Hello,

I was watching an old Fred Kaps video and in the close-up section he incorporates and performs two paper money effects.

I would suspect that the first one (looks like Hundy 500) is the original Patrick Page effect; the second one involves counting, having the spectator verify the count and then always being one bill short on the final recount. Fred evn uses an Acco type Bulldog clip to hold one end of the money (very clever idea) as he hands the money to the spectator to verifiy the count. In one part he counts 5,5,5,5,1,1,1,1,1 (25) the spectator counts and verifies the total and, upon a recount, there is only $24. (5,5,5,5,1,1,1,1). In the next sequence, Fred adds back in another 1 and counts $25 (5,5,5,5,1,1,1,1,1). The spectator verifies the count and when Fred recounts, now all he has is $20 (1,1,1,1,1,5,5,5,).

Does anyone know if one or both of these effects are Patrick Page effects and, whether or not they are, what are the names of these two effects and the names of their creator(s)?

Thanks for any info in this regard.

Mike

P.S. Please bear with me. As I continue to watch this video, I will probably also ask for the names of other effect that Fred performed.

I just now received an advertisment from trickshop.com offering the sale of an e-book manuscript entitled "Fred Kaps' Flash Bills". Is this serendipity or what!!?? Also, is the "Flash Bills" just another name for Fred's "Blank Notes to Bank Notes" effect? Which, if either, is the correct name for this effect?

Of course, this brings up the question of whether or not Fred Kap's effect came before or after Patrick Page's effect--and if they both came after someone else's similar effect and were variations of an earlier effect.

And again, thanks for any info in these regards.

Mike

Hey Mike, fancy meeting you in here!

The blank papers to money is the Pat Page "Easy Money" trick, but the handling is Fred's own. Apparently - so legend goes - Pat showed him how to do the trick, but he forgot the handling and in an attempt to recreate it came up with what Pat acknowledges is a better handling.

The counting money trick is just Edward Victor's 11 card trick - but using bills instead of cards. I say "just" - but of course this is a brilliant re-interpretation - counting money is so much more resonant that counting cards.

Anthony Brahams recently re-released the trick (Fred Kaps Currency) - re-edited and with an alternate ending by Trevor Lewis. Should be available from all the good magic booksellers...

Ian

PS You'll be amused to hear that I found this post serendipitously by searching for "serendipity" (looking for the ring to lighter trick)

Ian,

How serendipitous can you get. At least you were not doing a search for "dumb sh**" and then came across my name. Its been tried before and it is amazing how much unsolicited email and PMs I get as a result of such a search. (grin)

I just recently received an email from trickshop.com. they have Fred Kaps' "Flash Bills" e-book for download for $4.95. Do you think that that will be sufficient, or, will the Anthony Brahams version be a better way to go. I'm curious as to what the Trevor Lewis ending might be. Is it just a different presentational ending or is there a different methodology added to the Kaps effect?

Thanks for the info.

Mike

P.S. Sent you a PM with other questions.

Nah - the Flash Bills ebook will cover Kaps handling of Pat Page's Easy Money. The Brahams book is the 11 card trick bit. I don't think either will cover both tricks.

Ian

How does the flash bills ebook justify stealing Kaps' and Page's material?

Mike, while the bulldog clip does make the trick sound like the Victor 11 card effect done with bills, your description suggests that $5 bills were mixed in with the $1's. That's a diferent trick. As far as I know, the Kaps 11 bill trick a) only used one dollar bills or Kaps' stage money which said it was a $3 bill, and b) as the title suggests, involved counting to $11.

The fact that the routine you saw involved counting to $20, and used $5's suggests that it was a variation of "Hornswoggled" by George Starke (?) that appeared in Hugard's Magic Monthly long ago. Some handlings of this effect also used a bulldog clip.

The Hornswoggled routine is available in Hugard's Magic Monthly, or you can learn more recent variations published as "Coinswoggled" in Apocalypse, and Ray Grismer's "Shorty", which I got from Jeff Busby, unfortunately, so I have no idea where you might find it today.

Good luck with it.