Maybe this has already been answered but what's the best quality hopping half set, Johnson, Tango, etc.? I would like to get the best one. I already half a cheapie but would like to upgrade.
Thanks.

From reading the forum, (you can probably search for it) as coin gaffer go most people like the high end gaffers like Todd Lassen. as far as the economy gaffers go Johnson and tango are about even with a lot more support for Johnson. probably because they have been around longer. but truthfully I don't know I don't have a set of hopping halves.

Start with a Johnson you cant beat it for the price.

Hi
I have owned a Johnson set for over 20 years. I don't think you need to spend anymore for this effect. I don't know how many times I've done this effect with the Johnson set and I've never been busted!
I like to let the spectator check out the coin's, and then I do a BoBo click pass, to introduce the set. I'm not 100% sure its call a Bobo click pass . I'll check this out for you ,if your interested. You don't have to do the switch but I think its nice to take the g#$%@K coin solution, away, from there thought process.
later
Ralph

I'm interested in the Bobo click pass and how to switch in the gimmick set. Also, are the Johnson's made of brass and silver i.e. do they need to be polished?
Thanks.

Right, for value it's hard to beat Johnson's. If you don't own one you should.

I like the idea of showing the coins before hand, the way I've always done it was to give people a normal copper and silver coin should they ask to see after the fact. I should rethink that.

By the way, that's the biggest reason I like the C/S/B trick, how it ends so clean with three coins to pass out. Hopping Halves is probably a better effect but it does have that one drawback. Is that eliminated by showing the coins before? Hmmmmmm

Don't forget Schoolcraft for nice coin sets.

R/

Phil

I agree that Johnson Products are a good quality product and you can't go wrong with them.

The Johnson set is well worth the money. At a higher cost, I had Todd Lassen make a silver dollar-size set for me that is beautiful.

Regards, Steve

I'm still using the very same Hopping Halves set that my father bought for me in 1975. It's a Johnson set. Can't beat it.

Sincerely,
(the other) Steve Thomas

Does the Johnson set need to be polished, i.e. is it made of brass and silver?
Thanks.

Hi krowboom,

I've never polished my set and it still looks new. Mine is copper and silver; I don't think Johnson makes a brass gimmick for the Hopping Half.

Regards, Steve

Doesn't copper need to be polished as it starts to tarnish almost immediately? Thanks for your reply.

I have a fairly new HH set and the copper is actually too shiny and it offers very little contrast to the silver..
I prefer darker copper for contrast.

The copper does get tarnished over time, but mine is still in pretty nice shape. Actually, I'm with Jaz and wish it was a little more tarnished.

Regards, Steve

Ask your jeweler about a rouge cloth, or find one online. One side is impregnated with red rouge the other is a soft lint free cloth. If the coins look too bad you can just give them a quick rub on one side and clean them off on the other. Otherwise just rubbing them on the non-rouged side keeps them nice. I keep mine clean looking but not bright. It is perfect to take off that tarnish without going too far.

On some other thread I noticed someone recommended Simichrome, that stuff is excellent (watchmakers use it all the time!) but that's for a very high polish, like a mirror finish. If you like your coins really bright that's the way to go.

R/

Phil

I'm thinking of getting a Johnson set. I have a cheaper half dollar/old english penny set and the problem is that the head of the english penny is raised meaning that the gaff rocks a bit, if you get my drift, making a tell-tale noise during handling. Do the Johnson coins overcome this by being a bit flatter? Not sure I can explain any further without giving the secret of the trick away.
I'm seriously consideing buying some from Todd Lassen. I assume his are just perfect, judging by the price?

I have a Johnson set, and as with any item of this sort, can be damaged by dropping.. this has mainly been with the silver-[, not the copper (but I use the silver-[ for more things)

Also, as I found out the hard way, some dealers (like the "P" dealer) at least use to sell a cheaper set - it did not use an expanded silver-[. I returned it, and bought a Johnson set.

Krowboom: the copper does turn quite dark, as any english penny will. However, if you really want to keep it shinny, and don't want to keep polishing it (which generally seems to make them tarnish even quicker), I coated a regular EP on all sides (even the rim) with clear nail polish. I did this maybe 2 years ago and it is still quite shinny (except for a few spots that I must not have gotten coated). I wouldn't recommend this for an HH set, since it could affect the fitting, and once it is coated, it would be hard to remove (maybe nail polish remover would work). This technic also works fairly well with the golden dollar coins (which I do like to keep shinny for a matrix effect)

I vote for Johnson. I have had mine for years and it works great. The copper will tarnish but that doesn't harm the effect.

TC

I just bought a Johnson set today & it's so good, I thought I was missing a shell when I got it out of the package! Click pass, yeah! but I'll have to think about how to ditch the real coins! I've noticed that you can allow the spectator to examine the real half dollar at a certain point!

If you use that moment to let the spectator put the half dollar in your pocket [or wherever], it really makes an impression!