One idea is to get modern chinese coins to work with, since American Half Dollars are no longer in use and seem odd. The other idea is to use the idea of a BitCoin for when we make a coin vanish...we turned it into a Bitcoin! (It is invisible or non-existent). Ideas for food for thought.

Bitcoins and cyber currency are in the news all the time. We should jump on it.

You could inflict a painful visual pun by taking a "bite" out of a folding coin. Voila -- instant "bit coin."

Sorry it took so long to repond. Yes! Great idea. I thought of a line "Superman is afraid of cryptocurrency because he thinks it is made of kryptonite". David Regal liked it.

Lately I've been wondering if we can do anything (yet) with the Metaverse. Also, Jon mentioned something about real (replica) BitCoins for coin magic? Those could be made as folding coins for that bit-coin "bit".

As I recall from the comic books of my youth, the name of Superman’s super-dog is “Krypto.”

Now, if good ol’ Krypto had some currency of his own….

Uncritical poetry fan says: “I never metaverse I didn’t like.”

I believe Craig Petty posted the first (or one of the first) effects using bitcoin. It can be found on YouTube.

Good one! LOL.

Reminds me of “I never metaphor I didn’t like.” which I think was a tag line on a book on grammar (I think).

When making a coin vanish I used to say "I sent it 5 seconds into the future". When making it reappear I'd say "5 4 3 2 1 (it reappears) We just caught back up." Now it could be "I sent it to a parallel dimension of the metaverse" or something.

Or multiverse. By-the-way I once brought up if magic would be done soon on the Metaverse and no one liked the idea, but in the latest interview with David Copperfield by Neil Patrick Harris, they brought up the possibility of doing magic in the Metaverse.

If American 50 cent pieces seem odd, why wouldn't modern Chinese coins be as well?

Perhaps the use of poker chips would work?????

Sure, poker chips are a great way to go. I believe it is Dr. Rubinstein who has been promoting that way the hardest. Chinese coins that we use for magic, and the size of a half dollar, aren't real currency and just become objects, I think. I have some old chinese coins the size of our old silver dollars. That's what I use for my Miser's Dream and bucket. Coins that are foreign are more easy, in my opinion, for the audience to understand. Don't get me wrong...I still use half-dollars and just explain that the old American coins were really beautiful. In a formal show with coins you don't have to borrow coins. Even back in the day you couldn't count on borrowing 4 half dollars.

So, yeah, poker chips...and I like metal bottlecaps for one routine for variety although I stick a weird old coin in the routine like a talisman. Now that Halloween is over what do we talk about.? There's the election, then Thanksgiving, and then Christmas. There are whole stores devoted to Christmas near me already!

How about visiting your local Dollar (or more) Store and see what "props" you find there lend themselves to a a Holiday Magic theme?

Chuck Caputo often "updates" standard electronic Christmas Toys with a Magic Theme. Maybe he is making plans now...?

Julie Clause

Terrific idea. The Christmas stores are open already. I'm reminded by your idea of Jack Chanin who, going to do a lecture, would just take the instruction sheets and pick up rope and plastic bracelets and cards and who knows what else at the local 5&10.

So, let's try for something for Xmas. We've got time.

I remember his card clip for concealing a playing card at the underside of your coat was a heavy "X" metal stationary paper clip matched with a safety pin AND his Professional Instruction Sheet.

J

Yes. He could make all his ideas look so good, though, but hard to duplicate. I always say "He had huge hands" which wasn't the secret. It was his acting. If he seemed to put something in his left hand, you'd swear it was there, before it disappeared or something. You might get a kick out of this. Someone sent me some videos of Del Ray because I never saw him. His picture was in all the magazines. David Roth met him and mentioned him to me. Anyway, I just watched 3 videos of Del Ray performing. I'm floored at how unique he was.

Decades ahead of the times in terms of concepts and fantastic sleight-of-hand and the audiences loved him! I never saw him in person, but I do know someone (now deceased) who spent a lot of time with him.

Interesting point--you may already know--I've been told he would never ship his (electronic) props anywhere because he was afraid the delicate parts would get broken. He would DRIVE to all his bookings and this limited the scope and range of his public and magic convention appearances.

Julie

I heard the same. He lived in his car or motels. I don't know much about him except his stage act was very good too. I didn't really like the music, but he pretty much fooled me with everything, no "tells".

Me, too!