# Magic Trick With Bad Instructions-Need Help

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magic-trick-with-bad-instructions-need-help/502616>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [July 10, 2009, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magic-trick-with-bad-instructions-need-help/502616 "2009-07-10T23:40:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\
**Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magic-trick-with-bad-instructions-need-help/502616/1 "2009-07-10T23:40:31Z")

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Having been very pleased with my dollar store purchases of Fantasma Magic’s tricks, I tried my luck with a trick by East West Wholesale. This was a mistake. The instructions were written by somebody for whom English was clearly a second language. I simply cannot understand them well enough to do the trick. So, I turn to you for help.

I have a box of seemingly ordinary non-magnetic stick matches, two seemingly ordinary non-magnetic playing cards, one seemingly non-magnetic but double thick playing card.

I’m supposed to be able to place a match on the card and make it levitate. I have no clue what to do. At first I thought hidden magnets might be involved, but simple tests have not revealed the presence of any magnets. Now, I think secret breathing might be involved. But, I have no clue what to do.

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**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magic-trick-with-bad-instructions-need-help/502616/2 "2009-07-11T01:03:50Z")

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Have you tried flexing the card? I’ve seen tricks where there’s a thin filament across something like that that you could conceivably “levitate” a match on.

Perhaps try posting the Engrish anyhow?

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**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magic-trick-with-bad-instructions-need-help/502616/3 "2009-07-11T01:09:04Z")

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> [@Nanoda](#):
>
> Have you tried flexing the card? I’ve seen tricks where there’s a thin filament across something like that that you could conceivably “levitate” a match on.

Give that poster a prize! I tried flexing the card as you suggested and found four nearly invisible strings. Viewed from most angles, the match appears to levitate when the card is flexed. I can slide the other two cards underneath the strings to show that the match is ‘unsupported’.

Thank you very much for your help!