From 2001, Peter Duffie teamed up with late Aldo Colombini to create a nice looking, easy to carry (jacket breast pocket size), and easy to do "card calendar" effect.
Along the the nicely printed calendar, you get 4 different routines to perform with your own regular deck. The calendar can be examined without any fear of the spectator seeing any kind of repetition or special ordering of the cards printed in it (one for each day of the year).
I particularly like the routine where the spectator thinks of her birthday, and looks up the card listed there. The deck is spread faceup and that same card is removed -- it is shown to have a different color back than all the other cards. (You could even have the card say Happy Birthday on the back)
The primary Duffie routine called Centrifugal Calendar is also excellent -- A prediction is handed to someone for safekeeping. The spectator cuts a deck of cards into two piles and chooses one of the piles. She shuffles it, and then decides if she wants to use the red cards or black cards. She removes the red (or black as she wishes, no force). The magi (who has not touched or seen the cards) explains that because there are twelve face cards, they represent the months, and the spot cards represent the days. The spectator counts the faces and spots that she holds -- for example, four facecards, and ten spot cards. That would be April (fourth month) and the Tenth day.
Looking in the calendar at April 10th, the card listed is the 4 of clubs. The prediction is shown -- it is the four of clubs.
That Duffie routine requires no sleights or secret actions on the magi's part... just sit back and take the credit.
I sort of wish that more effects had been "built-in" to this printed calendar, but part of its wonderfulness is that it is very simple, yet very deceptive. Use it for the two routines described above (or even Colombini's Have a Date routine which is pretty good), and you will have a prop you will use a lot!
This item has become very hard to find in recent years, as magicians who own it are not likely to part with it. But I found this one in ex-dealer inventory, and it is is in perfect like new condition.
Original props and instructions, in unused condition.
