Andy Martin

What a cute piece of magic this is created in a very limited edition by Méo and Mandrile.  It is called a Magic Toy rather than a magic prop but really it is just as magical as many, many items from Tenyo and they don’t call their items Magic Toys.

It is really very magical …  and if you watch Rob’s routine in the video he has developed a wonderful routine that is easy to do and has some fun and plenty of mystery.  It works automatically as you close the lid, there is nothing to flick or hidden switches to move.  Just open and close the lid and the magic happens.

It cannot be examined and as issued it does not come with any sort of routine.  But after reading the account of how David Williamson made Attaboy a closer for his act in David Regal’s excellent book Interpreting Magic,what makes an entertaining routine is clearly nothing to do with the prop and everything to do with the performer.  So in the right hands, I am quite sure this could be a complete miracle, with tears and laughter too and if you watch Rob’s routine in the video he has it all and he has done an amazing job 🙂

This really does everything you see in the video. So if you like what you see then you will love this bad boy.  I can’t see anything going wrong with this and if you spend a little time coming up with a routine lie Rob did in the video, you will have a real miracle on your hands.

Great Job Méo and Mandrile 🙂

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I wasn’t consciously collecting the Okito-Williams series masterly crafted by Carl Williams but I seem to have added quite a number of them.  This latest addition is by far the most impressive of the series and one of the prettiest pieces of magic you can own.

I can’t imagine how difficult these are to make from scratch but it looks beautiful and after I maintained the vertical slide bars, according to the instructions, it works smoothly every time.  It is easy to perform but quite large so you will need a reasonable size table to perform this.

I included a beautiful and large 36″ silk and brass bullet wand so that you’ll have some suitable objects out of the gate to use for the penetrations.  An effect this breathtaking requires equally fine items to use for the penetrations 🙂

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Boy what a rare and beautiful example of D.A. Tayade’s work this Rice Vase is.  It stands 15″ tall which is quite a lot more impressive and rarer than the 11″ and 13″ ones you normally see. This will look amazing in your collection or in your next performance.  Made from wood and perfectly hand painted this is a premium example of this classic effect.

The load chamber is massive and although you can fill it pretty close to the brim and still vanish all of the rice, I found it easier to work with if you minimize the amount of rice you use – just makes the whole effect a little more manageable and less messy without detracting from the magic.

The problem I have with this effect is normally it is over too quickly.  I managed to track down a great set of routines by Eddie Joseph titled Queen Esther’s Magic Vase that appeared in the December 1965 issue of Genii magazine.  And after reading through those routines I came up with the routine below.

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This Mental Die is well made with very fine tolerances, but has no frills and is stripped down to work perfectly every time.  It easy to do and comes with an extra effect in the instructions that most people miss called Spectral Control which is a great way of performing the effect with some extra magic instead of simply determining the top number on the die.

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This is one of the last things I purchased from Frank Starsinic’s great company before he closed-up shop earlier this year. Frank produced a great line of custom bags, pouches, cases, and various leather goods and will be missed. If you have a nice set of Linking Rings then this is the perfect carry bag.

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This is based upon Bob Ostin’s Dice Prediction c. 1953. And is quite similar to Nelson’s Mental Gimic. However, the difference between Bob Koch’s version and both the original and Nelson’s is that it uses gravity instead of a spring or rubber band.  This makes is less likely to break, but also means that it can make more of a sound and is less versatile. 

The unit is the most solid of all the versions I have seen and is very easy to switch out for other items such as billets, notes, and bills.

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This is a remake of Heath’s Mystic Tappit  – not sure why Jay Leslie spelt “Tappit” incorrectly  when he released this but it should have two p’s.

This is a functional version and Jay has included an extra phase which works well too.  But to my mind it is not necessary and just repeating the standard effect two or three times in a row is really enough to blow their minds.  This is one of the few effects that gets better with repetition.  And unlike the original bakelite tiles these colors will not fade 🙂

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I’ve always liked Masuda’s Frozen in Time, but this latest update using ideas from Swedish Mentalist Lars-Peter Loeld really turns this is to a real miracle because the frame can be fully examined by the audience.

It is easy to do and you’ll no doubt love this as so many others already do.

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This is a beautifully produced stage version of the Frozen in Time 2.0 – The Swedish Touch.  And not only does it work the same (and perfectly at that), it looks amazing.  They really did a bang-up job on this.

I found the stage version took a little more time to get the knack due to the size of the clock but an extra five minutes of practice is not going to kill you 🙂

I suggest you get both so you’re always ready to roll no matter what the situation.  The final image shows the difference in size between the standard and the stage version.  The stage version is much bigger but not unmanageable at all.

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What a clever brass utility box this is and made so perfectly by Terry Roses. It comes in a beautiful inlaid oak  carrying case too. Terry Roses does it all: he is a sleight of hand enthusiast, an avid collector of gambling equipment, locks, Houdiniana, a lecturer, a fantastic craftsman, and the secret identity of Dr. X.  These were originally sold directly by Terry Roses c. 1982 and in 1987 a few sets were also sold by Stevens Magic Emporium.  SME called this item the Ultimate Prediction Bottle (Plug Box) just to keep things interesting and historians guessing.

Although, I had read about a plug box before in Modern Magic and Thayer Quality Magic and even recall that Viking’s Bill Vanishing Tube was based on the same principle, this is the first one I have played with.  And I must say I love it 🙂  It is very effective and can be used to vanish, produce and exchange coins and other smaller items with ease.

Includes:

• The Brass Plug-Box
• The Oak inlaid carrying case.
• Instructions from Modern Magic.
• Instructions from Thayer Quality Magic and an NMC Presentation Routine (Bonus).
• Three different Fantasy Coins which look and feel real and add a little mystery to the various effects you can do with this clever little box (Bonus).

It is nice to get surprised when you pick up one of these old brass items that really is a very wonderful device and perfectly machined.

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