Side Swiped is one of my favourite tricks, and I think the best thing Simon Aronson released other than that stack and the works on works on it.
You say you have received in today’s post a The World’s Greatest Card trick and show a small, printed Instruction Card for "The World's Greatest Card Trick".
The final step simply says "magically produce the card." You make a magical gesture and turn over the Instruction Card, the other side is shown to have magically changed into the spectator's signed card. Which they can of course keep.
The Instruction Card is immediately given to the spectator to keep as a souvenir. It's an "impossible object" which she'll keep forever, a personalised memento of the time she witnessed "The World's Greatest Card Trick."
Everything thing about Side Swiped is simply perfect.
The premise is dynamite and has been borrowed (although I can’t say if Simon originated) a lot. Lay people like to know how magicians learn magic and a trick arriving in the post hooks them in. Even the name ‘World’s Greatest Card Trick’ creates intrigue.
It is super strong for a number of reasons, no one sees the climax coming which isn’t quite a rare thing in card magic; the card is usually found. And if you play the instructions correct, it seems you never touch anything and the whole thing is hands off. I love to act a bit and really make it appear I haven’t read the card before, stumble over words etc. I’ve even pretended to be surprised by the elastic bands and needed to take them off some spring onions. (I know)
The method is super easy, and although the move required is discrepant it is perfect here and motivated and 100% fooling. A trick this good, that is so easy. It is criminal.
I really like way the impossibility builds and the convincers along the way, the construction of the routine is wonderful. The participant gets to keep the signed instruction card trick, you look generous they have a memento of a card trick they will genuinely remember.
The one and only drawback to Side Swiped is it requires refills, such a small price to pay and considering the trick has been out for decades and the refills are still available, nothing to worry about.
My only tip is that I use Side Swiped to do a deck switch. I have a similarly banded deck in my pocket which may contain a gaff or be pre-arranged, that is the one I reproduce at the end.
After writing this I’m digging mine out again, if you don’t own it here is the link:
Or check out the new release, Magic Button by Craig Petty which builds on this routine.