In the late 1970's and early 1980's, the Diamond Match company put out matchbooks with a Bicycle Rider back cover, and inside each book was imprinted a single playing card. Wow! What a boon to magicians who wanted to do something different with their card magic. Inevitably, some routines with these matchbooks hit the market and the literature. Unfortunately, it seems the partnership between Diamond Matches and the USPC was short-lived, as the matchbooks disappeared from the grocery store and smoke shop shelves, and magic lost that particular avenue for extra interest in card magic.
One of the tricks introduced around 1980 was Under Cover, by Neal Prete (who invented the excellent ShakeSphere trick). Under Cover is a simple routine, but effective. A card is selected and shuffled back into the deck. Two cards are removed from the deck, but neither is a match for the selection. To save the day (and his reputation) the magician magically produces a book of matches from between the two cards. "Well, there a match!" And when the spectator opens the matchbook, a picture of her card is imprinted inside the cover.
You get TWO Bicycle matchbooks with instructions for Prete's routine. The two matchbooks will have different card contrasting values.
NOTE: the card values probably will not include the one shown in the picture, and I cannot supply requested card values -- you will get what you get. But as I have a few sets of these for sale, if you order more than one set, I will make sure that all the matchbooks have different card values.
CONDITION NOTES: previously owned. Props are in very good condition -- all matches intact. Match covers are unmarked with no tears or dents. Instruction sheet appears to be a photocopy of the original, but this may be how it was issued.
