5 Stars

This clever little beauty invented by Ralph Elias “Eli” Hackman c. 1920 and beautiful crafted in mahogany by Floyd Thayer c. 1921 and appeared in various forms from other dealers over the years. It should not be confused with a sure-shot die box which looks similar but uses a very different method.

The supplied effect is easy to do and in fact at first I didn’t believe it would work, but it works perfectly if you follow the instructions exactly as provided.  You do need to be able to add and subtract from 21, but otherwise nothing is added or taken away.

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This was invented by Al Baker c. 1940 and sold by him and later Tannen’s and others.  An improved version was introduced by Al c. 1947 with a revised gimmick.  This was easier to use but unfortunately has a tendency to yellow and split after 80 years as I found when working on this 🙁

I was able to use the original gimmick and that is what I’m using for these photos and I also had a new one fabricated using a 3D printer and it works better than ever.

Regardless of the aging or gimmick this is a clever idea that is easy to do and looks very effective to the audience, and of course no TT’s are used 🙂

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This wonderful effect was invented by Louis Histed c. 1932. The sole manufacturing rights were granted to Davenport’s c. 1941 but this has not stopped other manufacturers building this over the years.  It is often called Sugar and Sand so be wary when doing searches since both titles seem to be used quite freely even in the same instructions 🙂

This Davenport’s version most closely follows Histed’s original designs and is very different from the Abbott’s version shown here.  Abbott’s uses a much simpler method but until I had seen the Davenport’s version I had no idea of the differences.  Apart from taking the idea without permission Abbott’s were criticized for their “mighty poor imitation” but to be honest the Abbott’s version is the more practical to use for repeat performances.  The clean-up is much easier, though at first glance you would think that the Davenport’s version would be easier – the main issue is friction, the sand, salt or sugar (whichever you use) gets in the way and makes it trickier to separate the pieces for clean-up.  With the Abbott’s version there are a lot less moving parts, which means less to get jammed up with sand 🙂  Another nice feature of the Abbott’s version is reuse is easier though if you are careful it is still quite possible with the Davenport’s version. Finally, the pouring with the Abbott’s one is more regulated so it appears there is more sand from the small container as you can pour for longer.

That being said the Davenport’s version does permit a cleaner more hands off performance which I hope to show you in a video soon …  Also, if you watch the Abbott’s video you’ll notice I have to do some “strange moves”  a couple of times to ensure that the mechanism is activated.  This is not an issue with the Davenport’s version.

You rarely see effects these days with this much thought and with props built so well.  Instead of the plain red of the original version issued by Davenport’s (see final photo) these have been repainted in the style of Voisin and look amazing. Another really fine effect from almost eighty years ago – they certainly don’t make them like this anymore 🙂

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This beautiful piece was made out of wood and hand-painted by German craftsman Dietmar Willert c. 1987. Dietmar made a series of Egyptian themed pieces and all are beautiful and highly collectible. The Windblown sands was made in a limited edition of 87 units with each set numbered on the base – this is # 34 of 87. Joe Stevens marketed these c. 1989 and included an English patter story by Bill Palmer.

As pretty and clever as this routine is, it feels much more like a collector’s effect as it stands and I think it needs something more to bring it home. And I think I have the perfect effect: Tony Lackner’s Hand of Cleopatra. 

This is a collectible and cute piece of magic but it probably won’t fool anyone who has lived in last fifty years. Bill Palmer’s story is good, but something is missing for this to really entertain. However, by doing this first and then moving into the custom Hand of Cleopatra you can demonstrate two levels of control – first the sand and then the movement of the hand itself, which can leave to a satisfying complete routine.

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One of the cleanest Per Clausen effects available which is easy to do with multiple phases.

The two playing cards were my addition, but I really like them and it makes the effect easier and more amazing in my opinion.  I include a set to use if you want to 🙂

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This wonderful effect was invented by Edwin Hooper and released by Jack Hughes c. 1953. This version was released by Supreme Magic under license from Jack Hughes c. 1968.

It is a really well made prop when Supreme used to make good quality wooden props and this still looks amazing all these years later. The house, frame, and stand are wood with thick and varnished High-Gloss Jumbo cards.

The routine is perfect for younger children – when I used to do children’s magic this would have been precisely the sort of  effect I would perform:

• It has a simple recognizable plot.
• There is lots of interaction with the children.
• The props are large, bright and colorful.
• There is a clear ending for the children to clap.

What a wonderful effect for the young ones 🙂

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Magic dealers and creators often like to use the word Ultimate and Definitive when describing their shiny new version of a classic effect. Sadly, quite frequently these versions still leave a lot to be desired.  But with Clift Mitchell’s Ultimate What’s Next that is not the case – Clift has addressed every issue I could think of and then some and really produced the Ultimate version of Tenyo’s popular effect What’s Next from 1965.

Clift created his first version in 2016 and made a run of 10 in 2017.  In 2022 he made some changes to the design and as of October 2022 he has created 22 units in total (though the numbers go up to #23 as he skipped #11 when he started the second build at #12).

What I particularly like about Clift’s version is how the dots align pretty much automatically without having to watch them at all.  I just did it while I was writing this description with my eyes closed and I nailed each change perfectly – try doing that with Tenyo’s or the others.

The Ultimate What’s Next is hand made by Clift and he spends about 20 hours on each unit.  The board is made from wood and has a special aluminum flashing surface which is smooth and hard wearing. Embedded in the board and spots are 14 neodymium magnets and no expense has been spared on the production.

I like this version so much that I’m going to be placing it behind the bar in The Porcupine for use as a sobriety test for those local trouble makers.

Great job Clift and I hope to feature more of your exclusive treasures on my site in the future 🙂

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