Shortchange Trick

Shortchange Trick refers to the trick in which the performer apparently demonstrates how a con artist shortchanges unsuspecting marks, by counting the bills and then showing money has disappeared. Popular versions include George Starke's Hornswoggled and Bert Allerton's Bamboozle. See the $11 Bill Trick for versions of that trick with a Shortchange Theme.

Publications

• Short Change With Long Green: Dai Vernon, Five Close-Up Problems (The $3 Manuscript) (1933).
  • John Northern Hilliard, Greater Magic (1938, pp. 779-780).
  • Dai Vernon, Early Vernon (1962, pp. 49-51).

• Hornswoggled (George Starke): Hugard's Magic Monthly, Vol. 2 No. 7 (December 1944, pp. 85, 89).
  • The Linking Ring, Vol. 51 No. 7 (July 1971, pp. 86-88).

• Hornswoggled: The Smash Finish (George Starke): Hugard's Magic Monthly, Vol. 2 No. 11 (April 1945, pp. 111-112).

• Hornswoggled (George Starke): J. G. Thompson, My Best (1945, pp. 189-194).

• Bamboozle (Bert Allerton): Stars of Magic, Series 3 No. 2 (1947; 1961, pp. 43-45).

• Circus Short Change Routine (Gordon B. Braun): The Linking Ring Vol. 33 No. 6 (August 1953, pp. 53-55).

• ...and One is $20: Jay Malbrough, The Magic of the Forks Hotel (ca. 1977, pp. 21-24).

• Shorty: A Baffling Short Change Routine: Ray Grismer, 1978; 1981 (with props).

• Coinswoggled (Gene Castillon): Apocalypse, Vol. 2 No. 6 (June 1979, pp. 209-211).

• Hornswoggled Revisited (Bill Weldon): The Linking Ring, Vol. 71 No. 4 (April 1991, pp. 90-92).

• Hornswoggled Revisited (Harry Riser): Ed Brown, The Feints and Temps of Harry Riser (1996, pp. 233-237).

• Swoggled and Boggled (Charles McFarland): MAGIC, Vol. 7 No. 2 (October 1997, pp. 72-74).
  • Jon Racherbaumer, Sea Scams: Memes To Quicken (2000, pp. 3-5).

• Hornswoggled Again!: Ron Bauer, Ron Bauer Private Studies Series, No. 5 (1998; 2001).

• The Magician and the Flim-Flam Femme: Larry White, 1999 (with props).

• Bunko: Jim Steinmeyer, 2007.

Sleight-of-Hand Bill Steals

• The Rip (Bruce Elliott): The New Phoenix, No. 336 (Feb. 21, 1956, p. 152).
  • Bruce Elliott, The Best in Magic (1956, pp. 59-61).
• The Fold-Around: Bruce Elliott, The Best in Magic (1956, pp. 61-63).
• Bill Steal (John Mueller): Apocalypse, Vol. 6 No. 8 (August 1983, pp. 807-808).
• Short Sheeted (Paul Cummins): Stephen Minch, The New York Magic Symposium Collection 5 (1986, pp. 131-134).
• Folding Money Steal (Dai Vernon): Stephen Minch, The Vernon Chronicles, Vol. 3: Further Lost Inner Secrets (1989, pp. 149-153).
• Count Van Klause (Roger Klause): Magic Man Examiner, No. 3 (ca. 1992, p. 3).
  • Genii, Vol. 76 No. 5 (May 2013, p. 32).