Duplicating a signature

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Jun 10, 2010
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Does anybody know of a method to duplicate a spectator's signature on a playing card? Just as a matter of curiousity, I have a few ideas for it.
 
Guy Hollingworth has a solid example in his book, Drawing Room Deceptions. It makes use of dual reality in a destroyed-and-restored card plot. And similarly, you can actually use David Williamson's kicker-ending/gag for Torn and Restored Transpo (Williamson's Wonders) to acquire a duplicate signature in a real-time performance as well.

RS.
 

WitchDocIsIn

Elite Member
Sep 13, 2008
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Depending on the situation, you can get away with a generic scribble. Depends on how closely you want it to be scrutinized.
 
Sep 3, 2007
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Depending on the situation, you can get away with a generic scribble. Depends on how closely you want it to be scrutinized.

And that might not be up to you in certain situations. It is bad magic to say NO when someone asks to look at something. The end of the magic should be examinable unless you're on stage. Do you honestly think that showing a signed card around with scribbles on it will convince them? Did it ever occur that they might want to check out the signature?
 
And that might not be up to you in certain situations. It is bad magic to say NO when someone asks to look at something. The end of the magic should be examinable unless you're on stage. Do you honestly think that showing a signed card around with scribbles on it will convince them? Did it ever occur that they might want to check out the signature?

@ Sir FansAlot, I'd give ChristopherT the benefit of the doubt and assume he was talking about using a scribbled card DURING the effect. For instance, switching a legitimately signed card for a scribbled duplicate-- destroying the duplicate after a quick/casual flash-- and then reproducing the signed selection for examination again. Amusingly, this isn't too far from Guy Hollingworth's preferred method featured in his book...

RS.
 
Sep 3, 2007
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@ Sir FansAlot, I'd give ChristopherT the benefit of the doubt and assume he was talking about using a scribbled card DURING the effect. For instance, switching a legitimately signed card for a scribbled duplicate-- burning the duplicate-- and then reproducing the signed selection for examination again.

RS.

I would too, but bringing up the point I thought was good.

As to the original post. If you can duplicate someone's signature they most likely wouldn't know the difference when looking at it. It is however, bad form and could be called perjury.
 

WitchDocIsIn

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Sep 13, 2008
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And that might not be up to you in certain situations. It is bad magic to say NO when someone asks to look at something. The end of the magic should be examinable unless you're on stage. Do you honestly think that showing a signed card around with scribbles on it will convince them? Did it ever occur that they might want to check out the signature?

Well, Joshua Jay gets away with it with his signed card to Aspirin Bottle routine. So yeah, I think you could get away with it.

If you're good.
 
Sep 3, 2007
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Well, Joshua Jay gets away with it with his signed card to Aspirin Bottle routine. So yeah, I think you could get away with it.

If you're good.

I think you could get away with it easily. The difficulty, and I think this is what the OP meant, is actually having a duplicate signature.
 

WitchDocIsIn

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Sep 13, 2008
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Yes, but what I'm trying to say is that you don't always need an actual duplicate. One needs to examine their effect and decide how exact the copy needs to be.
 
Apr 5, 2009
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And that might not be up to you in certain situations. It is bad magic to say NO when someone asks to look at something. The end of the magic should be examinable unless you're on stage. Do you honestly think that showing a signed card around with scribbles on it will convince them? Did it ever occur that they might want to check out the signature?

I'm impressed sir frans. that was a good post. i hope to see more :)

If i absolutely had too had too do this. i would employ a stooge. teaching him to forge a signature roughly. (look at it upside down) anybody who studies handwriting would catch it quickly. but your average laymen would notice a drastic difference just from memory.

but i'm sure there are more effective measures
 
Dec 13, 2007
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North Hollywood
I been looking for the same thing as the OP.
although something you can try if you want, is have them draw a generic symbol instead of there sig.
Like a X or something of that sort. You can duplicate that no problem. and the Person did still get to write on the card and make it "one of a kind"
Especially if you have them write the date too.
 
Jun 10, 2010
1,360
1
I been looking for the same thing as the OP.
although something you can try if you want, is have them draw a generic symbol instead of there sig.
Like a X or something of that sort. You can duplicate that no problem. and the Person did still get to write on the card and make it "one of a kind"
Especially if you have them write the date too.

Nah, just looking for signatures. Preferably completely examinable, and somehow duplicated in the performance. I've heard good things about Guy Hollingworth's book, I'm probably going to check that out and look up some of the things suggested so far.

The scribble thing sounds like a good idea, but the problem is is that they might notice and different people have different types of signatures, so in some cases it might look really obvious.
 
How exactly do you plan to have a spectator write their signature twice without them remembering it? Unless you used the same signed card at a later time?

There are actually a few methods to acquiring a duplicate of person's signature through the course of a routine. For example, making a spectator's signature vanish off the card only motivates them to sign it again. The context of the routine/effect makes them remember only logically signing the card one time. I've used this a few times to great success in the past. There are similar ploys mentioned in the previous posts. It's not impossible.

RS.
 

byronblaq

Elite Member
Jul 22, 2010
225
129
Melbourne, Australia
I have a gimmick I've made that duplicates there signature as they write it but not with that transfer paper stuff. My method allows for the signature to look identical to the one they wrote if you use a sharpie . It's a fair way off been perfect though. I use it to do crazy transpositions .
 
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Sep 4, 2007
207
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Kansas City
When I duplicate... and I don't know if this is a super special reveal or not.. so if this is anyone else's method I apologize. I typically first do a signature bit on a piece of paper and use a carbon onto a card. Then I can do the signature switch later. It is a little bit of work, but plays pretty big.
 
If you wanted to keep it simple, you could sign the other side of the card. For example have them sign the front, and you sign the back. If you have another signed back in the deck you can do some transpositions, and they will still think its their card. Especially if you dat your signature. Justin miller does this in his Autograph trick. Check it out.
 
Dec 18, 2007
1,610
14
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Northampton, MA - USA
I believe it was Juan Mayoral that had a method for duplicating a signature perfectly; Joaquin Ayala showed it to me years ago, but the gimmick that allows the transfer is set into a deck of cards and too, the kept sales to a very limited group because the signatures are so perfect... they feared misuse of the technology for Identity Theft.
 
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