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We combine shipping on Buy it now auctions. We accept all offers with stated shipping charges. We can reduce the price or shipping, but not both. Close-Up Card Magic by Harry Lorayne Title: Close-Up Card Magic Author: Harry Lorayne Publisher: Louis Tannen Publication Date: 1962 Hardcover Book Size: 6 ¼ X 9 ¼ Pages: 272 Edition: 1st Edition-3rd Printing Book Condition: Excellent-Clean Tight Inner Pages Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good-minor shelf wear/tears/folds Offered for bid is Harry Loraynes Close-Up Card Magic, a true classic of card manipulation, the following are highlights. To start off here's an interesting quote from the Royal Road you should keep in mind while reading through the trick reviews: "A good card trick - and by that we mean a card trick which entertains, surprises, amuses, and puzzles an audience- has certain attributes: 1. It has a simple plot. It must not be confusing to those who watch. 2. The modus operandi is simple. 3. It is interesting. 4. It has a surprising denouement." To start off, the book has a foreword by Dai Vernon and quickly moves on to an introduction by Harry Lorayne. Here Harry states: "There's no need to build up each effect first. In most cases, I've gone right into the effect, method and presentation. I hope you agree this makes for easier reading." "The biggest chore in writing a book on magic is giving credit where credit is due. Unfortunately, it would involve digging deep into magical history to find out who belongs to which move, and who originated what. I have no desire to write a history of magic but I have given credit when ever and wherever I could." Keeping these limitations in mind, the following are well worth the price of the book. Complete Table of Contents follows review! Chapter 1 - Necessary Sleights Hindu Shuffle - Well described handling Faro Shuffle - Reading this with the mindset of someone who has never came across this shuffle before I think you'd have some trouble understanding what is to be achieved by the faro shuffle. Jog Shuffle - well described basic mechanics, this is used extensively throughout the book CHAPTER II - Effective Card Mysteries Location Supreme - This is the first of many pick a card and I find it tricks. It uses an interesting key idea to keep track of the selected cards! In effect three cards are selected and cut into the deck. You run through the deck and find the three cards. As a climax, two cards are selected and found in the same manner. Two Card Reverse - Nice version of the reversed card plot, very nice misdirection half pass idea which is worth remembering. Aces Wild - Interesting do as I do effect. Stab Two - Interesting card stab effect using estimation. The Sloppy Card Trick - This is a pick a card and I find it trick where the plot seems to be dealing the entire deck into several piles, gathering them up and then dealing down to a named number. Coincidentally Yours - This is a layout effect where you find 3 four of a kinds. Take me to your leader - A Walter Cummings effect. This is a clever four ace assembly effect using crimps to ensure a casual handling. Little Fella' - Big Fella' -.The effect is "automatic poker" by Vernon and Judah. Impossibility - Interesting way of using a key card in a face down spread. No Looking - An ingenious Mentalism effect by Alex Elmsley, this is a fine example of proper construction leaving you several steps ahead allowing for a truly inexplicable effect! Red-Black set up - A good idea for setting the deck in red/black order, I like it. This is mind reading? - Even though this is essentially another pick a card and I find it trick I quite like this. I like the way in which the selection is taken and shuffled (not cut) into the deck by the spectator all while your back is turned. The Apex Ace - 88 pages into the book and we find the first off beat effect. This is a smart effect by Fank Garcia in which cards vanish from the top of the deck. Ose's Addition - This is a nice addition ot the apex ace by Jay Ose which gets away from the multiple lift sequence at the end of the Apex Ace and extends the effect allowing for a multiple sandwich finish. Ose's Cut - An easy and deceptive triple table cut by Jay Ose. I like it. It's on a similar vein as the Erdnase "to the dealer" cut from Expert at the Card Table. Chapter III - Novel Card Mysteries Automatic Mind reading - This is a do as I do effect which though good, also adds a move to the equation; the double lift. The original do as I do is superior as the same effect is created with no moves at all. Also it's the same in appearance because you still have to swap the decks over anyway except in this version you don't end clean. Revolving Aces This is a good spectator finds the aces effect by Herb Zarrow using the Henry Christ force, I like this as it's direct, off beat and has a simple and deceiving method. Sam-Ultaneous - If you like mathematical tricks you'll like this one, it has an ingenious method. Flash Aces - This is a bluff four ace control which is quite effective and easy to do. Spread Control - A bold idea which even though looks like it wouldn't fool a blind man, it does actually work quite well. Through The Table - Fantastic effect by J Benzais. This is what good card magic is all about. An interesting plot cloaked in a subtle and direct method which never fails to deceive. In effect a selected card penetrates through the table into the spectator's hand. Magnetic Reversals - An interesting reversed card, prediction, location effect by Ken Krenzel which uses an interesting placement cut which is worth remembering, Chapter IV: Unique Card Tricks Lorayne's Poker deal - A trick with a plot! This is a pretty standard fair poker demonstration. It's not particularly difficult, the presentation is good and the effect packs a wallop. The moving pencil - An interesting psychological force which though doesn't always work does look extremely fair when it does. Fan Prediction #1 - A classic Alex Elmsley trick with an ingenious method and a direct effect! Sympathetic Packs - I'm not much for two deck tricks but this is a nice prediction type effect with an interesting kicker ending. Card Sandwich - A sandwich trick where a selection appears to vanish only to appear face down in the centre between two queens. This isn't particularly earth shattering, but as sandwich tricks go it's ok. Lost and found aces - Vanish and production of the aces using illogical moves and then a cutting sequence which may make you look demented.. You have to reach far over to your right, cut some cards, come back placing the deck in your hand, reach over for the cut packet, come back flip it onto the deck, place the packet on the table again. This sequence is done 3 times.. As Dai Vernon would say "it's bad theatre" and "there's no reason for it". Lazy man's card trick - This trick is a simple card location done completely by the spectator who cuts the deck many times and you say where the card lies in the deck. The method is so subtle no one will be able to backtrack it. Simply brilliant. This is an Al Koran trick. Challenge Aces - A well structured entertaining homing card trick with a surprise ending. This is a great trick by Bill Simon. It's what card magic should be! Push Thru Change -This is a stunning change of four cards for four other. A great application of the plunger principle. I like this idea a lot. Push through poker - An interesting effect using the push through change where you almost get a royal flush in hearts but one card is the ace of spades. You then change the hearts into spades to conclude. Nice effect. CHAPTER V Turnover change - An in depth description of the Curry turnover change. I can't see anyone having a problem learning the move from the description. Chango Cards - two cards change places. A good application of the Curry change. Prediction Extraordinaire - I don't like the method here, the effect is good; a double prediction. Using the Curry change seems a bit risky though. I'd prefer to have the two predictions on top. Second deal to the spectator's number then scoop up the dealt cards and fairly deal to some other number using the second deal when you reach the spectator's number. Random Thoughts - Some thoughts on the change . Quickie Prediction - Simple and effective prediction effect Cross over change - You need to be able to do the turnover change in both hands for this. On Spectator's Hand - A transposition between the spectator's hand and your own. This is a good effect. Torn corner Transposition - Basically the same as the previous trick but you use an envelope and tear the corner off one of the cards. The envelope in this case is gilding the lily just a bit and is not really needed. Red ace - black ace - This is Daley's last trick, a version by Herb Zarrow. I'm in two minds about this. The crossing over of the hands is unnatural but the staggering of the effect is good as it has good suspense. Just (Business) cards - Some tricks with business cards. spirit writes - An interesting prediction effect using business cards. Flash printing - Off beat way to introduce a business card. Multiple Change - A decent, if rather awkward variant for the turnover change allowing you to change multiple cards. Ambitious aces - A direct handling for the ace assembly plot using the multiple change. The Travelling Jewels - A two card transposition wrapped up in a story about jewel thieves. The effect is ok, but the method is a tad brutal for my tastes and it's hard to follow as you are using random non-descript cards. Lorayne's Challenge - This is a stop trick using the Johnny Benzai's Card Cop. As a stop trick this is a good one. Comments: Excellent book with many fine (and now famous) routines. Chapter 5 is entirely devoted to the Curry Turnover Change. Lorayne explains the technique in great detail and you will find some very good applications for the move. Contents vii Introduction: Dai Vernon viii Foreword: Harry Lorayne| Chapter I: Necessary Sleights 15 Hindu Shuffle 16 Faro Shuffle 18 Jog Shuffle 19 Double-Lift Palm Chapter II: Effective Card Mysteries 24 Location Supreme: 2 locations with a set-up deck 27 Two Card Reverse: while seated at a table 31 Salt-Less: deck is flipped over in the air and cuts at the selection 32 Aces Wild: good opener for other four Ace effects 35 Revelation: a clever revelation in which the Spectator thinks you'll miss 39 Stab-Two: a knife stabbed in the deck finds two selections 42 The Sloppy Card Trick: using a special sort of "daub" 44 Coincidentally Yours: a set-up with 11 cards 48 Take Me To Your Leader (Walter Cummings): Lorayne's version of Walter's 4 Ace effect 51 Lorayne's Ambitious Card Routine: includes Harry's double lift 61 Little Fella'—Big Fella': a self-worker 64 Stop!: a no sleight mind reading effect 67 Impossibility: Spectator removes and replaces deck without magician touching the deck, magician removes one card that matches the suit, then another which matches the value of the selection, then the two cards are used to find the actual selection 70 Quinella!: Selection turns face up at top of deck when the deck is dropped 72 No Looking (Alex Elmsley): A mathematical trick you'll like 78 In The Side Pocket: a trick for magicians 80 Out Of This Universe: Harry's version of Curry's Out of this World 86 This Is Mind-Reading?: Mind reading cards 88 The Apex Ace (Frank Garcia): uses some double and triple lifts 91 Ose's Addition (Jay Ose): eliminate the lifts in the above effect 93 Ose's Cut (Jay Ose): a simple table cut Chapter III: Novel Card Mysteries 96 Automatic Mind-Reading: You Do as I Do card effect presented as mind reading 98 Revolving Aces (Herb Zarrow): another 4 ace effect 100 Force Prediction: a card is found based on the spectator's personality 104 Tell My Fortune: starts with the "center tear" (not explained) 106 Three For The Money: A 3-spot locates the selection 108 Three Again: another version 109 Three Times And Out: one final version 112 Fourtitude: utilizes a Faro shuffle, but does not need to be perfect 114 Sam-Ultaneous: a two spectator effect 116 Two-Gether (Howard Schwarzman): Howard's version 119 Flash Aces: another four Ace effect 121 Spread Control: a three card control with the spread deck, with variations 125 Personally Yours (Francis Carlyle): incorporates the use of business cards with three spectators 128 Through The Table (J. Benzais): ending for a take-a-card trick 130 Calculated Risk (Dai Vernon): selection is found by a reversed card 134 Mathematical Affinity: two cards selected by a thought of number and are lost in the deck. The cards now at the thought of number find the selections 142 Magnetic Reversals (Ken Krenzel): for advanced card men! Chapter IV: Unique Card Tricks 148 The Inseparable Four: a four card control 151 Sensitive Touch: A palming card to pocket with focus on timing 153 Lorayne's Poker Deal: originally appeared in Hugard's Magic Monthly 158 The Moving Pencil: magician waves a pencil over the cards until spectator says stop, when lowered, the card under the pencil is the selection 162 Vernon's Aces: requires a decent Faro shuffle 165 Fan Prediction #1 (Alex Elmsley): requires a decent pressure Fan. Can be used with a change or as a force. 168 Fan Prediction #2: Use as a force 172 Sympathetic Decks: for use with two decks of opposite color; uses the Lorayne Force from Fan Prediction 2 175 Mated!: a quickie using the Lorayne Force 179 Reverse Location: two selections are found using a card reversed and placed by a spectator 183 Blackout!: a seemingly impromptu ESP card effect (requires ability to turn out the lights) 188 The Spectator Estimates: a slow cut that retains the bottom card - used as a throwaway comedy bit 190 Card Sandwich (J. Benzais): selection becomes sandwiched between mates 195 Lost And Found Aces (Al Leech): a smooth Four Ace routine 199 Lazy Man's Card Trick (Al Koran): magician never handles the deck yet knows how far down the selection is 201 Challenge Aces: quickie four Ace effect 203 Push-Through Change: a four card change utility move 207 Push-Through Poker: utilizing the above move Chapter V: The Turnover Change 215 The Turnover Change (Paul Curry): described 221 The Little Card That Wasn't There: looks like "real magic" to the layman 224 Plunge-Thru': the remaining protruding card is the selection 225 Mentalamazement: finding a thought of card 228 Chango-Cards: changing two cards on the table 229 Prediction Extraordinaire (Oscar Weigle): a prediction effect using the change 231 1-2-3-4 (Bill Simon and Paul Curry): Four Ace routine 236 4-3-2-1: a Four Ace variation 240 Random Thoughts: more ideas for the Turnover Change including: Absolutely Free Force, Quickie Prediction, and Cross-Over Change 242 Variation Change And Stud Poker: Francis Carlyle's handling of the Turnover Change 245 Four-In-Hand: one to work on! 249 Automatic Mind-Reading #2: a quickie 250 On Spectator's Hand: changing a card on the spectator's hand 252 Torn Corner Transposition: using a duplicate 253 Red Ace—Black Ace (Herb Zarrow): in the spectator's hands 255 Fantasia: another effect requiring lots of practice 261 Just (Business) Cards: Two quickies using business cards and the Curry Change 261 Spirit Writes: business card is shown blank on one side, and is placed under an ashtray printing side up. A card is selected, and the business card is now shown printed with the prediction! 262 Flash Printing: as above, but a blank business card magically prints 263 Multiple Change: for more than one card 264 Ambitious Aces: Aces follow the leader Ace 265 The Traveling Jewels: a story effect 269 Lorayne's Challenge: The JB Kard Kop used in a spectator "stop" effect with a challenge to the magician to see what you can come up with 271 Last Word: a plea to try these effects, not just read about them Harry Lorayne (born 1926) Harry Lorayne is an American magician and a memory-training specialist and writer who was called "The Yoda of Memory Training" by Time magazine. He is well known for his mnemonic demonstrations and has appeared on numerous television shows including The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. His book The Memory Book was a New York Times bestseller. His card magic, especially his innovations in card sleights, is widely emulated by amateur and professional magicians. He grew up in New York's Lower East Side and he learned sleight of hand at the Hamilton Fish Park in the 1930s. At age 18, he began to perform as a table magician at Billy Reed's Little Club at 70 E. 55th St. in New York. He began appearing on national television in 1958 (after hosting a local show of his own in 1951, The Prof. Magic Show), first on I've Got a Secret, where he demonstrated his ability to remember everybody's name in the audience and later appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show and numerous other television shows including Jack Paar, The Merv Griffin Show, The Mike Douglas Show, The Regis Philbin Show, Good Morning America, The Today Show, That's Incredible & David Susskind. He performed 24 times on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. To demonstrate his memory, Harry Lorayne would stand beside the president of the club he was visiting and be introduced to each member. The number of members of a club could reach up to 1,500. After an hour and a half, Lorayne would speak about memory for about 20 minutes and then ask if anyone had a question. He promised that he would pay any questioner whose name he could not remember a thousand dollars. He always remembered the names of every member of the audience. Lorayne also made news by memorizing and recalling information from phone books with no errors. He had a memory school in New York employing such instructors as Darwin Ortiz. His video course (MEMORY POWER) was used as part of the training of many top corporations. Harry Lorayne is a prolific author of memory training books intended for the public, as well as writing books for professional magicians. His ''The Memory Book'' has sold over two million copies, whilst in Chronicles: Volume One, Bob Dylan writes that he read Lorayne's book shortly before breaking through as a music star after finding it in the book collection of a friend. For twenty years, Lorayne wrote and published the monthly magazine Apocalypse. He is also a columnist for Genii magazine.