Conjuring Credits

The Origins of Wonder

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Throw Change / Toss Change

Stanley Witcher published this technique as “A Novel Card Sleight” in The Magazine of Magic, Vol. 1 No. 3, Jan. 1915, p. 117. The now common handling was described by Arthur Buckley in Improved and Original Card Problems Vol. 2, 1924, p. 23 of the combined booklet. In Card Control, 1946, p. 76, Buckley claims he had been using the toss change since 1910, and does “not know of its publication elsewhere,” which suggests he believes he may have been the first to conceive this sleight.

In a trick named “Card Changes under Foot”, contributed by DeLawrence to Thayer's Magical Bulletin, Vol. 8 No. 6, Jun. 1920, p. 89, another bare-bones description of the Throw Change is given. In 1928, Jack Merlin described the same trick in Merlin's Master Miracles, 1928, p. 78 of the combined booklet. However, Merlin's explanation provides advanced handling and psychological touches for the sleight, most of which later appeared in the handling attributed to Derek Dingle under the title, “The Alpha Toss,” in Richard's Almanac, Vol. 1 No. 1, Sep. 1982, p. 1.