I'll take on showstopping trick - to go!
Compared to literally any other time in history, being a magician is a more attainable goal than ever before.
Take Demi Deck, by Angelo Carbone. This effect was built from the ground up to emulate the effects of a classic grand stage illusion: sawing a woman in half. In the past, this type of effect would require hundreds of dollars of investment, and likely a dedicated team of prop builders.
Today, thanks to dedicated inventors and creators like Angelo, you can achieve the exact same result for any close-up audience... for a fraction of the cost.
With Demi Deck, you take any deck of cards, insert it into the specially gimmicked carrying case, and slice them in half. The deck visually separates into two halves, and the audience even sees the back half of the deck through a special window.
Then, you join the the deck back together and remove it from the case. Despite seeing the cards sheared in half, there is not a single blemish on your deck.
Demi Deck is one of those routines that every magician should be performing. It's the rare trick that can be mastered after a few minutes of performing for your mirror with results that look like real magic. In terms of time investment, it's maybe the best deal in magic.
We also include a special gimmicked card that--while totally optional--adds a killer kicker that will live forever in your audience's imagination.
If you want to take magic seriously this year, do yourself a favor and pick up Angelo Carbone's Demi Deck!
Demi Deck is available at any Murphy's Magic dealer, or you can check out with our featured dealer, Tannen's!