Dean’s Beads by Dean Dill

Dean’s Beads by Dean Dill

Would you like to perform a mentalism routine for kids but don’t know what to do, try and find a set of Dean’s Beads on the secondary market. It is a cute, lightweight trick and plays well for anyone who is above seven years old. Dean’s Beads is the late Dean Dill’s version of Gypsy Beads. If you don’t know what Gypsy Beads is, it is basically a plastic bead necklace which when held properly will allow the spectator to pull in a continuous string a thought up number of beads. For example, if you asked a spectator to think of a number between 1 and 25 and they held onto the length of beads at one end and pulled, whatever number they thought of, a strand of beads that length would separate from the main strand.

What makes Dean Dill’s version nice to work with is that instead of pearl-like looking beads, it is made up of children’s colored “Pop” beads popular many years ago. Even though “Pop” beads aren’t as popular as they were, they do not look out of place. In fact, one would imagine they would be sold in any craft store. In addition to their common look, it is easy for the magician to separate the beads at the necessary point because within the colored beads is a built-in code which makes the counting easy. While this is not a stage piece it can be carried in the pocket and performed before or after a show as a “getting to know the audience” activity. For example, a magician working a blue and gold may go from table to table performing small magic routines as the crowd starts to settle in. Dean’s Beads are as baffling to magicians who aren’t in the know as it is to lay people. Definitely worth the effort to carry them around.

If you can’t find the set, you can make a set yourself by buying Pop Beads online and assembling a strand yourself. With a little thought, you can figure out the method.