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This is a wonderful book on card effects without skill of sleight of hand. Contains the classic effect by Paul Curry: Out of This World, and many other wonderful routines. This was one of the very first books on magic I ever purchased and it certainly changed my world!

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What a great utility effect this is.  When I was a teenager my go to method to vanish silks was using a standard pull.  What I really like about this Handkerchief “Casette” is it accomplishes two things:

1. It makes the vanish seem even more amazing.
2. It makes it easier to hide the method.

These have been made by many manufacturers over the years at least as far back as 1904 with Inez, Stanyon’s and Roterberg to name just a few.  It is also described in Hoffman’s Later Magic (pg. 283 The Nickel Tube with Pull) . This is a very nice version from P&L.  It can be used for silks or as I show in the video other small items of jewelry if you place them in a small plastic bag first.

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The stage version (as seen in the video) of this looks fantastic, but if you can’t afford it or don’t have the space then this smaller tabletop version will work nicely.  I’m not sure I prefer this tabletop version to the original Harold Voit release of Merlin’s Magic Elixir – both have their place.  But Louis Gaynor does a really nice job in reducing this from the stunning and expensive Stage size, though I still fancy the larger version 🙂

A few other comments:

• Although this looks similar to Winston Freer’s Tile Puzzle, it is not the same method or routine.
• This tabletop version uses a slightly different method than the original Merlin’s Magic Elixir.
• The instructions were confusing, but Steven’s recently created a new video which clearly explains the moves – thanks guys 🙂

To be clear there are currently four basic versions of this Magic Puzzle:

1. Merlins Magic Elixir – this was the original version released by Harold Voit.
2. Magic Puzzle (Stage) – this is the one shown in the video and also released by Harold Voit
3. Magic Puzzle (Parlor) – this is the authorized release crafted by Louis Gaynor for Stevens Magic.
4. Magic Puzzle (Tabletop) – this is the version on this page, which is also made under license by Louis Gaynor for Stevens Magic.

None of them use the same method as Winston Freer’s Tile Puzzle, which pre-dates them all.

In a nutshell the basic effect is:

• Show the complete puzzle.
• Show how the wooden frame fits perfectly around the puzzle.
• Tip it out and mix the pieces up.
• Re-assemble it to show the complete puzzle.
• Introduce one extra small square and re-assemble the puzzle to include it.
• Introduce another extra piece, twice the size of the first, and re-assemble the puzzle to include it.
• Show how the wooden frame continues to fit perfectly around the puzzle.
• The end.

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I must say how impressed I am with this prediction box from Roy Roth’s R.A.R. Magic. Roy built these boxes, but I believe it is a Larry Becker idea, and we all know how clever Larry is!

What a  wonderful clever device this is and even better than Roy’s Nest of Boxes which is another beauty. Both inner and outer boxes can be locked. The outer box measures: 10″ x 6″ x 3.5″ deep.

I’ve had a few of these over the years but I believe this is one of the first versions made – it is a little more vintage and has a more authentic look.  The instructions say “Nest of Boxes” but the adverts say “Prediction Chest” – it can be used for both.

What most performers, including myself, miss about this box is that the original routine has the magician opening both boxes and clearly showing everything is empty.  Then they padlock and tie it up so that not only are the spectators certain nothing is in there, but also that nothing can get inside without opening the padlocks.  If you perform it this way, it makes for a much more baffling effect.  Normally, most performers start with it locked and ready to load and miss out the whole beginning convincer.  But if you do show everything clean at the beginning then there is less heat on you when you come to load it later on.

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What a beauty this is from Christopher Taylor at Taylor Imagineering.  If you are a regular visitor to my site you may know that I get quite tired with electronic effects and the reasons are quite simple:  invariably they are expensive, use rechargeable batteries (which all eventually die and cannot easily be replaced), and amazingly are often less reliable or impressive than non electronic versions.  What I like about Christopher Taylor and the magic he produces is that he is a performer himself and he truly cares about the magic he produces. 

Nothing could be clearer than in the production of this beautiful Snooker Prediction Box.  Start with the careful and clear video instructions he has produced for this box.  Everything you could want to ask is mentioned clearly in a full screen video and you are left understanding precisely how the box works and what to do and,  just as importantly, what not to do.  The unit comes with two remote receivers (a digital readout and a vibrating one) and he includes all the necessary batteries (which are regular batteries and easy to replace) and even a screwdriver and (get this) a magnet to retrieve the battery should it fall out of your hands beneath the battery compartment!  Talk about attention to detail 🙂

The box looks authentic and uses real snooker balls which are large, brightly colored and solid to the touch.  There is nothing to see inside or outside of the box and it can be freely held by the spectator.  When it comes to the moment to remove the balls and track them you can use either the vibrating receiver or the digital readout.  Both methods have their benefits but one really nice feature of the digital readout is that it remembers the order and the position of each ball removed so you’ll have nothing to remember (which sometimes in a live performance is crucial!).

The unit, like all of Christopher’s products, is totally reliable – and straight out of the box it worked first time with no fussing or fiddling about.  The remotes are all digitally printed, with custom circuit boards and have clear markings for the on position. I can’t imagine what else you could do to this item – there are even 6 balls instead of the more common 3 or 4 which really covers pretty much everything.

It comes with no routine per se but you could easily perform it as straight mentalism. 

Straight Routine: Have 3-6 people up on stage and ask each of them to each choose any ball from the box with your back turned.  Then when they are all done turn around and read their minds one by one.

Card to Wallet Routine: Or you could add an extra twist using a card to wallet such as this one.  Create 6 color cards – I simply went into Word and created a page with 6 squares each of a different color and cut them out and taped them to some blank faced playing cards – and have them in your pocket in the same order as in the box.  As the audience are making their selections you can easily peel of the cards and when done slip them into the wallet (even within an envelope if you want in a zippered compartment too).  This would be my routine:

Invite a single audience member up and show them the box and have them think about three balls in the box.  Have them choose the first ball and place it in their left pocket, the second ball in their right pocket and the final ball in their jacket pocket.  (Load the wallet with the selections) and turn around and ask them to concentrate on the three balls.  Focus on the left pocket first and call out the color, now the right pocket and call out the color.  Now, focus on the inner pocket and call out the color.  Finally, make sure your hands are clearly seen empty and slowly remove the wallet from your jacket pocket.  Open it up and slowly unzip the inner pocket and remove the three cards inside (or the envelope if you are going the whole way!).  One by one turn them over saying that what is also amazing is that not only did I know precisely what color was placed in each of your pockets I placed these three cards inside this wallet before we started and they also match the same colors.  And the crowd goes crazy 🙂

Pocket Prediction Routine (Free Will):   Or if you omit the wallet and place one of each of the color cards in six different pockets.  This could be played as a demonstration or lack thereof of Free Will.  Each time they choose a color you ask them to place it in the pocket that has the color.  Now when they are done (and they can take as many as six balls with this routine).  You say before we began I placed three (or whatever) different cards in three of my pockets.  In my left pocket I placed this card which is black – what color ball do you have in your left pocket? Black!  In my inside jacket pocket I placed this card which is yellow – what color ball do you have in your inside jacket pocket! Yellow!  And finally in my rear pocket I placed this card which is Green – what color do you have in your rear pocket?  Green! 

I really like this approach and it looks way more amazing than the effort involved.

The final thing I wanted to mention about Christopher Taylor is on top of all of this he seems like a really nice guy.  He replies to your emails and goes the extra mile to make you happy.  If you read his posts of The Cafe his comments are fair and honorable, which is so often not the case in the magic world.

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Mr. Magic is a low-price creator of magic from India.  I’m not sure who is actually behind the operation but they sell a lot of magic through their main distributor: Murphy’s Magic.  You won’t find much from Mr. Magic on my site, but recently for a great routine for the ABC blocks by Duane Lafin I needed a cheap and simple forcing bag and for $6 this was perfect.  Looks good and is very deceptive.  The construction would probably not hold up under duress but for this effect I could not find a better looking bag.

You have to supply your own cards or forcing items, I’m using A, B, C letters for the ABC effect.

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One of Thomas Pohle’s best. Beautifully made precision boxes with various possible routines. My favorite is an amazing prediction effect where the spectator matches the colored chips previously hidden inside the boxes by the performer. In which the spectator places a different color chip in front of each box, with no force whatsoever, and yet every time they match with the chips inside each of the boxes.

The amazing magic and craftsmanship of Thomas Pohle was long unsung, but thanks to Joe Long and myself I think Thomas Pohle is much better known in the USA and beyond these days. Thomas certainly deserves it after creating beautiful clever magic for over thirty years!

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