Author: reviews

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!

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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.

Perfect for collector’s and performers too.

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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!

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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.

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What a clever illusion!

(Spoiler Alert!) So how many times have you heard the phrase: "it’s all done with mirrors" when it comes to magic? And how many tricks do you actually have that use mirrors? 1 maybe – a mirror production box, or a sword box?

Yes this miracle does use mirrors. I probably shouldn’t have said that but it is late! I think the illusion is perfect, which is more than I can say for my photos. I can’t believe I did not add a visual item like a deck of cards so you can see it through the box – Magic Wagon have one on their site.

But as with most of Magic Wagon’s items, this is the perfect little illusion. It just looks amazing! Beautifully made and wonderful to watch.

Keep them coming guys!

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A Wonderful Take on a Beloved Effect

So every collector loves the Blue Phantom. Magic Wagon themselves produced a memorable version of this classic back in 2009. And here they produce a new classic: the Mini Phantom.

Although the effect is very similar it works quite differently and is a more open, in your face, method and presentation.

Just as with the original the odd colored chip rises one by one. This item looks amazing and is very solidly made. I could see this getting a lot of use.

Just great magic from these Magic Wagon cats. I always look forward to the next shipment. In fact with the exception of packages from my good friend Alan Warner, there is no other manufacturer I look forward to more.

Highly Recommended!

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The Magic Wagon Train Keeps on Rolling!

These guys really are on fire! I received five items last weekend and each one is a winner. I didn’t cherry pick their five best items, but just the last five to come off the block. They are all winners, and no one creates boxes with this amazing jewelry box finish like Magic Wagon. What Milson-Worth did for beautifully painted parlor props in the 70’s – 90’s, Magic Wagon is doing for close-up wooden props in the 2000’s and beyond.

This item fell under the radar of many – I’m sure some thought it was another electronic marvel (less trusted by many collectors) but it has no electronics. The routine is a clean 3 way prediction with multiple simple but effective methods, and you are left 100% clean. The box is gimmicked and does the work for you. This box is so clean and beautiful I’m thinking about keeping it in my small, but demanding collection.

Magic Wagon just keep producing amazing beautiful magic!

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