I've always shied away from having too many cards signed as I can't afford to replace them. But I recently saw a guy in Paris perorming with two decks that were almost all signed (over a long period of time). He was also having people sign cards that were already marked. How do other people handle signing of cards? Does it lessen the effect to have a card signed that is already marked?

If I'm performing for practice or fun, I might use a deck that has some signed cards. But if I'm performing for money at a bar/ club, etc., I feel it's the magician's duty to use a clean pack.

Those're just by feelings on the subject.
mat

One solution might be to use a Simol Lovell line: "Please sign the card... even if it already has a signature on it... once there 7 or 8, we'll start group therapy".

Nice line. I'm not sure what the French guy was saying, as I don't know French, but people didn't seem to mind signing marked cards and I guess it could also be a convincer if you've had cards checked and signed by lots of people.

I don't know about having one marked twice. I don't see the point of that.

However, I do an effect that uses a duplicate and I ALWAYS sign both of them identically. Subconsciously, it heads off the notion of a dupe before they even think of it.

I have no objections to using a deck with signed cards in it. It adds character! lol

Most of the time I have cards signed, they are destined to be destroyed, or will be given as a souvenir, so having them in the deck is moot.

Most of my effects with a signed card end with the spec keeping the card anyway. That being the case, I use a deck until it's down to about 45 cards and then retire it for a new one (no one ever notices a few missing cards).

I do the exact same as Anasazi, but I take a deck out of use when I'm down to only 47 cards. I keep those cards, though, to practice Mercury Folds, etc.

Yea, I take the signed cards out. Most of my tricks don't require a full deck anyway. Then if I get multiple decks that are missing cards I can use one deck to replenish the other. I just gotta keep my full decks separate from the rest. It gets confusing some times.

I tell the crowd that this is my autograph deck, and I would like to add their name to my collection. This is a nice way out of it!

Hi and Holiday Greetings.

I keep used red spot cards in my pocket. If I need a card signed, I remove one of these cards, have it signed and use it accordingly. It gets a laugh as I say "Here, take a card," and hand them one card.

Here is my reasoning:
1. It always leaves me with a complete deck.
2. The signed card always shows the contrast of the signature in green ink (black for anyone else, unless your name is Green) against the red spots of the card. Visibility counts!

If you ever see my lecture, you will also see other uses for the red spot cards and the black court cards from used decks.

Keep thinking!

Regards,

Paul Green

Everytime someone signs a card from my deck, I rip it. But I have a separate deck just for that, so people can sign it, rip it and do what ever. It's always a good idea to have 2 decks on you.

-Chris

There's a reason that the French won't throw away a signed card. Vallarino said that Bicycle cards are $20 US a deck in France, and I talked with him back in 1993. They're probably more expensive now!

I use an old deck for signed card effects and for those that don't require a full deck. I also carry a fairly new, full deck for effects that require it. If you can't afford to throw-out the decks when needed, you'd better start charging much more for your services!

I've been doing signed card routined for so long that I now have 52 card boxes in a container: CA, DA, HA, SA, C2, D2, . . . , CK, DK, HK, SK.

Each has a mixture of red and blue Bicycles, some old, mostly new cards.

When I use up a few cards from my "working" deck(s), I replace them from my leftovers.

P.S. When you give the spectator their signed card, be sure to autograph and date the other side--cheap advertising.

I feel like a freak now, I don't have any signed cards. I once had 2 signed cardss out of a deck and moved the deck to a "practice drawer" because I didn't want to use signed cards.

Vinnie

Jasper, I was in Paris recently myself and saw a magician doing an ambitious card routine. My wife signed a card and I noticed that he had a bunch of cards already signed. Not that it's important, but did you on the street or in a club? I'm just wondering if it's the same magician. Narrow build, quiet voice, had a little table set up in the evening.

BTW, I like the idea of running a deck down to 45 cards or so, and then using it for practice.

Two things;

I was doing street magic back in the 80's with Jeff Edmonds ...We would keep our decks with too many signatures and use them for throwing... One day, across the street from a two or three story bar called Houlihan’s we began to gather a street crowd by throwing cards... I announced to the small group, let's say, I throw a card into the bar... the open windows faced the street... I threw a card from my "throwing deck" and low and behold it broke into a flutter directly over a woman sitting at a window seat... it landed on her table... the crowd we were gathering clapped and the lady in the bar looked shocked... after our performance we passed the hat... a lady from the back of the crowd pushed her way forward and shoving a card in my face said "that was the best trick I have ever seen in my life, how did you know my name?" ...By now I figured out who she was (the lady from the bar) for my good fortune she had her name facing me as she pleaded with me for the baffling explanation... "Well Pam, I can't tell you that... for that matter I can't even tell myself!"

When I have a person sign a card I always give it to them, I sign and date it and say
“If you get famous before I do, just mail this back to me!”

I have long shyed away from having cards signed when doing multiple performances in one night. However, I may try some of the ideas brought up in this thread.

About 7 years ago when I was a bartender, who just happened to do magic, I did leave multiple signed cards in the deck I continued to use through the night.
One smart %^^ signed "^#$ You",instead of his name, and I left the (%(^ You" card in the deck, later allowing a very nice older gentleman to pick that same card by pure chance. Very embarasing to say the least.

So maybe that mistake on my part, plays a little part in my fear of leaving signed cards in a deck in use.

Maybe I'll go to therapy.

Steve

Another signed card horror story...

I was doing #@%! (Sankey's "Paperclipped"), and she picked the AS, which happened to be my gimmicked "Fine Print" card.

Fortunately, in this effect, the selection is not hidden from me. My blood ran cold as I saw the Ace, about to be signed.

I quickly said "Let's go with one a little less obvious. Everyone picks that one."

Since then, I always say "Pick out your favorite card, but stay away from the aces, that's too obvious."

There are some times when a previously signed card is a plus.

Doc Eason's "Last Roundup" is one. You tear two cards in half and the halves seemingly switch places. Having a duplicate signature helps hide the method. (Hmmm... I think I alluded to this in an earlier posting. It's heck getting old...)

Another thing that you can do is have the person sign a sticker (get a whole bunch from a stationary store) and place that on the card. If you want to keep the card, you can simply take the sticker off afterwards and it'll be as good as new.

Spade, that technique also opens the door for a variety of magical things like doing a DT and sticking the tag on the back of "their" card...