Gaffed Cards

Sep 2, 2007
1,182
119
31
Houston, TX
I am curious as to how many of you use gaffed cards. I would like to use them but they worry me in that you have to load them in and get rid of them (thanks to a new sleight I learned, I am not too worried about that any longer). Also, it kind of bothers me that for most effects, you have to use the same card over and over. For instance if you want to do a certain reveal, you have to reveal the same card each time you perform the effect.

So, again, I am curious how many of you guys use gaff cards every day and how you get around these, I guess, obstacles?
 
Sep 1, 2007
1,395
8
37
Belgrade, Serbia
I am curious as to how many of you use gaffed cards. I would like to use them but they worry me in that you have to load them in and get rid of them (thanks to a new sleight I learned, I am not too worried about that any longer). Also, it kind of bothers me that for most effects, you have to use the same card over and over. For instance if you want to do a certain reveal, you have to reveal the same card each time you perform the effect.

So, again, I am curious how many of you guys use gaff cards every day and how you get around these, I guess, obstacles?

The only gaff that I use is Twilight Angels, and I LOVE it. It doesn't bother me that's in my deck, you can always leave it behind in the card box if you don't want to use the gaff card. And problem that it is always the same card is easly solvable, just perform for different people instead of the same people all the time.
 
Nov 8, 2007
1,238
3
The only gaffed cards I use are a moon-cut card for Lit (and the Lit card of course), and Twilight Angels.

I keep them both on the bottom of my deck so when I uncase my cards I can either leave them behind, or take them out with the deck to bring them into play. Easy enough to manage.

Gaffed cards can be great if you use them sparingly, only try to manage one or two at a time, and have a good eye for which ones look like real magic and which ones just look like "trick cards."
 
Nov 7, 2009
135
0
Paris, France
I personnally stoped using gaffed cards when a few months after I started magic, because I couldn't bring them in / out of play easily. However, I probably should start using them again... The problem is, I use my deck case in a lot of effects, so I can't just keep them in the box. Where do you all store your gaffs anyway?
 
Sep 2, 2007
1,182
119
31
Houston, TX
I think most people keep them in the box which, like you said, is an issue for you. Maybe you could pull all the cards out of the box (with the gaffs on bottom) and then use a gamblers cop to get them into your pocket as you grab a sharpie or something else. You could cop them back in later on. That is what I thought about doing.

Also, I like Lit but I would like to be able to give out the matchbook afterwards, but I don't want to have to keep buying refills if I were to purchase and perform the effect, ya know?
 
Nov 8, 2007
1,238
3
I like Lit but I would like to be able to give out the matchbook afterwards, but I don't want to have to keep buying refills if I were to purchase and perform the effect, ya know?
Your expectations are unrealistic then. You want something incredible to giveaway without putting anything into achieving it.

First, it's really not necessary to give the card away. Out of the hundreds of times I've performed the effect I can't recall anyone asking to keep the card. It wasn't theirs to begin with, so they have no attachment to it. Maybe it has happened and I don't recall, because if someone ever had asked I would have just let them keep it. But off the top of my head I don't remember anyone showing any interest in keeping the card. What I usually do is get the most use out of my Lit card I can, then when it's time to get a new one I get one more performance out of the used card and give it away.

If you are set on letting your spectators keep the card every time, though--do it--let them keep the card. The cards aren't that expensive--if you order them from the right place they only cost about 54¢ per card.

54¢ for an incredible magical souvenir is nothing. I spend that much or more every time I do Twilight Angels, SLR, and another effect that will remain nameless which costs about $5 every time I perform it, but leaves them with a completely impossible object. I also perform other effects where I leave the spectators with impossible souvenirs that don't cost me anything to give away really, but do take a lot of time on my part to create them so that I can give them away.

If you want to leave your spectators with magical souvenirs and impossible objects, it's going to cost you money or time most of the time. Doing so, however, is an investment in your reputation, your audience, and (if you perform professionally or want to) your profession.

Also, keep in mind, it's up to you when and how often you perform these types of effects--you can do these as frequent or as often as you want.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Aug 27, 2008
283
0
Tijuana bC
I am a gaff worker, I use them constantly I can give you two tips, that I found work very well, I have to decks on me , for example one in which I do various tricks, then I move into a lets say a coin trick or aa close up trick, what I do I do pixel to end of the first box routine, then I do stair way because the rubberband is now introduced, after stairway maybe link them and we know they are alot of ways we can do that, then I would probably do crazy man handcuff. After that take out the other card box (with the gaffed cards in it) it works because, people now accept gaffed cards with more ease, because you should have floored them by now. NO real sleight is needed just simple misdirection . hope it helps
 
I'm like Mat... I always have Twilight Angels on me. In addition I also have Pip Streak ready to go. Those are both set up at the bottom of my deck so I can leave them in if I need to. I will then normally have one or two other gaff cards, towards the top of the deck, that I will choose. When I'm done with a gaff routine I'll just palm it up as I square up the deck
 
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