Bob Swadling mentored teenage Richard Young for several years.
Bob was a judge in The Magic Circle's "The Young Magician" annual close-up competition the year Richard won. Bob lived near Richard and offered to tutor Richard for free (as a way for Bob to give back to the magic community).
Bob was a judge in The Magic Circle's "The Young Magician" annual close-up competition the year Richard won. Bob lived near Richard and offered to tutor Richard for free (as a way for Bob to give back to the magic community).
Regular readers of the blog will know that British magician Richard Young has toured through Canada with Champions of Magic every year since 2017. You may know that in 2019 he won The John Nevil Maskelyne award presented by The Magic Circle for his excellent work on "The Magician's Podcast."
But were you aware that he recently acquired the rights to manufacture and sell Bob Swadling's "Swadling Magic Changing Card?" Enter Richard Young's Changing Cards.
The pitch:
How are these cards made?
Richard spent a significant amount of time with Bob and Val (Bob's wife) to ensure that Changing Cards continue to be made with the high standards of the original. (Val's August 9th Facebook posts suggests that Richard has made improvements from the original!)
Richard spent a significant amount of time with Bob and Val (Bob's wife) to ensure that Changing Cards continue to be made with the high standards of the original. (Val's August 9th Facebook posts suggests that Richard has made improvements from the original!)
Here are some random thoughts about Richard's gorgeous Changing Cards:
- The official trailer (above) shows Harry De Cruz beautifully demonstrating a multitude of different uses for a card that appears to completely change in mid-air.
- This summer Kidlet, KOP, and I let our imaginations run wild with speculation as to the method of this effect.
Will they last?
Richard has some sets from Bob which were used for over three years and they never broke. Richard has used the cards he makes almost daily, for more than year so far!
Richard has some sets from Bob which were used for over three years and they never broke. Richard has used the cards he makes almost daily, for more than year so far!
- Imagine our delight when the universe saw fit to put one in our mailbox!
- The cards come handsomely packaged with attention to detail reminiscent of Bobby Motta's lecture notes for "thirteen."
- It feels like one is opening up something really special.
As advertised:
"Completely self working beautiful hand crafted gimmicks that look like trick photography that you can perform anywhere. Perfect for Close-Up, Parlour, Instagram and even Zoom shows."
"No elastic thread to break, no lines on the cards, no half flaps or sliding panels. Just simply the best changing card ever conceived. You won’t believe how brilliant these are in the flesh."
"Completely self working beautiful hand crafted gimmicks that look like trick photography that you can perform anywhere. Perfect for Close-Up, Parlour, Instagram and even Zoom shows."
"No elastic thread to break, no lines on the cards, no half flaps or sliding panels. Just simply the best changing card ever conceived. You won’t believe how brilliant these are in the flesh."
- Instructions for use are provided by a password protected video link.
- We continue to be amazed by the elegance of the mechanism, the ease of use, and the impossibility of the effect!
- It's so simple, even we can pull it off!
- If you're looking for ideas for where you could use this effect, take a peek at what some pros have done with it:
- Watch Richard perform Bob Swadling's The Lucky Lady. (You may have already seen Richard perform this for television promotion segments.)
- Watch Harry De Cruz perform an ace and queen transposition, and a 3 force prediction.
- Watch Kat Hudson perform card to credit card.
- Watch Ed Hilsum, the 2017 recipient of the Allan Slaight International Rising Star award, handle a 3 face changing card.
Will it play big?
Watch Stephen Mulhern perform the Changing Card earlier this month at The Royal Variety Performance.
Watch Stephen Mulhern perform the Changing Card earlier this month at The Royal Variety Performance.
- Changing Cards come in a wide variety of front and back combinations. If you've got an idea Richard hasn't covered, he'll make you a custom one (for an additional cost). Watch Katrina Kroetch, the PCAM's 2020 Children's Entertainer of the Year, with a custom card.
Richard Young’s Changing Cards are practically real magic.
Get yours before they disappear!
A thread at The Magic Café suggests that these cards may only be available for a limited time.
A thread at The Magic Café suggests that these cards may only be available for a limited time.
Look for our formal review of Changing Cards in an upcoming issue of Vanish Magazine.
Disclosure: We received a complimentary Changing Card. The opinions expressed above are entirely our own. We did not receive compensation for the writing or the publishing of this article.
