Hoffman's Tricks with Cards

 

Professor Hoffmann: Tricks With Cards (Condensed from Modern Magic) – 1919 Edition, David McKay Publisher – Antique Hardcover

Description:
Step back in time and into the golden age of magic with this vintage gem: Tricks With Cards by Professor Hoffmann. This 119-page hardcover edition, published by David McKay in 1919 (most likely, as no copyright is printed), offers a fascinating glimpse into the foundational techniques and classic card conjuring routines that defined the art of sleight-of-hand.

Originally extracted from Hoffmann’s groundbreaking Modern Magic, this edition was part of a special release meant to offer hobbyists and enthusiasts portable volumes dedicated to specific categories of magic. This volume focuses entirely on card magic and includes both impromptu effects and routines requiring sleight-of-hand or prepared cards.

Physical Condition:

• Original publisher's green cloth boards with decorative red and white title on the front cover.

• Some rubbing has caused light green discoloration to the white print of the cover title—see our detailed photos for close-up condition.

• Binding is loose but intact. Binding is split at rear on inside, see photo.

• The name “A. Gibbs” is handwritten on the inside front cover.

• The year “1889” is written in pencil on the first blank page—though this edition is most certainly from 1919.

• The interior pages show moderate tanning from age but are free of pen marks, stains, or library stamps.

• This copy is not ex-library, and all 119 pages are present and complete.

• Measures approximately 5” x 7 ¾”.

Features:
✔️ Illustrated within the text (no full-page plates)
✔️ No advertisements in the back – straight to the magic!
✔️ A clean and honest collector’s copy for magic historians, antique book lovers, and fans of sleight-of-hand alike.

Chapters & Content Highlights:

• General sleight-of-hand principles: The Pass, False Shuffle, Forcing, Palming, and more

• Classic tricks without sleights: Spelling tricks, predictions, vanishes, and transpositions

• Sleight-heavy routines using gaffed cards: Long cards, Biseauté decks, and precision transformations

• Dozens of clever, performable card effects – many of which are still taught in modern books and videos today

Notable Routines Include:
• The Whist Trick (Deal yourself all the trumps)
• The Inseparable Aces & Sevens
• Cards changing places in spectators’ hands
• Cards thought of being found at any chosen number
• Multiplying cards, invisible transfers, and even cards nailed to the wall!

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📸 Our photos are considered a major part of the item description. Please review them closely to see cover wear, binding condition, and interior quality.

💬 Have questions or want to see a specific page? Don’t hesitate to message us.

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🎩 Whether you're a magician, a collector of early 20th-century books, or simply a fan of vintage instructional texts, this is a wonderful piece of magic history to add to your shelf.

🪄 Ships securely and with care from Magic Methods – celebrating magic and magicians since 1969.