We are very excited to announce our project for 2024: The 52 Weeks Project.

As you may know by now, we are a group of friends / acquaintances with related jobs (digital marketing, U/X design, digital sales, etc) and our constant conversation was "we need to do something together", until the light suddenly hit us: why not a magic store?

And thus The Magic Duck was born.

So far it has been an interesting project. It's fun to be on "the other side" of the magic world / business.

(In case you never visited the store, it's: https://amagicduck.com/ )

We brainstormed ways to promote our business with fun, creative and value-sharing campaigns. We believe magicians will like and enjoy the 52 Weeks Project tremendously.

We have chosen, selected and curated 53 magic books from the public domain and although the books are obviously not new, we believe the ones we selected have material and potential relevant even for the modern day magician (we had to discard a LOT of books simply because, on our criteria, they wouldn't be relevant for the modern magician...)

They are also, overall speaking, not so very well known, so they are "new" - in a certain way.

We have also added colorful covers to the books, edited a little bit of the content to make it more clear and added photos were possible and relevant.

Each Monday for 2024 we will be posting a new book, free to download.

We hope magicians follow along for the ride and see all the surprises we have for the year.

We don't do "email marketing" so you don't have to worry about receiving promotional e-mails each day, we hate that...

Here is the official announcement for the project:

https://amagicduck.com/pages/52-weeks-project

The first book we shared this week is S.H. Sharpe's "Good Conjuring".

It is a classic book on magic theory that has inspired incredibly talented people as Jeff McBride, Kenton Knepper and Vito Lupo, among many others.



You can download it now free: https://amagicduck.com/products/good-conjuring-s-h-sharpe

And stay tuned for the next book coming in a few days!

Second week unlocked!



"Magic at Your Fingertips", by Milbourne Christopher & Hen Fetsch

A very interesting book with 33 different ideas for close up and parlour.

Among the fascinating contents you will find a "one cup routine", "bill to orange" (not to lemon), and very interesting version of the "psychometry" routine WITHOUT using blank or business cards, and a VERY INTERESTING key card that passed completely unnoticed by every card magician and yet is very versatile.

Download it free here: https://amagicduck.com/products/magic-at......n-fetsch

For the third week we have Martin Gardner's "After the Dessert"

https://amagicduck.com/products/after-th......-gardner



This is one the books in the "Martin Gardner Trilogy".

Martin Gardner needs of course no introduction to the world of magic.

In this booklet you will find 30 items (tricks, stunts and gags) to be performed "after dinner" - what later became known as "table magic".

This book is actually VERY important in the history of magic - a LOT of the tricks and stunts we learn as beginners from beginners books were originally taken from THIS book. How much credit has Martin Gardner ever received?

For example, did you know that the venerable "Vanishing Salt Shaker" - one of the great classics in magic, is published here?

Among other interesting things you will find a secret property of bills they were using in the 30's to fool other magician - a secret that was used by none other than Derren Brown almost 100 years later - applied to UK coins (see the book "Pure Effect").

A popular effect involves the "Origami Bird" - you will find here the original concept, with several applications, among them using flash paper, or making a coin appear inside the origami bird.

Choosing and selecting material is not easy. The overwhelming majority of magicians need to see a trick performed before they decide if it's something they want to incorporate in their repertoires.

We invite you to take a little time to learn some of the 30 amazing items in this book, while thinking to yourself: "What would someone like The Amazing Jonathan think about this? How would Jay Marshall would take advantage of this?". Maybe you'll discover a hidden gem waiting for a magician like you to make it shine.

Our new book for this week (#04) is "Condensed Conjuring" by Tom Sellers.



Tom Sellers was one of the most creative magicians of the 20th Century and yet he's virtually unknown to magicians.

He's the creator of the well known plot of the "Bank Night".

In this booklet you will find many different ideas from a wide range: from DIY gimmicks, to sleights, to subtle secrets; from rope magic, cards, liquids, mentalism and more.

You will enjoy the many creative (and crazy!) ideas Tom Sellers had - like using a rubber egg to make a billet jump!

And the 5th week is here!

"Demon Magic" by Robert Harbin - https://amagicduck.com/products/demon-magic-robert-harbin



One of the most iconic illusions ever created in the history of magic is of course the Zig Zag Girl, created by Robert Harbin - himself, one of the most creative magicians and inventors ever.

If you want to know what "original magic" means, you have to read "Demon Magic" - a book that could make Gaetan Bloom's eyes pop out of their socket.

This books contains 28 incredible ideas: from full stage illusions, stage magic and escapism. Even if you never perform this effects, only reading about their methods will inspire you forever about what is possible in the Art of Magic.

CONTENTS

Walking Through a Rope - a stage illusion under test conditions

The Blue Ray - incredible stage effects where silks tied to a "post" make weird occurrences when illuminated by a light

Two of the Best - a "move" to produce "endless" number of cigarettes

The Stocks of Har-Bin - escape from "stocks"

Most Unusual! - jumbo rising cards - in perpendicular position!

The Vanishing Glass and Contents - a vanishing glass with a very interesting routine

The Knives of Opah - a stage illusion - passing knives through your assistant under test conditions

Two "Demons":
1 - Burnt & Restored - burnt tissue paper reproduced from bare hands
2 - Ink and Newspaper - ink produced from empty cone

The Demon Pins - pins form themselves into design on a "cushion"

The Demon Lamp - a creative method for the vanishing lamp

The Superb Change - a "stand" that allows you to change one envelope for another

Some Table Designs - 2 beautiful table designs, easy to carry and to make

"Novelties":
1 - A comedy table gag - the performer clumsily kicks a leg each time from a table; the table remains in place until being held only by one leg
2 - The Balancing Walking Stick - worthy of a "Michael Jackson", a walking cane remains suspended in diagonal position - and you can put things on top of it!

If You Want a Wife? - stage illusion. The magician's assistant appears holding his hand

My Floating Glass - floating glass, examinable at the end.

The Demon Shadow Trick - a very interesting "blocks" penetration, performed through the shadows of a curtain

There and Back - a borrowed matchbox moves on top of a tube

"Some Paper Magic":
1 - 3 tissue papers turn into a "floral ball"
2 - imaginary cuts into tissue paper become real
3 - "Boxo" - a marketed item - 3 pieces of tissue paper turn into a box

The Demon Torn Newspaper - a version with "instant restoration"

Have Some More! - a very interesting cabinet for the enlarging glass and liquid

If You Want a Production Box! - a production box, can be used with many things

The Packing Case Escape - another powerful escape

Har Bin’s Demon Paddle - a unique paddle effect using "revolving" panels in the paddle, Includes full script and presentation.

Crockery - a stage effect: a "plate" suddenly becomes decorated.

Download it now for free as part of the 52 Weeks Project: https://amagicduck.com/products/demon-magic-robert-harbin

Week number 6 is dedicated to HIGH QUALITY card magic: Victor Farelli's "Lend Me Your Pack".

A SPECTACULAR book on impromptu card magic! (Boy this one was a tough one to prepare...)

https://amagicduck.com/products/lend-me-......-farelli



Every single effect is impromptu!

Many of the effects are self working; the others are semi-automatic.

12 complete routines, each one including startling principles on semi-automatic card magic, plus moves, handlings and variations. The book is divided in two sections: "Stand Up" magic and "Table" magic (effects requiring a table although no lapping of any kind is involved).

Pay specific attention to what Gabi Pareras called "The Sequences": how you are able to set up one effect while performing other effect, or better yet - setting up the next phase of the effect while performing the first one.

The book contains many clever principles waiting for you develop them!


Part 1: Stand Up Magic

Chapter 1: "Seventeen Down" - a semi-automatic card effect were a freely selected card appears at a predicted number. But get this - at the end of the effect you have a number of cards culled / stacked (for example, the four aces) where you want.

Includes two methods of reversing the bottom the card.

Chapter 2: Do as I do - a different version of the effect

Chapter 3: "The Three Sevens" - a "sucker" version of the 21 card trick, where the mentally selected card actually disappears... and is found in the magician's pocket.

Chapter 4: "Arithmetical Magic" - a method for the "Epitome Location".

In the second phase of the effect, the magician produces the 3 mates of the selection.

Chapter 5: "El Naipe y la Corbata" - a completely novel and interesting effect that no one is performing, where the performer wraps the deck with a "tie" and all the cards fall - except the selected card.

Chapter 6: "The Pencil and the Pack" - two selected cards magically travel through the pack and join together. A small lesson in showmanship.

Part 2 - Table Magic

"Almost in Confidence" - a simple and direct card divination effect, that will allow you to stack a number of cards needed for the next effect.

Chapter 7: "Poker and Brag" - a very cool self working effect,

Chapter 8: "The Harrison Deal" - a demonstration of gambling techniques (not "skill" techniques but "gambling" techniques).

Chapter 9: "Poker Face" - a poker deal effect

Chapter 10: "Mystic Eight" - An excellent self working effect where the magician produces the 3 mates of a freely selected card. This effect contains many lessons on handling and presentation. Study it carefully.

Chapter 11: "Controlled Coincidence" - two cards, selected by the magician, match in suit and value the card though of by the spectator. Including 3 versions of the routine.

Chapter 12: "Loo Lung or the Chinese Coin" - in the funny course of explaining different card games, the magicians deals the cards on the table, discarding cards each time, until only the 2 selected card remains.

Appendix - "The Double Turnover" - A very detailed essay about "The Double Turnover" including 4 variations of the move.

https://amagicduck.com/products/lend-me-......-farelli

Years ago I use to do a few effects from this small book.

This week, a special surprise:

Lewis Ganson's "How Right You Are!" Routine

https://amagicduck.com/products/aces-in-......s-ganson



A COMPLETE, easy to do routine, full of situational comedy

Book #07 in the 52 Weeks Project

Although there is no magician on Earth that does not get excited with "new" stuff (the "latest and greatest") it's also true that we revere when new twists and ideas are published on some of the "older" stuff (the projects Craig Petty published last year on the Invisible Deck and the Si Stebbins Stack, for example).

In this new offer for the 52 Weeks Project we have a COMPLETE routine using a "Svengali" Deck.

In four successive phases, each one more impossible than the last, the SPECTATOR himself will find his own card from a shuffled deck: First, by calling "stop" as you deal the cards, then by throwing a coin on top of any selected packet, then by stabbing the deck, only to finish with a BIG SURPRISE - laugh guaranteed.

The entire routine has "running gag" each time the spectator finds his card - each time becoming funnier.

The manuscript includes also several handlings for the Svengali Deck, such as as how to shuffle, display the deck, do a double lift, and more.

Included also is a variation where you can perform the deck with a "Rough and Smooth" deck instead of a Svengali.

The routine is very well explained by noted author Lewis Ganson, responsible for a LOT of the magic we have available today.

https://amagicduck.com/products/aces-in-......s-ganson

This is really nice, thanks.

Very much appreciated. Thank you.

For this week - time for a "rare" manuscript - this is "Senor Mardo" Second Book in a Trilogy

(this is Book #08 in the 52 Weeks Project)

https://amagicduck.com/products/the-hands-only-senor-mardo



Senor Mardo was an American magician, originally from Cuba. His real name was Medardo Lonzano, and spent quite some time in NY. He was a professional magician and, according to MagicPedia, there are rumors that he worked as a "spy" in Cuba for USA.

His books, although generally unknown today, are highly regarded by those "in the know".

This book, The Hands Only, was originally a giant book on close up magic titled "Intimate Deceptions", that unfortunately Senor Mardo had to trim down, leaving us to enjoy only a very small selection of that original book (unpublished).

6 very interesting items can be found in this book, with coins, rope, business cards and more.

https://amagicduck.com/products/the-hands-only-senor-mardo

This week prepare to treat yourself to original and creative magic.

"Call the Witness" by Sid (Syd?) Fleishman & Bob Gunther

https://amagicduck.com/products/call-the......-gunther



There are 21 extremely original effects in this book.

Sid Fleishman was an award-winner writer and screen-writer, who wrote many popular children's books, and an expert magician, author of the highly regarded "The Charlatan's Book".

Bon Gunther was also an illustrator and animator, working in many famous Disney pictures. The illustrations in this book are made by him.

Including in the book is a lost Item from The Jinx - "The Bite" - a very comical card revelation that was originally intended to be published in the magazine - Annemann passed away before he could publish it.

There are also two "underground" secrets included - a real gambler's method to read the contents of an envelope (a secret that can be used in a mentalism effect), and a method to visibly vanish a lighted match with no movements, from a Native performer from Mexico.

We included short biographies of the authors and colorized the cover. The original book had three pages displaced, corrected in this electronic version.

LIST OF CONTENTS

The Card in the Ice Cube - made famous by Michael Ammar; this is the original version. Perfect for "Social Magic".

The Nest of Sacks - an inexpensive version of the "Nest of Boxes"

A Deck in Bondage - a card vanishes and reappears inside a deck completely wrapped with tape

Magic by the Hour - a card reappears inside an hourglass

With a Bit of Spice - card appears inside a salt-shaker

A Toast to Magic - a bread jumps from a toaster, revealing the name of the selected card!

"The Trick Without a Name" - an originally marketed top-selling effect, the precursor to the "Pegasus Page" (many claim this was the original version)

With a Sense of Touch - divination effect with 3 matches

Metamorphosis - a "giraffe" cut out from newspaper changes into a "horse" figure

The Skeleton of Jekyll and Hide - a novel book test: a type of "You Do As I Do" with books. Both magician and spectator choose the same word from two dictionaries.

The Luminous Dictionary - the magician is able to reveal any word selected - from another room!

Navy Beans - the magician identifies the selected (and marked) "beans"

Seven Come Eleven - a dice number divination, with no mathematics or questions asked

Mary Had a Little Lamb - a novel book test performed with a children's book

Super Bird Cage Vanish - a method for the "Cage Vanish" where the spectators are holding the cage with ropes

The Mexican Match Trick - a long lost trick, shown to the authors by a Native magician from Mexico. A type of match "stunt" where you vanish in plain sight with no movements of any kind a lighted match.

Black Art Books - an idea to have a "black art table" without a table

Six of One - an interesting effect where ashes penetrate the hand of the magician

Super Sight - a method originally from real gamblers to read the contents of envelopes

Fish on the Menu - a goldfish appears from a folded paper napkin

The Black Scarab - a cute card revelation, were a "black scarab" vanishes and reappears stuck behind a selected card

https://amagicduck.com/products/call-the......-gunther

Week 10! Horace Goldin is in the house!

Mysterious Tricks by Horace Goldin

https://amagicduck.com/products/goldin



There are actually many interesting ideas that people can find in this book, including Horace Goldin's full system for "personality readings", and many other interesting items, for example:

Three Hypnotic Tricks - very cool pseudo-hypnosis stunts, where you can make people feel cold, hot, etc.

The Penetrating Pennies - interesting coins through glass with coin shell

A Thought-Reading Trick - a "which hand" effect with two normal coins

More Thought-Reading - a very clever method to find a signed penny among a bunch of pennies

The Vanishing Ring - a visual effect, worthy of a Nicholas Lawrence... it could be used for video or social media

Another Ring Trick - an interesting ropes & ring effect, your hands are tied and the ring can be removed

String Magic - an interesting impromptu topological effect where a string penetrates the fingers. Can be combined with other effects to create a routine.

The Latest Disappearing Sixpence - an impromptu coin vanish using a napkin (or handkerchief); everything can be borrowed

A Hole in the Sleeve - a cute effect where a penny coin penetrates the sleeve

Keda - a "weighing the cards" effect, the magician is able to name how many cards were cut from the deck

Other items include:


Hearing With the Teeth - a type of scientific "stunt"

To Cause a Coin to Vanish - with a handkerchief

The Vanishing Handkerchief - using a "pull"

The Vanishing Cigarette - using a pull

The Four Coins - this is the well known coins across that Harry Lorayne printed in The Magic Book. It's still a good effect.

The Candle and Flag Trick - an interesting effect where a silk vanishes and a candle changes into the silk

Goldin's Show Description - from the newspaper of the time

Goldin's Fortune-Telling System - interesting concept to tell the personality according to the date of birth although is not the Zodiac per se.

https://amagicduck.com/products/goldin

Week #11: More Secrets by Tom Sellers

https://amagicduck.com/products/more-secrets-by-tom-sellers



Including mentalism effects, card magic, sleights and DIY projects:

THE "PASS" CIGARRETTE SLEIGHT - a cigarette / ball or other object vanish, where the object rolls from you hand to the other.

A NEW CIGARRETTE SLEIGHT - sleight to vanish a cigarette.

THE STRONG CIGARRETTE - a kind of "stunt" where you balance a "weight" on a cigarette.

PIN DIVINATION - an effect to perform with "cigars" (not a very common prop to use in magic effects). You find the cigar where the spectator pushed a pin inside.

THE NOVELTY CIGARRETTE EXCHANGE - a very interesting "gimmick" that can be made with only two small bottles. A cigarette placed inside a bottle, inside a spectator's pocket, when opened again, has a previously selected card inside. Can be used for other things as well. Clever.

DUPLEX ON THE TOP CARD - an interesting card effect with potential (a sort of 2 card ambitious) but we couldn't actually crack the explanation. We will give a 10% OFF coupon to anyone that can decipher the effect.

A MYSTERIOUS CARD CHANGE - a clever twist on the 2 card transposition effect. Nice.

BOW BALLS - A very simple and clever idea to make three "beads", inserted into a knotted loop, to change places. Can be combined with other effects (sympathetic, etc). Very nice.

HANDKERCHIEF PRODUCTION FROM AN EMPTY GLASS - an easy to make (sort of) mechanic prop to produce a silk

NEW MAGNETIC PENCIL -

A NEW IDEA FOR THE "LIVING AND DEAD" EFFECT - a "no one could think about this method" method for the L&D

BENDING A GLASS ROD - a cool mechanic gimmick to create the effect of "bending" a glass rod. Very nice.

AN AMAZING DICTIONARY FEAT - incredible. You are probably not going to make this (it's not difficult but we are lazy) but learning about it is so cool. A "CIA Spy" type of gimmick to communicate secret information to the "medium". No words spoken.

TOUCH COUNTERS - a clever "magic touch" (or "magic sense") effect where you are able to remove a signed "bead" or "counter" from a bag. Everything is normal and can be examined. Simple and effective.

A PRETTY CARD TURNOVER - a VERY COOL "juggling" move where you catch the deck in middle air while the selected card turns over. Charlie Frye is going to love this.

A COLOUR CHANGE HANDKERCHIEF BOX - 3 silks pushed through a box change color

THE PHANTOM POLES OF PUNDIT - a clever vanish of colored sticks; Steve Dushek had similar ideas

THROBIT - a "which pocket" effect, where you name where the spectator placed 2 different colored discs

A PRETTY RIBBON EFFECT - an unseen DIY effect for stage or parlour

ONE MAN SEALED MESSAG READING - interesting and clever handling of the "One Ahead" Principle

https://amagicduck.com/products/more-secrets-by-tom-sellers

Week #12 is dedicated to self working card miracles:

"Exclusive Card Mysteries"by Lu Brent

https://amagicduck.com/products/exclusiv......lu-brent



This book has some seriously good self working card effects!

Thought Spelling - 3 spectators think of a card, and from a mixed deck they spell to their though of card. The second effect in "Card College" is a though of card being spelled to. Here is a similar effect, done with 3 cards.

Move Two Cards - Remember "Moe's Move a Card" Trick? Here is a version with 2 cards...

You Selected the—? - a system to spell to any card in the middle of the deck (impromptu). If you like to perform "The Trick That Cannot Be Explained", this skill is going to come handy.

Lu-Brent’s Mental Card Mystery (Just Think) - a spectator thinks of any card and writes the name, along with 4 other random cards, in a business card. The magician is able to name the though of card. The method is based on real suggestion.

A Card Sympathy - A "Do As I Do" effect with NO exchange of packs... spectator simply selects a card from a deck, and you select a card from your deck, and they match....

Lu-Brent’s Reversed Card Location - a very cool, impromptu commercial effect. A spectator selects a card (may sign it) while you step away from the deck. A second spectator selects a card and inserts it reversed in the middle of the deck. Let's say is 6. Six cards are counted and the selected card is found in that exact position.

Lazybones - a two card location, where the first card turns over, then finds the second selected card

Lu-Brent’s Count Down Mystery - Simplicity itself. The magician is able to name both a selected card at a selected number. Self working, impromptu.

Lu-Brent’s Matching the Aces - spectator and magician both choose an ace from a 4 aces packet, and they match. A psychological effect.

The Siamese Pack - a clever "modification" to a Svengali Deck. It has potential.

Shark Food - a "magician fooler" effect. The magician performs an effect which seems obviously to use a "key card", yet that method is completely eliminated...

The Coins and Card Mystery - four coins placed on the table, and the spectator deals four cards under each coin. Spectator selects one coin, and the four cards match the date on the coin. Although the effect is very cool, the method probably will need some updating.

Think? —Stop - the magician is able to deal through a deck and stop at two selected cards... while genuinely blindfolded.

The Suit & Value Coincidence - magician removes 2 cards from the deck and places them in his pockets. A spectator removes any card from the deck. The 2 cards match the selected card in suit and value.

A Card Prediction - a very interesting card force

https://amagicduck.com/products/exclusiv......lu-brent

Yet again I want to say thanks for doing this, very cool and appreciated. I'm surprised this thread isn't getting tons more attention.

Thanks a lot for doing this

Thanks a lot for doing this

I’ve just come across Magic Duck. What a fantastic resource they’re providing. Many thanks for all your efforts.