What are your favorite street magic tricks or effects? I personally like the effect of the invisible deck.

Street magic... invisible deck... how many people can see that? Are you sure the invisible deck is a "street magic" trick?

koz

THE RAVEN! It is my favorite trick of all time and I take it with me all of the time. I do changes, vanishes, and a coin to card trick.

Just my tuppence worth... 2 cents U.S..
..any effect that has multiple threads, ie cups n balls... Prof nightmare... Progressive cut -n- restored rope... giving you room for by play and bits of business.

Do agree that the invisible deck is too small but that doesn't exclude card effects... have seen Nick Nicolas during the Edinburgh festival blow... a big crowd during the Edinburgh Festival with Dai Vernons original Triumph...
Vernon

If you really feel the need to do it, (I never have) go to the the Magic Warehouse for the best prices on Jumbo invisible and other jumbo Bicycle decks.

There is another dealer that has a bigger selection of jumbo, stage, street decks at almost as low prices, but I forget the name right now.

Maybe one of the other Café' folks will remember.

I think most of the street performers that make good $'s go for more bright, visual, and less thought intensive effects.
(eyecandy)

I like to use an expanded 50 cent piece shell and do a coins across effect! Gets them every time.
Rick...

My favorite street effect that kills them every time is the floating dollar bill. I use a phoney bill with my contact info printed on the back. After I float it, I give it to the mark, I mean spectator, to take home and try for himself.

Regards,

Brady

good idea...but isn't there some issues with thread in the sun....reflections?.....

koz

Steet magic or not, I like Ammar's coins thru silk. It is quick, easy, in your face, and very easy set.

Carter

Ted,

I know what you mean. I usually work evenings, but sometimes in the daytime. If I work in the daytime I usually do it in a shaded area. The Float I use is a quicky so there is not to much time to get a close look. Sometimes a kid will say, "there must be a thread." At that point I tell him he is right! I then wrap the bill into a cone and pull out of it 15 feet of red ribbon and hand it to him so he can try it at home.

Regards,

Brady

Cool! ...but look.... if you want to make a living doing magic on the streets your magic show should be one that you can do in the day or night... all the time... same show time after time.... after a few 1000 times it might get good.... I have done my show 1000's of times and I'm not even close to being satisfied....

koz

Ted, Ted, Ted,

I am happy that you have a routine that you use over and over. I do too, but I am a little flexable with it. I know more than five tricks. I have a number of clever and professional routines that I do over and over and over. I pick the routine to match the situation.

Sometimes I do the routine that begins with the floating bill. It is a killer effect and so is the rest of the routine. Sometimes I do my gambling expose. It is a wonderful set of four ace and poker deals followed by a 3 card monte expose. No effects are ever really exposed, but the audience thinks there will be and at the end they think there has been, but can't quite remember any.

Well, that should give you an idea of a couple of my routines. I think having more than one professionally presented routine ready to go is an asset. But that is just me.

Regards,

Brady

Brady,
Very interesting way to do it. I'm sort of the same at this stage of my street magic performing life.
As I dress as a clown, I'm basically stuck with doing comedy stuff, and quite a bit of my stuff is aimed at families with kids. I basically size up the situation and do the routines that I feel fit the type of audience that is around at the time. I don't do the cups and balls yet, but after mainly reading the threads in this folder, I feel compelled to actually learn them.
JoJo

JoJo,

I feel that if the routine is thought out and actually routined (rather than a bunch of tricks thrown together), well rehearse and professionally performed, then having several routines ready to go is wonderful.

I also understand Ted's view. Many "magicians" don't take the time to rehearse their routines on a daily or even weekly or even monthly basis. Unless these routines are consistently practiced, and practiced in front of a live audience when possible, they will not be good enough to earn a living.

I work with a partner, he is really into the cups and balls. It is a wonderful effect and one of the classics of street magic. Learn a good routine and it will last you a life time, without ever getting old to the audience.

Regards,

Brady

lol... I wish I knew more that 3 tricks... man!!! ....you know more than 3 ....just kidding... What I'm saying is... it's a good idea to do magic that you can do anywhere.... my show changes.... the routines are almost modular.... I can just plug one in... to suit the audience ....say, there aren't a lot of people.... and I don't think I can build a big audience... I replace my rope routine (slydinis) with a card routine that I do ...rope costs money... cards, well they cost but not much... cards are cheaper than rope..... Sometimes if I'm on Bourbon street... I do a 7 minute show.... because it's hard to keep them... *&^^&(* and beer are a callin..... What I'm saying is.... it would be good to concentrate on magic that will work anywhere.... and thread won't... it's your business and whatever works, works.... but thread on the street... this is a street forum you know... in my humble opinion.... I don't think it's all that great....

koz

If anyone is curious as to why I haven’t posted to this thread you now know why.

Patronizing a guy who is a professional busker, not to mention a student of the worlds greatest and most respected teachers of street magic is a very silly thing to do. Especially when the advice he is offering is time tested and professional.

Oh, and seeing I’m here, doing the three card monte on the street as an exposition will get you arrested if you do it in the wrong place. You might want to think about dropping it.

That’s just one guy’s opinion.

Best,

Dan-

awwwww Danny.... I love you!

koz

Brady:

Knowing more than five tricks may not be such a good idea...

David Devant only knew five tricks.

Listen to Koz and Danny.

Especially listen to Danny about three-card monte. You can go to jail just for having three cards out on the table. Trust me.

Man, I don’t think that I would ever try IT work outdoors. I tend to work when and where the wind is blowing and for that reason I don’t use a lot of card stuff, silks, or IT.

I will do a card trick or two if (and only if) the crowd is very small and I can’t seem to gather anymore. I will draw them in close for the card tricks. My silk stuff is limited to the traditional TT bit and I have never even had the brass to try IT work outside, night or day!

From the description of the set you like to do I would guess you are a doorway act and play to very small crowds.

I prefer tricks that play big (to big crowds), whose premise is easily understood, can involve several spectators, and are very visual. I tend to do ropes, bill to lemon, and cups and balls or chop cup (OK, there is some warm-up, show-off, crowd attracting stuff too). It sounds sterile but is really a lot of fun for the audience (and for me!).

Hi Whit,

Thanks for your input.

I read your book "Street Magic" a couple of times. I found it very valuable and have recommended it to my friends.

If I remember right, I think we have you scheduled to lecture at our IBM Ring 313 in Irvine, CA. in May (?). I am looking forward to hearing you in person.

Thanks for the warning about the monte. I have performed it on the street before without any problem. I do have to admit that I do have a permit for the venue I perform at and the security guys and police know me and they know what I am doing. But, I usually use it as an extra ending performance at corporate or private events.

After I have done my strolling or tableside sets, I usually offer the host and a few of his special guests a special performance before I leave. That's when I do the poker and monte expose. I let them use my money to bet with (million dollar bills with my contact info printed on the back) After they lose it all, I don't want them to go away broke, so I give each person one of the million dollar bills.

As for knowing only 5 effects, I agree, you don't have to know a great many effects to be a competent, professional, successful performer. It is the quality and presentation of the effects that really counts. But why not have 2 or 3 sets of 5 effects rehearsed, polished and ready for a professional presentation, just in case you are hired by the same clients within a six month period? It's nice to have something new they haven't seen before.

Regards,

Brady

Hi Harry,

Gee, I didn't mean to start anything with all you big dogs.

In So. Calif. the weather is usually nice, but every once in awhile it does get windy and I abort that floating bill from the routine. I also don't use the normal method of IT for floating a bill, I do use IT though. This also helps with the weather problems.

As for the size of crowds we play to: Yes, my partner and I usually play to up to 20 people. We are not looking for big crowds. We use the street to practice and perfect the effects and humorous lines in our routines. These are the same routines we then use in our corporate and private event strolling and tableside performances. But it is nice to get paid in tips for the practice.

We have been doing street performances for over two years now and they are very well received. If all we got were the "whoa"
:eek: "no way" and the dropped jaws that would be good enough for me.

Their reactions tell me we have a sellable show, but they want to give us money too. Who am I to keep them from showing their appreciation?

Regards,

Brady