3. FLOATING EGG

Many soldiers used to bet visitors to their camps that it was possible to make an egg float on water. Here is the secret, but the bet­ting is up to you. Fill a glass about three-quarters full of water and put an egg in it. The egg sinks to the bottom Now put a great deal of salt in the water. As the salt sinks to the bottom, the egg rises to the top.

4. GHOST WRITING

Show your audience a piece of paper which is apparently blank. Pass it out for examination and then hold it over a lighted candle. Watch ‘ghostly’ letters appear!

Secret: Before the party starts, make an "ink" out of lemon juice. Write any letters or words you desire to appear later with this lemon juice “ink” The writing is invisible until heat beings it out. A Little ingenuity will make this trick the hit of any party.

5. Broken Match Trick

A seemingly unbelievable trick. You place an unbroken match in a empty handkerchief. Fold it, and allow one of your friends to break the match. Open the handkerchief. The match is there, whole once more!

SECRET: Insert a match in the Hem of the handkerchief before doing the trick! That’s the one broken!

6. Magnetic Cards

When you are at a friend’s home, borrow his deck of cards and tell him you are going to show him that cards have an affinity for walls. You then walk over to any wall of the house and place a card against the wall. At you walk away, it is noticed that the card sticks to the wall. This effect it then repeated with other cards which you attach to different parts of the wall. Absolutely no paste or other adhesives are used, yet the cards remain stuck to the walls. A weird effect!

SECRET:   All that is necessary to perform this unusual trick is a rug on the floor, plus any deck of cards. Rub your shoes briskly against the rug on the floor, which will create a small amount of magnetism in your body. Then slap the card quickly against a wall and it will stick there. Your shoes should be rubbed against the rug as you walk towards the wall, but do it in a casual manner so that it is not too obvious. The card should be held flat, in the palm of your hand.

7. YOUR NOSE KNOWS!

The performer hands someone a pack of playing cards with instructions to take out as many ad desired and to lay them face upward on the table. One is to be selected while the performer is out of the room. Performer returns to the room and announces that he can sniff out the thought of card.

SECRET: Performer arranges with some one in the room who knows the selected card to gently tap his shoe while he is bending over the table. A swindle’ but a good trick.

8. FOUR ACE PRODUCTION!

While blindfolded, you can produce the Four Aces from the deck after it has been shuffled and placed in your coat pocket if you follow these instructions carefully: before doing the trick, hide the Four Aces in your upper right band vest pocket. Let anyone shuffle the deck thoroughly and place it in your inside coat pocket. Someone now can place a handkerchief about your eyes as a blindfold. You then apparently reach in to your pocket and withdraw the Four Aces from the deck.

SECRET: All you do is to take out the Four Aces you originally hid in your upper right hand vest pocket! The illusion is perfect... the audience thinks the cards were taken from the deck they saw shuffled. To prevent detection, after showing the Four Aces, place them back in your coat pocket . . . and withdraw the deck, shuffling it as you do so, after which you can throw it out for examination.

9. ARMY GAME!

Performer lays four Jacks on a table and tells audience they represent four men who derided to enlist in the Army. However, two of them, after a physical examination, were rejected, whereas the other two were accepted. Ask if anyone in the audience can tell which two were rejected . . - and why.

SECRET: In all cards made in the U. S. A. two of the four Jacks have only ONE EYE. Very few people notice this so you have the background of a good trick.

10. TO TELL A CARD!

Ask a person to select any card from a deck and have him place it on the top of the deck. Then ask him to cut the cards. You then look at all the cards and then quickly throw out the one that was selected.

SECRET: Notice card at BOTTOM of the deck before starting trick. The card selected will FOLLOW this card.

 11. MYSTIC ASHES

If you present this effect in a dramatic manner, you can convince folks that you are truly psychic! Sit at a table and ask members of the audience to call out the names of famous living or dead people. Write down each name on a separate piece of paper, then fold the paper and throw it into a glass or metal bowl. Now invite a member of the audience to remove one of the folded papers and hold it up against his brow. Bum the balance of the papers in the bowl, pick up the ashes and study them carefully, then announce very slowly the name on the folded slip. When it is opened, of course your prediction is verified.

SECRET:    Write the first name called on all the papers. No one will know you did this at all evidence is destroyed when you burn the papers - A variation of this trick is to ask for names of cities, states, countries, etc,

12. Dollars Breaks Pencil!

The performer first borrows a lead pencil from someone and then borrows a dollar bill from someone else. An assistant is told to hold the pencil on both ends. Performer then folds the borrowed dollar bill lengthwise and says:“I can break the pencil with the bill!” He now hits the pencil a sharp rap in the centre with the folded bill. Nothing happened! He repeats this again. Nothing happens . . . but, lo and behold! The third time the bill hits the pencil, it breaks!

SECRET: As wish many good magical tricks, no preparation is required. When the performer first hits the pencil with the folded dollar bill he is only leading up to the next move, for as he hits it for the third time, he has secretly placed his second finger alongside the outside of the bill. Now, as he strikes the pencil, the finger breaks she pencil! The bill has nothing to do with it. Do not try this with automatic pencils, or small stubs of pencils.

13. Mind Reader

Announce that you and someone else have mutual mental attraction. To prove it, the other person leaves the room. While he (or she) is absent, request any friend to mention his (or her) favorite number. This done, a third party brings the “mind reader” back into the room. Your assistant places his (or her) hands on your temple and immediately announces the correct number.

Secret: As the fingers are placed on your temples, simply tighten your jaws causing the muscles in your forehead to press against the fingers. Press one for each digit. For example, the number is 132. Press your jaw once, pause, press three times, pause, and then twice. Ten presses are zero.

14. SELECTED CARDS FOUND!

Divide a pack into two piles, with the odd cards in one pile (the aces, three, fives, sevens and nines), and the even ones (picture card, twos, fours, sixes, eights and tens) in the other pile. Then tell ,several people to draw cards out of either pile. After secretly reversing the piles, have the people place the cards they drew from the odd pile into the even pile, and vice versa. You will then find the selected cards in each of the opposite piles. To add more effect to this trick, have a person shuffle each pile separately before cards are drawn.

15. Hypnotized Cigar

Tell your audience that you intend to hypnotize a cigar. Look at the left hand illustration above and note that the cigar is apparently floating in air.

The secret: Before doing this trick, stick a pin half way in a cigar. The cigar can now be held in any position by gripping the pin between the fingers. After you make the cigar ‘suspended” itself so the air in various positions, take the cigar in the right hand, leaving the pin in the left hand.

16. ADD 5 TO 6 AND MAKE 9

It sounds impossible, doesn’t it? Yet you can do it. This is the way. Lay five matches on the table, and then another six beside them. Eleven in all? No, nine! The diagram shows how to spell our the word NINE. Fool your “wise” friends.

17. Red and Blacks

One of the most amusing of all card tricks can be done without practice, and  without sleight of hand. This is known as “Red and Blacks.’’ Before doing the trick, separate all the red cards into one pile and all tile black cards into another. Now put them together.

Ask someone to take a card and as it is selected. Note whether it is drawn from the top or the Bottom part of the pack. Now, after looking at the card. have it replaced in the deck. When it is replaced make sure that it is put in the opposite part of the deck from where it was taken. Obviously if a red card was taken, it will be found in the blacks, and if a black card among the reds.

18. Jumping Card!

Use the Red and Black’ or any method in this website to find a chosen card. After you know the card, pretend to shuffle the pack so that the selected card it on top, lake a hat and hold it above the level of the spectator’s eyes. Drop the pack in one side   and hide the top card (the selected card you previously placed there) in the other side of the crease (a). Now state the selected card will jump from the hat at your command. Snap your middle finger against the bottom of the hat on the side where you put the single card (b). Card will apparently fly out of the pack.

19. Mind Reading!

Performer announces he can tell the name of any article in the room secretly touched by a member of the audience. He then leaves the room and upon his return, he names the article selected.

SECRET: An assistant is required who has learned a pre-arranged code as follows: assistant touches different articles in room and asks performer, “It this the article?” At first performance. article selected is the one mentioned at the third question. If stunt is repeated, is the article touched at the sixth question, then the ninth question, etc. A very effective trick. The changing code prevents detection.

20. Balancing An Egg

Give a friend an egg and ask him to try and balance it on a table to that it stands upright. He will fail unless he knows the secret! Previously place some salt under the table cloth. By standing the egg, with large end down, over the salt, the egg can be made to stand upright. Practice before doing this stunt.

 21. Find IT!

Performer announces that while lie is in air adjoining room, a small book he gives to the audience may opened to any page and lie Will mind-read thee first five to ten words on that page. The person opening the book announces the page number in a loud voice. The performer at the adjoining room then shouts the first five or ten wordson that page.

SECRET : Performer has a duplicate book in his pocket. The rest is obvious.

22. Bewitched Matches!

Place five or six matches in center of bowl of water, leaving space between the ends of matches of about one-half inch. Now take a piece of soap which has been sharpened to a point, and put it in water between matches. The matches will seem to dash away! Remove soap and place a lump of ordinary sugar in water in center of bowl. The matches will immediately return to center.

23. Money Roll IN!

Secretly conceal a twenty-five cent piece in the palm of your hand. Ask some friend to select any roll. As he hands it to you, bend the roll upward and at the same time force the coin into the roll through the bottom. Then when the coin is in the roll, turn the broken top ends toward the audience. The flash of the coin in the roll will bring you a reputation for being a wizard.

24. Vanishing DIME!

A clever way to make a dime vanish is to spin it on a table and then strike with a match box. No one will suspect that the coin actually goes inside the box.

 SECRET! The thin wood of the match box is easily penetrated by the sharp edge of the dime. When performer strikes the dime with the match box, the wood at the bottom of drawer splits and the dime gets into the box.

25. THE GODDESS WEEPS!

If you can imagine a very good story to tell with this trick, you can have lots of fun with your friends. Show a 25c piece and point to the engraving of the Goddess of Liberty on it. Say you are so strong that you hug her so tightly, she will cry.

Secret: Secretly conceal a small ball of wet tissue paper between the first two fingers of the right hand. The goddess’ will “cry” by simply squeezing the fingers holding the wet paper together. This always gets a laugh.

26. Cute Stunt

Ask a friend to stand with his back against a wall, with both heels touching the base­board. Now place a penny on the floor, about 6 inches in front of him and challenge him to pick up the penny without moving or raising his feet. You’ll win because it is impossible to do!

 27. The Walking DIME

Ask your friends if they can make a dime walk out from under a glass, without touching the glass. This is the way the trick is done. Place a tumbler directly over a dime, and put two nickels under the edge. Scratch the table cloth with your finger, and the dime will come walking out to you.

 28. Presto! Change - O!

Can you imagine what a sensation you will cause if you show a coin in one hand, and then by merely waving your other hand over it, cause it to vanish?

Secret: A “trick” coin is necessary. It is made by pasting a heavy elastic to a penny or a nickel. (You can either use heavy glue to hold the band and coin together or have some friend drill a hole in the coin.) The entire idea is to have a “snap back” arrangement. Put a safety pin on the other end and hook it under your clothes. When the pressure on the rubber band is released, the coin will vanish up the sleeve.

 29. Can you Do this in 3 Moves?

Put three glasses on the table namely A, B, and C, with B upside down. The problem: after making three moves, turning over two glasses each time to finish with all three glasses up side down.

Here is the secret. The first time, turn over the glasses B and C. Second time, A and C. Third time, B and C. All the glasses will now be bottom up! Do this trick very rapidly.

 30. Water Under Hat!

Place a glass of water on a table, putting a hat over the glass and say you will drink the water without removing the hat. Then go under the table and pretend you are drinking the water. Invite a skeptic to remove hat to see if the water is gone. As soon as hat is removed, drink the water and remark you DID drink it without removing the hat.

 31. The Magic DIME

Now break a wooden match half way through, being careful not to break it entirely. Lay, it on a milk bottle and put a dime on top of it. Now wager a friend that, without touching the coin or the match, you can make the dime fail in the bottle.

SECRET: Drop some water on the end of the match. Wood will expand and the coin will drop.

 32. The Spinning Egg!

Performer shows several eggs in a large plate. He now takes a second plate and selects an egg. He spins the egg like a top. He now offers a plate and an egg to every one else. Try as they will, no one else can spin an egg.

Secret: The egg which the magician uses is hard boiled, having been cooked for six minutes prior to the experiment. A hard boiled egg will spin . . an uncooked egg won’t!

33. Sugar Floats

This always fools friends so it is very good as an after dinner trick. Place a piece of sugar on a. Now, before calling attention to what you are doing, place another piece of sugar on top of the concealed lump. Point now to the fact that this piece of sugar is “floating” on top. Then as your audience watches, command it to slowly sink from sight. Naturally. as the lower (unseen piece) melts, the floating lump must sink, Don’t have the coffee too hot, or the sugar will dissolve too rapidly.

 34. Vanishing DIME

Three coins, two half dollars, and a dime. Put the dime on one half dollar and cover it with the other. Drop the coins from your right hand to your left. The dime has vanished! Secret: Before trying this trick, put a small piece of chewing gum on one of the half dollar. When you place the dime on the half dollar, make sure it is secretly put on the chewing gum. When you drop the large coins, the dime sticks to one of the half dollars and is hidden.

 35. A Physics Mystery

Place a piece of thread in a saturated solution made by filling a glass half full of water and half full of common table salt. Soak the thread in this solution for about a half hour, take it out and dry it. You are now ready to perform a miracle. Before an audience of admiring friends, tie it to a ring. Apply a burning match to the thread which will turn to ashes . . . yet the ashes will continue to support the ring!

36. An Obedient Match Box

Put a match box on your hand. At your command it rises and lowers.

SECRET: Open and close the box so that the drawer fastens on a bit of flesh. Now, by slightly bending your hand, you control its movements.

37. Dividing the Horses

Tell this story: A farmer who died left a will, in which he requested that his 17 horses be divided among his three sons as follows:

One son was to receive one half of the horses, the next son was to get 1/3, and the last son was to receive 1/9 of them.

Now the lawyer who read the will was a horse lover. He did not want to cut up the horses, which he would have to do, since one half of 17 is 8 1/2, 1/3 is 5 2/3, and 1/9 is 1 8/9 horses. (Illustrated this on the black­board.) So here is how he settled the matter. He placed one of his own horses among the 17, making them 18. He then divided them as follows:

The 1st Son  got             9 Horses     (1/2)

2nd Son got                    6 Horses       (1/3)

Last Son got                   2 Horses       ( 1/9 )

Total                             17 Horses

The Lawyer then took back his horse, and everything was OK!

38. Get Rich Quick!

This trick will get a big laugh because although the figures used are accurate, the final result seems to be an impossibility. Write the following figures on the black­board

                                       WITHDRAWAL        BALANCE LEFT

                                              40                    60

                                              30                    30

18                   12

12                    0

100                  102

Kent, “Here’s how to make some EASY MONEY! Deposit $100 in your bank, then withdraw $40, which leaves a balance of $60 (point so figures). Then withdraw    $30, which leaves $30. Withdraw $18 and you have left $12. Withdraw the $12 and there should be nothing left. However, I will now add both columns and as you can plainly see, you have made $2 profit. Now, it  you open 100 bank accounts, and each week do as I have shown you, you will make $200 profit per week. By the way, will someone please lend me a dollar for a cup of coffee?”

 39. Four Coins into Five!

Place four coins on a table. Roll up your sleeve. Now cup your left hand on the side of the table. With your right hand, move the four coins into the left. Now ask a friend to blow on your hand - - . as he does, slowly open your hand. Show five coins instead of but!

SECRET: An extra coin is attached with soap or paste under the table. The fingers of performer’s left hand reach under the table and pick up she hidden coin as the four other coins on top of the table are being moved toward the left hand.

40. Card Tossing!

Here is an exceptionally good game for a small party. Place a man’s hat in the middle of the floor. Place a chair six feet away from the has. Each player sits in this chair. He takes a pack of ordinary playing cards and while seated must toss the cards singly into the hat. Each card that reaches the hat may be given a value, depending on the spots. Picture cards count 13. It is a very difficult feat despite the fact that it looks simple and five cards in the hat is a good average for a beginner.