Magic Tricks

I'm a fan of Chad Long's work, and, generally, his delivery in teaching videos. To echo the complaints of a couple of commenters who noted the difficulty of moving one of the coins necessary in the effect--yes, it's difficult. Chad should have spent some valuable time going over surfaces, and offered advice on making the particular vital coin slide easier. The video is a bit dark in lighting and prop choice, and that doesn't help.

I got the quarters version, simply because this can be a (mostly) borrowed coin effect. I also tried it with half dollars for which I already owned the gimmick. Both coin types were difficult on four different types of pads I own. So I did what I always do when faced with a technical problem--look for substitutions or fixes. I worked on the gimmick, and, when that seemed to do no good, I went to surfaces.

The best, so far, is tabloid-size newsprint; it offers a bit of surface tension but all coins slide very well. I tried magazines, also--too slick.

Do these offer the visual contrast of a black pad to the coins? No, but if you can't think of a good procedural reason for using an impromptu pad for an impromptu trick, then stay away from impromptu magic... Coffee shops always have newspapers around, and sometimes bars do, too. Could this trick be done on a hard surface? Yes, and it would be worth practicing on a tabletop. A noisy bar (are there quiet ones, anymore, without a dozen TVs blaring?) would hide the sound of sliding coins.

I vote YES for getting this effect. The four-star rating has to do only with what Chad Long didn't cover in the video.