Year: 2004

A Clever Piece that Magician’s will like!

This piece from Mikame Craft is beautifully made with a clever mechanism to allow you to reveal a card or image that is placed beneath the close-up mat.

It is made to the usual high standards of Mikame Craft, though interestingly enough is finished in black instead of their more usual natural wood. It can be used as your close-up case with 3 felt lined drawers to put items, and at any time you can have them choose a card or write on a piece of paper with your back turned. Then to ensure no one can see it you ask them to place the card underneath the mat. When you turn back around you remove from one of the drawers in the unit a pad and paper and proceed to describe the card, etc.

This is one of those effects that will surely please magician’s but it seems a bit unnatural to put it under the mat, what’s wrong with just turning it face down. It’s a small point but worth considering. The way I justify it is that I first have them choose a card freely using a marked deck and get them to put their hand over it. I then reveal their card by stroking the hand and reading the vibes. Then I say "Let’s make it really difficult this time. When I turn my back I want you to take out any card look at it and slip it under the mat so there is no way whatsoever I can know your card." Of course I still get the card right.

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Probably the best course on magic!

So many tricks we see today are in Tarbell in one form or another. This is a very comprehensive course on every aspect of magic. A well deserved classic, that should be in everyones collection.

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Wow – what a treasure trove of magic in these volumes!

As I buy more books I realise how much magic is out there, and how few truly new ideas have occurred in the last 10, 20, 30, or more years!

These are a wonderful historical document of 100’s of the marvellous items that came from Thayer. When you read through the effects with their accompaning instruction sheets you recognise so many effects that are still being pushed today as new ideas!

The first time I saw Shakespeare’s Hamlet I remember thinking how many cliches were used, forgetting of course that when the Bard wrote the play the phrases were new. These Thayer volumes are reminiscent of that – so many of these effects were new with Thayer, but today we consider them public domain.

If you have any abilities to construct magic you could be building your own magic for years to come!

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Jack Hughes was the Master

I grew up in the UK dreaming of owning some Jack Hughes effects. It was clear that the House of Hughes was producing some of the best magic around. I was able to buy a few of his items, but for the most part his effects were too expensive for my pocket.

Thirty years on, it is a wonderful pleasure to look through these impressive volumes to relive so much of Jack’s magic. These books are beautifully produced and give very detailed instructions on how to build nearly all of the House of Hughes magic.

I was even lucky enough to get a signed copy of the first volume.

Simply beautiful!

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Wow, why the heck has someone not done this before?

This is a a wonderful hanky to vanish a ring. It is heavy weight with a real heavy and sold ring embedded within the hanky, and the mechanism works perfectly.

I immediately pulled out my Samurai as soon as this arrived so that I could add it to my show. This is soooo easy, and so convincing.

Well done George – a great idea with a simple, high quality prop that will last a life time!

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Funny and Beautiful

Howard Hale makes some very fine quality woodwork – he’s not always punctual, but is worth waiting for. This is based on the old Jack Hughes Legs Table I guess, and it really is very beautiful, and looks like a real ornate table until the legs fall off. Then where do you go? Out pop those sexy pair of legs, and you have a huge comedy piece!

This is number 1 of a very few. It’s beautiful and rare.

Grab it now!

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Thanks Fabrice and Joe this truly is a beauty!

This is the original version that looks much less like a magic box and more like a simple keepsake box.

About a year ago I purchased this effect from Fabrice Delaure is way more than the modern day Anverdi, his electronic magic is beautiful, foolproof, and so devoid of any notion of electronics it is perfect.

The effect is simple: you hand the box of giants to the audience and they can take out as many of them as they desire. I have affixed names to the bottom of each giant so you can tell who they are. You then can determine which giants are out even though you were out of the room or blindfolded at the time. I hand a sealed wallet to the audience and they unzip the compartment only to reveal 3 (say) cards with the names of the precise giants chosen.

If you have not checked out the incredible electronic magic of Fabrice Delaure you should do so – it is so amazing. I would like to thank Joe Stevens for putting up with me and giving me a second chance on this baby and Fabrice for his incredible talent – I am very happy to own this again.

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