Hey everyone. I have, on occasion, performed the old salt shaker thru the table trick when out to dinner with friends. You know...cover a coin with the shaker and the shaker with a napkin? The first time I tried doing it after not doing for a long time, I thought they'd all have seen the trick. But it floored them! Even the girl sitting next to me didn't see me ditch the darn thing. And here I thought it would be a lame trick to try.

However, I still think it's a relatively well-exposed trick that at least a handful of people know. I'll keep performing it for sure, but I'm wondering if maybe anyone has some sort of bonus thing they do with the effect. Something that takes the trick from an easy trick to being a miracle. Well maybe "miracle" is a little more than I'm looking for, but I just want to add a little something extra to the trick for those who know the trick already (and to completley stun those that don't).

Before you all pounce on me and tell me to think of something myself and be original, let me tell you that I will be thinking. I just want to gather some ideas that Café members have as well.

I suppose I thought to add something more to the trick after seeing Criss Angel push the salt shaker clear through the table. Mind you I don't want to be Criss Angel, I just want to spruce up a trick I already do. (And there's nothing wrong with it the way it is...I just want to ADD to what already works...turn into more of a routine than a trick).

Thanks everyone!

How about filling a TT with salt and after the shaker goes thru some salt remains.

I don't know if it's possble but maybe you could set up a > quarter in the lid and do a quarter to shaker.

Here's one...I've done it upon occasion for years and always get great reactions!

Salt Shaker Thru Table (remember a coin is used?)

Coin Thru Table, have the dang coin signed, make it go thru the table top only to land inside the saltshaker that is being held under table

All SOH of course, sorry...no gimmicks!

It can be done so try it!

Use what you already know, simple really.

I Am Johnny Mystic

How about, salt shaker thru window, I made a video of it on MVD
http://www.magicvideodepot.com/download_file.php?id=8923

if you want to check it out.

On an old (20+? years ago)video, I think John Carney incorporated the salt shaker trick in with a series of single coin vanishes and reappearances.

Mike

Speaking of the Criss Angel version, after he performed it I really liked the bottle of hot sauce visibly half way through the table. Is this effect available anywhere? It looked killer!

Granted, the salt shaker disappearing can be shocking, but I've never understood the rationalization of this trick. Here's the way it's usually played out....

Hey there, spectator! You know the game where you toss a coin in the air and guess whether it will land heads or tails?
-Yes
Well, this will kinda be the same thing. I'm gonna see if you can guess whether I turn this coin to heads or tails in a little game I call "Heads I win, tails you lose."
-har har
Instead of flipping it, I'm gonna lay it on the table so that you know I'm committed....or should be!
-har har again
Now, I don't want you to think I'm doing something sneaky....
-No, I wouldn't think that.
....so, I'm not gonna cover it with my hand. I'm gonna place it under a salt shaker! And then, I'm also going to place a napkin over the everything!
Etc., etc.

What's the point? Where's the motivation for putting the coin under a salt shaker that has a napkin wrapped around it of all things? Am I missing something?

Brad Christian had a great routine for this on the Street Magic DVD.

You call the trick the disentigrating quarter. You place a saltshaker over it and explain to your audience that you do this so they don't think your palming it off the table. Next, you place a napkin over it (For some reason I forgot).

Brad never does anything without giving an explanation. But anyway, after the quarter fails to dissappear, you say "Why don't I try something else" and you push the salt-shaker through the table.

And by the way, I saw the Criss Angel bottle through table availible online and I was going to buy it. I can't remember where I saw it at, but I saw it long ago on either Hank Lee's site or an auction site. It was the exact same thing. Though, he may have bought the rights to it.

Get a copy of The Magic of Al Goshman. He did a Whole Act with 2 salt shakers, some coins a few sponges a deck of cards or two, and that was about it.

And what he did with the salt shakers is still being talked about today - almost 20 years after he passed away.

Lee Darrow, C.H.

The last time I performed this effect, was back in the late 50's, early 60's while in high school. I mostly did it in diners after the school events.

I never used a salt shaker. I always used an empty water glass. This was when they still brought you water to the table without asking.

The water glass played better then a salt shaker. Mostly, because of the patter of changing the coin from heads to tails, without touching the coin.

The glass prevented me from touching the coin, and the napkin prevented them from seeing the method.

Phil