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patrick flanagan Inner circle lisle, illinois 1045 Posts |
I'd like to get some opinions on preference of using quarters or half dollars. I'm looking to upgrade to the Schoolcraft coins, and I can't decide which way to go on this. I like the familiarity of the quarters from the spectators point of view, but the half dollars are more visible. I work 3-4 nights a week in bars and restaurants so I'm not sure I would need the larger coins. Or, maybe BECAUSE I work in bars, I SHOULD use the larger coins (hahaha). Aarrgghh, I'm soooo confused.
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sethb Inner circle The Jersey Shore 2719 Posts |
I would think that part of the answer lies in what size coin your own hands can handle. You will have to go with whatever you can palm and manipulate easily.
It may also depend on the specific tricks you want to do. For example, I can handle half dollars for the Miser's Dream, but need to go with a quarter-sized Okito Box. While visibility is important and larger coins may make more of an effect, it's all in vain if you start flashing and dropping coins. Hope this helps. SETH
"Watch the Professor!!" -- Al Flosso (1895-1976)
"The better you are, the closer they watch" -- Darwin Ortiz, STRONG MAGIC |
yachanin Inner circle Cleveland, OH 2105 Posts |
Since I was a child, I've always felt that seeing an "unusual" coin vanished by a magician was more "magical" than seeing an "ordinary" coin vanished. Maybe it's because an unfamiliar coin adds to the mystery for me. It may be for that reason I prefer to use half dollars (given their relative unfamiliarity compared with quarters) as well as foreign coins.
Regars, Steve
"Impossible? Your audience will think so..." TM
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BooRadley Regular user Houston Area 176 Posts |
I'm not a working pro at the moment, but I think the previous responders have hit on something. If you're wanting to make a presentation, then the use of larger or more exotic coins (vintage, foreign, etc.) is probably a good idea. The use of larger coins establishes a foundation for the effect and creates a level of expectation. It can also create an element of suspiscion, however--since these are coins the spectator doesn't have on hand, they are special...and perhaps different than they seem. But for grand illusions, special coins add to the impact.
But if you're going for a different approach and a different effect, coins more commonly used by the audience will have some advantages. Quarters are so common that folks don't usually even think about gaffed coins. You can also borrow them to increase the effect--and people are more likely to buy into an effect when they have some level of participation: i.e., supplying the props. For classic routines, I like larger more exotic coins. More more impromptu things or when trying establish "trust" with a spectator, I think quarters are the way to go. In most cases...I like starting out with quarters borrowed (and sometimes switched) from the audience as an intro...but then return their coins and graduate to greater effects with larger coins you supply. Just my thoughts...I could be wrong. BooRadley |
andrelimantara Special user Surabaya, Indonesia 871 Posts |
If I have to choose between two, I guess I would go with half dollar size....
You can "introduce" your half dollar to your audience, if the audience check it and make sure it's real then it's okay coz they believe you're using normal coin. Half dollar offers more visibility than quarter. probably after this you can go with silver dollar coin......... cheers
"Good performance comes from good practice, Great performance comes from the heart - Andre Limantara"
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Jonathan Townsend Eternal Order Ossining, NY 27297 Posts |
Kinda depends on how you introduce the coins and what sort of magic you are doing with the coins IMHO.
If you are borrowing coins to do magic WITH them... Or showing off your magical coins. Or something else. Really up to you and each trick can have its own introduction. :)
...to all the coins I've dropped here
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patrick flanagan Inner circle lisle, illinois 1045 Posts |
Thanks for the input. I appreciate all of the opinions. Jonathan??? ... 12,923 posts???....Wow!!! Is that a record?
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Pete Biro 1933 - 2018 18558 Posts |
The unquestionably best magic I have seen is Armando Lucero's matrix routine... done with Quarters.
If you want to borrow coins and magish, you are stuck with quarters... which isn't a bad situation.
STAY TOONED... @ www.pete-biro.com
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jon dough New user 37 Posts |
I agree with Boo, I like to start off using a gaffed quarter (original borrowed of course), and then pull out my morgans.
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Leeman Special user Hollywood, CA 709 Posts |
You have to be careful now borrowing quarters and then switching in a gaffed on because the state quarters are becomming more common place. If you want to borrow the coins and do magic with them you can make sure that the cash register is only stocked with non-state quarters or you can do something that I heard Scotty York say he does on one of his videos. He said that on the nights that he works he will put some half dollars in the register and give them out as change. If you are working at a bar this would be a great way to grab a coin off the bar, do a trick and then leave it there. Maybe you can use this to generate more buisness in that you will do a trick with on of the spectators coins but they must have one of the special half dollars, and the only way to get one is to spend money and get change. But I don't know if you can still get half dollars from the bank to do this, or if standard cash registers have a place to put the half dollars. Just a thought.
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