Review by Andy Martin for Ups and Downs Box by Greg Britt, Fairchild Entertainment
5 out of 5
Great Item!
So if you can’t afford or more likely can’t find a Wizzy Dizzy Milk from Wellington, this is a great fill-in and one you’ll be able to freely use without worries.
It is well made and durable and a real fooler! You can always rely on Joe Fairchild’s quality manufacturing for brightly colored props that will last.
Review by Andy Martin for Oriental Blocks by Alan Warner
5 out of 5
The Original Three Mini-Magic Marvels are Back!
36 years ago I was at an IBM convention in Brighton, England and my magic life was changed forever. In those days the dealer rooms were huge treasure troves of amazing magic that I had never seen before. I had a very limited budget and so was trying to spend my money wisely.
The second day in I came across this small booth which was covered with these incredibly detailed and colorful min-magic tricks. They just looked amazing. This was the first time I met Alan Warner. He demoed his marvels and I wanted them all, but of course I could not afford them. In the end I chose just three: this item the amazing Oriental Blocks, the annoyingly simple but deceptive Dice-a-Matic, and finally the stunning Siamese Ribbon.
After the convention I lost touch with Alan, but I performed those three effects all the time. To me they were not collectible effects, just great magic. I probably performed Dice-a-Matic more than all other Warner tricks combined!
I did not get in touch with Alan for another 23 years, but in 2000 I was perusing some catalogs at Viking Magic and realized Alan Warner was the dealer who had built these three amazing illusions from all those years ago. I quickly set about making up for lost time and soon had a very sizable collection of Alan’s amazing magic. I created two websites for Alan (the first and the second) and got to know him and his talented wife Mignon very well. Today I consider them my close friends.
Over the years I was forced to sell much of my collection including all three of these early painted items. However in the last two years I have been able to find mint copies of each one and they are better than ever. I feel very lucky to have all the gang back, and even luckier to have become friends with a man who turned my world around all those years ago!
Review by Andy Martin for Mini-Duck by Jimmy Hearsum
5 out of 5
I Love my Mini-Duck!
So I had one of these little guys years ago, but unfortunately he was damaged on delivery by a large Khyber Kobra – yes they were poorly packed in the same box and the big ATA case for the Kobra literally crushed the duck!
I’m glad to have one back. What is amazing about this little guy is until you see the 4th photo you think it is a Hamilton Jo-Anne Duck. Jimmy Hearsum did an amazing job in creating this miniature replica.
He works really well, once you have the right cards and you don’t over fill the card tray. I have found slightly smaller cards than the mini-bicycle cards work best.
Review by Andy Martin for Pikolinus II by Thomas Pohle
5 out of 5
Another Beauty from Thomas Pohle!
Most micro magic from Pohle is something to be excited about and this is no exception.
Beautifully made in wood with an almost self working mechanism with nothing added or taken away. The hearts and spades blocks keep changing position.
Notice: In the photos it looks like the clubs and diamonds move too, but this is not the case. In fact it is much easier to understand the movements because one moment you have black/red then two reds and two blacks – you don’t need to remember suits or anything that complex …
This set also comes with an up to date translation from Wolfgang Wollet, which is much better than translations from Google that you often find with these props.
Lovely, high quality micro magic in mint condition that you rarely see these days!
Review by Andy Martin for Miser's Dream Box II and Wand by Louis Gaynor
5 out of 5
Clever, Intricate, and Beautiful
Joe Stevens’ has a secret weapon and it is the amazing craftsmanship of Louis Gaynor. What a wonderful little box (2.5 inches square) this is. When it is opened it looks very innocent. But amazingly without any funny moves you can produce 4 single half dollars, followed by a climax of 4 more. I have never seen anything quite like this little box. And it is made with very fine tolerances. A lovely example of intricate prop magic.
This box now comes with a custom wand that can be used instead of the original gimmick. It doesn’t do too much for me but I’m sure some people will like the choice.
Review by Andy Martin for ORC – Optimum Rising Cards by Taiwan Ben
4 out of 5
Wonderful for certain situations
I’m a big fan of the Marcelo Contento Jumbo Rising Card and having a regular sized deck that is remote controlled sounds like a great plan. This deck is close but doesn’t quite replace my Devano deck for most circumstances.
It is reliable and has a good range. However, the block required to house the mechanics to my mind takes up too much of the deck. If it was 26 cards or less this would be huge.
The Devano deck I use (from one half of the Douglas-Wayne Illusioneering team: the master craftsman George Richbark) leaves 37 cards free after the block – this is more than plenty to show the deck is normal. With ORC you have about 8 cards free from a normal deck – way too few. They get around this by actually supplying more cards and expanding the box size. Most people won’t notice this and so it is an ok compromise.
However, unlike the Devano you can make cards rise under your control and there are circumstances when this is desirable. I think we need to wait for one more revolution of this such that you get half the size of the bank.
It is a worthy attempt for sure, and for those people who really need the remote control feature, this is the best you will find today for the money. It is certainly fun to play with!
Review by Andy Martin for Blue Phantom by Andy Hurst
5 out of 5
Absolutely Beautiful!
This is an amazing version of the Blue Phantom built in the UK by British Craftsman Andy Hurst. I have never heard of him before but I do hope he continues to build more magic like this.
To my mind this is even better than the Voit/Lackner version that came out in the 1980’s from ZZM. What I particularly like about this item is that instead of having a spring load to "make the magic happen" it uses a screw mechanism which seems to work better.
I’m a huge fan of Magic Wagon and they make incredible magic, but their version of the Blue Phantom pails when compared to this one.
I believe in a few years this will be as sought after if not more so as the Voit/Lackner version. It is a beauty!
Review by Brett Schulman for Split Decision Case – New JOL by Jerry O'Connell
5 out of 5
Split Decision
I was able to pick this trick up a few weeks ago from Craig himself. This is a must own card trick. The gaffs are well made and the leather J.O.L. case holds everything as it should. The case was the real selling point for me. It was designed just for this effect and holds the prediction card in the back and the two half decks divided as they should be.
The split decision effect features a triple reveal ending only after you seem to fail in matching the two cosen halfs. You have a perfect blend of comedy, sucker punch and final reveal.
I carry this with me all the time and am ready to perform a great bit of magic at a moments notice. Re set is simple and fast. Get this right away, it is great magic and Craig is a super nice guy as well.
Review by Andy Martin for Jumbo Rising Cards by Marcelo Contento
5 out of 5
Easily the Best Jumbo Rising Cards
Marcelo Contento, who sadly passed away in 2012 at the young age of 57, was an electronics genius and his Jumbo Rising Cards was probably his finest moment.
What is particularly pleasing about all of the work from the Contento’s is how well manufactured the electronics are. Steve Jobs used to make sure that the inside of Apple’s products looked as good as the outside, and this Jumbo Rising Cards is the same.
It is silent in operation, looks amazing, comes with a great routine and will last a lifetime. These are getting much harder to find these days, so if you find one make sure you snap it up.
Highly Recommended for Performers and lovers of Beautiful Magic.
I have Run Wolf Run 2. It looks better than Run Wolf Run. The graphics are more three dimensional and it is a bit thinner too. It works beautifully and even though big, can be held in one hand and also worked on a table too. Chance is not making them right now so I feel fortunate to get one. I would never sell it at any price. For this effect as in any Run Rabbit Run Product, I recommend practice. It does not do the entertaining for you. You have to put time into developing a good routine and presentation for it. It has always received a great reaction from my audiences. Highly recommended if you can get one. Nothing comes close to the visuals and smooth operation and this can be done at a Birthday party but is big enough for Stage as well.
By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information
The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.