Posted September 20, 2009:
Andy,
Congratulations on your new web site. Of course I had to upgrade to Internet Explorer 8 to see it, but well worth all the effort 🙂
As one of my early supporters, I appreciate you listing me as one of the Magical Masters. It is really fun looking at other peoples workmanship.
Thanks for keeping the magic alive.
Richard Gerlitz
Gerlitz Magic
Richard Gerlitz
Posted September 20, 2009:
Andy,
Congratulations on a dazzling site!
Quality magic apparatus collectors everywhere will surely embrace it, learn from it and visit often.Yours for greater magic,
Phil Schwartz
Thayer historian and collector
Am I Glad I Got This!
I have been a avid admirer of Jim Riser’s work since about 2001. That same year I acquired his Mini Cube-On Release (only two were ever made, I heard). Having bought many of his beautiful magic over the years, this Mini Flame Clock had become a sort of "holy grail" to me.
It is truly a unique, one of kind, Riser apparatus, beautifully handcrafted with innovations to the design (open, deceptive top view; solid brass corner trims atop each corners with brass hardware on the doors; and a true mini-magic look standing at about 6 1/2 inches tall). The blades are heavy, solid, brushed brass. The mechanics is solid in construction and smooth in operation. The paint job on the cabinet is superb…not an easy accomplishment. Clearly a masterpiece from the Riser workshop.
Overall, a great acquisition to behold. Best of all, this baby has been so pampered by previous owners as the overall condition of the apparatus despite its many years is fantastic…you would think it was just finished and shipped by Jim Riser himself!
I would normally add my "highly recommended" note here, but as I stated earlier, there is no other copy out there and there will never be one. Glad I got the unexpected e-mail from the previous owner offering me this for sale.
Click here for more information.
Best of Both Worlds
I chased the Contento Jumbo Card Rise for a couple of years as a "must have" effect in my card rise collection. But when I finally found one, it quickly became a performing favorite as well. It’s reliable, the cards are very visible, and the effect is simply magical. It is a beautiful piece and looks great in my collection, but it plays too strong to just sit on the self. Even at the current "collectors’ prices," the Contento Jumbo Card Rise is a bargain!
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One of Magic Wagon’s Best!
This latest installment from Magic Wagon is a real beauty. Of course it is an old effect, but the Magic Wagon guys have created a beautiful version for an amazing price. In effect the chips are stacked on the stand and are seen to move to the middle and finally the bottom. At the end the chips are tipped from the spindle and they are all seen to be separate – the chips can be minutely examined before and after too. As with the standard effect the base cannot be examined, but it looks innocent enough, as does the tube.
The brass cover and wooden base complement the choice of yellow and blue chips perfectly and if you are a collector of Blue Phantoms you’ll certainly want this one. If you have never been able to afford this effect before (the current Owen’s one is $750 now I believe) at under $300 this is a steal.
Highly Recommended for Collectors and Performers.
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Nice micro magic
This is a wonderful piece of magic. The more you know about metal and wood working the more you can appreciate this piece. Wonderful teak wood with brass and glass workings are truly an art. Not as thin as the Gerlitz model, but not the price of Richards either.To appreciate it you have to understand all involved so just get one.
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One Stunning Effect
This is perhaps my favorite Magic Wagon item ever. Not only is it a beautifully made collectible, but it is a real fooler too! The basic effect is simple: The blue chip magically penetrates through the yellow chips each time it is momentarily covered, beginning at the top, then seen in the middle, then resting on the bottom of the stack.
The people that I have shown this to are absolutely stunned to see the blue chip decend down through the yellow chips. It just seems impossible, and they have no idea how it is done. There are no funny moves. The chips can be examined at the beginning and the end of the effect. The base can be shown all arond and the cover can be casually shown empty prior to covering the chips. While the base and cover can not be closely examined, there is no heat on either one. No one asks to see them at the end of the effect as the heat is on the chips themselves.
The item is very well made and the mechanism is smooth and easy to operate. This is one of those collectible effects that you will actually want to use and show, its that good.
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Love it!!!
This is a wonderful piece of micro magic. The simplicity of the gimmick makes it reset in 1 second. Though I love the original Blue phantom and its workings, this is right up there. I love the look of the brass with two contrasting woods. Even the checkers are made so the paint wont scratch from rubbing against each other. If you can get one……
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Color Vision that you’ll perform!
Number Vision by Magic Wagon is basically a high-end version of the classic Color Vision trick. I have never given Color Vision a chance because I’ve always been turned off by the need to take the Cube behind your back. As a spectator, if a Magician takes something behind his back, no matter what the reason is, I know he/she is doing something. Like Andy has mentioned, the super smooth interior and polished exterior makes it possible to do the move right in front of the spectator. This baby just "glides" in your hand and all it takes is a little hand motion to disguise it. It wasn’t easy at first, put I played around with it for hours and basically studied all the various grips and holds, and now I’ve developed the knack. That’s the perfect word, it’s a knack that you have to develop. If you can’t do it, you can simply use two hands by cupping the box, raise it to your ears and say something like "the dice talks to me." In that moment of raising it, you would have done the move already. The rest is presentation and milking. However, I highly suggest you play with it until you can do the one hand version. Once you get it down, it’s super easy. It’s so easy, when I perform it, I do the one-handed move twice and allow the spectator to hold the box at the end, and let the spectator remove the lid.
I love it when a company takes a trick that I don’t perform, improve on it, and convert me! Hey, there are easier and more expensive versions of these types of tricks on the market such as Multi-Dimensional and Mini Remote Die by Tim Wisseman. I own the mini remote die from Tim Wisseman, so don’t get me wrong, I like things easy too, but there is a sense of pride when you can do it with skill. I mainly do card magic, and mastering the Number Vision one-hand move gave me the same euphoria I get when mastering a card sleight, flourish or knack.
This is a keeper!
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Powell Packs a Punch
I’ve never been let down by Mr. Powell’s effects and this lovely piece is no exception.
The effect is not new, but the method is. Or sort of. It actually combines several old ideas into a new design. But how come? And that is why I’m giving this review 4 stars instead of 5. Don’t get me wrong, I am NOT regretful for purchasing this. I love it. The quality is top notch, and the design is unique. This box can play in a variety of settings. I just question why Mr. Powell put so much effort into fixing something that may not have been broken.
Let me go into detail without letting on too much. This box looks like a Lippincott box, feels like a Lippincott box, delivers the same effect as a Lippincott box, but doesn’t function like one. This probably will fool your magician friends at your IBM meetings, but laymen, who probably could never figure out a traditional Lippincott Box, will never know the difference. It is devious, and the secret – to those who aren’t familiar with its workings – is undetectable. But is it necessary?
A gentleman by the name of Joe Porper also recreated the Lippincott box with his ingenious Strong Box. It was brilliant in design and construction, and in some ways – due to its added weight and design – functioned a bit quicker than a standard wood box. Dave Powell’s beautiful Antique Pill Box also brings some new ideas to the table. But did either of them NEED to be made? I guess you can argue that it’s human nature to improve upon our past accomplishments. The classic Linking Rings effect for example, has been redesigned to include a practically seamless, locking key ring. A lot of magician’s love this update. So, maybe I’m just being too analytical.
Let me close this already long review with this…if you are a collector, and love Dave Powell’s creations as much as I do…buy this. If you are a professional, or casual performer who appreciates quality, and can afford this piece…buy it. If you are an amateur, or beginning magician who can’t spend the money for a top shelf effect…don’t buy this, there are much less costly options.
Myself? I’m a hybrid. I am an amateur magician and an avid collector who has a habit of buying beautiful, hand-crafted magic, created by artisans who have pride in their work
I am not disappointed.
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