This is in regards to Mel Meller's routine with a large ring/hoop entitled "breaking the law".

It's a great routine, with a cute steal of the gimmick....which unfortunately requires a coat.....which I don't always wear.

And, I must agree that ALL of the material must be inspected. Which leads me to my problem with the steal.

Now, I'm using a racquet ball racquet instead of a hoop/ring, so I've tried drilling out the handle and hiding it there, I've tried hiding it on the back of the racquetball racket cover.

EVERYTHING seems wrong! In none of these methods can I hand everything out all at once.

Any ideas?

Why does it need inspection? Dean Dill has several things that need to be "stolen" and he just puts his hands in his pants pockets. You may need to learn how to do it that way.... get it to be a common and natural thing (putting hands in pockets).

Pete: In the Mel Meller routine, you steal something that doesn't easily lend itself to this technique.

The inspection is necessary (I think anyway) to make the trick stronger. Otherwise, the audience could/would think "Oh, the racquet has a slit in it somewhere". etc, etc, etc.

Brody, I do not have your effect, but I really must comment on your thinking that inspection is necessary. If you hand out things to be inspected, you will loose your audience and many will just walk away, or just loose interest. It does not make an effect stronger, you make the effect strong or weak by your presentation of an effect.

Inspection turns a magic effect into a puzzle, not magic.

Who cares what a person thinks how an effect could be possiblily done. No matter what you do someone will think they know how an effect may be accomplished.

Also, are you a magician or a miracle maker. Magic is an art of entertainment, not God like powers. The audience already knows this, and nothing you can do will change their mind.

Handing out all your props at once is also a bad idea. You loose total control of the props and presentation. If anything you should hand out one or 2 items to different people and get them back, and then hand out another. It is the MISDIRECTION that will give you an opportunity to obtain your needed addition.

If you do not want to wear a jacket then wear a button down shirt and leave it open, I think they call this style of dress layering.

There is only a very few tricks that you can hand out for total inspection. These are called beginner tricks. Once you have purchased all the beginner tricks, you should have some experience at presenting magic and learned how to handle spectators.

As Pete Biro suggest your natural manners are good misdirection to obtain things. Pay attention to your mannerisms and then take advantage of them. You could have your secret thing under the edge of your pull over shirt and while adjusting the length or lay of the fabric, obtain what you need. This kind of gesture can also work to switch items. While pulling out your pocket hanky with one hand the other does what it needs to do. The larger gesture draws the attention of the smaller gesture. Again that is MISDIRECTION! Now I know you will say, I don't carry a hanky, well it about time you did. They are very cheap at the Dollar Store near you.

Oh, why would you pull out a hanky? Well, on a hot day wipe your brow. Or simply wipe your hands off, making some small comment, my palms are sweaty. Any excuse is good manners. Do not blow your noise, they will run screaming. LOL

Wmhegbli:

Ok, maybe I'm in a really grumpy mood, but I took just about everything you wrote in a really negative manner.

You start off by stating that you don't have the effect. Ok, then perhaps you shouldn't comment on it. If you'd see the effect, you'd see why Mr. Meller (who's done quite well by the trick, I imagine) has everything inspected.

And yes, I do indeed think some tricks need inspection. Linking rings for example. Without inspection, I don't think there's a single person that wouldn't think "Oh, they come apart somehow".


I firmly believe that Sub trunks, escapes, thumb ies...iow...penetrations...DEMAND inspection.

And Mr. Mellers' trick is indeed a penetration.

Then, you bad-mouth my abilities.

. Really?!! I'm surprised that you know so much about my act, and whether or not I can hold someone's interest.

Maybe you should have written, "You run the RISK of losing your audience". Nicer sound to it. You'd still be wrong, since I won't lose them, but at least it'd sound less irritating.

Then, you follow up with: . THAT'S ALL OF THE PROPS IN THE TRICK! A ring and a rope. Like I said, if you haven't seen the trick, perhaps you shouldn't comment.

Then, you follow up with.. Do I? Again, good to know. Thanks for the info about my act. By the way, when did you see it?

Next, you give me help with my style of dress...to wit: . Gee, thanks Mr. Blackwell. All you're doing is giving me a way to make a shirt act like a coat...and, I would NEVER wear a shirt this way...as everyone of my friends and family know.

My OTHER style of dress, since you DIDN'T ask, is tee shirt, cargo shorts, and flip flops. Casual performances for friends and family. If it's a fancier family get-together, I would wear a dress shirt. Firmly tucked in. As is my wont.

And of course, you still haven't considered that perhaps my pockets are already in use, jacket or no.

And this sentence goes beyond condescending, in my opionion.


Finally, when you reach the discussion about the hanky, you're giving some practical advice...but even then, you ruin your message with condescension. i.e.:

Really,that's misdirection? Huh.. I thought it was a Hermann pass. Wow, learn something new every day, is my motto.

By the way, I do carry a hanky. At all times. Not Dollar store either. Monogrammed. Uptown, eh?

I even wear a suit at work sometimes. Not Dollar Store for that either.

Like I say, perhaps I'm in a grumpy mood, or perhaps you came off sounding more ...shall I say ...authoritarian than you meant.

No, you are the one that is very negative. You ask for help and when given, you refuse to digest the the advice. I don't see any question marks in my post, so there is really no reason for you to be defensive.

Okay, I admit, you are the most wonderful perfect magician in the world. I look forward to all your expert advice on the Café. I will write down your screen name and ignor any questions you advice you may post.

I now know you are an expert on all the principles in magic. Sorry to have tried to suggest some handling and help.

Brody: Why not re-post in SECRET SESSIONS and tell us what it is you need to "steal" and what you have tried??? OR PM ME.

Pete:

Perhaps I should have posted in Secret Sessions, but I figured that if people hung around in this section, they'd have a pretty fair knowledge of ring and rope routines.

And, I'd hoped that if someone HAD knowledge and HAD solved the problem, they'd share the solution.

Wmhegbli:

If you would have made *suggestions*, it would have been fine.

Instead, I get a lecture.

With words in ALL CAPS! Like someone's SHOUTING AT ME!

And, "no reason to be defensive"??? Really???? Explain then how I should take "Once you have purchased all the beginner tricks".


However, I'm at a loss to understand what "I don't see any question marks in my post" means. I'm in agreement. There are no question marks, even on the sentence that should have had one.


You did not offer advice.....you pontificated.


However, I hope you do indeed keep your word, (assuming I read the mangled sentence correctly), that you will ignore my further postings.

I read the posts here from various persons and wonder, "Is this the way you speak to spectators when you perform?" Yeah, I know -- you assumea character when you perform, and that is of a kind, gregarious, helpful and always pleasant "favorite uncle." Well, why not when dicussing issues on the Café assume a similar character?

Everyone here has some experiences worth sharing and some gap in their personal knowledge of performance magic. Wouldn't it be great if we just matched these two up? Now, there is a question somwhere in all of this that I might be able to help with -- if I understood exactly what it is. I probably can't post the answer here on open forum because ...

I guess that if the answer can't be expressed on open forum the question should not be here either, so, try again in Secret Sessions, and I'll look for the "nice guy."

Ok, since someone else may benefit from this, I thought I'd post my solution.

First, I used a substance called ShapeLock. You could also, I think, use a plastic fleximble cutting board. (With some rubber bands to provide the resistance.)

I rolled out a flat sheet and then rolled it around the handle of a wooden spoon to make a coil.

To the side of the coil, I put a piece of velcro.

I fold the gimmick into fourths, slip it into the plastic coil, and stick it to the inside of my case.

It's very easy to steal one-handed, and keeps the 1/4 folds intact.

There's pictures at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/OmahaMagical......WnbSdIQ#

Click on a picture to expand, read captions, and get controls to advance from pix to pix.