Match Box Trick

I have been fascinated with this match box trick ever since I saw my father do it over 40 years ago. He was a cigarette and pipe smoker so he had a good repertoire of tricks with cicaretttes, matches and roll-your-own papers.

What I like about this trick is that the moves are very simple and clean. This is visual magic at it's best.

The simple matchbox has been the object that has deceived a some very clever minds. Here's a story from one of the lectures of James Randi.

If you don't know of James Randi, he is a Canadian magician and escape artist who specialises in exposing those who claim to have supernatural powers such as 'psychic" spoonbenders and faith healers. He continually shows the public that these people are simply using basic magic tricks that have been the basic tools for magicians over the past centuries.

The James Randi Foundation has a $1,000,000 prize for anyone who can prove, under fair and rigorous examination, to be the holder of truly psychic or paranormal powers. The money remains unclaimed after decades of opportunity.

The match box trick that fooled the scientists at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratories in California was ridiculously easy. They had been contacted by an Israeli psychic named Ronnie Marcus. He came to their labs and demonstrated 5 effects:

He wrapped a coin in alfoil, handed it to a spectator, who could not hold it as it mysteriously became hot.
Advanced the hands on a watch
Twisted a spoon
Divined the contents of a matchbox
Made a matchbox rise and lower on the back of his outstretched hand

He fooled the scientists, who include PHD's, with simple tricks that can be found in basic magic catalogues and even in some kids magic books.

The match box trick you are learning here is harder to do than the trick that Ronnie Marcus fooled the scientists with.

My point I am making is that don't be fooled yourself into thinking that a trick you can make at home can't be as effective, or better, than something in a shiny case that you can buy online for $35.