The Invisible Mirror
(and other things I found in Freddie s Wallet)
An e-Book by Bob Cassidy
PART ONE THE TEXT
Copyright ©2003 by the Sacred Chao. All rights
reserved.
This is Freddie s Wallet. I call
it that because I bought it at Fred Myers,
a popular department store chain in the
western United States - referred to by
the locals as Freddie s. (It would be
more accurate to call it Freddie s
Credit Card Case, because there is no
money compartment - it is strictly for
credit cards, identification, and business
cards.)
On the outside of the case is a
clear ID window. In the photograph, it
is located on the back of the side with
the credit cards. If you were to slide a
card into the left vertical compartment
near the centerfold, it would be visible
in the outside window. In essence, it
does the same job as the original two-
fold Jaks peek wallet.
The Invisible Mirror
But Freddie s Wallet isn t just another peek device. While it serves admirably
in that capacity, its main use is as a switching gimmick that also provides cover for an
umbrella move, a peek, and finally the return of a spectator s folded billet. All of this
happens while the billet seemingly remains folded and in full view. This is made
possible by the interesting gimmick seen lying before the wallet in the previous
photograph.
If you like the concept, and I am sure you will, you ll be happy to know that
Freddie s Wallet is not a device you are apt to see being used by many other
magicians or mentalists. It is not available in magic shops in fact, it is not available
ANYWHERE. The only way you can have one is to make it yourself. Fortunately, this
is an easy task and shouldn t take you more than half an hour or so after you have
obtained the proper credit card case and the necessary materials.
[For those of you who were wondering, the quote above the Doctor Bob photo on the first page
is a reference to those unfortunate beings who, having seen street magic and the various exposure
shows on television, have concluded that magic and/or mentalism is a talent you can buy in a magic
shop. Doctor Bob has banned these individuals from his neighborhood, or, as he puts it, his hood. ]
The wallet, as I said, is really a credit card case. Since there is no money
compartment, it is an easy matter to gimmick the case without having to cut through
the extra layers of leather and cloth that you would otherwise encounter. Additionally,
the case is smaller than a regular wallet and will fit neatly into your outside jacket or
shirt pocket.
You will notice that there are two different credit card/ID cases shown in the
photographs that follow. The larger of the two is the one I used in the video clips. In
addition to the billet switch and peek feature, it also has a magnetic window on the
outside, which can be used to peek at what has been written on a business card inserted
- writing side down - into the second horizontal pocket on the left side of the case. For
those of you who want the case to double as a rather nonstandard peek wallet, I will
show you how the magnetic window is constructed and the means by which the peek is
obtained.
The second case, the smaller of the two, does not have an outside window. In
fact, the one in the photos is a modified Stockbroker a commercial gimmick
designed to facilitate the Out to Lunch principle. If you own a Stockbroker case
and don t mind cutting it up like I did with mine, you can in addition to the billet
feature - use the case for your favorite OTL effects. Otherwise, any available credit card
case will do as long as it has three or four horizontal credit card pockets on the inside
left and/or right sides.
The media clips will give you an excellent idea of how the billet switch and read
works. It will take some practice to do perfectly, but it is not nearly as difficult as you
might imagine. If you just make up the wallet and play with it a while, you will soon
discover how it facilitates what would otherwise be a difficult series of moves. You will
also have a lot of fun making the dummy billet appear and disappear as you push the
gimmick up and down.
WARNING: If you are among the minority who will be tempted to use this
device as a means of performing the infamous Rising Billet trick DON T DO IT!
There is one other thing that the case will do for you. In the video clip The
Methods , you will see that I have concealed a silver dollar size convex mirror under
the front flap of the case. It has a magnet attached to the back. Since the billet gimmick
is made of tin, the mirror, when removed from it s hiding place, will cling to the outside
of the case where it can be used to obtain a reflection of a drawing made by a spectator
on a business card. In practice, the handling is pretty standard:
Remove a business card from the case and hand it, along with a black Sharpie
Marker, to a spectator. Ask her to draw a simple picture on the blank side of the card
and, when she is done, to hold it at arm s length before her. Turn your back while she
draws, and take the opportunity to slip the mirror out of the case and affix it to its back.
Later, when you turn around to face the spectator, tell her to hold her card higher so
that it is at her eye level. Use the hand holding the case to raise her arm upward to eye
level, thus giving yourself an opportunity to see a reflection of her drawing in the
mirror. I can be seen pantomiming this move on the Methods video.
[While the foregoing might appear to be the Invisible Mirror of the title, the real invisible
mirror is the reflection you will obtain of the spectator s thoughts when you use the wallet for its
primary purpose the switch, invisible read, and return of a folded billet. Why this is called The
Invisible Mirror is beyond the ken of rational minds and cannot be discussed here.]
Before I go any further, one point regarding the media clips should be made
absolutely clear. The videos are designed to show you how the switch works and what
it basically looks like from the audience s point of view. They do NOT show how you
should actually perform it.
The graceful hand gestures, etc., are for illustrative purposes only. In practice,
it should look like you just placed the folded billet into the case while pointing out that
you will put it in a safe place until later. After the peek is obtained and the billet
refolded, the case should be tossed to the table, and or pocketed while you proceed with
your revelation. (AND IN ABSOLUTELY NO EVENT, SHOULD YOU PERFORM
THESE MOVES TO THE MOZART ACCOMPANIMENT USED IN THE VIDEO. The
only purpose of the music was so that you realized the videos are supposed to be
silent.)
The Invisible Mirror
Later, by using the gimmick in reverse you will be able to return the
spectator s billet to her. DO NOT hold the case in your hands throughout the
demonstration, as this would draw unnecessary attention to the device attention that
SHOULD be directed to your apparent thought reading. (Personally, I prefer to toss
the case onto a table in order to take an advantage of a subtlety we will discuss shortly.)
A NOTE ON THE MEDIA FILES:
To properly view the media files you should download the latest version of Real
Player. In the options dialogue of the player, you should select the option that allows
Real Player to play media directly from your hard drive without first downloading it.
(Otherwise, it will operate according to its default settings and attempt to download the
file from the Internet. If you were to leave the default setting and then click on the link
in the html file named contents.html (the page that links to all of the media) it is quite
possible that you will see a window that says Real Player has attempted to perform an
illegal operation and will be shut down. This will not occur if you change the default
settings as indicated OR if you just click directly on the media files in the folder where
you unzipped them. It is a lot more convenient, though, to access the files through the
contents.html page. In this manner, you can view both the text and the media at the
same time in separate windows.
[Sorry if the foregoing seems a bit confusing, but this was the only way I could
make this eBook compatible with most computer systems.]
THE BILLETS AND THE UMBRELLA MOVE
In many of my previous writings, I have stated that the actual size of a billet is
irrelevant, as long as it fits your hand. I have always been quite comfortable with either
standard size business cards folded into quarters or 3 X 5 index cards cut in half to form
3 X 2.5 inch billets, which, when folded into quarters serve equally well for most
switches.
With Freddie s Wallet, however, another consideration comes into play not
only must the billet be properly palmable when folded, but when it is opened out as
well, since the entire unfolded billet must be easily concealable in a finger palm position
as shown in the following sequence of illustrations. In my case, and perhaps in yours,
the perfect size is obtained by cutting a 4 X 6 index card into quarters resulting in four
billets per card, each measuring 3 by 2 or, for our European friends, approximately
75mm X 50mm.
There are two handlings I use for the insertion of the
folded billet into the wallet, but the mechanics of the finger
palm are the same in both. Only the timing is different, as we
will see momentarily. At the beginning of the switch/read
sequence, the spectator s folded billet is palmed in the right
hand while apparently placed into the second horizontal
credit card slot. At the same time, the left fingers push the
gimmick into view from the bottom or back of the wallet
(depending on the style of case), creating the perfect illusion
of the folded billet being inserted halfway into the slot.
The billet is palmed laterally between the middle and
ring fingers of the right hand.
This exposed view of the umbrella move, shows how
the billet is finger palmed and will also illustrate to you why
the size of the billet is important. In the first photo to the left,
the billet is allowed to spring open along its centerfold. Note
that the folded sides of the billet are along the bottom and to
the right (facing the wrist).
The Invisible Mirror
The thumb is then inserted between the two uppermost quarters and pushed
toward the center.
This causes the billet to umbrella out into finger palm position where it is held
securely in place by pressure from the thumb on top and the upper side of the little
finger below. Due to the size of the billet, it is perfectly concealed in the hand. In
practice, the hand is not extended as much as in the photograph, but is held in a natural,
cupped position.
The move is done either as shown in the video clip with the inside of the case
facing the audience, or with the case held facing upwards in the left hand, the tops of
the credit card slots facing the audience but tilted slightly to the floor thus preventing
a view directly INTO the pockets, which could expose the existence of the gimmick.
(Don t worry, if this is not clear to you yet, it will become so as you view the videos and
read the details of the gimmick s operation.)
One method of opening and reading the billet is shown in the video. The entire
operation is done with the right hand, which holds the case as shown in the clip and
opens the billet at the same time.
Another method is to grab the billet with the left hand beneath or behind the
wallet and to later umbrella it out with the left hand either in the trousers pocket or
under cover of a pad or the case.
Or, you can use the method I prefer and allow the billet in the right hand to be
slid into the hook at the bottom of the gimmick, which holds it securely on the back of
the wallet. This allows the hands to be casually shown empty (AND I MEAN
CASUALLY WITHOUT MAKING IT LOOK LIKE YOU ARE SHOWING YOUR
HANDS EMPTY!), then retrieving the billet in the right hand where it is either
umbrella d out as above or taken to the trousers pocket.
Watch the first video, The Read and you will see how deceptive the apparent
insertion of the billet into the case is. The next three photos show how the gimmick
works in the smaller of the two cases.
The top picture shows the gimmick
projecting from the second slit from the top as
seen by the audience. The second photo shows
the back of the case and the third shows it from
the side so that you can see the hook at the
bottom of the gimmick.
Note that the second picture shows the
gimmick on the OUTSIDE of the case. This is
just so you can see it in the photo. In practice, it
actually enters the wallet from a slit at the
BOTTOM of the decorative black band that
goes around the case. (This is simply made
from Scotch Brand Decorator Tape. If you are a
perfectionist, you can cut a band from the
leather of another wallet - or an old leather
jacket or book cover, or whatever - and glue it
in place with Crafter s Cement.)
The Invisible Mirror
The only purpose of the band is to
conceal the existence of the slit. The band is not
required if you choose to insert the gimmick
from the BOTTOM rather than the back of the
case as I have done with the larger wallet in this
sequence of photos. The gimmick is simply a
LONG piece of index card folded so that the top
portion looks like a folded billet. It is taped to a
short strip of tin -cut from a tin can the same
width as the billet. The bottom of the tin is bent
into the hook shape shown in the photos. This
serves two purposes it keeps the gimmick
from going up too far into the slot and also acts
as a clip to catch the spectator s billet as I
mentioned previously.
I personally prefer the gimmick that
extends from the back rather than the bottom.
This is because the gimmick will extend
outward from the bottom of the case when you
wish the slot to appear empty. Thus, the bottom
of the gimmick must be concealed by the left
hand prior to the insertion. With the back slot,
the gimmick only goes to the bottom of the
wallet when the gimmick is out of sight, and
halfway up the back when it is in view. This is a
matter of personal preference, for there is an
advantage offered by the bottom slit and
you can see it in the video (in which a bottom
slit and extended gimmick are used. That is
that the left fingers do not have to push the
gimmick into view. Instead, the right hand
merely pushes the wallet to the left as it
inserts the billet the end of the gimmick is
against the left palm and the dummy comes
into view.
The basic principle should be pretty clear by now the gimmick is simply a
slide that moves up and down, making a billet appear or disappear at will.
I am well aware, and I m sure you are too, that a similar effect can be obtained
purely by pantomime (which is how I refer to simulation type sleights.) It is very
difficult, however, to simulate the action smoothly and without hesitation. Furthermore,
the existence of the hook adds an entirely new dimension to the effectiveness of the
illusion.
Speaking of illusions, there is a very nice
subtlety that can be done if you simply toss the
closed wallet to the table after apparently
inserting the billet. Look at the lowermost of the
three pictures to the left and you will see what I
mean. The case naturally opens up a bit on its
own, thus innocently leaving the billet in
apparent full view. I never draw any attention to
this, but it is something that is certainly noticed
and is a very strong psychological convincer .
The top photo shows where the cut is
made for the bottom-style insertion, and the
second photo shows a cardboard tunnel I
taped to the inside of the pocket to insure that
the gimmick comes out straight from the center
of the pocket, and not jogged off to the left or
right.
The tools needed to modify any standard
credit card case are quite simple: black decorative
tape or scrap leather strips; crafter s cement (this
is available in craft shops or you can order it over
the Internet through JoAnnsFabrics.com easily
the greatest craft supply outfit on earth); an
eXacto knife, and some scrap cardboard to act as
stiffeners and to make a tunnel if you so desire.
The Invisible Mirror
The last two photographs show the
convex mirror and the optional magnetic flap.
Note that the mirror actually goes on the back of
the wallet after you remove it from its hiding
place under the flap on the inside of the case.
(The flap is right under the mirror in the photo.)
There is a tin shim taped under the flap as well
so that the mirror, which has a magnet taped to
the back, will adhere easily. (Also as I
mentioned earlier, the billet gimmick itself has a
tin strip in it, so if it is still in the case it will also
act to hold the mirror.)
The magnetic flap can be made if you are
using a case that has an ID window on the
outside of the closed case. This is cut out and a
piece of credit card is glued to its back. A button
magnet is then taped to the back of the ID
portion. A small square of tin is glued to the
inside of the case this is what keeps the flap
locked shut.
The case is, of course, prepared with a horizontal slit just below the top of the
second credit card slot. The slit goes right through to the back and is aligned with the
uppermost part of the window. In the photo, you will note that almost the entire face
of a business card is exposed when the window is opened.
There are a few additional subtleties here. There are two pieces of credit cards
glued into the slots inside of the wallet. One of them is apparently BELOW the inserted
business card, thus adding to the illusion that the card is effectively isolated.
You may wonder how it is possible to push the card into the slot when there is a
magnet holding the outer ID panel to the inside of the window. This is not a problem as
the card easily slides BETWEEN the magnet and the inside of the case proper.
Again, if any part of this description seems a bit obscure to you, a few viewings
of the media files should set every thing straight. I am sure that if you take the time to
make yourself a Freddie s Wallet you will find that it was time well spent, and I
predict that this will become one of your favorite multipurpose tools.
Good Luck and Good Thoughts
Bob Cassidy
Seattle WA December 2003
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