I perform card on ceiling as a regular effect at the restaurant where I work. It's one of the more popular effects that I perform. Personally, I think that the effect is just ok. However, that’s for another thread.

My question is, where do you guys keep the w*x balls? I keep 4 on each corner of the outside of my watch. I have heard people keep them on sport coat buttons. Where do you guys keep them?

I usually keep a couple on my belt positioned where my arm is in a rest position.
They do get messy though and I find I have to clean my hands afterwords to keep the cards from getting sticky. If they are loaded anywhere on your body, your body heat gets to them and it's not pretty when you go for one.

I'm anxious to hear where others keep theirs as well.

I just keep mine in a tin box of Altoids. I keep the rubber bands in there as well.

I go for the band and say that I keep them in there bc they are "Curiously Strong.". Always gets a laugh.

I can fit 30 small balls in one tin along with 3 or 4 bands.

I still use the ole Ammar version with a box of Sucrets (secrets) and and tell people it is the French spelling.

I like the Altoids line too. When you are pulling the rubber band out and getting the w*x, you need a little laughter misdirection.

I also use the tin box w/ rubber bands. I used to keep a little in my finger ring, but found it to be a pain.

Behind my ear

I use a deep (about 1") plastic lid from a jar of instant coffee

The depth prevents the material of your pocket meeting up with the wax

I generally have five pellets set at any one time

As this is always 'open' it is easy to obtain a pellet when required

I use this trick a lot, both the classic version and the handling on my DVD and this method of wax control is very practical

I use a deep (about 1") plastic lid from a jar of instant coffee

The depth prevents the material of your pocket meeting up with the wax

I generally have five pellets set at any one time

As this is always 'open' it is easy to obtain a pellet when required

I can't tell you what I use...it's a "Sucret".

Sucrets here too. I don't mess with perfection.

When I do that effect I start with it in my hand as I aproach the table and stick the wax on the underside of the table when I make my approach. then just steal it when I need it.

Behind my shirt buttons

I use a small tin designed for holding tobacco. The lid lifts right off, and I stick the wax to the underside of the tin lid. It's easy to lift off the lid to show the bands while keeping the wax hidden.

Speaking of Card On Ceiling has anyone ever been asked to get the card down afterwards? Do you always ask the venue owners permission beforehand?

R

This has happened to me on a number of occasions, generally able to talk my way out of it, 'they fall down after a couple of days'

Worst was at the Brewery-London, where I had been routinely putting them on the underside of an iron bridge that links two of the buildings, at twice weekly summer barbeques - they emailed me to tell me they were hiring a scissor lift to remove them and I would have to pay the cost - £600!

I went straight out and bought one of those extending poles you use to clean high windows, attached a paint scraper to it - then headed off to London

The security guy was by then a friend and he let me in - the pole was too short, so he got me the highest step ladder (about 12') and held it for me, while I balanced on the very top step with my fully extended pole

Eventually we got them all down

Back home I replied to the email that I was under the impression that the cards would have fallen down of there own accord by now and perhaps they should check before any further action

And to answer your other question, I generally don't ask if I'm just doing one card, probably should but....

I keep the wax and the bands in a small hinged tin tucked down my sock. When it's time for the elastic band bit, it's accompanied by " and right here, in my utility sock..." - always gets a laugh.

But the main reason for keeping it there is to keep the wax soft. I was caught out a couple of times in the early days when the wax simply wasn't soft enough.

I HAVE had problems with the owners.. of the venue. I always ask permission to "put a few cards on the ceiling"..but I try to ask someone who's likely to agree, rather than the owner.

On one memorable occasion, I put 22 cards on the ceiling of a hotel. First time I'd ever played there. As luck would have it, I was booked to play the same place about 5 days later, another wedding reception, and I was into the 5th card or so..and felt a tug on my waistcoat... The Owner - and boy.. was he MAD???!!!.

In no uncertain terms, he told me... "NO!"

But there you go. You takes your chances..

DCB

NOT a good idea. If you're going to ask permission, then you should ask the main person in charge. Someone could tell you YES that isn't empowered to make those decesions.

It still rolls down on you...not the guy who said it was ok. Well, it will end up hitting both of you square in the jaw, but still...you're the one who's destorying the ceiling.

At my Monday Night gig, I got the GMs permission...did it for a few weeks...then came in to play my shift and noticed they had all been taken down. The owner came in and saw it and didn't like it one bit.

So in my case, I went almost to the very top...but they were overruled.

ALWAYS best to get the head persons take on it. Asking a waiter, or Assiant Manager...or sometimes even the GM isn't enough.

Christopher

Christopher..

I'd give exactly the same advice to anyone else... I usually play it by ear. In my experience... asking the owner gets a refusal - if you can FIND the owner.

I'm not making excuses here, but in most cases, the cards are removed before the owner ever sees them.

Regards,

DCB

DCB,

Can you explain to me the logic in asking a person who is not empowered to make that decesion? Under your logic, one could go ask a bus boy if it's ok if we trash up the ceiling. They're not empowered to make a decesion...so why ask them?

Whereas I do agree with you that it's often times challenging to find the OWNER of the restaurant, why wouldn't you go to the highest level of command that you could get hold of?



I don't understand why you would give out BAD ADVICE like this to anyone. Generally speaking...it's a BAD IDEA! Just b/c it's never come back to haunt you (that we know of) doesn't mean that it won't.

Magicians have lost gigs over this before. I lost a gig 10 years ago over this routine...and I thought I HAD permission. Guess I shouldn't have asked the restroom attendant if I could perform the trick!

Christopher

An other for sucrets, though I like the altoids line.

The only reason that I don't use Sucrets (secrets) is that they're not as visable these days as they use to be. They still make them, but their not very popular. You usually find them on the bottom shelves at drugstores and always collecting dust.

I just don't think their very "current"...plus the Altoids tin is larger and will hold more wax...

Christopher