Month: June 2003

Simple and Effective Penetration

This clever piece of Mini-Magic represents the completion of my Alan Warner Mini-Magic collection that can be viewed in all its glory here. It is a old chestnut, and one of Alan’s earliest Teak pieces, but very well made by the master craftsman himself.

In this version there are no funny moves or sleights. The block is loaded, the bar locks the block in place, and then on the command of the magician the block falls!

Its nice to complete the collection Alan, thanks for making it all possible!

Click here for more information.

All other mummies pale next to these Beauties!

So with great anticipation I received my Mystic Mummy from Richard Gerlitz yesterday. I was unfortunately put off by something that no one else sees, the bottom of the base was unfinished. Richard, of course, immediately rectified that and the very next day shipped out a painted and finished base – which all subsequent bases will have. That is service the Gerlitz way!

Now that I have the base out of my head I can sit down and really take in these beautiful Mummies. And they really are beautiful. I have taken 6 sets of photos so far and still not happy with them. But the ones I have will have to do! Not only do they look like a work of art, but there are no moving slides or switches, and no sounds to worry about. My wife loves them too!

This is the last Gerlitz piece I can afford for a while, but what a way to go! Richard Gerlitz really has created the best version of this effect that I have seen. Compare these with the Taytelbaum Mummies that susposedly sold for $3500 a few weeks ago on ebay and I’d take these any day of the week.

Richard you are a beautiful man! Thanks for your quality and dedication to your art!

Click here for more information.

This is a bloody Miracle!

Well … none of us need any more packet tricks. Or do we? This trick from Elmwood Magic uses a whole deck, but it is certainly a packet trick. Its easy to do, with no sleights, no double face/double back cards, and even when you have the cards in your hand it works quite amazingly.

Now to get as slick as Paul Richards will take a lifetime of practice and smooth talking, but you could be up and running with this baby in about 30 minutes after reading the instructions – and look good!

The basic routine goes like this: openly count off 6 cards face down, show the rest of the deck to be clearly mixed (reds and blacks) and you can shuffle them if you want. Place the body of the deck aside. Now show the six cards that were placed face down and show that you have 3 reds and 3 blacks. You now proceed to cleanly deal one red followed by one black – at the end the reds and blacks are separated again. You can repeat this to the cows come home and really show they are interlaced. But each time they end up separated. As a kicker for the end of the routine you turn over the rest of the deck, and they two are now in separate piles of blacks and reds.

A great trick with a kicker ending. The deck is left set-up for Paul Curry’s Out of This World, and part of me thinks it would make a natural lead in to that amazing effect. Maybe too many reds and blacks but its a thought.

Not all packet tricks are the same, and this one is definately one you will use!

Click here for more information.