Nelson, Robert: Magic As A Hobby ©1947 R.A. Nelson, Bob Nelson's Magic Shop, Columbus, OH Softcover, saddle-stitched, 6x8.75", 27 pages

Image courtesy Tom Interval

Comments: This book was sold in bulk as a pitch book. Magicians who bought 1,000 or more could have their name and photo on the cover and a full bio page inside. Interestingly, this book's content is extremely similar to such books as 102 Startling Tricks You Can Learn Quickly, by David Robbins. Some of the content is paraphrased, but it's not known who wrote the original copy. Other similar books include Sealed Mysteries, by Glen E. Towns (1943) and Magic Made Easy, by Vital Publications Inc. (1950).
(See also identical book as listed under Karrell Fox's name as "author".)

Contents:

IFC To Remove Your Thumb
IFC The Bottle and the Straw
IFC The Oil Lamplighter
IFC Magic Wine and Water (Without Chemicals)
IFC Floating Egg

3 Title page
4 The History of Magic
5 It's Fun to Fool People!

6 Cold Fire
6 Mysterious Pop Bottle Spooks
6 Betch-Ya
6 The Detachable Thumb
7 Smoke Your Own
7 The Restored Match
7 Prophecy in Numbers
7 To Find a Chosen Card
8 The Spinning Egg
8 The Tell-Tale Watch
8 Telepathic Card Trick
8 It's Impossible
8 Funny Fruit
9 Non-Inflammable Cloth
9 Fire-Proof!
9 The Match that Burns Twice
9 Flame Proof Hands
9 Floating Sugar
9 Match-It
10 Cigarette from Nowhere
10 Magnetic Matches
10 The Flying Ace
10 The Kicker Trick
10 Mind Over Matter
11 Presto-Lite
11 Step Right Up - and Find the Penny!
11 The Magic Pill Box
11 It's the Old Army Game
12 The Spirit Speaks
12 Extraordinary Memory
12 Knotty Cigarette
13 Jumping Selected Card
13 Mind Reading
13 Head on Beer Trick
13 Multiplying Coins
13 Obedient Match Box
14 Seeing is Believing: eight optical illusions
15 Seeing is Believing: eight optical illusions
16 Arrange the Matches
16 "Seeing is Believing" Solutions
16 A Mental Problem
16 5 Plus 6 Equals 9
16 A Fooler
17 Card Reading
17 The Standing Match
17 Deceptive Ice
17 Balancing Playing Card
17 A Dime Bet
18 The Elastic Hole
18 The Jumping Card
18 Smoke Cocktail
19 A Prediction Supreme
19 Bet'cha
19 Magnetic Cigar
19 A Clever Coin Trick
20 Mind Reading with Pennies
20 Mind Reading with Cards
20 Multiplying Paper Wads
20 When Do You Work?
20 Topsy Turvy Glasses
21 X-Ray Eyes
21 The Spirit Ring
21 Vanishing Coin
21 Burning Lump of Sugar
21 Facts About Playing Cards
22 The Hypnotic Cigarette
22 A Mind Reading Feat
22 The String and the Straw
22 The Initial Trick
22 The Magic Pencil
23 Hydrostatic Glass
23 To Break A Pencil with a Dollar Bill
23 Dead Man's Finger
23 Salt in Beer
23 Lighted Candle from Pocket
23 Try This One
24 Magnetic Dice
24 Move the Money
24 Your Head Travels Farthest
24 Match This One
24 The Hidden Coin
24 A Silly Problem
25 Lighted Cigarette from Box
25 Did You Know—?
25 The Weeping Eagle
25 Triangle of Matches
25 1 From 4 Leaves 5
25 How Much Do You Save?
26 Match Making Puzzle
26 One Continuous Line
26 The Dolbear Formula
26 It's Your Nickel
26 The Tailor's Scissors
26 A Winning Wager

IBC The Wandering $5 Bill
IBC Topsy Turvy Dollar
IBC How Many Birthdays?
IBC Synthetic Christmas Tree
IBC Guess the Date