So, nowadays, there is a special day for everything. Wine day, movie day, this day, and that day. They are made up and not usually based on anything special on that day. So, how about a CLASSICS ONLY DAY?

On that special day, magicians are supposed to only play with and perform the classics. Items like Ball and Vase, Imp Bottle, Color Vision, Svengali Deck and so on.

Your thoughts? Hey, watch it fella!

No, really! Why not? It would put a focus on those fantastic classics which, I assume, most of us started with (or should have started with) when we began our journey into the art of magic.

...or how about sharing relatively unknown or forgottten "classics" that you think many others may not remember or have long discarded and/or for which you have developed a special handling/routine?

Examples: Ball & Vase, Imp Bottle, Color Vision, Svengali Deck and so on. ('see what I did there?)

I would start off with a simple, but effective Ball & Vase routine where the entire set is 100% examinable, but requires a minimum amount of sleight of hand and the usual gimmick; Thayer's & Viking/CW's Imp Bottle that has a different method from the slum magic item, but the effect is the same; Color Vision as an integral part of a one-ahead mental routine and a Svengali Deck as a find the freely(?) selected card at any number counted to in the deck mystery.

What do YOU think...?

I think you have a great idea Julie! I am open to a variety of approaches used to celebrate the classics.

Okay, who wants to be first?

Hmmmmm>>> this hasn't turned out very well, has it?

I guess the senior sorcerers with all the great creative ideas have flown the proverbial coup.

Don't you be a chicken. Let's try for September 1st to be our official Classics of Magic Day. PLUS it's OK if you are not a senior Sorcerer; young chicks and young roosters and every one else is welcome, too!

One of my favorite "classics" was promoted back in the late 1960's - early 70's as ANVERDI Presents Tonny Van Rhee's MENTAL FLIGHT.

Since then we have been fortunate to come across another set similar to the original from a listing on the Big Auction Site. Neither includes any historical information regarding the Anverdi connection nor Tonny Van Rhee's journey developing this handling. We've not pursued this.

The "classic" referred to is the ever popular PRINCESS CARD TRICK. Simply put, "A mentally selected card disappears and reappears between two plates". The plates referrenced are attractively decorated cardboard rectangles approximately 3 3/4" X 2 3/4".
Just a tad larger than a playing card.

The presentation is the performer exhibits both sides of each panel; then stacks one upon the other and places this two plaque stack aside.

Now 10 different playing cards are individually exibited face-up (no special printing on the corners and the cards are a mixture of spot cards and face cards). The spectator is directed to mentally select any card he sees. The packet of cards is turned over (faces down).

After recapping exactly what has just transpired, the performer shows the faces of the cards in his hands, but the the spectator's thought of card is gone.

Gesturing toward the 2 plate stack, the performer's empty hand removes the top plate revealing a single face-down card. For the first time the spectator announces aloud the name of his mentally selected card. The card that just appeared between the plates is turned over and it is indeed the card the spectator merely thought of a few moments ago!

While this is more of a Mental Magic type presentation than pure mentalism, it never fails to be well received. While some sleight of hand is required, it's not difficult.

In Julie's tracks, possibly this will help when R Paul Wilson just came out with a really most brilliant ball and vase routine

Bibliography/Videography on the Ball and Vase

Anderson, Harry: Little Egypt MCA [39th Magic Collectors’ Weekend] May 2008 Special moments for me: watching Jon Racherbaumer creeping across the stage, in black so as to appear invisible, as he assisted Harry Anderson in a ball and vase routine a la Kenner assisting Copperfield; and meeting Sick Sorcery co-author Robert Olson

Anonymous: Sports and Pastimes or, Sport for the city, and pastime for the country; with a touch of hocus pocus, or leger-demain" © 1676 anonymous an early reference on the egg cup

Dean, Henry: The whole Art of Legerdemain or Hocus Pocus in Perfection 1722, offers the ball and vase as an egg cup with a very basic egg routine only using the shell.

Fernandes, Hans: The Gen Vol 13 Number 4 © Aug 1957 p 109 A move with the ball and vase consists, without the fake, in using the right hand to take the ball to the pocket, palm it and come back to take the lid as the left hand takes the vase by its stem. Now the right hand is brought over the vase in the action of placing the lid on the vase. It will be found that as the right hand travels downwards and back, the edge of the opening of the vase, scoops the ball from the palm into the vase, the action being covered by the back of the right hand and fingers as the lid is placed on. We are now all set to make the ball leave your pocket and travel secretly back into the vase.

Field, Andy: ball palmed in left: show vase empty (disappointment) wave the wand: the vase is still empty (pass the cover over ball in left to be able to show the cup) Replace the cover with cup towards the audience. Right hand to right pocket palms a yellow ball, left hand gets to left pocket finds nothing comes out empty as right hand gets hold of the wand. Hand change (weak: better use Ramsay) to bring the ball into the left hand. The ball is produced at the end of the ball. Vanish the ball as the wand is rotated between the hands (Ramsay with ball dropped as the left fist back up with wand is rotated and right hand comes to pick up the wand on the right and pulls it back before doing the revelation of the vanish). RH with ball palmed takes the cover up from tabled vase and lay it face towards the audience (near left management of magic). False drop in the hand, Mike Gallo style, and tabling of the yellow ball as the vase is closed. Hand to hand vanish using the wand at the end: lift the cover, the ball has reappeared. Lay the cover in rear left and right hand false pour in left hand before scooping the cover and replacing the vase on to the table. French drop from left to right to take up the wand and vanish from right hand. Bring the vase forward and to the right lift up the cover the ball is white (fake). Right hand taps the right pocket then left hand the left pocket to let the ball reappear in full view on to the table. Ball in Spellbound position: color change between the yellow and the white one: White ball is kept between the fingers as left hand lifts up the cover: the yellow ball is in the goblet. The right hand openly pockets the white ball keeping the yellow palmed. As the left hand covers the cup, the right gets the wand. Tap on the cup. The left brings the foot of the vase in right hand and the yellow ball falls through the bottom of the vase in the palm up left hand. The left hand pockets the yellow ball, seemingly keeping it palmed (feint): show both hands empty by rubbing them. Right hand lifts up the cover: the yellow ball is back. Replace the cover on the tabled goblet. Pantomime having taken the ball. Get to your left pocket and bring out the yellow ball palming the lime with the left hand. Then people suspect that you are using two balls, which you admit but upon lifting up the cover with the right hand the white ball appears! People suspect the fake but the left hand pours the ball out on to the table forwards. The yellow ball is on the left of the cup, place the white one to the right and cover. Tap with the wand. The right hand lifts the cover and places it on the inner right. The cup seems empty but upon the right taking up the cup and turning it up, the left secretly allows the right fingers to grip the lime for a second and shaking the mouth down cup the lime seems to fall from it. Make a nice display of the whole props.

Frye, Charlie: Eccentricks Vol 2 DVD: The eyeball vase is a full “Ball And Vase” routine with a valid finale and a smart ruse for the paint on the shell (done with an eye ball but could be done with an 8 ball)

Gallo, Mike: Mike Gallo Presents: The Ball And Vase DVD © 2006 by Mike Gallo, Harry Zimbler and East Coast Magic Productions, Mike has designed yet another great very audience oriented routine

Gorman, Doug: The Stones of Tutankhamun – A Routine for the Ball Vase © 2004 by Doug Gorman, James Riser, a nice multicolor routine which comes with possibly the best and nicest looking props on the market

Hansen, Eric: Routines for the Hansen Egg Cup © Professor Spellbinder, Everything you ever wanted to know about performing the Ball Vase or the Egg Cup WITHOUT a shell in a routine which does NOT make use of the performer's pockets

Henning, Roland: Ball And Vase marketed item © by Roland, Henning, Magic Channel: a creative multicolor routine with a nice climax

Hoffman, Professor: Modern Magic a practical treatise on the art of conjuring © 1882, American edition Philadelphia: David McKay, publisher, p 289 < > 299 are devoted to what we now call the Ball and Vase: p 289 The Ball Box; p.296 The Red and Black Ball Vases; The Morison’s Pill Box; The Ball which Changes to a Rose The pages are different but the titles are the original ones picked up from the George Routledge and Sons, London. No date (1876) very rare First edition

Kingston, Charles: The Gen Vol 12 N° 5 © p 105-108. Ball and vase routine. Very good

Olson, Robert E.: Sick Sorcery ©1961 Robert Olson and Robert Pearce, Ball and vase (check this reference which is still unconfirmed)

Racherbaumer, Jon and Marlo, Edward: Arcade Dreams, Marlo Without Cards
© 1997 by Jon Racherbaumer and Kaufman, Kaufman and Company,
Illustrated by Joseph K. Schmidt, Photographs by Fredde Lieberman p 74 Duplex Ball and Vase: A Ball and vase (small style) routine

Riser, James /Doug Gorman Stones of Tutenkamun

Salomon, Ed: Presentations for the Storyteller © 2008 by Ed Solomon & Bill Palmer, Lulu.com, The Eye of Al-Hazred

Skinner, Michael: Michael Skinner's Intimate Magic © 1982 by Jeff Busby, p 15 Bewildering Ball Vase & Professional close-up magic Vol 3 DVD Includes Bewildering Ball Vase climaxing with the vase in the spectator’s hand: the ball has changed color.

Wilkins, John: Mercury, Or the Secret and Swift Messenger © 1641 by John Wilkins the first reference to the Ball and Vase, which almost instantly became a common children's prop

I consider Kenard tricks to be fantastic classics and some of my all-time favorites. MYSTERY BOX, BLOCK BOLT AND COIN, NU-DIE MYSTERY, AND VIS-ESCAPE come to mind. He was a creative genius IMHO and came up with some great methods.