Business Card Give Away

Effect

When asked for a business card, the magician removes a stack of blank business cards from his wallet. He shows them to be blank on both sides before taking one and, with a wave of his hand, printing his details on one side. The rest of the cards are now all printed.

Introduction

It’s good to have a magical way to hand out your business card and this is a very visual method. It is also quick, uses a minimum of gaffs and pretty easy to do.

Props

You need business cards that are blank on one side and ideally have the same colour around the edge of the printed side (like playing cards with a bordered back design). This means that reversed cards in the stack are not visible when the stack is not completely square. You can perform this effect with cards where the printing goes right to the edge, but your handling has to be very precise.

Take two of these cards and stick the printed sides together to create a double blank card. You may want to trim a sliver from the edges of the double card with a scalpel to make sure it is smaller than the rest of the cards. This ensures that when you perform a glide with the double, it doesn’t stick.

Set-Up

Have about 8-12 business cards in your wallet, blank side up with the double blank on top.

Method

Step 1

Remove the cards from your wallet without revealing the printed side (!). Hold them in a left hand dealing position.

Step 2

As you say “I have these special business cards which are blank on this side…”, spread the cards between your hands clearly showing the blank sides. Close the spread into your left hand again, leaving the top (double blank) card in your right hand, held at the right long edge with the thumb on top and the fingers underneath. Your left thumb should be resting at the left outer corner of the stack in preparation for the next move, where it will slip under the stack.

Step 3

You are now going to show the other sides of the cards to be blank by genuinely displaying the double blank in the right hand card and performing the Carlyle Paddle Move (see p33 in ‘Focus – 60 Select Card Effects’ by Phil Goldstein, Hermetic Press, Seattle, Washington, 1990.) with the cards in your left hand to show the same blank sides as in Step 2.

Continue the patter, saying “…and on this side.” As you say “this side” look at your right hand, move it upwards and outwards slightly, and turn it towards you so the backs of the fingers are uppermost. This displays the other blank side of the double.

Just after the movement of the right hand begins, you start to perform the paddle move with the cards in the left hand. Slip the thumb under the stack and push the stack up, revolving the stack over onto the left finger tips. At the same time, turn the left hand over towards you, bringing the backs of the fingers uppermost.

The movement of the left hand closely resembles the turning of the right hand and both hands should end up at the same level and in the same position. Obviously, the genuine turning of the right hand moves attention away from the left hand as the paddle move takes place, but this should be subtle. The audience needs to be aware of the left hand turning over or they won’t be convinced that you are showing them both sides of the cards, but not scrutinising the left hand as the paddle move happens.

This turning sequence does not need to be performed quickly, just smoothly and with good timing.

Step 4

Slip the right hand card under the left hand stack and briefly grip the combined stack with the right hand fingers on top and thumb underneath as the left hand turns palm up again to take the stack into dealing grip.

As you say “What you do is print them as you need them…” spread the cards again to show blank sides. Square up the stack and continue “…but not on this side because these are the backs”. Tap the blank back of the top card.

Step 5

Grip the outer end of the stack with the right hand and turn it over end for end. The double blank is now back on top with the normal cards below printed side up. (If you are using cards with a design to the edge, you need the keep the stack exactly squared to ensure the design doesn’t show prematurely). The left hand should be gripping the cards in preparation for the glide, the thumb and first finger gripping the edges of the stack near the outer corners and the rest of the fingers curling over the edge with their tips resting lightly on the top card. Tap the top card and say “You print them on the faces…”

Turn the left hand palm down and at the same time glide the double blank back (it is now the bottom card of the packet). Say “You just have to wave the card like this and voila!” Slip the card above the double blank out with the right hand and wave it around slightly before revealing the printed side and handing it out.

Step 6

As Step 5 happens, the left hand is going to turn the rest of the printed cards over onto the double blank so the printed sides are uppermost. After the glide the double blank is supported by the left second, third and fourth fingers. The printed cards are gripped mainly between the thumb and first finger, which allows them to be moved independently of the double blank.

The left thumb lifts up on the printed cards so the blank side ends up against the side of the first finger. The thumb then slips around to grip the printed cards by pressing on the printed side, clamping them against the side of the first finger. The bottom edge of the printed cards is pressing against the top of the double blank. The fingers slip the double blank around to the blank side of the printed cards and it is squared with the packet. As this happens, the left hand turns palm up, revealing the cards in dealing position with a printed face showing.

Step 7

Say “Of course, sometimes if you wave too hard they all change – anyone else want one?” Spread the stack, being careful not to reveal the bottom double blank card, and give out as many cards as you can!

Put the stack back in your wallet, turning it over so the blank side is in view and the effect is reset with the double blank back on top of the packet.

Conclusion

Although this is quite a long explanation, this is actually a very quick trick. It takes about as long as it takes to say “I have these special business cards which are blank on this side… and on this side. What you do is print them as you need them……but not on this side because these are the backs. You print them on the faces… You just have to wave the card like this and voila! Of course, sometimes if you wave too hard they all change – anyone else want one?”

Obviously, with a few pauses for dramatic effect.


Copyright © 2007 Dan Gifford. All rights reserved.