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Topit
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A Topit is essentially a secret pocket sewn into a coat or sometimes a vest. It is a very large pouch, the bottom of which tucks into the waistband of the performer's trousers, creating a more-or-less foolproof catching device. The performer can, by practicing various seemingly natural gestures, toss items into this pouch silently and covertly, and can later retrieve the item(s) from a visible pocket. It is sometimes used to cause an object to vanish, but some prefer to only use it to get rid of secret objects in a secret way.
Historically, Topits were employed by pickpockets and shoplifters, but they have a different name for them. The art of Topit has developed, like some other forms of magic, in symbiotic relationship between magicians and grifters, both considered sleight of hand artists.
References
- First add in Stanyon's Magic, vol. 15, N° 4, Jan. 1920, page 27: "Topit" The Wonderful Vanishing Pack of Cards. Invented by Harold Comden.
- Wilmarth, Phil. "Ramon's Topit Pattern (review)." The Linking Ring October 2003: 124.