The theme for the next meeting of IBM Ring 103 in Norfolk, Virginia is "Classics of Magic."
I am writing an article for our newsletter _The Wizard's Eye_ trying to discuss what makes a trick a "classic."
I've compiled a list of some of the tricks that I consider to be "classics" and this is what I have come up with so far:
The Cups and Balls
Linking Rings
Producing a Rabbit from a Hat
Sawing a Person in Half
The Egg Bag
Aga Levitation
Ball Vase
Chinese Sticks
Miser’s Dream
Back Palm Card Productions
Color Changing Handkerchief
Coin in Bottle
Out of This World
Passe Passe Bottle and Glass

What other routines could be included?

In my efforts to define what qualifies a trick to be designated a "classic," I have established two criteria so far:
1. A classic stands the test of time (e.g. "Cups and Balls," "Linking Rings," "Sawing a Lady in Half")
2. A classic is popular with both magicians and the audience they perform for (e.g. Egg Bag, "Out of This World").

I'd be very interested in thoughts from members here as to what they consider to be a "Classic of Magic."

----- Amado "Sonny" Narvaez

Hi Sonny,

A classic car is any motor vehicle 25 years or older, usually with some historical interest to collectors. I think a similar definition works for magic tricks:

Any popular magic trick 25 years or older that is historically important to magicians.

Anything a little newer (between 10 and 25 years) could be considered a modern classic.

Cut and Restored Rope should be on the list. There are also a ton of card tricks that could be on there, e.g., "Triumph", "McDonald's Aces", and things like the Card Stab. Same with coin magic: Coins Across, Matrix, Three Fly.

There are also specific creators that I'd associate with classic material, such as Dai Vernon, Larry Jennings, Roy Benson, David Roth, and so on. I think most classic magic tricks have an element of novelty/innovation. They're unlike anything that came before or a much better version of something already existing.

I hope that helps! Good luck with your article.

Marty

Two in hand , one one pocket variations are very ancient.

I think Coin to Bottle would qualify, and any ring and rope

Thanks for your comments, Marty and Ken!
Great suggestions!

----- Sonny

Cards across

Triumph?
Ambitious card?

The obvious… Invisible Deck…. And the less obvious but far more performed… coin from child’s ear.

And of course… sponge balls

Chink-a-chink
Card stab

Here are a couple of (possibly) provocative suggestions about what makes a classic.
There should be a clear and distinctive effect or plot that a spectator can describe in a short sentence. So "almost anything with a ring and rope" doesn't fit. There may be many different methods and variations evolve, in fact that is good support for it being a classic
The plot/trick needs to endure, not simply be old. There are plenty of old tricks that have simply had their day and, because they haven't endured, are not classics.

Further to the smart selection above, we could possibly consider adding (in a more logical order)

Color changing knives
Three card Monte
Nutshell and pea
Floating cane (or stick or wand)
Coins through the table
Spoon bending
color changing deck (including nudist ones)
D'lite effects
Floating $ bill
Card or coin under glass (or salt shaker)
Spellbound
Purseframe effects (with coins or with sponge balls or other prop)
Cigarette or pen through coin
Sponge bunnies (or sponge balls)
Cylinder and coins
Torn and restore newspaper
Gypsie thread
Stage floating handkerchief
Cigarette multiplication and vanishes
Torn and restored paper hankerchief
Professor's nightmare
Al Leech's Hot Card Trick (also called Chicago opener or red hot mamma)
Six card repeat
Book test
Cold reading
Linking borrowed fingerrings
Ring on string
Ring on stick
Chop cup (if accepted as slightly different than C&Bs)
Diminishing cards
ACAAN
Open travelers (sometimes called invisible palm)
Blendo
Twentieth Century Silk
Salt pour from the fist
Rice balls
Smoking the thumb
Snow Storm in China
Zombie ball
Billiard balls (or golf balls or glass soap bubbles)

Every Magician you know has one

Ring & String is a classic routine because it uses a classic effect: Penetration. (or non-destruction) Other tricks in that same type are: Sawing a person in half, Linking Rings) I would define Penetration as a bit different than Cut & Restored Rope which is a Restoration. Solid through Solid is a good description. And the most eye-popping Ring & String Routine is Relentless because it has many variations and is the only R&S routine with three ON moves, which are more rare. Here's a link to the video:
https://buy.bobmillermagic.biz/magic-1/1......download

Classical is normally considered characteristic of the 18c. As far as magic goes that would be witchcraft, sorcery, and the like. The "false sorcerers" as d'Argenson called them, practised divination and drew up horoscopes. They had books of invocations with diabolical symbols, which they used to dictate pacts to simple people; they even persuaded them that they themselves had become sorcerers. One can play the role of a "false sorcerer" of the 18c and use evocation in effect, et cetera. For consistency, everything would have to fit the bill.

Some say that Isaac Fawkes (1675?–1732) created the card-to-ceiling trick. If so, it might be the first classic card trick invented for entertainment purposes only.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Fawkes