Ghost Lamp and shuffling

[Brett H]

I've been messing around with Ghost Lamp this past week, since I have completely neglected to work with it in the past (unfortunately).

I must say, is this a sleeper hit or something? It costs a lot in American magic sites but no one talks about it.

Anyway, I've been researching different shuffling methods and card flourishes for Ghost Lamp and I'm wondering if anyone has tried any different methods that go 'beyond the instructions', as the demo and the instructions suggest a Hindu Shuffle.

I know there is an old adage of 'don't look for a problem when there isn't one', but I feel like there must be some sort of range in versatility with this one. It's cards, after all.

So far, I'm practicing a card flourish called French Manicure combined with a Hindu Shuffle to give the presentation some 'edge'.

Has anyone else tried anything different?

[Elliot W.]

It's been a while since I've tried this one. I don't think I came up with any alternate shuffling.
What bothered me about the standard presentation is that the selected card is always on top of one of the piles. Now what are the odds that the spectator's card just happened to be on top of one of the piles? Kinda suspicious if you ask me.
So I was trying to come up with a way around that. I think what i did was once the correct pile was found I took cards from that pile and spread them over all the piles and once again used the bulb to locate the correct card.

[BluBob]

I agree Elliot. (top seems way too convenient, and suspicious)
Find the pile first, then work with a spread, or make more piles, then a spread, etc.
Maybe just really mess up the correct pile, and work it from there.

[Brett H]

Elliot: if I have it correctly, you end up doing the routine more than once to find the card? If so, that is brilliant to keep people 'off the trail!

The way I'm working it with the flourish I'm using, the flourish fans out the top 1/3 of the cards and keeps what you need at the very back where the audience won't have access to for a selection, and then do 2-3 Thumb Cuts just to get yourself set up.

It's a bit complicated, I'm working on it.

[David DeTenyo]

I really like your idea Elliot, thanks for sharing! I've been planning to make my own magnetic flat pile of cards for some time now, that should also allow easier 'casual' shuffling.

[Elliot W.]

That would definitely make things easier. I originally wanted to just split the chosen pile into 3 or 4 new piles but it's hard to do when half the pile won't split.

[Brett H]

I believe one other way to make the effect stronger, if one is okay with staying from th Tenyo deck, is to utilize a blank gaff deck and a signed card. This way you do away with the deal of a 'forced card' and if you make it a double blank gaff deck, you do away with the 'marked deck' theories. As well as take the heat off of the gimmick as a full on blank deck is all white and everything merges

[VictorS]

Totally agree with the flat gimmick idea and find the correct pile and mess up as Bob mentioned. It is like finding the selection card in the card stab routine. I think this will work.

[Elliot W.]

I believe one other way to make the effect stronger, if one is okay with staying from th Tenyo deck, is to utilize a blank gaff deck and a signed card.

I kinda like the idea of a completely blank deck and finding a signed card. Or maybe you can have them write down some sort of idea on the card and the light bulb goes on when it hits the idea.

By the way Tenyo also released another similar effect to this in the form of a Mickey or Pokemon figure that lights up when placed on the spectator's card. It is basically the same effect but the method used is different. This version does not need any special cards and can be done with any deck. The figure can even be placed on single cards and it will light up on the chosen one. On the downside the magician has to place the Mickey/Pokemon onto the cards for it to light up. It won't light up at all when the spectator tries.

[Brett H]

I like how you note the downside of it as 'placing a Mickey/Pokemon on the cards'.

Makes it sound like they'll make the trick inconsistent and work SOME of the time.

But honestly, I'd be MUCH more okay with using a Mickey Mouse and using whatever deck I wanted instead of using the sometimes clumsy 'Lamp deck.

Is it still sold in places? Or is it rather hard to come by

<<EDIT>>. Looking for that Pikachu is going to be extremely tough!

[Elliot W.]

The downside is that the magician has to do it as opposed to Ghost Lamp where you can have the spectator hold the bulb over the cards. I think it is a plus that the magician doesn't touch the bulb when the magic happens.

They are not made any more and are pretty hard to come by. Although they do pop up once in a while. I think I saw a Mickey one last week that was for sale for around $85 after shipping. I'd have to check if it was still available

[Brett H]

$85?! Man! Most of that could buy the close-up table I'm going after. I'll have to pass on that.

But that is a very tough toss up:

- use whatever ungimmicked deck you want. But magician does the magic.

- use gimmicked deck, audience makes magic happen.

Considering how much work it'll take to make Ghost Lamp work flawlessly. It's a pretty tough toss up in terms of what'll work better. I'm all about making the magic happen in the hands of the audience, but that gimmick is sometimes so clumsy.
But the Mickey Mouse and Pikachu lend themselves to signed card applications A LOT easier.

I'm getting VERY tempted to buying a second Ghost Lamp to take the gimmick apart, as I'm inside of the magnetic cards would 'make the magic happen'.