Below is a list of props that are commonly used in Close Up Magic.
| Prop | Description | Relevant image or link |
Balls |
Often used with cups, or put into spectators hands. Usually red (for some reason) | |
Bank notes |
Money is used in lots of effects. A few examples are ‘Torn and restored’, ‘Note in impossible location’ and ‘Note switch’ |  |
Books |
A spectator usually thinks of a random word from a book, then the magician deduces it. | |
Bottles |
For productions, vanishes and penetration effects. |  |
Boxes (small) |
For cards, coins, rubber bands or whatever the routine needs. | |
Business cards |
Many effects have been developed with using business cards. | |
Cans |
Food and drink cans are occasionally used. For productions, impossible locations and transformations. |  |
Chains (neck) |
Neck chains are used in several different effects | |
Cigarettes |
Used to be commonly used. Now rarely seen. | |
Coins |
Coins and playing cards are the two fundamental props of close up magic. Most close up magicians consider themselves to be either a Coin Man or a Card Man (or woman, but there are proportionally very few women magicians). |  |
Cups |
Often used with balls, sometimes on their own. Usually without liquid, but sometimes with. It depends on the effect. | |
Envelopes |
For keeping predictions safe and proving that they were done before the performance. | |
Fork |
The ‘metal benders’ (magicians who like to bend things) have a fondness for forks. | |
Fruit |
Used as a surprise end to a cups and balls routine, or the the inside of the fruit may be an ‘impossible location’ for a previously lost/destroyed object. | |
Glasses (drinking) |
Wine glasses to tumblers, usually whatever is most fitting to the environment, can be used in many routines. | |
Keys |
Various types of keys hare used for effects such as metal bending, telekinesis and travelling holes. | |
Lighter |
For setting fire to things. | |
Magic Wand |
Very rarely used by close up magicians, but what list of magic props would be complete without mention of a wand!?! | |
Marker pens |
Mostly often used for signing objects, to prove that only one item is used. Some effects have also been developed using the marker pen itself. | |
Matches |
Matches, match boxes and match books have been used in many close up effects. The floating match is one example. There are many many more. | |
Mobile phones |
Magic moves with the times and there are now a bewildering number of magic effects that incorporate mobile phones. |  |
Napkins |
Sometimes used to ‘add mystery’. The close up equivalent of the stage magic tactic when the magician (or assistant) does something behind a curtain. | |
Padlock |
Used for escapes effects, predictions and mind reading. | |
Paper |
For writing predictions and setting fire to. | |
Paper clips |
For holding something in place, like a prediction. Also used for linking effects. | |
Pencils |
Usually for drawing duplication effects, predictions and penetrations | |
Pens |
For signing, writing predictions or drawing pictures. There are also a growing number of pen and coin routines. | |
Playing cards |
Arguably the main prop of close up. Dr. Hofzinser once said, “Playing cards are the poetry of magic.” There are countless card tricks and they very much more than any ‘normal’ person could imagine. | |
Purse |
For cards, coins, rubber bands or whatever the routine needs. | |
Rings (finger) |
Finger rings are often borrowed and used for linking effects or impossible location routines. | |
Rings (larger) |
Mid sized metal rings, usually around 10cm, are usually used for linking effects. Either with other rings or with rope. | |
Rope |
The classic rope effects are ‘cut and restored’ and linking routines, usually using a ring of metal. | |
Rubber bands |
A ‘normal’ human being would be amazed at the number of different tricks that can be done with rubber bands. Do magicians have nothing better to do with their time that play with rubber bands all day? | |
Rubik’s Cube |
Rubik’s cube magic has exploded over the last few years. In the past, a few people did a few clever tricks. Now every magician seems to have a whole repertoire of effects that they do with the cube. This is probably down to them being used on TV by several magicians. | |
Spoon |
Another favourite of the ‘metal benders’. | |
Wallet |
For object to impossible location effects and for simply storing other props. | |
Watch |
For stealing (pick pocketing), predicting and mind reading. |