It’s a common problem for beginners:

You’ve just blown your audience away with some amazing card magic. They’re laughing hysterically and then the question comes, “Can I see your cards, please?”

If you’ve never been in this situation you probably are not going to know what to do. It’s obvious to most that saying, “No” is completely the wrong answer.

The first thing to understand is that something about the performance they have just seen has caused them to: a) think it is acceptable to ask to examine the cards and  b) think that it must be the cards that are gaffed in order for the trick to work.

What Do You Do About It?

Communicate Innocence: You must communicate at some time during your performance that the deck is normal and give the audience no doubt in their mind that it is. This can either be done by showing them a regular deck and switching decks at some point during the performance, or sometimes, by treating the gaff in such a nonchelant way that nobody would think it could be gaffed because if it was, you would be more protective of it.

Performance Style: You must also perform in a style that does not consciously or subconsciously set the trick up like a challenge for the audience to figure out how it was done. Well performed magic should never be about how it was done. It should focus on the effect itself and the inherent beauty of it.

The Off The Bat Method: Another possible solution is to perform whatever you are doing in a way that genuinely appears to be totally off the bat, impromptu. That way it appears that you had no time for preparation and so you could not be using a trick deck. The more “set up” your performance looks, the more your audience will be inclined to think that you are using trick cards and gaffed props in general.

These methods apply to all magic performances, not just card tricks. The same could be applied to coins, candles or anything you choose.

Enjoy!