Didnt David Copperfield tear up the newly auctioned Honus Wagner card?

Question

I remember years ago a magic special that David Copperfield had where he actually tore up a card like that and put it back together. Is that the same card? Wayne Gretzky was there watching him along with another person..

Answer 1

Copperfield did use the Gretzky Wagner -- or at least claimed to, the Great One was standing beside him -- but remember, it is magic, the act of manipulative misdirection. Rest assured the Wagner auctioned off yesterday was not torn in half.

Gretzky and McNall owned the card in the early 90s, when it was worth hundreds of thousands. Given yesterday's sale, it has increased over sixfold.

Here's Copperfield doing the trick. Recorded magic doesn't do a lot for me because it can rely upon clever editing, but I will say that this clip either has amazingly good editing -- I cannot tell -- or Copperfield is an extremely gifted sleight-of-hand artist. Possibly both.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0mMofqlS3g

Answer 2

I agree with the answer above - except it's worth 2.85 MILLION...

but yes, that was the card he wanted the audience to believe he destroyed and put back together.

Answer 3

It is called, "slight of hand" and you can be assured no one is going to destroy a collectors item worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.