Paul A. Noffke – The Mystic Merrymaker

A lot of magicians had a few throw-out cards, and a few magicians had a lot of throw-out cards. Paul Noffke was one of these latter magicians.

I have acquired eleven different cards for Noffke.
Now as we throw-out card collectors know, most magicians did not actually throw their cards, but used them as a business card more or less. For Noffke to have so many variants, means he gave out a lot of cards, probably more than most magicians. I wondered why?

Various Noffke card faces

Doing some research on Noffke led me to an article in the “Linking Ring” for May of 1928.  The magazine article stated:  “Paul A. Noffke, a salesman for the Massachusetts Mutual, is an adept at sleight of hand, and wins many prospects through his exhibitions.  Making a trip on a trolley car or a visit to a store, he employs his ability in extraction of a coin unexpectedly from some person, and then follows up the interest so gained with a manipulation or two.  This constantly brings him invitations to come to the house, where he gives further exhibitions, often entertaining with thimbles, coins, cards, and other objects as long as an hour.  His visits generally reveal that he is a life insurance salesman, and he has an actual record of $2,000,000 of business traceable to his UNCONVENTIONAL method of “BREAKING THE ICE”.  His abilities in this direction are frequently recognized by firms and clubs who use him at luncheons and special affairs, all of which brings him in touch with a large number of prospects. Of course, this manner of gaining prospects must be handled diplomatically, and in this direction he is a past master.”

“He is best known to the travelling magician as one, if not the best in forcing a card over and over again, and you are bound to pick the same card.  He is a card expert, though his performances include a routine of all tricks.  Like most successful magicians, he loves it.  Regular feller, too.”

Various Noffke card backs and an Ace of Spades

So now we can maybe understand why Noffke had so many throw-out cards made. Being an insurance salesman, he adapted his sales skills to selling himself as a magician, and the cards were the perfect medium.

From the "Linking Ring" for May, 1928

Noffke was an early member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, holding member number 192. I found countless references to him in magic magazines going back into the 1920’s.  W.W. Durbin, president of the I.B.M said in February of 1937: “While talking about card manipulators, it seems that a wonderful lot of them come out of New England, and one who is the peer of any I ever saw Is Paul Noffke of Springfield, Massachusetts”.

Noffke’s interest in magic was so great that he gave his sons magical names as can be seen in this clipping from the “Linking Ring” for March of 1928.

From the "Linking Ring" for April, 1929

Paul Noffke was born on October 7, (1887?). In his obituary in the “Linking Ring” for July of 1962 it states that Noffke became interested in magic at the age of 14, and started performing professionally in 1928, and gave more than 7,000 performances for various organizations. Paul Noffke died on May 31, 1962 at the age of 74.