Yesterday I did not know what an “appearing cane” was. Today I just have to have one. Someone please stop me.
The appearing cane is a very simple magic trick, one where you hide a very small and compact telescoping cane in the palm of your hand, wave around a little napkin, and then BOOM let it extend like a plastic lightsaber of nerdy magic. WHABAM.
If found out about this from watching a video from a very very very awkward amateur magician who performed this trick not for but instead at random people on the street in a wildly embarrassing montage:
The performance? Regrettable. The trick? Incredible.
There are all kinds of appearing canes on Amazon, and now that I’ve clicked on one, Amazon dot com seems interested in nothing other than showing me every single listing. A metal one seems best, but at about $US30 it’s a little expensive. This $US10 plastic one with Prime shipping is the one that will probably hook me, though. It’s just too cheap to say no.
Neither one has great reviews. Unsurprising since a tube of curled metal or plastic that rapidly and violently expands is probably hard to build with any degree of durability. But it’s no matter. I am sure I’ll grow tired of my trinket in a matter of moments. I really shouldn’t buy it but I’m not sure I can help myself.
Somebody talk me out of it; it’s already in my cart.
Picture: YouTube