Meir’s Muses
MyMagic eNewsletter #1,397
May 2, 2026
Tom Gagnon was this year’s guest of honor at the 4F Magic Convention. As I mentioned while emceeing one of the shows, when I met Tom during the last century, he was mostly known for his coin magic. He is now known as an expert card mechanic, magician, and illustrator (he illustrated all the Vernon books).
He put together a special lecture booklet for the event that was limited to around 125 copies. I was able to gobble up some of those for you and noticed that he had a few copies of his original coin book left, I took all of them as well.
As usual I had him autograph all my copies. Get them while you can.
I also received a bunch of the Micro-Pennies I introduced last year.
►FFFF 2026 Lecture Notes:
Tom Gagnon was the guest of honor at the 2026 4F Magic Convention where he presented a new lecture and produced a special set of lecture notes for the event.
He describes what he included as, “The routines were developed over forty years and, once perfected, will arm you dear reader with some of the most deceptive and versatile tools possible with a deck of cards. I hope that its contents will serve as a comprehensive and inspirational source for those seeking to take their card magic to the next level.”
Get a copy: HERE
►Sleightly Original:
This is Tom Gagnon’s first book. Although he is well known as an expert card magician and illustrator, he started out specializing in coin magic. In addition to coins, some of the unique routines also employ cards, thumbtips, and folding coins.
As Tom explains in his foreword: “Perhaps some may find the material found within these pages to be a little too bold or bizarre for their individual tastes. I don’t know! What I do know, is that you’re going to be fascinated, intrigued, and perhaps even inspired by its contents.”
More than twenty-five original routines and techniques are explained in four chapters titled: Thumb Tipping Quickies, Skullduggery, Hodgepodge, and Departures.
Get a copy: HERE
Last year I offered some micro-pennies in conjunction with a Micro-Penny download. Was surprised at the demand as it sold out fast. Decided to make more sets. To read the original newsletter about them go: HERE
If you want the PDF download, go: HERE
►Micro-Pennies:
Micro-Pennies were originally a novelty toy that quickly became a magic prop. They are basically tiny reproductions of real US copper pennies.
They were often used as surprise endings for coin routines where coins shrank or turned into a bunch of tiny pennies. They also make nice gifts at the end of routines. There have been many routines published in books and magazines and even a booklet about them.
Get some: HERE
►MY LATEST RELEASE:
►Coin Copier:
This is an ingenious self-working coin box routine that Christian Scherer created in the 1980s. Since that time the manufacturing technology and the availability of the gimmicks used has advanced and the current version works perfectly.
The basic routine involves a metal box which is referred to as a tiny counterfeiting machine. You dump the four coins out of the box; a Japanese coin, a Peruvian coin, a British coin and a US coin. Using the Japanese coin as a sample each coin is placed in the box and one at a time, as the box is waved over the Japanese coin, the coin inside instantly turns into a duplicate of the Japanese coin. This is repeated until all four coins have turned into Japanese coins and everything is examinable.
Watch and buy: HERE
►BACK IN STOCK:
These keep selling out because they are easy, direct, and impossible. Was only able to pick up a few this time.
►Thought of Card Across:
This is a very clean and direct looking thought of card across routine where you show ten black-faced and ten red-faced cards. A spectator mentally selects any of the black cards.
Without any fancy moves, the chosen card vanishes from the pack of black cards and shows up amongst the other pack of red cards as the only black card there.
Practically self-working and can be used on stage or for close-up.
Watch and buy: HERE
►UPCOMING APPEARANCES:
►MAY 12-14: Presenting and displaying at the Magic Collector Expo in Newark, NJ. Info: HERE
►MAY 23: Rocco & Meir in Jersey Magic Jam at Sparta Avenue Stage in Sparta, NJ. Info and Tickets: HERE
►MAY 24: Spinnato’s Comedy Magic Show at Comix @ Mohegan Sun Casino in CT. Tickets: HERE
To view all my upcoming appearances, go: HERE
Stay happy, Meir
PS: The frogs from the last newsletter hopped out of here so fast that I had to get more. They should arrive around Monday. Sign up for notifications: HERE
 |  |  |  |
“I sincerely feel that a book on the subject of magic should stimulate. Nothing bores me more than a dreary, humdrum book on the technical aspects of magic.”
…Tom Gagnon (Sleightly Original, 1981)
