I have a question.

I have been performing the same 5 routines for probably the last 14 years. This weekend, for the second time, someone stole my coin purse which had four half dollars and a sh$ll in it.

I am ****ed about this and I rather not have to keep buying new gimmicks because people are ******.

Since I'm not familiar with all that's out there and many of you are, do you have any suggestions for a Coins Across that doesn't use any gimmicks. I busk and work festivals so I work surrounded, however, I've been doing this long enough where I can play with angles pretty easily.

The main point to consider here is NO heavy sleight of hand...I deal with all kinds of weather and performing conditions.

This might be a waste of time and once I'm not mad anymore, I'll probably just stick to what I've always done, however at this point, I will explore some options.

I much rather lose a coin purse with $2 worth of coins in it rather than a coin purse with $45 worth of stuff in it.


Thanks!

Solved...

Chris Capehart put his coins across, using 6 unprepared half dollars, on his miser's dream dvd. Chris developed the routine for street performance, working surrounded.

Glad you solved the problem .....and this may be redundant now....but anyway FYI I do 2 versions of coins across on the street.

The first is Daryl's Cross of India. Works great for the street performer with a table or without...on the ground with a close up mat.

Clip of me preparing to do it on the ground...just to show you can do it tabless.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afwLh4sPK7M

Coins to glass is my prefered Coin Across now. Some sleights involved but not too difficult.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AP0hP_hnrZI

As for cheap coins, if there's a Chinatown near where you are, you can often find replica Silver dollars for a buck. They are made of steel so you can stick a magnet in your back pocket and have a sorta Hook Coin that you can bring in& out of play.

Good luck on your endevour.

I wanted to check out your videos but the links are not allowed, they say "private"

Capehart's is good, but it has a strange looking handling, not my style because it looks too movey.

There are some other nice ones out there, but they often require soft coins with cost about $20+ per coin

I'm gonna try to find a way to make it happen, without any gimmicks.

Coins to cup is one of three things that have been in my act forever. It's also the only thing that used a gimmick.

Maybe having it stolen is a sign that I should get rid of it and have absolutely no gimmicks in the act.

For that reason, I'm on the hunt...

The above message should have stated ALMOST SOLVED ; )

Tarbell has one where three silver coins pass to the hand that's holding three gold coins. A similar routine is in Hay's "Amateur Magician's Handbook "

Not to give away sleights, but I didn't like the way you got rid of the last coin in either method, so I came up with something that's probably n00bish, but it works for me.

Whoops.....should be able to view vids now.

Nice Max T Oz,

I always do my first routine either on the ground and you know why or I have the audience do something loud and obnoxious for the same reason.

Nice routines!!!

There are tons of coins across routines out there. Check out pop haydens and mark wilson. Both are good and Wilson's uses quarters with only one real sleight to learn. Also thanks again for the killer dvds

I love your coins to glass, Max T. Oz!

Hey Noland,
you beat me to it!
Max,.. great routine.
Coins to Glass!
(i liked it sö much,
i was even willing to listen to the music(!),
while watching it!
cmmmm....)

I was a bit puzzled about you working on the ground,
in the other film clip,..
I didn't really like it.
But, then I seem to remember,
you don't work behind a table,.
but on a box,...
Then, I kinda understand the logic,..
forming an audience,
a circle,
for a 'box act',...
that must be difficult!
I never thought about it before.

Anyways,..
like always; it's a pleasure watching your work.
thanks,
gallagher

p.s.: cbguy,
just curious,
but,
how did somebody steal your coin purse?
,...i thought,
we were suppose to be stealing THEIRS! 😊

Gallagher,

I'm currently at a festival and I do the majority of my act standing on top of a large riser - This is a circle show - I also use a big wooden cart when I pack up and change locations.

On Sunday, I finished up a show and started cleaning up. I left the coin purse (with 4 halves and a Sh3ll in it) sitting in the wagon.

I picked up the pieces of fruit that I dropped on the ground during the act and walked to the trash can about 20 feet from the wagon.

When I returned, no more than 15 seconds later, the coin purse was gone.

I think it's good to have something stolen from you as a street worker. It wakes you up to how vulnerable we are, and makes us more careful in the future.
I've had teenagers crowd around me and so had money stolen when I was forward of my hat.
I got warned by a security fellow in one mall to watch my hat that was on the ground "They'll just grab your hat and your money and take off". My hat was worth more than the typical money in it, so I changed to wearing that hat on my head except for hatting'
My trickle hat is on the ground and is a cheap one.
I've had money lifted from my hat on a table when I was distracted. Once a teenage girls hand dipped quickly into my hat. Was she giving or taking? I shouted to her "Put that money back!" and she dropped what she had taken.
Most of us learn to empty our trickle hat contents from time to time as a matter of course.

Yes, I think it's good to have something stolen from you as a street performer.