Doug Edwards has provided us with this wonderful rope effect. First, the magician shows a long piece of rope. The rope is shaken to show that it is a normal piece of rope. Then a foot of rope end is held vertically. Magician lets go of the top end, but the rope remains standing upright.

Magician then takes an invisible hair and threads it to the top and pretends to pull. Sure enough, the rope moves as if a hair really is pulling it.

Finally, the magician holds the rope near the ends and makes the whole rope stiff. The rope is then tossed into the air to show that it is once again a normal piece of rope. It can even be coiled up.