Outdated tricks

010rusty

010rusty

Elite Member
Nov 12, 2016
1,276
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LA (Lower Alabama)
This will sound odd, but I LOVE outdated magic. Like magic that uses objects that are no longer normal. My favorite would be Penn and Teller Cruel tricks for dear friends VHS.
There is just something about taking effects that do not work and modernizing them so they will work.

What are some resources for tricks that are out of date, but still can be worked at?
 
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DominusDolorum

DominusDolorum

Elite Member
Jul 15, 2013
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I can only think of Self-Working Mental Magic by Karl Fulves at the moment. Take for instance some of the old mentalism tricks that use chalkboard slates. But instead, use the small whiteboards some students use for lockers.
 
Maaz Hasan

Maaz Hasan

Jan 26, 2017
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Was legitimately about to ask this exact same thing in our Convo lol You beat me to it.

That Jinx Magazine that I showed you has a lot of old stuff that we can work on, I was looking through it for this exact topic last night!

Here's some things I can see. Bear in mind, a lot of old magic can still be performed, just not in a "street" setting, which would be "modern", even though effects like the cups and balls, rope magic, linking rings, all still work there.

Thimble Magic ----------> Ring magic (manipulation)
Cigarette Magic ---------> Small Pens? Knives? Gum? Also, given the popularity of them right now, and the random things we've been finding in the market, I wouldn't be surprised if Vape Magic becomes a thing, smh.
Slates ---------------------> The Notepad/memo app on a phone.
Pocket watch ------------> Cell Phone
Silks & Handkerchief---> Not really sure here, Scarves, Paper..... maybe just handkerchiefs?
Ropes --------------------> There was a recent thread I posted on this, but the main ideas were headphones, lanyards, rope, necklaces, ties, cords, etc.
 
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Maaz Hasan

Maaz Hasan

Jan 26, 2017
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Maaz Hasan said:
Was legitimately about to ask this exact same thing in our Convo lol You beat me to it.

That Jinx Magazine that I showed you has a lot of old stuff that we can work on, I was looking through it for this exact topic last night!

Here's some things I can see. Bear in mind, a lot of old magic can still be performed, just not in a "street" setting, which would be "modern", even though effects like the cups and balls, rope magic, linking rings, all still work there.

Thimble Magic ----------> Ring magic (manipulation)
Cigarette Magic ---------> Small Pens? Knives? Gum? Also, given the popularity of them right now, and the random things we've been finding in the market, I wouldn't be surprised if Vape Magic becomes a thing, smh.
Slates ---------------------> The Notepad/memo app on a phone.
Pocket watch ------------> Cell Phone
Silks & Handkerchief---> Not really sure here, Scarves, Paper..... maybe just handkerchiefs?
Ropes --------------------> There was a recent thread I posted on this, but the main ideas were headphones, lanyards, rope, necklaces, ties, cords, etc.
Click to expand...
Edit (time ran out): Not to say it's wrong to vape if that is your personal choice or whatever, just don't like the idea of it becoming a "new staple" in magic as a genre.

Phew, flame war averted.

Also, this is the Rope Magic Thread I was talking about:
https://www.theory11.com/forums/threads/substitutions-for-rope.50472/#/post-474260
 
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Maaz Hasan

Maaz Hasan

Jan 26, 2017
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TylerScottIllusionist said:
I'll restart the flame war.

Card tricks.
Click to expand...
Actually I really agree. A lot of older card tricks were boring to read through. However, I think that may be the point. It kinda forced you to come up with your own presentation. The old books (mostly) had the best ideas, and bland presentations. This forces you to come up with your own variations on them.

Eg. In Marlo's Action Palm, almost every single palm technique has the same "usage" listed at the end: A very boring, instantaneous card transposition. This is not to say that Marlo was a bland performer. Just look at Marlo in Spades, which has very intriguing performance styles. But he was rather solely focused on teaching the technique in Action Palm.

Btw, Action Palm is an amazing book/part of a book (Revolutionary Card Technique) that anyone who wants to improve their palms should get.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is a bit off topic, but it's the same problem I see in YouTube teachings. Beginners just perform the trick straight out of the box (Tube?) without coming up with a presentation, but because of the way click bait and crazy montages make moves look, it doesn't make you think about presentation the way books do. But I'm meandering here, no need for anyone to continue that conversation on this thread (make a new one if you really want to talk about YouTube, just not on this thread).
 
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ChrisJGJ

Feb 1, 2017
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Antonio Diavolo said:
Did you see that study about how card tricks are the least memorable type of magic unless they involve some other prop. So like card on ceiling, card to lemon, omni deck. That type of stuff.
Click to expand...

Least memorable, but not least enjoyed. There was a question at the end of that section of the article: "If they enjoy what you do, does it matter if they remember specifics?"
 
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W

WitchDocIsIn

Elite Member
Sep 13, 2008
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I was going to say there was no such thing as outdated methods, just outdated presentations - then I remembered some of the crazy stuff I've read about and changed my mind.

A significant portion of my work is based off methods that are literally hundreds or thousands of years old. At the convention last weekend I performed an hour show that used only two bits that were created within the past century.

As others have commented, it's just a matter of creating a presentation that is interesting to a modern audience.

Card tricks are often boring to anyone who's not a magician. It requires skillful use of pacing and scripting to hook the attention to what is essentially a meaningless prop. I do care, personally, if people don't remember any details. I want them to leave the show and give examples of what they saw, which will entice others to see my next show. If someone mashes a half dozen routines into one jumbled description, it'll sound like you only did one trick. Whereas if they talk about 6 individual routines, each one with its own amazing portion, that sounds like an evening of entertainment.

Side note - Slates are still used by a significant number of performers, because they don't glare like a whiteboard will.
 
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WitchDocIsIn

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Sep 13, 2008
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White lines on a dark background, mean the white reflects the light very well and it's clear all the way to the back with no glare. Whiteboards glare constantly, and people only a few rows back are probably not going to be able to see it - so you end up tilting it back and forth like an idjit, trying to get everyone to see, or you sacrifice clarity for brevity.

Drawing pads are OK, but you need a really thick marker to show up at a distance, because the white paper overwhelms the black lines.

Technically this is true with books, too, but it's stupid expensive to print white letters on black paper.

Slates are mostly only used by mentalists these days, and it is fading, but I know of several that still use them for the purpose of clarity.
 
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Al e Cat Dabra

Al e Cat Dabra

Jul 26, 2016
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Yes, i would think that in addition to the element of great showmanship, theatrics and presentation, clarity is paramount; without it, all may be lost.
 
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