I just wanted to say this is one of those tricks I am getting a kick out of practicing. I haven't had the guts to perform for audience yet but I'm getting closer. I bought mine from Magic Warehouse. I understand you can also get it directly from John Cornelius as well. If by chance you haven't seen effect before, I posted a video at http://www24.brinkster.com/michb/videos/ (kinda blurry sorry)

-Mike

(if you happen to like juggling you can see a couple quick juggling clips at above link as well)

The effect was good enough for Doug Henning to use as the opener to one of his specials. If your angles are covered, it's a great effect, but that's a big "if."

Nice juggling!

That was his very FIRST special, BTW! First effect of his first special. that's quite an honor.

As I recall, he expanded the effect by ending it with the production of a giant coin. Am I correct, Larry?

I purchased the effect YEARS ago, and enjoyed performing it on ocassion, however, there were times when I got cold feet, because it was dificult to accurately control the traveling path of the coin when the hand was turned over. Of course, as you know, if you don't do it PERFECTLY, there will be a visual flash of the nickel as it goes over the edge of your hand.

Then there was also the possibility of the t****d breaking, thus spilling the "nickel" noisily to the floor. And with my luck, murphy's law would kick in, and it would even land with the "bad side" up, thus exposing the effect even more.

Also, a lot of times, when the effect was set up and ready to go, as you know the t****d hangs loosely against your clothes, and it would often get snagged on some part of my clothes, and being in****ble t****d, I would not know this until I attempted the effect, but by then it is too late, and one is exposed to great embarrasment.

Even with all that negative stuff I just mentioned, I STILL think it's a great effect when performed smoothly as Doug did on that historical day when his television career commenced.

Too bad he let the Guru talk him out of a career rife with possibilities for untold things. we will never know what he might have gone on to accomplish had that not happened.

As for the Yogi, well, I know it's not nice to say, but I really believe I hate that guy for what he did. The only Yogi I ever loved stole picnic baskets from Jellystone Park.

And the part that burns me is this: Henning met this twerp while on his way to a magic shop. Almost like the creep was lying in wait. Grrrrr! Boo to him! Him and all his idiotic "Verdic Lotus flyers." (Many of you will know what I am referring to here.)

Well, my rant is over. (I hope.) Or perhaps it is just beginning....

Your memory's better than mine on that one. I only recall the Fickle Nickle effect, but I was so blown away by it that I probably wouldn't have remembered anything he did that followed that.

It blew me away, also. I vividly remember thinking "Where the h**l did the nickel go? He REALLY made it vanish! He's showing his wide open hand on BOTH sides, and it is NOT there! Holy crap!"

It just looked so clean to me at the time that I felt that WONDER that Doug so delighted in giving to others. As a young magician at the time, I felt real magic in my soul upon seeing his performance of the Fickle Nickle..

I still don't have the fickle nickle. I have the raven, etc... but I don't know the handling... trade? just kiddin... I guess I can pick it up for a few bucks somewhere.

Did you mean you didn't know the handling on the Raven or the nickle effect?

I agree that this is a great effect, I first learned it from a M. Ammar Classic Renditions tape where J Cornelius teaches it.

Gary

Have you got to use it regularly? Have you found a way to overcome the inheritant problems of the effect?

Someone had a thread a while back about tricks that fool yourself while doing them. This is one of them for me.

I have convinced myself that yes it is possible to perform the effect consistently. For a while I thought it might be one that you might never be able to count on.

I've also just had a thought that you could set it up by doing a couple quickie vanishes, ie. a retention vanish, a squeeze vanish or maybe coin thru hand....then as a kicker do the fickle nickel vanish - a mini routine.

Mike that's a great idea. You said you had convinced your self that it is possible to do the effect consistaently. with that in mind, may I toss a couple questions at ya'?

1 Did you previously have trouble doing it consistently? What specific problems did you encounter?

2 Have you actually had the experience, now, of seing yourself truly perform it correctly and consistently?

Daffy you are right he changed the nickel into a giant coin then took the coin and put it into a Juke box which was shown empty and then produced his "co host" Bill Cosby. One of the most anticipated Magic Specials of its time.

Scott

I have not done the fickle nickle for years. It is a great effect. The angles are tricky. I may have to go find mine and get to work.

Scott,

You must have been around as long as I have!!

He did change it to a big coin, but does anyone remember that if you looked closely you could actually see the thread attachment? It was live TV.
greg

Greg, you must have had either better eyes or a better T.V. than I had.

If you look directly behind his arm you can see it. If I remember correctly there was kind of a half shadow caused by either his body or arm and somewhere in that area you can see it. I wonder if anyone has a copy of that on VHS... I'd like to know if my memory is correct on this one.
Greg

I believe this is similar to "Now U-C It Now U-Don't"

I just wanted to say that MichaelB's video is just gorgeous. I've watched it several times and just love how it looks. (Nice juggling, too!)

I've actually had this trick sitting on my bedside table for about a month as I've been meaning to play with it, so that's a bit of a cooincidence for me. I'm gonna HAVE to play with it now.

It took me a long time to master this trick. I took a break and went back to it again and got it in one day.

I have sweaty hands, so I had problems with the gimmick. Solution - powder.

This can't be done surrounded and it is really, I think, good for T.V. appearances.