Yeah, all right, but what about a stack of coins after a four coin French drop type of vanish??

Silence is everything…

marty

Shout THANK YOU VERY MUCH in the ear of the spectator till it's bleeding. That will cover the sound . Sorry I'm not in a serious mood today.

I must side with Pete Biro. In order to have hills you must have valleys; ego, your pacing must go "up and down" as Pete has so rightly said.

Go with pockets when your audience is close at hand, and use a servante when your performance is farther away from them. A lot depends upon the type of props and the type of business you are going about doing. To be clearer, bits of "dirty" rope can be dropped to the floor. Likewise you may place a spent gimmick into a case when retrieving another object or when you are about to begin another routine.

If I have a coin palmed in one hand, for instance, I'll use an aquitment to allow the hands to be seen empty. You can email me for details. It works quite well.

One word...topit.

I studiously avoid handing things to the spectators during a performance, unless it is for a brief moment. There is no need to set a precedent for an audience to examine objects.

Just allowing objects to be on the table within the proximity of a spectator is generally enough to give them the idea that it is examinable.

The main thing is to have a mental attitude of "everything is examinable," even if it isn't. It projects to the audience.

This said, often it is a good idea to use placing an object openly into a pocket for the cover for ditching a gaff.

Good points Bill...(Now this is a bit Off Topic, but follow me...)in the instance where gaffed cards are used, I've always had ungaffed dupes at the ready...a Z-fold wallet works for this, but it's in and out so fast, it's not noticed...then the cards can be laid out...Gimmicks do need a similar "out" like this...

Ditching a gaffed "card" is not as easy as it sounds...if you're not a master of the Top or Bottom Palm, it can get sticky (oops, that's NFW!)...A DB'er for example...the only way I've found to get by that is to immediately jump into something else, ditching in the process...seems awkward, but it works MOST of the time...

Now in the instance of, say, a Jardin Ellis Ring, the gimmick has a built-in "out" in the routine...that is if you do Ring On Wand...other routines, well, it can get dicey...

I agree with the topit idea. Most gimmicks can be ditched that way, but how many of us wear a topit all the time?

Doug

Troy Hoosier has a nice ditch to coat pocket as you show your coat empty in Destoryers.

Greg Wilson has discussed holding out items in your armpit during a pensive gesture.

-- Frank

Pack small/play big don't forget Dan Harlan's method

I am with Jason on this one. I usually turn my body slightly to the left (or right depending on which hand has the hidden coin) and flip the visible coin in the air and in that split second I drop the hidden coin into my pocket. *Note* Don't make a mistake by having things in your pocket (the one that you will drop the hidden coin into) that jingle. I did that once and it totally blew my cover, lol.

I also came up with a method that works most of the time. You do some slights and all that fun stuff and then you get the audience to focus on one of your hands (let's say the right hand). You then bow down just a little bit and put your left hand behind your back. Right now, it should look like you are REALLY focusing on your right hand and the audience should be too. As soon as you open your right hand to show the audience your visible coin, you quickly drop the invisible coin onto your back, which will make it slide all the way down into your pants. This should take no longer than a few seconds. You can actually drop the invisible coin down your back and into your pants as soon as your hand goes behind your back (just in case the audience asks to see your left hand as soon as you put it behind your back).

So now you have the audience looking at the visible coin in your right hand while you are stuck in the same spot since you can't move your feet due to a coin in your pants. Just make this part of the routine. Make the visible coin vanish somehow and make the coin reappear either out of your pants leg or from your shoe. I have had the coin slide into my shoe or out of my pants leg, so either one works. It is kind of sloppy, but for an easy audience, it is fun entertainment.

I suppose it depends on what you need to ditch. For instance- C/S coin... palmed in right hand I run the hand over my head giving a little scratch at the top, then down the back of my head dropping the C/S down the back of my shirt.

~Craig

Very big pockets on all my pants. If I need to I will stand at a very slight angle with my right pocket away from the person. Then it is just a matter of coming close to the pocket with my right hand and in it goes. The left hand is usually showing something and the move happens so fast no one notices the other hand is gone for a moment.
On the other hand, when I wear my cape it has 2 extra large pockets sewn in the inside of each side that I could drop almost anything in to make disappear. They are about 1 foot by 1 foot. Without the cape the pocket is fine. Even in tigher denim jeans it has worked for me.

- Brian Nadworny

I usaually will just put the gimick in my pocket, however this matches my style, I use strong misdirection and audience management, they only see what I want them to see. tommy wonder has some good ideas on this subject