with this routine, inject your own personality, throw in some smiles and grins at the magic moments. The coins do all the work all you need to do is polish your presentation.

Be Young… Have Fun… Mike McNee “The Magic Ref”