EPISODE #55 – June 30, 2012
Braggart Family SideCircus videos on YouTube
Courtesy of Scott Warmuth, a Pinterest page
featuring many antique Svengali decks
The deck of “Magic Short ‘n Long Cards” wins the “Obvious Award”
(with particularly clueless-looking King)
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Amazing Cotton-Candy Vendor!
(see what he does, especially around 4:10!)
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FREE BOOK:
(right-click and download pdf)
courtesy Archive.org
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Don Driver’s Jam Auction DVD
Definition, from my “Carny Lingo Dictionary”:
Jam Auction — A scam in which giveaways of slum merchandise are used to excite and confuse the audience into purchasing inferior goods at inflated prices. The technique involves giving away small but useful slum items to everyone at the beginning, under the pretense that the auctioneer is distributing valuable items as an advertising promotion by the manufacturer. The agent exacts a token payment, just pennies, and promises that much more will be forthcoming. Then the agent alternates giveaways of slightly more valuable items with sales of them for almost nothing, confusing the marks as to whether, at any given time, they are putting up money “as a good faith gesture” that they will get back, or whether they are tendering payment. When the audience is thoroughly confused the agents add the final wrinkle: the sale of almost worthless (but apparently valuable) merchandise for what seem like “bargain” prices.
A few sample seconds:
Featuring Jack Nyberg, “The Gee Whiz Kid”
(meet Jack – but this video is not on Don’s DVD)
A Genii Forum page on the Jam Auction
A Magic Cafe page on Don’s DVD
And another Magic Cafe page on the Jam Auction
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WEBSITE OF THE WEEK:
THE HUMAN MARVELS
