Jerx Christmas - Daniel Garcia - 10:32 PM

Danny Garcia just did something crazy. But he told me the trick won’t really be over until sometime tomorrow, so I’m not allowed to know how it’s done yet. 

When he showed up to the party a couple of hours ago, he thanked me for inviting him and give me a gift and told me not to open it until the part is over.

Then just a little while ago he asked if I’d mind someone going into my office and grabbing the first book they see. I sent my secretary, Miss Nanny Finebottom. While she grabbed a book, he asked to borrow a bill. John Guastaferro handed him a single. Dan tore the corner off the bill and handed it to me. About this time, Nanny returned with a book, “The Conqueror Worms.” A book about giant worms that take over the earth. Danny looked at the last 3 numbers of the serial number of the bill and call them out saying, “122. Turn to page 122 in the book you picked.” Nanny turned to page 122 and immediately we see a bill attached like a book page. Everyone looked back at Danny and there was the page of the book in his hands where the bill just was. We placed the missing corner up to the bill and it’s a match.

As, I said, Danny said the trick isn’t over. So he won’t tell me how it’s done, but he’s going to tell you now.

Hey guys… Danny here. So tomorrow Andy will open the gift I gave him when I got to the party. At first, he’ll find a note saying, “Thanks for inviting to your party… I felt bad about ruining one of your personal books, but hopefully whatever book your friend picked is a little more magical now.  I bought you a copy of one of my favorite books as a replacement. Hopefully you like it as much as the book they picked.” When he unwraps the tissue paper, he’ll find a copy of The Conqueror Worms.

So the effect is pretty simple in execution. The whole thing just relies on knowing your friend’s house you are performing in and what books they have. If this was a friend’s house I normally go to, then I just note the books they’re reading. If it’s at a friend of a friend then I'll ask them to tell me the books they are reading. Or if you really want to get into it, have a mutual friend gift them a book a month or so before. 

Either way… whichever book you decide, buy two copies of that book. Get two sequential $1 bills and sand off the last number so the bills are identical (or you can use the serial number stamp gimmick that comes with the FRAUD BOX SET later next year). Now look at the last 3 digits of the new serial number and cut that page out of the book with an Xacto knife as close to the spine as possible. Then take your Xacto knife and score the two bill corners so they rip exactly the same. You can use something like Gaeton Blooms Intercessor as a jig if that makes you more comfortable. Rip one of the corners off one of the bills and glue the other edge of the bill in the spine so it looks like a page. Now take the page you cut out and use double stick tape to fix this to the back of the other scored bill so that when you fold the page it it hidden behind the bill. 

So you should have :

1 ungimmicked book

1 gimmicked book (page missing and a bill with missing corner glued in its place)

1 scored bill with page taped and hidden on back 

Wrap the ungimmicked book, write your note and place it on top, then place everything in a gift box. 

Fold the bill gimmick in half so the page is hidden on the inside and place it in your pocket

Now… you show up to the party. Give the gift to the host and tell them not to open it and wait till later.

Start your party shenanigans… and while you're doing this, take note of where the other books are placed. In an office, a den, or a coffee table.

About 20-30 minutes in to the party, once everyone is comfortable with seeing you around, head out to your car and get the gimmicked book.

Come back inside with the book hidden and head to the place where the other books are. 

If the other books are in a den or office.,. place your gimmicked book on a chair facing the door right when you enter, so it’s the first thing you have to walk around when you enter the space. 

If it’s a coffee table or bookshelf in the living room, then just place the book so it’s the first thing you see.

Continue to mingle, but just make sure to check on the book to make sure no one moved it.

Once you start to perform ask the host if someone can go to their office… when they say yes, ask someone to go to the office and just get the FIRST book they see. They can’t really enter the office too much because of the chair, and they will just grab that book.

While they are gone, ask someone if they have a bill. Take the bill and ask if someone has a red sharpie… and while looking, switch bill for your gimmicked bill. Interrupt the search and just say you'll tear a corner off. Start to tear the corner along the score and have a person finish the tear so they are left holding the corner. 

The person should be back by now holding the book. 

Look at your bill then to another person and say what are the last 3 digits of the serial number.They say 122. Look at the person holding the book and say, “Please turn to page 122.” As they are looking for the page keep your hand holding the bill up in frame by your chest, but turn the bill so the page is now visible and the bill is hidden behind. (You can obviously make a crazier gimmick here to do a completely change, but this works just as well) When they reach the page they will see a “bill page with a missing corner” and they will react. They then will look at you hand and see a folded page. Open the page and show “Page 122” in the corner. Then ask the person with the corner to match it up. While they are doing this, steal off the bill on the book page.

Trick is done for the people…. But the kicker is for the host when they open the gift you got them and notice that you bought them the exact book the person “randomly” chose.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!