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Martin Gardner

Martin Gardner

(21st October 1914 - 22nd May 2010)

Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Inspired by and learned at age ~10 from father's papers-on-knife trick and later from local Tulsa magic buffs, including Roy "Wabash" Hughes, Logan Waite and Roger Montandon. Took Tarbell Course. Amateur close-up magician, specialized in cards. Lived in Chicago for 20 years, taking a BA in philosophy and meeting the magic inner circle of Dorny, Marlo, Platt, etc. In 1947 moved to New York, associating with the inner circle of Vernon, Daley, Curry, etc. 1975 AMA Literary Fellowship. Moved to Hendersonville, North Carolina c1980. Professional writer, particularly in science and puzzle fields. Wrote the "Mathematical Games" column for Scientific American 1957-1982, and the impromptu magic column in Hugard's Magic Monthly. A man of many talents, he also edited The Annotated Alice (1960). Has used the pen name "George Groth" occasionally since c1936, but only on non-magical works. He played a central part in the unsuccessful early search for S.W. Erdnase.

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Coauthors: James Randi, Barton Whaley, Jeff Busby

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Barton Whaley & Martin Gardner & Jeff Busby
The Man Who Was Erdnase by Barton Whaley & Martin Gardner & Jeff Busby

This book won the SAM Special Library Award. It details Martin Gardner's, Jeff Busby's, and Bart Whaley's search to uncover the person hiding behind the pseudonym S.W. Erdnase. It lays out in detail the case for Milton Franklin Andrews. It describes the life of Andrews, how he started with magic, and how he transitioned to become a card shark, including his travels around the world hustling and cheating to make a living.

A detailed analysis of Erdnase's likely sources and inspirations, as well as other information about the book, its reprints, and other pertinent information, will help every Erdnase...

★★★★★ $7
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Martin Gardner
12 Tricks with a Borrowed Deck by Martin Gardner

Here are a dozen quality card magic effects that can be performed with an unprepared deck at a moment's notice. While not self-working, most of these miracles rely on just one or two sleights. Some require a setup. Crisp illustrations by Dr. Harlan Tarbell help make it easy to understand and master.

Here's what's included:

  • Improved Topsy-Turvy Deck - The deck is flipped half face-up and half face-down, then sloppily shuffled. The deck mysteriously rights itself, except for three selected cards, which are the only reversed cards in the pack. This will slay your audience.
  • Face to Face Fantasy - A cheek-to-cheek...
★★★★★ $8
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Martin Gardner
Cut The Cards by Martin Gardner

The 17 effects contained in this collection can be performed with an unprepared deck. Never again be caught without a trick. The audience-tested effects range from no-skill puzzlers to outstanding mysteries that require rudimentary sleights. Nelson Hahne's clear illustrations help make everything clear.

Here's what's included:

A Close Fit - Some of you will win bar bets with this impossible-appearing optical illusion.

The Unconfused Joker - The Joker helps locate the spectator's card, though the audience thinks its impossible.

Double Vanish and Recovery - A beautiful effect by Ed Marlo where...

★★★★★ $7
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Martin Gardner
Over the Coffee Cups by Martin Gardner

This is Martin's continuation of After the Dessert with more impromptu tricks you can do at the lunch or dinner table. You will learn tricks with sugar cubes, silverware, paper matches, napkins, cigars, cigarettes, coins and glasses. There is also a section on folding money.

One unique feature of this particular ebook is that all line drawings are not merely raster images but vector graphics. This means you can zoom into any of the illustrations and you will never run into a resolution limit where individual pixels will prevent you from further zooming.

1st edition 1949, 43 pages....

★★★★★ $7
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Martin Gardner
After the Dessert by Martin Gardner

You will find tricks with bills, cigarettes, coins, matches, silverware, napkins and salt shakers, all things which are readily available at any restaurant or dinner table.

This ebook was written for the performer, professional or amateur, who is seeking good, well-tested effects which do not require elaborate practice, preparation, or skill.

Martin has chosen only tricks which make use of objects found at any dinner table. All are performed while seated, with spectators on both right and left. A few of the effects are original, but most of them have been picked up from friends who picked...

★★★★★ $5
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Martin Gardner
Match IC by Martin Gardner

A collection of impromptu tricks and stunts involving matches. To save space and to avoid trivial details, the descriptions have been made as brief as possible and all finer points of presentation and patter have been left to the ingenuity of the reader.

The main categories are wooden matches, paper matches, tricks & jokes & catches, and puzzles.

  • WOODEN MATCHES
    1. Magnetized Matches
    2. Escapo
    3. Striking En Passant
    4. Match Box Monte
    5. Match And Handkerchief
    6. Another Method
    7. Still Another Method
    8. And Still Another
    9. Electric Match
    10. Invisible Hair
    11. Blowing Through The Sleeves
    12. Vanishing Penny ...
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