Uncle Quarter Master

Note from the editor

It’s fitting that Brad decided to contribute this effect this month. My father’s birthday was this month. He would have been 65. He has the honor of giving me my first moment of astonishment. And it was essentially done with the very trick that Brad’s about to make reference to (the quarter from ear). Though my father’s was a bit different . . . it was pants tag from mouth. Back in the day, kids pants had a rubber-like tag above the back pocket. Mine came off.

My dad used mine to do a few coin vanish moves. Then he magically pulled it out of my mouth. Even today, it still seems like real magic. I have a vivid memory of being able to feel it in my mouth. What a wonderful childhood memory. So thank you Brad for delivering an homage to the classic trick in the month of birth of the man who first showed it to me.

In my experience nearly everyone has an uncle who can make a quarter or coin appear from behind a child’s ear. And if not, it is just about as well known to the public as pulling a white rabbit out of a black top hat. Personally I’ve heard the words “hey Mr magic, pull a coin out of my ear” many times. It actually can be fun for the right person/in the right moment.

I was thinking, what if I could make a little presentation of this and take full advantage of such a well-known curiosity.

Needed:

Some quarter/coin stickers (figure 1). A duplicate card (in this case the Nine of Diamonds with a quarter “sticker” stuck to its face) (figure 2), I purchased my stickers online at A Cherry on Top (a scrapbooking website). Set the regular Nine of Diamonds on top of the pack with the duplicate (quarter sticker) Nine on top of that.

Figure 1:

Uncle Quarter Master

Figure 2:

Uncle Quarter Master

Presentation and Effect:

Choosing the right moment and/or after “you” the magician (or uncle) have been asked to do tricks or better yet when someone asks about the old quarter from the ear bit, you present a pack of cards and state:

“When I talk to people about magic, I often run into someone who, when as a young child they remember a magician or an uncle reaching behind their ear and making a quarter appear, which is such a great memory right? I’ve never been able to do that particular trick but I can do something different, I can magically set a playing card behind someone’s ear, without them even feeling it. Would you be interested in giving it a try?“

The top card of the pack is turned face-up and shown to be the Nine of Diamonds then turned face down. This card is held in the air and placed behind the willing participant’s ear; it is left there only for a moment and then the magician re-grasps it.

What Really Happens:

  • In this first sequence you of course double lift the top card (to show the regular Nine of Diamonds), double lift again turning the 2 cards face down again. Use a back palm (which I sure hope you already know how to do as I will not be explaining it) to create the illusion of setting the Nine of Diamonds behind his/her ear.
  • For more information on how to do this please see Jeff Mcbride’s amazing DVD series The Art of Card Manipulation which is among my top 10 DVD sets of all time – hands down.

You can repeat this same action of apparently placing the card behind his/her ear once more. Each time, being careful to only show the back of the card and not flash the sticker side of the card.

Before your intelligent youngster has the opportunity to challenge your “modus operandi” (method of operation), you notice that there really is (might be) something behind his/her ear.

  • Still holding the card (its back is visible) “Hold on a moment, I think I see something behind your ear, I think I can catch it with this card.“

You ask him/her to hold still as you reach slowly behind his/her ear and pretend to grasp (or catch) something (give the card a slight flick with your finger, make it very subtle because the card will be very close to his/her ear and can be very loud if you’re not careful.

Pull the card back from his/her ear, and magically turn it over to reveal a quarter “sticker” on the face of the Nine of diamonds. “I guess you really did have a quarter behind your ear.” The playing card is then given to the youngster/participant as a souvenir.

Additional Thoughts:

If you’d like to take this a step further (as I do) there is a very simple way to make it seem as though you pull the sticker off the coin and magically turn it into a real quarter.

To accomplish this, simply begin this entire effect with a quarter finger palmed in your left hand (hidden underneath the pack of cards). Proceed with the steps and patter above. When you have arrived at the point where you are holding the Nine of Diamonds in your hand (having just revealed the quarter sticker), smoothly place this card on top of the pack (face up). The regular Nine of Diamonds is underneath (face down of course).

Ask the youngster to hold out his/her hand and do a double turnover while wrist killing so as not expose the back-to-back switch you’ve just effected. This is much like you do if you were about to execute the Illogical Double or the start of a K.M. Move

  • Be careful to keep the quarter secure against the deck, so it doesn’t prematurely appear).
  • At this point, you are holding the pack of cards over his/her hand with your palm face down. (figure 3).

Figure 3:

Uncle Quarter Master

Give the deck a brief shake over his/her hand (as if you are trying to possibly get the sticker to dislodge. Now grasp the edge of the deck with your right hand (figure 4) and rather quickly, slide your left hand to the left, with the quarter still “hidden” as though you have removed something. Slowly turn the deck over with your right hand to show there is now NO quarter sticker on the Nine of Diamonds. Magically rub your left fingers together, bringing the REAL quarter into view and drop it into his/her hand.

Figure 4:

Uncle Quarter Master

Check out the video below for what it should look like.

Uncle Quarter Master – Ending

Notes:

There are a myriad of ways to create the illusion of making the quarter magically become real in this scenario, I have simply included one that is very simple, giving way to focus on the presentation.

  • A little tip: Place the quarter sticker closer to the top of the Nine of Diamonds (refer back to figure 2 above). I feel it adds to the idea that you’ve captured the quarter from behind the youngster’s ear. Also when setting up for the back to back double turnover, start with the quarter sticker at the outer end of the pack (toward the spectator). This will (in my humble opinion) add to the illusion of sliding the quarter all the way across the face of the deck.

Please Enjoy.

With Great Thanks,

Brad “Scarnecky” Gordon

Note from the editor

While hangin’ out at Chili’s (Scar and Stone’s favorite hangout), we were dinkin’ around with the handling on this and Scar came up with this variation:

Basically, rather than pull the coin over into your left fist, you leave it under your left hand with it pressed flat against the bottom card of the deck (which happens to be facing upward). Then you slide it to the left allowing it to fall into the spectator’s hand.

It looks like the coin falls off of the card and into their hand. Below is a clip of it.

Uncle Quarter Master Alt. Ending

Take a moment to post your experience with this effect or your comments/thoughts about this effect below . . . remember, you could win a Jon Armstrong DVD three pack ($100 value) just by posting a comment. All comments of substance (in other words, a simple “good point” or “I agree” doesn’t cut it) will be entered into a drawing on the last day of April 2013. The winner will be announced May 1st, 2013

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