Market Update is the lazy man's way of performing Al Koran's Headline Countdown Al Koran published the method and secret for his routine in his book Al Koran's Legacy. It was his favorite closing effect but unfortunately the method described in the book just wouldn't work and the secret was protected for many years until Graham Jolley decided to go and see Al Koran when he was working locally. He booked for every night of the show and watched and finally understood the working and now this is one of Graham Jolley's favorite closers. MAGIC Magazine recently devoted several pages to this effect and a write up of it by Graham Jolley. The method now correctly described in the latest edition of Legacy does require advance preparation and a considerable amount of memory work or - if not that - a written crib. Now my own version of the effect MARKET UPDATE does away with all of that and the effect is actually self-working. So much so that two spectators following your instructions can do the effect themselves in front of the audience.

This is exactly what happens when you perform MARKET UPDATE.

This description is not about what the audience perceive but is exactly what happens. The performer hands a spectator a sealed envelope clearly marked PREDICTION. A current issue of the international top-selling magazine Business Week is handed to another spectator who is asked to rip out and hold the center spread of the magazine and to place the rest of the magazine to one side.

Now either the spectator or the magician folds the double-page spread in half and rips it into two sheets, those two sheets are placed together and torn down the center so that the pages have been torn into 4 pieces. The same process is repeated and the 8 pieces are now placed together and torn down the middle so that the pages have now been torn into 16 roughly equal pieces.

You can handle the effect in a number of ways from here on and one way is to ask the spectator who is tearing the pieces to shuffle them and mix them thoroughly and then to hold the pile on his outstretched hand and to start to peel off the pieces of paper and discard them one by one on to the floor. At any point whatsoever the first spectator holding the prediction is asked to call stop and the piece of paper thus chosen is handed to him.

The performer asks the assistant to examine the printing on the fragment of paper thus freely chosen and then to open the envelope. Inside the envelope are the following words:

I PREDICT THAT YOU WILL CHOOSE
THE PIECE OF PAPER BEARING THE WORDS:

MARKET UPDATE

The spectator checks the piece of paper and there on it, together with other lines of text, the words MARKET UPDATE can be seen.

Now bear in mind that the prediction is handed to the spectator and is not switched and is opened by the spectator and not touched during the rest of the performance. There is no stooge work or pre-show work and the piece of paper freely selected is the one that is used for the prediction. The magician can virtually hand the entire effect to two spectators to perform or, if he wishes, he can tear the double-page spread into sixteen pieces himself. If the performer wishes he can ask the spectator, holding the prediction envelope, to write any number from 1 to 16 secretly on the outside of the envelope which is then placed in the assistant's pocket. When the double-page spread has been torn into 16 pieces then the magician places them in a pile on his outstretched palm.

For the first time he asks for the selected number and counts down to that number and hands that piece to the spectator. And again the prediction is correct. There is absolutely no sleight of hand whatsoever and no tricky business and no secret moves at all.

And best of all there is nothing to remember and no special way of tearing the paper as with Al Koran's Headline Countdown. I have to thank Larry Becker who over a period of time came up with handling suggestions and extra ideas that helped me make Market Update a reality. Thank you Larry - without your help this effect would not have become a reality. You receive all that is needed together with a large format booklet of instructions and detailed routines written by David Britland.