Achieving Sleight of Hand With the Kepplinger-Style Holdout Device

Up Close & Peculiar

More than 100 years ago, the globetrotting Robert Ripley began collecting artifacts from his journeys around the world, which today form the heart of the greatest collection of oddities ever assembled.  Up Close & Peculiar brings the curious history of these pieces to a personal level as Kurtis Moellmann explores the strange relics that lie within our Warehouse walls! Become a part of the story as we share pieces for every history buff, pop culture junkie, and oddities collector alike.

Today: Kepplinger-Style Card Holdout Device

A little sleight of hand is no problem for this sneaky card holdout device. Concealed on the card shark’s person, this Kepplinger-style device was used to secretly add or remove cards from the operator’s hand. It functions by using a tension string pulley system to glide that lucky last number or suit directly to or from the sleeve to the deck in hand!