I'm new at this so please be kind:

I'm no performer, but have recently learned and developed a number of tricks that consistently impress small children, but need some advice about what takes place between the actual techniques of any given trick.

I'm clueless, but think I'm asking about transitions, switches, and simple misdirections that can easily be used to turn "five tricks" into a "coin routine"...

For example, I have one drill where I ditch two coins into a shirt pocket, and then reproduce them again using dupes. The dupes are currently in my rear beltloops, and I have this rediculous* way of pretending to hitch up my pants so I can load them up for the reproduction...

Like I said, I'm new at this...

Where do you hide your spares, and what misdirections do you use to get at them (without reaching into a pocket)?

Thanks for sharing,
Marty

*I have an even more rediculous version where I pretend to have a runny nose and keep fiddling with the tissue in my shirt pocket, between gags

Invest in some coin clips or simply make your own out of paper clips. Then install them under your shirt on either side so that you can easily steal them when needed.

Or clip the paper clip to your back pocket. That way you can just reach back and grab the coins off of it. It doesn't look to suspicious.

Thanks!

Heh -- the cellphone hanging from my belt maks a great coin clip, quick and quiet!

It's constantly discovering subtle little improvements, better angles, clever misdirections, that have made this last year so much fun.

Last night i was working on a clean three coin production and I came up with this idea. I got a plastic card out of my wallet and on the back, made this little "pocket" out of tape near the top, so if you put a half dollar in, 3/4 of it will be sticking out from the top. Then put the card in your wallet, and when folded up, there should be enough coin showing that you can just pinch it right out of the holder with the wallet in your back pocket.

Thanks kraynik, i'll try that as well, although paper clips are working good...

And the more i play with this cellphone clip, the more impressed I am. With the phone clipped to my belt in front, with a Sacagawea clipped inside the phone, a slight tap from the heel of my hand and the coin falls neatly into my fingers underneath. Almost invisible, and easily covered by any activity in the other hand. I suspect it could also be a clever place to ditch with some practice.

Oh, and make sure the phone is not on vibrate-mode. My wife called and the coin fell out in the middle of my trick!

Followup question:

What books or resources are out there that deal primarily with misdirection?

Tricks are a dime-a-dozen, and easy enough to master with practice. But of course most people see through them instantly -- we live in a very jaded world.

I don't have the natural gift of patter, which leaves me with two choices: doing tricks straight up (boring for the audience), or, rehearsing predefined patter to the letter so often that it sounds (at least to myself) so contrived and rehearsed that it's boring TO ME!

Don't get me wrong -- i'm a very creative guy, and have a flair for performing. But Magic is new to me, I don't have any mentors, and have to learn the hard way... point me in the right direction?

Recent relevant example:
After doing an effective vanish, double-switch, and reveal, I was certain I could then ditch the switched coin with my left hand while the audience watched the reveal in my right. Wrong! The ditch is good enough -- but not everyone's eyes are on it! They were supposed to be focused on what comes out of my empty hand (the original coin, in my right) and not on what MUST still be in my left.

It's hard to describe I guess. Maybe I'll just perfect the ditch so I can do it after a pause, while EVERYONE is intently watching for it... grrrrrr

I can handle the moves. It's patter and misdirection I could use some professional advice on. Thanks.

Sorry, disregard the "not" in the sentance above which should read:

"The ditch is good enough -- but everyone's eyes are on it!"