The End of The Ladder

Jon Allen’s “Par­agon” ist fine. It is a real advance­ment in “Signed Fol­ded Card to Clear Box”. I like it, because my LAGER Switch was instru­mental in that. So I was sort of instru­mental in the exist­ence of “Par­agon” as well. Fine feel­ing, makes me a bit proud. Tickles the ego. Here is what people say:

“Wow! Wow! Wow! I’m com­pletely fooled! This is the only way people should do this trick!” — Nich­olas Einhorn

“You bas­tard!” – Wayne Dobson

“Awe­some! I *really* like it!” – Michael Weber

“Par­agon is finally it. Job done. Now every­one can stop think­ing of new meth­ods for the card in clear box. Jon Allen won.” – Mark Elsdon

Well – nice quotes from nice people. Surely helps with the sales of the trick, which is good for every­body. It would seem that there is noth­ing to top that. Noth­ing that com­pares with it. The end of the lad­der is reached. Or is it?

But is it really the only way people should per­form that trick? I don’t think so.

Is there really noth­ing else? I don’t think so.

End of the lad­der reached? I don’t think so.

For me, there could be a lot more after that end of the lad­der: Show the clear box on the out­stretched (empty) hand, hold it in front of spec­tator, have him remove the lid, have him take out the fol­ded card. That simple. Dump (pun inten­ded) the Switch. This is the end of my lad­der at the moment …

Impossible?

No.

I do have a way for that (unpub­lished and under­ground). Had it long before I cre­ated the LAGER Switch”. Changed the moment. Clas­sic Erd­nase quote. But it works. Changed the think­ing, the attack on the trick and mech­an­ics fol­lowed nat­ur­ally. It works. Think­ing out of the box (in that case, a won­der­ful pun, and inten­ded!) made it.

Ver­non was right with his “Magi­cians tend to stop think­ing too early.”

I agree. Never ever stop thinking …