Based on the original Henry Hardin routine, the "Princess Card Trick" has become one of the best selling card tricks in history. Mostly because it requires no technical skill, can be learned in minutes and leaves the audience completely fooled. This version is customized to bring the classic routine to larger audiences.

The routine starts with a spectator thinking of one of five giant cards (7"x11") displayed in a fan. You immediately remove one of the cards and place it under your arm. When the four-card fan is displayed again the thought-of card is no longer there, proving that it was the one you removed. The routine is immediately repeated with the same impossible results.

The Giant Princess Cards are suitable for small or large audiences. No sleight of hand. Instant reset. Comes complete with photo-illustrated instructions. Very easy to perform.

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Sooner or later it occurs to every platform or stage magician that two or three minutes of show time can be taken up with a display card effect of one type or another. Not only is such an effect easily packed and transported, it allows the magician to work down stage, in one, making it an ideal transition between more apparatus laden effects.

Having decided to include a display card trick in his program, the magician quickly discovers he has two general effect categories to choose from. First there are display card effects of the 'Fooled' 'Fooled Again' school. These tricks usually involve turning cards around to show the spectators that what they think is on the other side isn't. Most classic display card effects are of this 'sucker trick' variety, often touted as ideal for entertaining children, but in fact generally insulting to the intelligence of the spectator if not to the magician performing it.

There is a trap to be avoided here. Some display card effects, often featuring large dots or drawings of barn yard animals, are so much a part of magic's legend that magicians fail to appreciate how poorly they play before an audience; and having learned the routine they are loath to give up such play big pack small props even when they don't really play at all.

The second category of display card effect uses recognizable objects: playing cards, certainly of outlandish proportions but immediately identifiable. It is in this category that the performer will find professional caliber props and performable routines. Among the stars of display card effects are Giant B'Wave which mixes distance mindreading with visual transformation and Sidewalk Shuffle which combines three card monte with extra surprises.

Meir Yedid adds to this short list of display card tricks with his 'Giant Princess,' an over size version of Henry Hardin's classic 'Princess Card Trick.'

The Hardin effect is quite startling to the spectator involved. The magician fans five cards, shows them to the spectator and asks the spectator to think of one of them. The magician then turns the fan towards himself, removes one card, then turns the remaining four around so the spectator can see the faces. The card the spectator is thinking of is not among the four remaining cards.

The Princess Card Trick is arguably the most powerful packet card trick ever invented. It is easily worked, does not require the spectator to actually pick a card, only think of one, can be done anywhere and resets instantly. Yedid's giant size version is supplied with beautifully printed and finished cards measuring 7 x 11 inches / 18 x 28 cm and four pages of photo illustrated instructions that clearly explain the simple handling involved in presenting the effect and also tip the method of resetting the cards for the next performance in the course of working the trick. Yedid has also altered the traditional display cards to two Queens, one Jack and two Kings, which actually seems more effective than the original line up. Also explained is a large audience routine by Bill Wisch.

Those looking for a magical few minutes performing a display card effect, should most definitely add the Giant Princess Cards to their list.

-- Robinson

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