5 Stars

2020 began very well for Magic Wagon with two wonderful releases early in the year. This is a perfect utility device to cleanly force 1 out of 5 billets or small cards.  It is inspired by Magic Wagon’s earlier release the MasterMind Box c. 2010 (which is one of the few items I missed when it came out originally for no particular reason).  It is quite similar to Louis Gaynor’s Miser’s Dream Box also from the same year, however the mechanism is quite different and easier to use with nothing hidden in your hands, or added or taken away.  But what really sets this release apart is the two wonderful routines written by John M. Talbot which are very well written and really make the most of this beautiful prop. 

When John gets involved you know you are in for a treat as we saw with his wonderful routine 3rd Degree Psychic included with Mini Diceloation.  With Revelation! John is back in fine form. Along with writing the overall routines for the basic effect he includes two other wonderful routines:

• The Wish Box – a great idea which maximizes the experience and really engages the audience.  Done well there won’t be a dry eye in the house.  What is also neat about this routine is that it is very versatile and it will allow you to include all sorts of cultural references to fully capture the imagination of the audience.  It can be applied to almost any theme you need for your show (Christmas, Graduation, Wedding, New Baby, Retirement, etc.)
• The Gamble – this provides a great bit of mentalism, combined with surprising finish that will have them kicking and praising you at the same time.

What John also does is to inspire you to to think about how you could use this box to improve existing routines.  When you have five  guaranteed outs you can often think of routines you already do that could be extended or improved with this box.  Because it is a box it could possibly hold the props too, so  you can provide a reason for the box in the first place and perform the standard routine and then make it stronger with a final killer revelation.

This is a wonderful box that comes with some wonderful routines and has plenty of potential besides.  Great Job guys 🙂

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One of my favorite glass penetrations is the Glass (Quadruple) Penetration that was invented by Peter Warlock c. 1937. It is sometimes known as the English Glass Penetration and there have been a number of versions created, even as recently as 2008 when Magic Wagon had  their own attempt with their Mod Quad Penetration.

Twelve years later they are back again with a new version which is much closer to the original, but in close-up size.  This prop scales down very well and because of the size the mechanism is much easier to use.  If you watch the video you will witness the perfect routine created by Simon Corneille.  Simon’s routine is a master class in how to get everything out of this beautiful prop.  He adds a few components and chooses the perfect music and his execution is flawless.

If you don’t believe you are watching real magic then you never will.  Simon’s video is one of the best I have ever seen for any Magic Wagon item.  The amazing prop and Simon’s routine are both really excellent 🙂

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This is Ed Massey’s beautiful and original creation Buried Treasure c. 1957. In 1964 (the same year that Ed Massed passed away) another effect with a slightly refined method, but same basic principle also called Buried Treasure was created by Arturo (Glenn Babbs) and marketed by U.F. Grant and Abbott’s.

As far as I could tell there was no mention of Ed Massey as the original creator.  If you look at both effects the main change is that Arturo added two extra nested boxes and a fixed gimmick but there is no doubt the effect is the same (a marked coin is found embedded deep in rice or beans) and the method is very similar too.  That being said the effect looks better in Arturo’s version and his method is probably easier to perform but it would be at least nice to credit the creator of the original idea. Without Ed Massey’s version being released seven years earlier it is unlikely Arturo could have “invented” his version.

Arturo’s version has become the more popular version with builders like Mel Babcock and Louis Gaynor creating beautiful versions along with other versions, and so most people credit this effect to Arturo.  But the original effect that began it all by the great Ed Massey is still a wonderful surprising effect and a real fooler.

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The Silk Cabby was invented by British Magician Tom Sellers c. 1933 in his booklet More Secrets, and it was originally called A Colour Change Handkerchief Box. Described in Dr. Albo 6, and also with historical detail in The Ultimate Thayer (pg. 71). The the name Silk Cabby was coined by Floyd Thayer as he advertised his first version November 1933.

This colorful and beautiful version was created by Michael Baker exclusively for Stevens Magic. As always with Michael’s creations he has added features that he has refined over the years as a long time performer.  This Silk Cabby does not use the older elevator method which means the mechanism is smoother and less error prone.  Michael has also added felt to dampen any sounds, a larger chamber to accommodate bigger loads, and uses magnets for the doors to streamline opening and closing the doors.  In addition, the box is painted in such a way that from a short distance it appears that the base is open, making the illusion even stronger.

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Krazy Rabbit (KR) Professional Magic was a British magic manufacturer dealer started by Stewart Murray in 1983 . They focused on high-quality props with significant original content for working performers and professionals.

The KR Ultimate Card Box is quite unique and although it has features found in Joe Berg’s Mento-Card Box among others, I don’t think there is any other Card Box with quite as many useful features found together.

It is the sort of box that you could play with and come up with some neat routines though sadly it only works with Bridge sized cards, not Poker.

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For the types of shows I do these days I knew I was never going to perform this but I was very  intrigued by the effect so purchased and watched the detailed instructions though I have never actually opened the box.  I will say this is much better than I expected.  Jay goes into great detail on how to perform the effect to its best advantage and talks about how the whole effect came about.

There is no doubt performed well this looks like real magic.  Performed badly it will not look like real magic.  The fact that you start out by having everything minutely examined really removes any suspicions that the audience might have.  It is best performed in a formal close-up or parlor setting, and in the right situation this will leave then gasping.  It is easy to do but will take some practice to make it look as good as Josh does, but it is certainly not hard to do.

This could just be the effect you have been looking for to raise your game and really bring back moments of astonishment and true magic to your audience.

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This amazing vanish was created from an old 1940’s Hubley “Army 45” Cap Gun die-cast pistol.  The pistol is very solidly made and the gimmick added to make the card or bill vanish is also well engineered.  Hubley was from Lancaster, Pennsylvania and started in 1894. The Hubley company made some of the finest Cap Guns you ever saw. 

You will not believe how quick and effective the vanish is. You clip the card or bill or note into the special holder attached to the barrel of gun.  Point the gun at the target and simply pull the trigger and in an instant the card has disappeared.  There are some angle issues – you can’t be behind the gun or at the side in front of the gun, but from the front it looks very convincing.

A real nice prop from Tannen’s in the 1950’s and 1960’s 🙂

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This is a lovely effect which is as baffling as it is entertaining. The original idea comes from Karl Germain (1878-1959) using a large goblet to hold the cards. Eric Lewis also created a version called Comedy Come-back Card c. 1947 which is still available from his son Martin Lewis. The most popular version of this idea was created by Nick Ruggiero and Collectors’ Workshop.  Card Transformer is better than the CW version because the base can be shown all around before and after the effect, and the gimmick is more precise and requires less motion.

According to the instructions Eckhard Boettcher did not base this upon the CW version (which was released five years earlier c. 1986 vs c. 1991) but instead based it upon an idea from a German magazine c. 1957.  Which was then turned into an automated effect by Herbert Martin Paufler a few years later and Eckhard produced his Nepomuk II. Then c. 1991 he continued the idea with Tony Lackner and this effect was released.

If I had a choice I would choose this Tony Lackner version over the CW version but they are both beautiful and clever effects.

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For more details on Willi Wessel’s unique Alan Warner collection click here.

This is one of the funniest and earliest effects Alan created and just one look at Madison Hagler’s will sell you – Madison does an amazing job, and you can really feel the frustration he has with these perverse dice. This is the original painted version, not the teak version shown in the video, but the effect is the same.

Great magic and comedy all come together in this fine package 🙂

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For more details on Willi Wessel’s unique Alan Warner collection click here.

This is a rare item from Alan’s early works for Children. It is a large size paddle with multiple color changes. It works very well and unlike every other paddle of its kind I have seen, each color change is independent of the other side so one side can change and the other does not.

Whether you perform to Children or Adults or are just looking for a missing piece to your Warner Collection, you’ll love this unique paddle effect.

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