I remember I tried to learn this as a beginner, and of course, as a beginner, I did not recognize just how powerful and entertaining this simple effect could be.  I buried it deep in one of my drawers full of magic and moved on to flashier tubes and boxes.  But I recently came across this nicely made, durable plastic version of the classic Crazy Compass trick, and after almost 40 years in magic, I have added this one to my list of frequently carried (and performed) effects.

The square piece of this plastic (about 2 inches square) is held between your fingers, and when rotated, the arrows on each side both point to the left.  But then the square is slowly turned over and the arrows are at right angles.  Then the arrows appear to point in opposite directions.  Finally they seem to point both the same way again.

Fun and easy.  And it's a shame that this is usually sold as a "beginner's" trick, because it takes a bit of experience as a performer to realize how effective this trick can be.  Magic beginners are not ready for a magic trick this simple!  But you are!  Get one -- the best couple of bucks you can spend in magic today!

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