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Switch

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A Bill Switch, also known as a Bill Change, is a generic term for all techniques wherein a bill (as in currency) is apparently changed into (while actually being exchanged for) another bill, frequently during the process of folding it, then unfolding it at the fingertips. Most contemporary techniques are an outgrowth of “The $100 Bill Switch,” invented by circus performer Vladimir Vladimirov, but popularized by Mike Kozlowski, who released his handling as an individual manuscript in the 1970s. It has proven to be one of the strongest and most popular effects in all of close-up magic.

The original effect: A $1 bill is folded into sixteenths and then unfolded in an extremely fair manner. It is revealed, on unfolding, to have changed into a $100 bill.

The technique used in that trick lends itself to many other routines, and has inspired much creative thinking since its advent.

In some more recent variations, the bill is folded less (i.e., into eighths, or quarters, or even just in half, as opposed to sixteenths), allowing for a more visual transformation. These include Richard Sanders' Visi-Bill, Sean Fields' Infinity Switch, and Juan Pablo's Juan Hundred Dollar Bill Switch.

SWITCH, Unfolding the $100 Bill Change

SWITCH, Unfolding the $100 Bill Change by John Lovick (copyright 2006 by Murphy's Magic Supplies) is a 346 page book featuring dozens and dozens of handlings, techniques, and variations on that routine, contributed by many of the most respected creators and performers in magic.

The work was a labor of love for Mr. Lovick, who compiled and edited the overwhelming amount of material for years.

That labor certainly paid off, as "SWITCH", widely-hailed from the moment of its appearance, immediately became, and is likely to remain, THE go-to source regarding this classic trick.