Review by Greg for Lippincott Box (Jumbo) by Mel Babcock
5 out of 5
Not Just Another Box
Mel Babcock. What a gift to magic he is. So many bad Lippincott Boxes have been produced that I forgot how effective this prop can be. Mel’s jumbo version is a pure delight. It looks great and works great…plus it is built like a tank like all of his pieces. That’s why I like Mel’s props. They’re not just built for collectors, they’re built for workers. You can’t go wrong.
Mel isn’t the most prolific craftsman, but he still continues to be one of the best. When he picks an effect to produce you know it will be magical on many different levels.
Why oh why do I doubt Wayne Dobson? Often I read a description to one of his effects and dismiss it because it seems too simple. Then, I come back and read it again, and realize…simple is okay as long as the magic is good. And Wayne’s magic is good.
"Startling" is really good. So simple to perform that you can take this effect and play it up with a lot of different story angles about old game pieces from your childhood, letters that fell off an old plaque or trophy…it’s wide open.
Small effects that pack a big punch don’t come around that often. Get them while you can.
Review by Andy Martin for Rainbow Die Box (Small) by Mel Babcock
5 out of 5
Always an Incredible Delight!
Wow! Whenever you are feeling blue, just order a work of art from Mel Babcock and you will be happy again! This Small Rainbow Die box is a rare treat for sure! So often we buy a trick and we immediately look for the next one. With Mel’s work you always want to linger.
This version of his Rainbow Die Box carries all of the traits of its larger brother, just smaller. You can read my review here.
I can’t express how wonderful I felt as I opened my package today!
Review by Andy Martin for Nest of 5 Boxes (Improved) by Mel Babcock
5 out of 5
Mel’s Finest Hour?
Mel Babcock has got to be one of the finest wood guys in the business today. Everything I have of his is just beautiful! This set of five nest of boxes is no exception. A wonderfully, simple but effective method so you can concentrate all your efforts on the presentation. This version includes a fairly recent improvement so that you can give the fourth box to the spectator so that he opens it and removes and opens the final fifth box, without you touching it once.
The boxes are made of select exotic woods: Padauk with Sycamore inlay, Cherry with Wenge inlay, Chechen with Sycamore inlay, Teak with Wenge inlay, and Cocobolo with Wenge inlay.
They are breathtaking to behold and probably the finest looking nest of boxes you will be able to find.
Review by Andy Martin for Triple Dial Divination Cabinet by Hardini
5 out of 5
Beautiful Box with Amazing Electronics!
Wow this is a very impressive box and the electronics are even better! There have been other effects like this from big names like Germany’s Z. T. Haug and the electronics master himself Anverdi, but none of them were this sophisticated.
The basic effect is you hand the box to a spectator and while your back is turned or you are out of the room they turn each dial to any number. Then they close the box and lock it. You then return and show the box from all sides – clearly there is no way to get in, but with an instant you can secretly obtain a direct L.E.D. readout of the numbers. And once you have divulged the values everything is left clean.
What is particularly impressive about this box is that there is a two step process required for the activation of the L.E.D. which makes it all but impossible to discover the secret by mistake or even by trying to find it. When I received it I was 100% unable to figure it out without help. What is also neat about the box is that nothing is added or taken away to achieve the revelation so it is always ready to go. Finally, the numbers themselves are very clear and can be seen with ease in a moment.
When you open these types of effects up the electronics are often pretty shoddy. But not so with this item – they are very high quality and look like they were done by a professional.
Review by Andy Martin for Mini Cube-A-Libre by Magic Wagon
5 out of 5
Another Beautiful Mini Marvel!
This item is another incredible mini magic illusion that will appeal to all Magic Wagon fans and all of those still sitting on the fence too. I have owned Cube-A-Libre in a number of versions (two of which don’t appear on my site) and the best one I had was one that I purchased from Ron MacMillan thirty years ago. Even that one I found to be a bit too much to work with because of the six blocks. I much prefer four blocks which is one of the reasons I like this little unit from Magic Wagon so much. You can get about the same amazement factor with less work or risk of exposure!
This mini version works flawlessly and it is very easy to do all the standard moves. There are no levers to press and due to the small size a very deft touch is all that is needed to work the apparatus.
The Magic Wagon continue to go from strength to strength, and it is still not too late to start collecting their beautiful magic!
Highly Recommended for lovers of Beautiful Mini Magic everywhere!
Review by George Guerra for Lassen Special Set by Todd Lassen
5 out of 5
Very Special, Indeed!
If any one has been following Todd’s gaffs on ebay, you may recognize this set. It definitely set a record for coin gaffs and clearly made a statement for the quality and demand of Todd’s work. Yep, it was a bidding frenzy, but no regrets. What distinguishes this special set apart is 1) the versatility of the matched gaffs in the set, 2) its uniqueness (Todd’s own words: ââ¦one of a kinder.â, âebaying this one too due to the special nature of the set. I won’t be taking any custom orders for sets like these.â), and 3) the use of beautiful Seated Liberty half dollars. The oldest coin gaffs I was accustomed to seeing were Barbers, but this is the first time I had publicly seen any with the even older Seated Liberty coins. I am not a numismatist, but you just have to love these old U.S. minted coins.
The gaffs are so very nice and, hopefully, some of what I experienced when I first saw them can be conveyed with the images you are seeing. The set consists of an obverse sided expanded shell with 4 ungaffed matching coins and two opposite copper/silver coins (âIshtarâ set) with two ungaffed matching copper pennies (1899 Victoria). The C/S coin with the reverse sided silver is fitted to the obverse expanded shell for a sun/moon set, if desired. Lots of coin magic here! All came nicely stored in the popular JOL leather coin purses.
All this would be plenty, BUT Todd is quite a guy and didn’t feel it was fair to see this item go so high on ebay, so, without any obligation (and didn’t have to), he added 1) a second expanded shell with the reverse side showing, and 2) a beautifully crafted gravity flipper using a nice 1860 Seated Liberty half. This "sweetened deal" can be seen in the third image. Overall, this has to be the nicest and most complete Seated Liberty coin gaff collection, you could ever imagine. I am ecstatic and anyone who has bought from Todd doesn’t need any convincing about the man himself and his work. BTW, the package I received also included another great new item that came up on his blog, which I requested to buy, so I had one fantastic coin gaff feast that day. Thanks, Toddâ¦no one else would have been so generous and fair with his customers.
Review by George Guerra for Thayer's U-235 by Collectors' Workshop
5 out of 5
Beautiful classic resurrected by CW
I saw this Thayer item at auction 2 years ago, selling over $800. It intrigued me at the time on reading the description, so it was a pleasant surprise to see CW offering it.
The apparatus is so well crafted. The aluminum tubes are heavy duty, thick walled (no flimsy tubes for sure), and beautifully polished (looks much better than the images I have seen of the original) and all nicely presented in a foam lined box, signed by George on one corner of the inside lid with date of manufacture and a comment of its limited production.
The method is interesting…simple, yet actually diabolical with no mechanical devices to worry about. There is only one ball used (can be marked by the spectator) and a description on the original suggested a borrowed bill to lay over the glass for ‘dual penetration", if desired. There is an angle issue, but that should be manageable. Overall, a most welcome piece to any collector or performer.
Review by Andy Martin for Ali Baba Junior by Harry Stanley, Wilfred Tyler, Gil Leaney, Arnold Furst, Abbott's
5 out of 5
This is one of those items I remember seeing often in Magic Info (the Ron MacMillan publication) and so when I saw it come up on ebay recently I snapped it up.
In effect you show Ali Baba and his vases and place Ali on the spindle of the stand. The audience select a color and Ali ends up pointing to that color. This can be repeated and in the end Ali ends up pointing to the only vase with a load (money, silks, candy, etc). There are 4 pages of ideas that come with this and it can be used with cards or billets instead of vases and it really is quite an extensive utility item. Within reason whatever will fit on the stand can be used instead of the jars. There is also interesting patter to go along with the Jars theme.
It works every time and there is nothing added or take away. A very nice find from long ago!
Review by Andy Martin for Wacky Wakoon by Chance Wolf, Arthur Atsma
5 out of 5
One day I’ll just have Wolf’s Magic Left!
So as my collection grows and shrinks and grows again over the years, the one thing that is crystal clear to me is the amount of Chance Wolf items that stay in my collection. It is very easy to imagine performing a whole show with just Wolf’s Magic items. They are unique, beautiful, 100% reliable and entertaining too!
Wacky Wakoon is right up there near the top of his line. I have performed a variant of the Warren Hamilton’s Jo-Anne Card Duck for 30+ years to great success, but think it is time to introduce my "fans" to the Wesley the Wacky Wakoon!
When Chance sits down to figure out all the moves and actions you know you’ll get something that works first time every time. Wesley is no different.
When these come back in stock, do yourself a favor and buy one!
Highly Required for all Serious Entertainers and Animal Lovers everywhere!
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