Mind if I ask why?

It's really disappointing for me to read how many people carry Svengali decks around.

I used to only carry a deck of cards and sometimes a coin purse around.

Now I just carry a bag with me. I have cards ready for Card Warp, a regular deck. and ID, coins, sponge balls, wax, silver coins, pens, some gaffed cards and a couple packet tricks.

That way I am ready to do whatever I want. Sure it sounds like a lot and you might think it is crazy to carry a bag around with you... but mine is made by a rollerblading company for people to carry around CD players and cameras so it is not a huge bag. Plus I can throw in my keys and a bottle of water or whatever I want. That way it doesn't look suspicous.... oh, people don't know it's my 'magic' bag.

Chris

Believe it or not "Heat", it's the effect where you roll up a small ball of foil put in a spectators hand and "concentrate" and it becomes red hot. It's a killer. N.F.W. Cardtoon it never fails. For about a week It was Andrew Maynes bowling, in my work truck on a moment notice. Twisted sister

I carry a lot less than I used to. When this topic came up a few months ago, my pockets were loaded!

Now, as I am learning more ungimmicked stuff, all I carry is a thumb tip and a few regular coins. (sometimes a shell, too)

So much easier. And it works for me because I just do the occasional trick for friends or whatever.

Also a great piece of impromptu magic is PENomenon.

I don't carry. I ask to see their pen, coins, bills, ring, and so on. I use their own things to do my work with.

At least carry a deck of cards and your business cards.
Rick...

Deck of cards
Hopping Halves
Match pull

Mark.

Hello everybody... this is my first post and I thought this thread looked interesting... and it sure is. This is some of the stuff I carry with me...

A regular quarter and a bent one that matches.
Hankerchief
Deck of cards
Shoelace
Copper, silver, brass transpo
Hipshot card to wallet
Wunder-pen-atration (Doug Edwards Pen thru anything).

JOHNNY MYSTIC

Well.. I only need 2 things: Wallet and Jacket

Wait a min.. that's not all. Okay, here's what's in my wallet (A small card holder you can get in a shop near you):

> 3 Card Monte
> Cosmosis (or floating match)
> Another different 3 Card Monte
> Klip Joint
> (a trick I call) In-Between

Basically, stand alone card tricks. Sometimes, I carry a deck with me too.
Plus > Rubberbands and coins

In my jacket:
> The Raven
> ITR

Easy to carry around and not troublesome at all

4 Morgan silver dollars
1 deck of blue Bikes

I always have the Raven, a deck of cards with a different colored card for red hot mamma, and in my wallet four Hank Lee coins for coins across and other coin tricks, a folding half and a real one to switch it for (I made up a few cool tricks and productions using a folding half and their's always coinbite).

I just came across this post and thought I'd chime in. The BARE minimum I'll carry is a few coins, 17 ping-pong balls, a 20 pound dumb-bell and a copy of "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger. However, I have been known to have a three-toed sloth on my person as well.

TT, deck of cards, sharpie and business cards. For the guys who always carry the Raven, beware if you ever carry your jacket or stand near metal railings! Can sometimes raise eyebrows!!! Hence why Raven no longer on my list.

1 Mismade bill in a T.T.
2 Hundy500
3 Kollosal Killer
4 A Quarter Shell. This way I can borrow quarters and do a shell coins across.
5 Time Machine Watch
6 Swami Gimmick
7 Business Cards

Most of these items are in my wallet including the quarter shell. The watch is on my wrist and the Swami is in one of my pockets. Therefore when I am asked to perform unexpectedly, it looks totally impromtu but all the effects are VERY STRONG.
I will usually have a deck of cards on me as well. But I always try to borrow the deck if possible first.

Mismade bill
Bic pen (recap)
Half dollar
rubber bands

I carry a Reg deck of cards set up to do Jay Sankeys REM.
Coins
TT

I used to carry lots of stuff in my pockets. I started to wear jackets more often so I had extra pockets. I needed to perform magic so bad, that I even started working as a Magician.

I still love doing magic but I found out that I enjoy a lot helping other magicians to improve theirs.

When I hear a person telling me that they saw a magician I coach and how great he was, I am doing magic without having to have props in my pockets.

Every time I hear complements on people I coached, I feel as good as when I used to carry a truck load of tricks in my pockets.

I believe the better we all perform magic, the better for all of us.
QUE VIVA LA MAGIA
Mago Mai


P.S. All I carry now a days is Magic in my mind.

This is my first post as well. I used to carry a bunch of junk in my pockets: Wallet, Pen Through Dollar, up to four decks of cards (a deck for playing cards, good deck, extra cards deck, and a different colored deck) TT, wax, IT, lighter that had a card on it, a small pair of scissors, folding quarter, Sharpie, pocket knife, and matches. In my card boxes I had Blink, Ultimate 3 card Monte, Double Backer, Ricochete, Double Blank card, and finally a blank one side card.

I am diyng to know what do you carry now?

What do I carry when I am just heading out? Nothing! That is, NO magic props or tricks. However, I am ready to perform a short set when asked for a trick (and I want to do a trick, but that is a different discussion!) I don’t do a “trick” I perform a routine (or a set) with a beginning, middle, and an end.

I have said it before elsewhere, but I believe that the way to think about impromptu is not what you can “load yourself” up with, or what you can do with the “non-magical” items that you normally carry with you but rather, what can you do with the items that the average person carries on them!

If you are going to do impromptu magic (magic that you want to do and are not
“foisting” on an unwanted audience) then think about doing solid routines with borrowed items from the spectators! There is little that is more powerful.

Think. Do you have a routine for borrowed bills? Borrowed coins? What can you do with a ring, or a pencil, or an ink pen? How about a clean handkerchief, a lipstick (yes lipstick, why use ashes?) All items that many folks carry so why not be ready and practiced (yes practiced) to use them?

You could always be prepared to use the paper napkins from a bar top or waiters station (or just one from your place setting). In the restaurant, how about a saltshaker or glass. What can you do with those common items?

Honestly, just using those items you could entertain (emphasis on entertain) a small gathering for 15 plus minutes. And that is using NOTHING out of your own pockets.

IF you are asked to perform on the spot and you WANT to perform, then there is no excuse for you to NOT be ready to perform a strong effect with items borrowed from the spectator asking for the performance.

A little thought and a bit of practice time with common objects and you are never caught unprepared. Leave the TT’s, the deck of cards, the sponge balls, and hot rods at home, but leave home prepared to work wonders!