Reviews

A New Craftsman Is In Town!!

Wacky Wolf inspired box and what a great box this is…with meticulous attention to both detail and quality. As the enclosed letter starts, "Congratulations! You are the proud owner of the Yellowshark Design Sliding Disc Box. This is made of the finest quality materials, designed for professionals…" I am definitely proud to add this beauty to my magic collection

Bright colors, piano hinged doors, perfect fittings, and fabulous graphics on the doors with the center plates attached with screws so that the message can be exchanged are some of my observations on the box. Bill Mitchell the artist behind Yellowshark Design was inspired when he wasn’t happy with the sliding disc boxes currently available and wanted to have one that would fit with the Chance Wolf props he owned.

As can been seen, he succeded quite wonderfully. He used expanded pvc and the box measures 20 1/2" by 8 1/2" by 2 1/2". Two 7 3/8" diameter "blank" discs are included…one can then custom add one’s graphics to it that fits one’s taste. One has a metal washer attached and included with the set is a belt magnet.

He made an initial 2 boxes, then a run of 12 (probably sold out now). There may be no more, BUT we have not heard the last from Bill, "while it was fun to make the props, and it was gratifying to see that there is a market, I do not enjoy working with the expanded pvc material, so I may not make any more. I have been a professional woodworker for the last 20 years or so, and much prefer working with wood." Am I hearing the next Mel Babcock or Alan Warner here…keep tuned.

Click here for more information.

Dream numismatic gaffs!!

I have owned several shell coin sets in the past with a few beautiful sets now present in my current gaff collection, but this one inspired me to upload it on Andy’ site. Just got it in the mail this morning, too. It was offered on Todd’s blog site and I grabbed it fast before anyone else could…what a hunt and what a prize. These are the first silver commemorative coins ever released by the U.S. Mint for the Exposition, actually a World’s Fair, held in Chicago in 1893, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ discovery of the New World.

These are not your usual gaff coin variety or choice, but also not quite overall rare, either. However, as Todd puts it, "you can find one or two here and there, but again, finding ones with nice patina in matching conditions and sizes will require mucho patience". As coins go, these are beautiful designs. The obverse was done by Charles Barber, while the reverse design was delegated to George Morgan. Many may not be fully awared, but these are REAL American half dollars.

Two shells came with the set along with 4 regular coins. The top two "coins" in the first image are the shells covering a coin…deceptive when compared to the two regular coins at the bottom, as you ca see. This is the great precision close tolerance typical of Todd’s work. The second image is an un-nested view with the shells to the right. The third image has all the regular coins at the top with the two empty shells at the bottom.

What a treat and you can count on me to keep a constant lookout on his site for any new stuff to buy.

Click here for more information.

Okito box magic with class!

This heavy, finest bronze coin box is a real beauty to hold. Clearly the best coin box I have ever owned. It has nice rounded edges that look identical whether the box is upright or inverted with the lid in place. I find this more deceptive than the standard straight edge coin boxes on the market. As seen in the last image, the lid is stamped with the Lassen name for authenticity.

The box came with the new "miracle enjoyment" chinese coins Todd has recently released. These are copper, dollar sized, coins custom made for Todd and he has "aged" the copper nicely. These are a real beauty and matched precisely to fit in this coin box. I asked him to make me a shell for the coins which you can see as the fifth coin on the right in the second image. Though the shell will not fit into the box, it does allow me to do the many shell coin routines with these coins, when one may not want to perform another coin box effect.

Truly, another Lassen great and a great addition to my Lassen collection….thanks, Todd!

Click here for more information.