Pat Page's Easy Money -- Which version is the best?

Cain · 7th August 2008, 10:41 AM

OK, so there's a bunch of new variations on this trick.

Hundy 500 - Greg Wilson
Heiny 500 - Karl Hein
Extreme Burn/Slow Burn - Richard Sanders
Prophet - Tom Isaacson

From the demos that I've seen, Hein's looks the best. I saw Wilson at a lecture not long ago, and he mentioned re-releasing Hundy 500; he looked crestfallen when the title of the DVD did not receive oohs and aahs ("HUNDY 500: Victory Lap"). I don't care much for his flipping action.

Bob Klase · 7th August 2008, 12:53 PM

I've been using Heiny 500 for a couple years. I like Extreme Burn- it has several handlings, but I'm using it's setup/gimmick with Karl's (Heiny) handling.

I've seen the demo of Prophet and it looks good. But I wouldn't give an opinion without knowing details and since I'm happen with what I'm doing it's not worth spending more money just to see the method for another version.

Cain · 7th August 2008, 09:18 PM

Thanks. I'm sure most of the versions would work fine. The problem is that once a lot of options become available a perhaps irrational anxiety sets in because I need to find the "best" one. In past posts you've mentioned Swain, so I guess you're in good with most of those guys down there.

What about hundreds versus other denominations? Like other effects, I'm sure the fact you're using hundreds adds an extra pop, but I'm reluctant to keep that much money in my wallet. I'd like to use this as an anytime, anywhere sort of trick.

Bob Klase · 7th August 2008, 10:25 PM

Hundreds is always my first choice. There are some good ideas using other denominations (ie= paper to $1's), but $100's just add an impact that you can't get from anything else I've seen used.

But $100's does tie up a lot of money and it's still a great trick with other bills. I can usually afford to keep the two $100's which have to be prepared on hand. If I need the rest of them to pay bills then I just have to go back to the bank and get more before I can perform the trick with $100's.

My second choice for an anytime, anywhere trick is to use $20's- especially if I'm paying for something that is more than $5. I can count five $1's, then change them to $20's and use one of the $20's to pay. Some of the impact lost by not using $100's is regained by actually spending one of the $20's.

Originally Posted by Cain

In past posts you've mentioned Swain, so I guess you're in good with most of those guys down there.

I'd like to think so, and I'm good friends with some of them. In some cases (like Swain and Karl Hein) I've met them several times at conventions or lectures and there's a good chance they'll remember who I am if I run into them somewhere. But if you mentioned my name to them they probably wouldn't know who you were talking about.

Cain · 10th August 2008, 03:17 AM

Originally Posted by Bob Klase

My second choice for an anytime, anywhere trick is to use $20's- especially if I'm paying for something that is more than $5. I can count five $1's, then change them to $20's and use one of the $20's to pay. Some of the impact lost by not using $100's is regained by actually spending one of the $20's.

Excuse me for being indulgent, but what do you think of the trick sold on Penguin as "Two Dollar Window"? I'm uncertain as to the paternity of the trick, but I did it a few years ago and always got strong reactions. Then I had to spend the money in a jam and never remade it (in part because I had become a total card snob). What I like about that one vs. the Page trick is that you have two bills changing into one different bill, and then back. The Page trick has other advantages: no excessive folding, which is bit too move-y, unnatural, smacking of a magic trick (folding a stack of bills in half is perfectly normal); cleaner, fuller displays; a more visual change.

Bob Klase · 10th August 2008, 10:12 AM

I first saw the trick in the early 1980's. Michael Ammar published his version in Encore 3 as the Two Dollar Bill Tear (he also put it on his Easy to Master Money Miracles). He said that it was a very old idea that he first saw in Jerry Mentzer's Close Up Cavalcade.

The one thing I don't like about Two Dollar Window is that I can't see where it adds anything to the original but cost significantly more (if you divide the cost of the Ammar book or DVDs by then number of tricks then you get a much better deal than paying $10 for this trick alone). The gimmick is made slightly different (no worse and no better than Ammar's- just slightly different).

I liked the effect and did it for a while, but even then I preferred the $100 bill switch. To me, the spectator perception of changing $2 into a different version of $2 was more a trick than magic (if I was a real magician, would I change money into the same amount of money or into more money).

7th August 2008, 10:41 AM	#1
Cain Contrarian Join Date: May 2002 Location: S. California Posts: 3,958	Pat Page's Easy Money -- Which version is the best? OK, so there's a bunch of new variations on this trick. Hundy 500 - Greg Wilson Heiny 500 - Karl Hein Extreme Burn/Slow Burn - Richard Sanders Prophet - Tom Isaacson From the demos that I've seen, Hein's looks the best. I saw Wilson at a lecture not long ago, and he mentioned re-releasing Hundy 500; he looked crestfallen when the title of the DVD did not receive oohs and aahs ("HUNDY 500: Victory Lap"). I don't care much for his flipping action.
	__________________ Well, well, well. If it ain't the serious, elusive Leroy Green. I've been waitin' a long time for this, Leroy. I am sick of hearin' these ***** Superman stories about the "wassah" legendary Bruce Leroy catchin' bullets with his teeth. Catches bullets with his teeth?! ***** pleeze.

7th August 2008, 09:18 PM	#3
Cain Contrarian Join Date: May 2002 Location: S. California Posts: 3,958	Thanks. I'm sure most of the versions would work fine. The problem is that once a lot of options become available a perhaps irrational anxiety sets in because I need to find the "best" one. In past posts you've mentioned Swain, so I guess you're in good with most of those guys down there. What about hundreds versus other denominations? Like other effects, I'm sure the fact you're using hundreds adds an extra pop, but I'm reluctant to keep that much money in my wallet. I'd like to use this as an anytime, anywhere sort of trick.
	__________________ Well, well, well. If it ain't the serious, elusive Leroy Green. I've been waitin' a long time for this, Leroy. I am sick of hearin' these ***** Superman stories about the "wassah" legendary Bruce Leroy catchin' bullets with his teeth. Catches bullets with his teeth?! ***** pleeze.

10th August 2008, 03:17 AM	#5
Cain Contrarian Join Date: May 2002 Location: S. California Posts: 3,958	Originally Posted by Bob Klase My second choice for an anytime, anywhere trick is to use $20's- especially if I'm paying for something that is more than $5. I can count five $1's, then change them to $20's and use one of the $20's to pay. Some of the impact lost by not using $100's is regained by actually spending one of the $20's. Excuse me for being indulgent, but what do you think of the trick sold on Penguin as "Two Dollar Window"? I'm uncertain as to the paternity of the trick, but I did it a few years ago and always got strong reactions. Then I had to spend the money in a jam and never remade it (in part because I had become a total card snob). What I like about that one vs. the Page trick is that you have two bills changing into one different bill, and then back. The Page trick has other advantages: no excessive folding, which is bit too move-y, unnatural, smacking of a magic trick (folding a stack of bills in half is perfectly normal); cleaner, fuller displays; a more visual change.
	__________________ Well, well, well. If it ain't the serious, elusive Leroy Green. I've been waitin' a long time for this, Leroy. I am sick of hearin' these ***** Superman stories about the "wassah" legendary Bruce Leroy catchin' bullets with his teeth. Catches bullets with his teeth?! ***** pleeze.

7th August 2008, 12:53 PM	#2
Bob Klase Master Poster Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Largo, FL Posts: 2,445	I've been using Heiny 500 for a couple years. I like Extreme Burn- it has several handlings, but I'm using it's setup/gimmick with Karl's (Heiny) handling. I've seen the demo of Prophet and it looks good. But I wouldn't give an opinion without knowing details and since I'm happen with what I'm doing it's not worth spending more money just to see the method for another version.

7th August 2008, 10:25 PM	#4
Bob Klase Master Poster Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Largo, FL Posts: 2,445	Hundreds is always my first choice. There are some good ideas using other denominations (ie= paper to $1's), but $100's just add an impact that you can't get from anything else I've seen used. But $100's does tie up a lot of money and it's still a great trick with other bills. I can usually afford to keep the two $100's which have to be prepared on hand. If I need the rest of them to pay bills then I just have to go back to the bank and get more before I can perform the trick with $100's. My second choice for an anytime, anywhere trick is to use $20's- especially if I'm paying for something that is more than $5. I can count five $1's, then change them to $20's and use one of the $20's to pay. Some of the impact lost by not using $100's is regained by actually spending one of the $20's. Originally Posted by Cain In past posts you've mentioned Swain, so I guess you're in good with most of those guys down there. I'd like to think so, and I'm good friends with some of them. In some cases (like Swain and Karl Hein) I've met them several times at conventions or lectures and there's a good chance they'll remember who I am if I run into them somewhere. But if you mentioned my name to them they probably wouldn't know who you were talking about.

10th August 2008, 10:12 AM	#6
Bob Klase Master Poster Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Largo, FL Posts: 2,445	I first saw the trick in the early 1980's. Michael Ammar published his version in Encore 3 as the Two Dollar Bill Tear (he also put it on his Easy to Master Money Miracles). He said that it was a very old idea that he first saw in Jerry Mentzer's Close Up Cavalcade. The one thing I don't like about Two Dollar Window is that I can't see where it adds anything to the original but cost significantly more (if you divide the cost of the Ammar book or DVDs by then number of tricks then you get a much better deal than paying $10 for this trick alone). The gimmick is made slightly different (no worse and no better than Ammar's- just slightly different). I liked the effect and did it for a while, but even then I preferred the $100 bill switch. To me, the spectator perception of changing $2 into a different version of $2 was more a trick than magic (if I was a real magician, would I change money into the same amount of money or into more money).