If you do strolling magic at restaurants or banquets, or show magic to friends (and/or perfect strangers) when you are out on the town, you know that finding that someone in your audience is celebrating a birthday... well, let's just say, it is pretty common.  And while thoughtful performers will always take advantage of this, doing something "special" for the birthday-person, it is often just one of the standard effects in the repertoire, with a bit of birthday patter thrown in.

But here is a true Birthday effect that you can have at the ready.  It is a packet card effect, so you can keep it in your shirt pocket, and not take up any valuable coat/pant pocket space.  It can wait there quietly, ready for the right birthday moment.   It is my new favorite strolling birthday trick.

And although the trick comes with some adequate online video instructions, I dislike tricks that do not come with some tangible instructions.  So I have written up the handling, incorporating my own adjustments (improvements!) and my personal patter outline.   So you will have no trouble learning this one.   (If you are familiar with basic packet magic sleights, it is an easy effect to learn and perform).  The extra written TMGS instructions even give you my quick packet reset, so you will be ready for the next Birthday you encounter during the gig.

THE EFFECT:    You show a packet of four facedown cards.   "These are not playing cards, they are birthday cards!"   Turn them faceup and show that all four cards say Happy Birthday.   One by one, the Happy Birthday cards change into festive party elements to help celebrate the birthday -- a cake, a present, a plush teddy bear, and balloons.

The handling is clean and the cards are seen front and back throughout the routine.   

And although the graphics on the cards are well-suited to birthday-children, I find that the iconic nature of each graphic is also appreciated by adults having a birthday.  After all, everyone is young at heart on his or her birthday!

NOTE:     The cards have Bicycle Rider design backs, but they are NOT made by the US Playing Card Company, and they are not on USPCC card stock.   The card stock is a bit thicker and stiffer than typical playing cards, but they handle well enough to perform the necessary sleights.   You will have to get used to the slightly different feel, but it is nothing major.

Brand new and unused, with cards, and extra TMGS written instructions.   (Of course you also get the link to online teaching of the trick.)