Tag: Andy Martin

Another rare beauty from Carl Williams in his Okito-Williams style. Here Carl takes on the legendary Delben Blotter with great success and produces the prettiest magic blotter you will find!

The Delben Blotter is in no way a new effect however the Okito style it has been given is unique. This innovation to this effect was prompted by a suggestion offered by Mr. Dean Arnold an American magician and collector presently residing in London, England.

The apparatus consists of a prop resembling one of the old ink blotters used extensively in and around the late twenties. This item was very popular prior to the invention of the ballpoint pen. In those days all fountain pens, as they were called, contained a rubber ink bladder that held a supply of ink. When the pen was used it deposited wet ink onto the writing paper that could be quickly dried when the curved surface of a blotter was rolled over the written surface.

If the performer places a sheet of blank paper into the tray that has been cut to the dimensions of a currency and then rolls the blotter over it. During this process the spectator is give the illusion that the blank paper has been printed by the blotter into a genuine piece of legitimate currency. Of course the result is real currency genuine in every respect.

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One of my favorite Collectors’ Workshop effects is their In A Gilded Cage.  It looks beautiful, works really well, has a great method, is easy to do, and when you see your watch hanging from the perch in the brass bird cage it takes your breath away.

I’m the first to admit that I’m getting a little tired of almost every new trick coming out these days requiring electricity and batteries and USB cables, which is certainly one of the reasons I buy old magic!  So when I purchased this item I was expecting to be unimpressed.  But boy it is a clever, clever piece of magic.  It is hard to imagine anyone not only being wowed by the ingenuity that has gone into the creation of this effect, but also the quality of the product itself, and most importantly the impact on the audience.  It worked first time out of the box and every time in testing too.  A very easy and clever mechanism that you are sure to love.

João Miranda is a highly-respected magic creator having created original illusions for some of the biggest names in magic, including; David Copperfield, Lu Chen, Xavier Mortimer as well as many others.

Effect:
A beautifully packaged box is placed on a table before the performance begins. The magician then borrows any small object from the audience, has it signed then makes it vanish!

The magician then walks over to the table and picks up the mysterious package.The package is opened, and from it the spectator removes a red gift box tied with a golden bow. The spectator then unties the bow, removes the lid and finds inside a beautiful wrist watch. The watch is cleanly placed on the spectators palm.

Without ANY suspicious moves the magician cleanly unscrews the back of the watch. The back is then lifted off of the watch and the borrowed object is found inside!

TIMELESS combines everyday objects and modern technology, making the trick 100% automatic and self-contained.

Take a look at these features:

• The cleverly gimmicked boxes and hidden electronic system do all the work for you.
• You will be blown away once you see the ingenious method behind the trick!
• The trick works 100% automatically, and the boxes and watch can be handled freely by the spectators.
• The trick can be performed in close-up situations, parlor, or on stage.
• Due to the clever way the gimmicks are built the trick is very easy to perform.

Timeless comes complete ready to perform. Also included are several routines and ideas, including a mind-blowing mentalism effect.

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The ingenious trick inventor Yrus (Wilhelm von Sury – 1922-2008) was born in Switzerland and was a pioneer in the field of electronics in magic. Some of his more memorable effects included: the record that dyes itself in the air, a sophisticated lock and key box, “tasting” colors, and a vault for mental sensations. This wonderful effect, Time Special released in Germany by Eckhard Boettcher, is at the other end of the spectrum and relies on no electronics or external devices, but it works perfectly every time and sure fooled me when I first saw it.

The performer shows two small wooden blocks each with a clock face, a plastic dial and a plastic hinged lid to cover the faces. He hands each clock one at a time to the spectator for examination. The performer then picks up one of the clocks and makes his prediction by selecting an hour, and closes the lid hiding his choice from view.

He now places his clock in front of the spectator and never touches either clock again. The spectator now takes their clock and chooses any hour (absolutely no force) and closes up the lid and places their clock down on top of the performers clock. The performer asks the spectator if they would like to change their mind – and they can if they want, but once they are happy the spectator lays both clocks side by side and lifts up the lids. Both dials are pointing to the exact same time.

This works instantly and automatically and it can be a different time every time. When you see all of the crazy high tech magic available today it is good to see something so clean and effective without resorting to a printed circuit board – this is a real treat for all of us who are tried of recharging batteries 🙁

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I’ve had this exact wallet now for 16 years and performed the main effect, Psycho Killer, dozens of times with $1 bills and I love it. But it dawned on me last year, when one of my spectators said “I can win all $3?”, that if you are going to bother to make this up you should use the largest notes you can afford. If I was really wealthy I’d use $100, but I’m not so $20 will have to do. Doing the effect with $20 just adds a lot more interest for the spectators. It is the same reason you do the Hundy 500 (and similar effects based on Pat Page’s Easy Money) with $100 bills and not $10 or $20. Just has a much better impact on the audience.

This is the original limited edition brown lizard skin wallet that was first released directly from R. Paul Wilson. To my mind it was the best version Paul released crafted by Joe Porper.  The later versions still had the same great features but the leather was not as elegant.

The Predator a utility device that allows you to perform absolute miracles with ease. It comes with three powerhouse effects that will destroy your audience in professional shows, client meetings, restaurants, or at the bar. It’s versatility allows for limitless possibilities, yet it fits perfectly into your pants pocket. The Predator Wallet comes with three miracle effects including Paul’s highly acclaimed Psycho Killer routine.

Effect 1:
Imagine being able to bet real money on a card someone is merely thinking of! You begin with just three dollar bills and bet on the suit and value of the card in their mind (a completely free choice). Finally, with the three bills on the table in full view and the wallet clearly shown empty, the bills are turned over to show the name of the thought-of card written across the bills!

Effect 2:
You show a small envelope in your wallet before having any card thought of? The envelope is removed (you may even show that there are no other envelopes in the wallet) and the thought-of card appears inside the envelope!

Effect 3:
You have someone merely think of a card before vou remove one face-down and place it into your wallet? Asking what card they are thinking of, you deal he deck showing fifty one cards, their thought of card is gone and is cleanly removed from the wallet!

This is a must-have for both magicians and mentalists who want to show their audiences no mercy. Along with renowned master craftsman, Joe Porper, Paul has developed a product that matches quality with ingenuity.

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At the end of last year Kent Bergmann released his first Limited Edition item First Class and what an amazing beauty it was. Easily the most involved 3D Magic effect I have ever seen. It required so many pieces that Kent just released a custom case that would hold all of the pieces neatly in place. The original First Class featuring 30 units sold out within a few days, and everyone but one of the purchasers opted for this case too. I feel sorry for the one person who didn’t – I’m pretty sure he will regret that decision over time 🙁

This is not a magic trick in itself, but the way it fits all of the pieces so well, in a relatively small box is quite magical. There are very few dealers around that spend this much time and take this sort of care for simply the presentation and storage of an effect, particularly when you look at how much work is involved in creating these cases. Kent is here to stay and he is producing some amazing magic, but he is already retiring some products so make sure you get over there now before all the best items have gone!

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The Pom-Pom Prayer Stick was invented by Louis Histed and published in his book The Magic of Louis S. Histed c. 1947 as the effect Papyrus (pg 55). The effect was made famous and very popular by the great Ali Bongo (William Oliver Wallace: 1829-2009). You can read more details about the origins here. It is really a beautiful effect full of comedy and mystery.

This version is beautifully produced with precision engineering and has been my goto version for about twenty years. You have a length of tube with a piece of cord passing thru each end. Different colored, bug fluffy Pom Poms are attached to each end of the cord. The pieces of cord are pulled back and forth thru the rod to prove the cords are unconnected. but just to confuse the audience, the magician pulls one cord out to double its original length, making the cord on the other end go up. From then on, whichever end the performer pulls it will become a long cord on its own, giving the impression that there are at least six cords.

With limitless and comic variation, the magician repeatedly pulls on the ends until the audience becomes completely bewildered. Then the great climax – unexpectedly you make both cords long, then pull the tube apart to show there is no connection between the cords (this amazes the audience and they show it!) Slip the two halves back together again, and to show the audience that you have a miracle in your hands, resume pulling the cords as before, and take a well deserved bow. This is always gets a great reaction, yet it is self contained and easy to do.

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This effect was originally created by magician and inventor Rebru of Holland c. 1990. It was rebuilt by Joe Long and Paul Lembo as part of their Limited Edition Magic series c. 2015 and this inspired the new Dutch Craftsman Frans Reijnier, from Holland Magic Studio, to build his own version. In fact, Frans created three versions: Mini, Standard, and Jumbo. This is the 2″ mini version and not only is it as cute as a button, it works perfectly and looks amazing.

You show a small golden solid block with a hole drilled through it, a solid magic wand and an empty frame which you can show by opening the back and front doors. You then take the magic wand and place it in the middle of the frame and close the doors. You then take the golden block and place it in the frame until it rests on the wand. Then you push down on the block and it PENETRATES THE WAND. How is that possible? Then you open the front of the frame and lift the block from the frame, the magic wand is now through the hole in the block. Of course you can take out the wand and show everything to be solid and fair.

Very well made from wood and metal, includes everything you need including a link to an online instructional video. Very limited supply. Keep an eye on Holland Magic Studio, because if the first few items are anything to go on Frans is going to be a power house before you know it.

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What impresses me about this box is that there are no moving parts, no electronics, no magnets, nothing to add to take away, no reset, and yet you are ready to go right away – arrive at the event, pull out your box, take our your tarot cards and other things you store in the box and straight away you can start to read their minds.  What a lovely idea, and will last a lifetime – even if you leave it on your shelf for years before using it!

This is a vintage-looking box in which the mentalist carries the tools of his trade: playing cards, tarot cards, etc. A participant writes something down on a blank card and inserts it face down into the slot of the closed box. The mentalist then accesses the spectators thoughts without touching the box! An ingenious, hand-crafted wooden box about 18 x 14 x 10 cm. Comes with a velour bag which may or may not be used during the performance.  This is the original Mind’s Eye Box which has been discontinued and not the later more decorative versions. Ideal for close-up but could be used for parlor or stage.

Inspired by Magnuson’s Devil Device box, as featured in Theodore Annemann’s book Practical Mental Magic (Effects) and also described in The Jinx #89 But unlike the Devil Device there are no moving parts, or the need to touch the box after the spectator had placed their written details inside.  It also doesn’t have some of the angle issues that the original Devil Device had.

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This is a beautiful effect from Magic Wagon, inspired by one of the best effects the master inventor Ed Massey ever created The Chinese Flame Clock (c. 1958) and one of the most popular effects that Milson-Worth created.

You will not be disappointed by this amazing piece of magic from Magic Wagon. Based on an amazing effect, reduced in size for collectors, with flawless mechanics and simply beautiful too. This is the one to get, as Magic Wagon created a lot less than usual. You’ll love this bad boy!

A steel bolt is shown to be completely solid and then placed inside a beautiful wooden cabinet. The front door is now closed and two solid brass blades are pushed through the cabinet from side to side creating the illusion of cutting the bolt into three pieces. When the door is opened, the blades are clearly seen running through the cabinet, but the middle section of the bolt has now vanished! The performer then wave’s his hand behind the cabinet to further prove that the steel bolt’s middle section is not visible. The front door is now closed and the blades are removed. When the door is finally opened again, the center section of the bolt has reappeared! The steel bolt can now be removed and shown to be fully restored. It is a great miniature illusion!

The cabinet measures approximately 8.8cms wide, 15cms high and 8.8cms deep and has been completely handcrafted from natural aged teak wood with a lightly distressed oil finish.

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This is an advanced version of the old sucker effect Lucky Light (Harry Stanley c. 1950) with three chips and a small box with three colored push button switches. It is created by the Austrian electronic wizard Paul Picha, who also created such wonders as the Stone of the Pharoah. Paul had a nice website at ppmagic.at but it seems to have gone dark, like so many before it. The box is 100% self-contained with no magnets or external devices and unlike the original Lucky Light they can press their buttons multiple times and nothing will happen, until you finally try your chosen light which of course does light.

You show the audience an elegant box with a small light and three buttons with different colors, and explain that the light can only be lit with one of the three buttons. Now you place three chips the same colors as the buttons on the table and ask two spectators to choose one chip each. The last, third chip remains for you. Now, one by one, the spectators press their button corresponding to their selected chip. However, neither the first nor the second manages to turn on the light! Only you are able to light the lamp with the third button!

The key thing is that it does not matter if you press the button first, second or third! The feat can be repeated immediately (with different colors).

Your hands are free (no magnets, etc.), there are no remotes, and you do not add or remove anything and the box can even be examined! This is a great method that I have not seen before. And to top it off it uses standard AAA batteries which can easily be replaced by unscrewing the base unit, but they should last for months (years?) due to the small amount of power used for the light.

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