Review by Shmoolonzo for Chico the Chimp by Jam Magic, Samuel Patrick Smith
5 out of 5
Let’s monkey around!
I purchased this years ago from Hank Lee and perform it at every show.
The children love it and it lends itself to a lot of audience participation. You can bring two or three kids onto the stage and use almost every monkey and ape joke/pun that you know.
"Hey, Hey stop monkeying around!", "Where are you kids from – The planet of the apes?" Etc.. You get the idea.
At the end, when I seem to have lost Chico and turn around so that the kids see that he is hanging on my back I always use the line " Are you saying that I have a monkey on my back" ? Which always gets a chuckle from the adults, and no one has ever suggested that it was inappropriate.
I love this trick because it packs flat, plays big and is made very well. The only word of caution is that the PIN on chico is VERY sharp and cuts up the plastic envelope that it comes in. You do not want to risk hanging it onto a child’s back, If another child tries to pull it off, the pin will rip clothing and skin. This is why I only hang it onto myself. And in fact put it on my back from the onset of the trick.
Review by Greg for Mod Quad Penetration by Magic Wagon
5 out of 5
Proof Positive
If any collectors still have doubts whether Magic Wagon are modern masters in the art of apparatus crafting, this effect should destroy those doubts. The Mod Quad Penetration is "without a doubt," absolutely stunning in construction and effect. What Magic Wagon has done again, is taken an old dog and taught it a new trick. Or, in clearer terms, they’ve taken a good old trick, redesigned and reengineered it, and transformed it into a great illusion.
Let’s begin with the construction … quality all the way. From the meticulous fitting and finishing, to the hardware selection, and decision to use real glass verses plexi, Magic Wagon is even proud of themselves with this piece (they pat themselves on the back in the instructions). I love the weight and size of this piece. It is heavy enough to be serious, but not so large as to be cumbersome. The engineering is magnificent as well, with the secret mechanism operating smoothly and predictably. Much improved from older models.
I also love the design. Magic Wagon has a knack for creating mysterious and mystical looking props that don’t make excuses. They are magic props, plain and simple. When you perform with them you need a story to accompany your presentation, since the item at hand is clearly not an everyday object. And that’s okay. These creations deserve special attention. The Mod Quad Penetration is a cross between an archaic artifact and a victorian science experiment. It is clearly not modern, but it begs to be explored.
Now let’s discuss the effect. This one will leave them stunned. Basically, you offer a solid sheet of glass divided into quadrants. You cover each side with a magnetic panel, and the spectator can name a quadrant they would like to have "penetrated." You can demonstrate it yourself, or give the spectator a chance. Magic Wagon suggests a sucker type of demonstration, but it’s really up to you. If performed properly there is simply no rational explanation for how this "experiment" can work. And, the ease of operation and usable size make this penetration very easy to operate. You can really concentrate on getting the most out of each phase of the presentation as described in the instructions, or embellish and improvise to suit your style. In the end, all four sections of the glass are penetrated by individual ribbons leaving the spectator with no idea, hunch, hint, notion, clue, or inkling on how you performed this ingenious demonstration.
This is classic magic the way it was meant to be. Well designed, well made, and very, very, well done.
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.
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