Cups and Balls Magic

Manipulations and Routines

By Tom Osborne

This is the encyclopedia of cups and balls magic—the book where you find everything on it. The book begins with the simple sleights and moves, and takes you in easy stages thru the whole calendar of sleights and subtleties—every art and artifice, old and new, all the mystery and entertainment of this famous trick. Here you find the palming, passes, steals, switches, moves, routines, novelty effects, production of baby chicks, original ideas, how to select the cups, and more! Here is also all the detail, with lots of sketches to teach you how to make the balls magically fly from cup to cup, multiply, vanish, reappear, transform into other objects, etc. A comprehensive work on the subject. Special articles included by John Mulholland and Henry Ridgely Evans.

Includes an article on the Ball and Cone, and a simple sponge ball routine.

Contents Include:

4 Cups and Balls from Many Lands: illustration of Turkish, East Indian, Japanese, Chinese, and European cups
5 Thanks
6 Introduction by Henry Ridgely Evans: a brief history
8 The Oldest Trick by John Mulholland: a historical perspective of different cup styles and methods of performing the cups & balls
10 Article No. 3: To palm a small ball, first method
10 Article No. 4: To palm a small ball, second method
11 Article No. 5: To palm a small ball, third method
11 Article No. 6: To palm a large ball, also to "make a pass"
12 Article No. 7: To palm a large ball, also to "make a pass"
12 Article No. 8: To palm a large ball, also to "make a pass"
13 Article No. 9: Palming
13 Article No. 10: To Introduce the Palmed Ball Secretly Under the Cup, first method
13 Article No. 11: Second Method
14 Article No. 12: Third Method, Fourth Method
15 Article No. 13: Practice
15 Article No. 14: To Remove a Ball Secretly from Under a Cup
16 Article No. 15: To Remove a Ball Secretly from Under a Cup
16 Article No. 16: To Remove a Ball Secretly from Under a Cup, and to Show that the Ball is Not Under the Cup, Nor Inside of it.
17 Article No. 17: To Place a Ball Openly Under a Cup, and to Take it Out Secretly
17 Article No. 18: To Place a Ball Secretly Between Two Cups
17 Article No. 19: To Simulate the Action of Placing the Ball Under the Cup
18 Article No. 20: To Simulate the Action of Placing the Ball Under the Cup
18 Article No. 21: To Simulate the Action of Placing the Ball Under the Cup
18 Article No. 22: To Simulate the Action of Placing the Ball Under the Cup
19 Article No. 23: To Draw a Ball Through the Top of the Cup
19 Article No. 24: To Produce a Ball From a Wand or Cigar
19 Article No. 25: To Pass One Cup Through Another
20 Article No. 26: To Pass the Wand Through A Cup
20 Article No. 27: The Advantage of Using a Square Ball
21 Article No. 28: Type of Cups to Use (basic instructions)
21 Article No. 29: To Use a Slanting Table for Stage: making the table
22 Article No. 30: To Use a Servante For the Purpose of Extra Loads Suitable for Any Table
23 Article No. 31: To Use Special Loading Cups (produce silks, etc. from cups)
23 Article No. 32: To Make the Load Into Regular Cups (using the above)
24 Article No. 33: To Use a Special Cup (producing spring loads)
24 Article No. 34: Loading Large Balls From Pocket
25 Article No. 35: To Load Large Balls From Any Table
25 Article No. 36: Liquid Loads
26 Article No. 37: A Glass of Wine Under Each Cup
26 Article No. 38: To Use Live Chicks as a Load
27 Article No. 39: Japanese Move (using a tea cup)
27 Article No. 40: To Show a Ball Under an Actually Empty Cup
28 Article No. 41: The Multiplication Pass. Balls are removed from under each cup and placed in a hat, to be found again under the cups. 
28 Article No. 42: Music and Sound Effects
29 Article No. 43: Routine - Balls From Wand. Balls are magically produced and each placed under a cup. Balls are now "drawn up" from under each cup, and cups are lifted to show empty.
30 Article No. 44: To Open the Routine by The Hidden Ball Move. Uses one ahead to vanish and reappear balls. 
32 Article No. 45: Tom Osborne's Routine: uses sponge balls and three final loads
36 Article No. 46: Non Sleight of Hand Routine: balls start nested, with final load climax
39 Article No. 47: To Drive a Large Red Ball Through Each Cup
40 Article No. 48: Patter
40 Article No. 49: To Place a Ball Under Each Cup and Invisibly Take it Out Again. A series of 15 "moves" is taught, such as making two balls pass to each end cup, making 3 balls come together under one of the cups, and to make the balls change color
50 Article No. 50: Comedy Cups and Balls: uses two stooges, paper cups, lemons, and a table with a hole and a basket to catch a lemon (used as a "sucker" ploy)
52 Article No. 51: The Cone and Ball Trick: a short explanation of the ball and cone effect
53 Article No. 52: Silent Routine: suggested routine, using balls, eggs, and baby chicks
54 Article No. 53: The Cup and Ball Vase: some maneuvers with the ball and vase
55 Article No. 54: Routine with Liquids: using drinking glasses as final loads (suggests commercial trick glasses)
56 Article No. 55: Sponge Ball Trick: a small sponge ball interlude
56 Artilce No. 56: The Paper Covered Glass: description of glass through the table climax
59 Note from Lee Grey of Kanter Magic that items can be purchased from them.

Details: Cups and Balls Magic by Tom Osborne

60 pages, soft covers, saddle-stitched, size; 51/2" by 8 1/2".

63 Illustrations by Bill Hanna