What do you consider a "Holy Grail"?

Josh Burch

Elite Member
Aug 11, 2011
2,966
1,101
Utah
In magic marketing we hear the title "Holy Grail" thrown around a lot. The "Holy Grail" of chop cups, the "Holy Grail" of coins across, the "Holy Grail" of all card tricks. When we think of this we usually think of any card at any number:

"The spectator shuffles and examines a deck of cards. They then place it on the table any spectator calls out a card and another calls out a number. A fourth then takes the deck and deals down to the number named and it happens to match the selected card. The deck is then examinable."

What are some other descriptions of "Holy Grails"? Do you know any current effects on the market that fit you description of a "Holy Grail"?
 
May 9, 2012
202
0
New York
i think that the term holy grail is thrown around much too often. it seems that every time i hear of a holy grail, theres a better one later. its like buying an Apple product. you think its amazing and the best one ever, and then they come out with a better one. that said, i dont currently know a trick that i would consider a holy grail.
 
Jun 14, 2012
51
0
California
I think the "Holy Grail" of magic is up to the person preforming it and his/her opinions, for me TnR is the "Holy Grail" of torn and restored card effects and simplex 3 fly is the "Holy Grail" of coins across. All in all it depends on the preformer.
 
May 6, 2012
75
0
I think he actually meant the Holy Grail in a more general way, like ACAAN for Card tricks. Anyways, I think it's a personal choice. For example, I don't like the ACAAN plot very much, actually I think it is a weak trick compared to other modern stuff which can be more visual and more imposible. Like Rick Lax says in his patter for fortuity, it is something very improbable but not impossible. It just comes down to each individual on a very subjective way.
 

Josh Burch

Elite Member
Aug 11, 2011
2,966
1,101
Utah
The antifaro is basically the sleight of all sleights, an invisible antifaro would totally be a Holy Grail
 
Mar 6, 2008
1,483
3
A Land Down Under
Why would you want to do a perfect invisible anti-Faro. The only 'practical' (and I use that term very loosely) use for the application for the anti-faro is as a demonstration of unshuffling the deck in a triumph routine
 

Josh Burch

Elite Member
Aug 11, 2011
2,966
1,101
Utah
Why would you want to do a perfect invisible anti-Faro. The only 'practical' (and I use that term very loosely) use for the application for the anti-faro is as a demonstration of unshuffling the deck in a triumph routine

Haha!

Impractical? YES! Worthy of the title, The Holy Grail of Move Monkey Card Sleights? YES!
 
Jan 1, 2009
2,241
3
Back in Time
The Anti-faro isn't that great and you can really tell when the creator of the sleight even mentioned that he couldn't think up any use for it.

I consider the overhand shuffle to be the Holy grail when it comes to card magic. You can't name a single person who doesn't use it, it's invisible and uniform (if done right). When spectators see you do an overhand shuffle they don't focus on it, because it's the exact same shuffle they do as well. Not to mention a lot of the great thinkers in magic have taken the shuffle and made really deceptive false ones with it. Erdnase, G.W. Hunter. Juan Tamariz and a crap ton more.

The overhand shuffle essentially gives you a ton of options and if you're into mentalism, then well it doesn't look magician-y either. So there's that.
 
Jul 13, 2009
1,372
0
33
After a gig, the client and the magician step out into an empty parking lot. The client waits by their car and even leans against it. The client wants to see one last personal magic trick, which the magician happily obliges. The magician has them close their eyes and begins a psuedo hypnotic chant. "Soon you will feel as if you were falling, falling backward but not fast enough to not catch yourself. Keep focusing on that sensation." The client continues to focus on that feeling until almost instantly they fall backward. They open their eyes in shock and find that their car has vanished. But not completely vanished, they find it has simply moved over into another parking spot, but they could have sworn they parked it where they were leaned against.

Holy grail impromptu illusion.
 
I have what I like to call "Mini-Holy Grail's." For example, if I have been performing a certain effect for a long while one way, then find a improved way to achieve the same effect, then eureka!

For the longest time (about 15 years) I had been doing a card effect in which a spectator would select a freely chosen card, return it to the deck, and I would cause their selected card to be the only face-up card in the deck. Simple effect, but there were several opportunities in which the secret could be exposed, especially if you were performing it to someone who couldn't/wouldn't follow directions (which were only 'please choose a card' & 'please place the card somewhere close to the middle of the deck.').

Then while watching Gerry Griffin's 'Complete Card Magic' back in 2007, he taught a sleight called the "Browery Reversal." It completely eliminated those two elements in which to get caught with, plus made the effect seem like even more of a miracle.

So for me, it is finding new things that improve my magic, in this case the "Browery Reversal."

- Steve
 
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Mike.Hankins

creator / <a href="http://www.theory11.com/tricks/
Nov 21, 2009
435
0
Sacramento, Cali
It's not about what WE as magicians think is the "Holy Grail"... It's about what the SPECTATOR thinks is the "Holy Grail". But how often do we ask our spectators what effects THEY liked the most? I don't care how fair the effect is. I don't care how how clean it is... I care about what my spectators think is the best effect.
 

yyyyyyy

Elite Member
Apr 7, 2012
537
12
From my experience with an audience, I feel that the two strongest effects are when you make something appear or vanish. I'm not sure why exactly; it probably has something to do with the simplicity of the effect. A Holy Grail for me would definitely be a practical, walk around self-vanish. That would be an amazing trick to perform.
 
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