Andy Martin

In 2015 Magic Wagon released their first version of this chest using electronics. This version uses no electronics and it basically allows you to have any six items chosen and a prediction for that item will appear effortlessly in the box. It looks great and once you follow the instructions works smoothly every time.

However, the problem with this type of chest, and Prediction Chests in general, is that the prediction is often tiny compared with the box that delivers it. So the question that any sane lay person would ask is “Why do you use such a big box for such a small piece of paper, is it because the box is doing something fishy?” And the answer is always yes 🙁

So when you have such a nice box like this you have to find a way to add more into the box to hide the size disparity. There are a number of ideas that Magic Wagon enthusiasts have come up with and here is my rough routine (You will need one of El Duco’s Your Personal Key):

“Good Evening. I spent the weekend in a boutique hotel in a small village in the Texas Hill Country. It was a lovely village and they had at least six cool looking hotels in the center of downtown – and here they are. I don’t recall all the names so I have numbered them 1-6 for simplicity. In a moment I am going to ask you to pick any hotel and then pick any room # from 1-99 in the hotel and I feel confident you will choose precisely the ones I am already thinking of 🙂

Just in case you doubt my word (how rude!) I have placed inside this box a key with the room number I stayed in and a rolled up piece of paper with the hotel number which I will leave in full view right here.

 I first want you to think of a room number – it can be any number from 1-99. I have a little pad here and I will draw a picture of door to really impress it upon your memory. What was the number you were thinking of? number 46, do you mean like this? (Show them the pad). That is great. Ok, now I want you to think of the hotel number … number 4 … ok! So Hotel 4, Room 46. Is that correct?

This box has been here in full view all of this time and I have not touched it since we began. (Open the draw). Please reach in and remove the building number first and reveal the Hotel number. While they are unrolling this you pull out the key and (do the move) and place the fob face down in front of them.

They now show that you picked Hotel 4 – a perfect match

And now turn over the fob to reveal Room number also matches 46. Amazing!

What I like about this approach:

1. Justifies the larger box.
2. Takes the heat of the one move with El Duco’s Your Personal Key because the first prediction gives you a beat to place the key down when they are still impressed by the first reveal.
3. Allows you to add some extra interest to the story as you talk about the hotel, village, etc.  This is just the bare bones.

Whether you use this approach or one of the other ones suggested, it is important to dress up the small prediction, otherwise you won’t reach the full potential of this wonderful piece of mechanics.

Click here for more information.

I’ve never been a Tenyo fanatic and only have a smattering of their items on my site, but I will say after browsing through Richard Kaufman’s amazing (and heavy) lifetime passion it is easy to see why so many magicians are.  I’ve included Quenten Reynolds from MagicWeek review below as he nails it perfectly.

I’m not a fan of the frequent use of the word “awesome“, but I think Tenoyism deserves it: this is an awesome contribution to magic, thank-you Mr. Kaufman 🙂

Click here for more information.

Here is a compact and well conceived version of T.A. Waters’ Box Office from Anthony Yap’s company: Retro Rocketeers.  A company that specializes in some beautiful 3-D Printed magical items.  One of the things that sets Anthony’s work apart is that the 3D printing phase is just the initial phase of creation and then he goes on to hand finish and paint the items to give them that extra punch and uniqueness.  You can see some of his unique creations on his website here.

This little beauty works perfectly and Anthony provides a thorough and clear video of how to perform the effect and how to set it up.  This version of Box Office has the ability to place any one of the four predictions face down inside the box before you begin and then when the spectator makes their choice the prediction is tipped out to match.  With the exception of the Magic Wagon this feature is missing from many other versions of the effect, and does add that extra convincer.

Overall a wonderful version and keep your eye on Retro Rocketeers as they have a growing and interesting selection of items.

Click here for more information.

Omar Ferret’s cup is the same as many others I have seen but it is unclear when these were introduced, certainly the 1980’s but could have been much earlier. Possibly derived from the Chop Cup, with the important distinction that for most of these Coin Cups when they are loaded you can still look inside the cup. This is a big difference and useful when creating routines. The other key detail about this type of cup (just like the Chop Cup) is they can be thoroughly examined because it is only when they are combined with a suitably gimmicked coin that they become effective. There is no adding or stealing of other cups and most effects can be done without any real sleight of hand. Of course the beauty of a utility item like this is when you blend it with just a small amount of sleight of hand you can look like a real master.

Omar’s is a really solid and thick aluminum cup and coin gimmick from Cuban Magician Omar Ferret. This one comes with no routine, but it is much better quality than the Johnny Wong Cup. It can be used for penetrations, transformations, vanishes, and appearances.

Click here for more information.

This item was originally created by Rich Bloch and released in limited quantities by Rich himself c. 2009. It is now being made perfectly by George Robinson.  This is the later version built by George and they are currently unavailable.

Apart from being a very clever idea and a beautifully made prop what I really like about this effect is that  Rich has blended all the moves into a very smooth sequence. If you follow the directions it will allow you to perform a miracle without any real heat on you.  The action is done at the least expected moments and you are left looking clean  and magical.

Click here for more information.

Dominique Duvivier created this effect c. 1997 and it was also known as Les Jokers Translucides. It was released by Jeff Busby shortly after as Translucent Jokers and Jeff wrote very detailed instructions for it.  It is not a difficult routine to master but it will take some time and practice to do it well. 

In 2020 Airship Magic released this version in a Limited Edition of 24 sets.  It remains faithful to the original with a nice quality Himber wallet included.  The only issue I had with the wallet was that things were a little snug, but I’m guessing that would improve quite quickly over time if you perform (or practice) the effect.

A very different and visual routine that slips into your pocket and is ready to go to amaze and amuse them all.  Airship include the Jeff Busby instructions – a full 13 page spread.

Click here for more information.

Since 2016, Mad Jake Jr. and his brother Frederick have been growing their company Airship Magic into a successful magic manufacturing and distribution company.  Jake focuses mainly on the metal and coin work and Frederick on the wood work and turning.  They also collaborate with smaller, and often unknown, craftsmen to bring a unique line of magic that you rarely find elsewhere in the industry.  Their commitment to quality and innovation is high and I’ve been very happy with the products I have purchased from them directly and through Stevens Magic. Just browsing through their website you will find all sorts of cool items that you won’t find elsewhere.

This item is my favorite version of Magiro’s beautiful classic Hydro Die and unlike many of the others that have been released over the years this version stays true to the small form factor that is so key to the success of this illusion.    Although some builders, notably Magic Wagon and also Jake Jr. himself have created some very popular versions, to my mind they are too ornate and large which detracts from the actual simplicity and beauty of the illusion.

This one built by Frederick is perfect and works smoother than even the original.  It uses a nice blood wood base and lid to keep collectors happy, but otherwise closely follows Magiro’s original.  It works perfectly.

Click here for more information.

Since 2016, Mad Jake Jr. and his brother Frederick have been growing their company Airship Magic into a successful magic manufacturing and distribution company.  Jake focuses mainly on the metal and coin work and Frederick on the wood work and turning.  They also collaborate with smaller, and often unknown, craftsmen to bring a unique line of magic that you rarely find elsewhere in the industry.  Their commitment to quality and innovation is high and I’ve been very happy with the products I have purchased from them directly and through Stevens Magic. Just browsing through their website you will find all sorts of cool items that you won’t find elsewhere.

Mike Gallo published his Ball & Vase routine in the November 1983 issue of  Richard Kaufman’s Almanac.  The routine does not use any shells and was performed using the trusty Adams Ball and Vase sets.  Mad Jake Sr. turned a beautiful Rosewood Ball & Vase for Mike Gallo c. 2006.  This design by Mad Jake Sr.’s son, Frederick, follows his fathers design and is made in Exotic African Mahogany. And what a beauty it is.  Comes with no routine just the vase and two red balls and one black ball.

Click here for more information.

Since 2016, Mad Jake Jr. and his brother Frederick have been growing their company Airship Magic into a successful magic manufacturing and distribution company.  Jake focuses mainly on the metal and coin work and Frederick on the wood work and turning.  They also collaborate with smaller, and often unknown, craftsmen to bring a unique line of magic that you rarely find elsewhere in the industry.  Their commitment to quality and innovation is high and I’ve been very happy with the products I have purchased from them directly and through Stevens Magic. Just browsing through their website you will find all sorts of cool items that you won’t find elsewhere.

This is the first classic effect that Airship Magic released and to date they have sold almost 6000 units world wide. It is a remake of an effect released by Abbott’s c. 1947 called Sixth Sense and built for Abbott’s by A&B Magic (Alexander Great).  This version by Airship Magic is better quality than the Abbott’s version and completely made here in the USA 🙂

This is really quite amazing how it works – it is like real magic.  John M. Talbot has a wonderful routine called Press The Flesh that really takes the basic effect to the next level.  This is one of those beauties you’ll keep around for years.  (I have three sets lying around here somewhere!)

Click here for more information.

This is Eddy’s beautifully smooth version of Ian Adair’s Paddle Waggle. It is my all time favorite paddle effect and is easily the smoothest version I have tried. The action is even smoother than than Willi Wessel’s beautiful version.  As is so often with Eddy Taytelbaum’s items, when he builds his version, everyone else is left to play catch-up 🙂

Click here for more information.