This month I’ll share my version of Harry Anderson’s “Yard Sale Deck.” I saw Harry do this in a lecture at the Magic Castle many years ago and found it to be a very direct and clean mental effect. I’ll describe his version first, and then share my own reworking based on a memorized deck. I’m not claiming that my version is better. It’s a different effect. Harry’s is faster; mine adds a second element of deception.

            In Harry’s original version, he holds up a deck of cards and explains that he found it at a yard sale on the way to the show. He explains that he bought it at a pretty good price, and invites an audience member to see if they can guess that price. By way of help, he suggests that they name any two-digit number from 1 to 99. For our example, let’s say that they choose 41. He gets them to repeat the number in a nice loud voice and them tosses them the deck. (Which is in its box, of course.) He asks them to hold it up and show everyone the price tag. It’s one of those little round press-apply dots. But written on the dot is: “41 Cents.” The method is simple... just a nail writer. The boxed deck makes a good writing surface and it doesn’t take much practice to learn to write digits. You have the time to do this when the spectator repeats their number. And, people are looking at them at that moment anyway. The cent sign is prewriten before the show, of course, but do it using the nail writer so that it will match. To reset, you only have to pull off the press-apply dot and put on a new one.

            My variation is to have the deck of cards in memorized stack order. Again, your premise is that you bought this deck of cards at a yard sale on the way to the show. This time, you get several spectators involved by having them participate in the process of selecting one card. Spectator one names either Red or Black. Assume they say red. Then spectator two chooses hearts or diamonds. Assume they say diamonds. Spectator three says high or low. Assume low. Spectator four says odd or even. Assume even. Spectator five then gets to choose from two, four, or six. He says four. And so, the group has chosen one card that no one would have been able to predict. The deck is then tossed to a final spectator who reads the price tag on the box. The price is thirty-one cents.

            The spectator is then asked to remove the deck from the box, and to count the cards off the top onto the table, turning them face up in the process. Spectators get to see that the deck is in random (?) order. When the spectator gets to the forty-first card, it is the group-selected card: the Four of Diamonds.

            Again, you use a nail writer. As soon as the card is determined, you know it’s stack number and use the nail writer to write the digit(s) on the price tag. At the end,  your deck is still in order, ready to continue with another memorized deck effect.

            You should use an old, beat up card case for this routine, of course. You may want to count through the cards yourself, thus not risking disarranging your stack. Just be sure to do it in a very clean, open manner.   

            I hope you find this simple effect a useful addition to your arsenal. As always, I invite comments, suggestions, ideas, questions, etc. You may reach me at:

deloomis@mindspring.com

            And, feel free to visit my web site to see those commercial items that Loomis Magic has available.

            And, Loomis Magic has some of the lowest prices on magic DVD’s on the Web. If you’re in the market for DVD’s I invite you to visit the site and see our great prices and selection. We promise to take very good care of our customers... you are the lifeblood of our business.

 

UPDATED OCTOBER 9, 2006

Copyright 2004 by Dennis Loomis