# How do I make a coin disappear **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 28, 2007, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-a-coin-disappear/413478 "2007-07-28T09:12:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-a-coin-disappear/413478/1 "2007-07-28T09:12:45Z")
Can a magician walk up to a random passerby, ask for a coin, and, holding it in his hand, cause it to apparently disappear, showing both his hands to be empty? While wearing short sleeves? I’ve seen this portrayed on TV, but is it an effect that can really be created? If so, is the trick to it fairly trivial and relatively well-known? If so, can someobody tell me how I can find out how to do it? The name of the trick or something? Thanks. -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-a-coin-disappear/413478/2 "2007-07-28T09:17:20Z")
[Here’s](http://www.magicbunny.net/magictricks/pub-quartertrick-trick.wmv/) the trick I mean. So I could pay 10 bucks to find out how to do it. Is similar info available somewhere else, however? -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-a-coin-disappear/413478/3 "2007-07-28T11:26:44Z")
I’m not going to simply tell you. You can, however, find out the secret yourself, but you have to work at it. Buy [this book](http://tinyurl.com/29my4w) and practice, practice, practice. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-a-coin-disappear/413478/4 "2007-07-28T11:33:16Z")
[QUOTE=Peter Morris] I’m not going to simply tell you. You can, however, find out the secret yourself, but you have to work at it. Buy [this book](http://tinyurl.com/29my4w) and practice, practice, practice. [/QUOTE] Thanks, looks good! There’s something funny about your post, though. How is pointing me to a book which will “simply tell me” how to do it any different than you yourself “simply telling me” how to do it? -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-a-coin-disappear/413478/5 "2007-07-28T11:33:26Z")
I dunno if I would trust that site, OP, the feedback seems like a load of bollocks. That aside, I dunno how to do the trick in question, but there are some coin rolling tricks that come close. Usually it involves flipping the coin through your fingers and over the ridge of your hand, and out of view of the camera. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-a-coin-disappear/413478/6 "2007-07-28T12:56:54Z")
[QUOTE=Frylock] Thanks, looks good! There’s something funny about your post, though. How is pointing me to a book which will “simply tell me” how to do it any different than you yourself “simply telling me” how to do it? -FrL- [/QUOTE] Magic tricks are supposed to be secret. The fun lies in the audience not knowing how they are done. We don’t go giving away the secrets in internet forums. It’s just not done that way. Now, it’s a secret, but not the world’s most closely guarded secret. Anyone is entitled to study the secrets of magic and learn how to perform the tricks. They just have to be prepared to put a bit of effort into it. Bobo’s book will give you detailed instructions for performing the tricks. You have to be prepared to follow the instructions closely, and work at it ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-a-coin-disappear/413478/7 "2007-07-28T13:14:41Z")
[QUOTE=Peter Morris] Bobo’s book will give you detailed instructions for performing the tricks. You have to be prepared to follow the instructions closely, and work at it [/QUOTE] Besides, the site is 10 bucks for one trick. The book is 10 bucks for 352 tricks. That’s less than 3¢ per trick. The disadvantage is that it’s drawings, not video. Wonder if there’s a market for a coin-trick book with DVD? ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-a-coin-disappear/413478/8 "2007-07-28T15:32:25Z")
There are plenty of DVDs that teach coin magic, available from magic dealers. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-a-coin-disappear/413478/9 "2007-07-28T16:41:01Z")
Thanks guys. I fuond a video online for free explaining one version of the trick. It’s hard. -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2007, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-a-coin-disappear/413478/10 "2007-07-29T02:27:03Z")
[QUOTE=Frylock] Thanks, looks good! There’s something funny about your post, though. How is pointing me to a book which will “simply tell me” how to do it any different than you yourself “simply telling me” how to do it? -FrL- [/QUOTE] Because magicians are not supposed to go around exposing how their tricks are done. It is a taboo in magic that goes back ages. It takes away from the wonder and amazement the audience feels during the performance. If you are truely interested in learning to perform that and other tricks, you should invest your own time and resources (aka buy the book and practice, practice, practice!) to learn the trick. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2007, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-a-coin-disappear/413478/11 "2007-07-29T03:14:00Z")
You could just give me the coin. I’d go away… As far as you’re concerned, it’d disappear.