Andy Martin

Created by Nick Ruggiero and Rich Bloch from an idea by Woody Pitman.  This is another of the amazing effects created by Nick and Rich in the early days of Collectors’ Workshop and for some reason has not been remade since George Robinson took over, and so they are quite rare now.  Although the effect is similar (particularly to the spectator) to CW’s other coin routine, Coin Classic, this method is very different.  There is no deck of cards between the glasses and the glasses and coins can be minutely examined as they are not gimmicked. 

There is a sophisticated mechanism involved that makes the whole thing work, but in looking at the props you would never guess and it creates a very effective and deceptive presentation.  A little audacious to be sure, but some of CW’s best items are.  This is one that will most certainly fool them and with a little practice to get the timing right you’ll have a real treat on your hands, and you’ll love the method too 🙂

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Wow, these weights are really amazing and beautiful!  They are made of solid brass, look and feel perfect and come with a clean and entertaining routine that is taught perfectly by Bob Sheets and Glenn Morphew.  The weights are even nicer than the Jim Riser ones which were the gold standard for many years. Just amazingly solid and there is no way you can spot the gimmick, it is perfect (I can’t pick it out from the line-up without looking first) 🙂

The routine created by Bob Sheets and Glenn Morphew is also one of the best Matrix routines I have seen and Bob & Glenn clearly spent months refining and improving it.  It is taught perfectly by Bob Sheets and Glenn Morphew (in separate sessions) on the included 53 minute DVD. They have made it as easy as possible to perform and it is funny and entertaining too.

If you ever wanted to perform a Matrix/Chink-a-Chink routine this has it all:

• Beautiful Solid Brass Weights
• Perfect seamless gimmick
• Clean and Entertaining Routine
• Clear and Easy to Follow Video directions from both Bob Sheets and Glenn Morphew

Just watch Bob’s performance and I think you will look at this classic effect in a whole new light.  Amazing, funny stuff 🙂

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Magic Wagon had a phenomenal 2020 and created some amazing items.  This is Magic Wagon’s version of U.F. Grant’s Bamboo Chest and Glass. Until I saw Rob’s video (brotherbor on youtube) I was going to write this one off as a bit of a dud, but Rob really brings it home with the extra vanish – that was a stroke of genius!

I still think that by removing the liquid piece and making the vase smaller Magic Wagon have made this less amazing than the original.  But as Rob clearly shows, with a little big of imagination you can still perform this and make it seem quite amazing and entertaining 🙂

It is beautifully made, and if you perform it the way Rob does with the bonus “vanish” I think it can be a fooler.  But if you don’t, I think this is more of a puzzle and not an outright fooler as the original version clearly was (assuming of course it was performed well!).

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When I first saw this a few years ago I missed getting one primarily because I was happy with the wonderful Cesaral Spirit Bell (I even brought one of each!).  However, I recently picked up Death Toll and am very pleased that I did.  Although the Cesaral has a bunch of extra programmable features they are only any good if you plan on using them, and most of us use a Spirit Bell to ring the bell unattended, and nothing else.  This is where Death Toll excels.  Not only does it look 100% genuine, the bell is very clear and loud and you can actually see the plunger pushed. It looks wonderful!

Death Toll is extremely authentic looking too.  In fact when I first received it I thought there is no way this is not a real bell retrofitted. I looked into it further and found out that Taylor Imagineering had these built from the ground up just for this effect.  It also uses two standard AAA batteries, and even the top bell can be removed to see all the innards inside – there looks like nothing going on except the ringer.

Death Toll comes in two versions: the Bright Finish (featured on this page) and the Antique Finish. Although I often go for the antique finish, in this case I went for the Bright Finish as I have mainly seen bright and shiny bells at all the hotels I have visited.  Both versions are the same otherwise and they all sound amazing.

The remote works perfectly and you can ring the bell about once every second, you have to wait for the ringer to fall back before it can be rung again, which is just like a real desk bell in fact. There is also an extra toe switch that you get so you can operate this 100% hands free.  The toe switch plugins into the remote so you don’t have to have wires going all the way up your leg, just tuck it into your sock. I’m pushing it down as I write this and it works perfectly.

Unless your routine actually needs the advanced programming capabilities of the Cesaral this is my new favorite Spirit Bell,  I love it 🙂

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This is beautiful remake of Joe Berg’s wonderful Improved Card Drawer c. 1945 by avid magician and talented woodworker Marvin Cull c. 1998.  Marvin did a wonderful job and although I have not seen the original Berg boxes in person, from photos it appears that this is as good if not better than the originals.

The Improved Card Drawer is a card drawer box that allows for two changes and the drawer can be removed 100% and can be examined.  Even the outer cover can be shown quite cleanly and handled by the spectator, though I would not recommend a thorough examination.  What also works well about the design is the cleanness of the release mechanism.  There are no levers or slides to change.  Just push the drawer in all the way and the change happens, so the moment it happens is up to you with nothing added or taken away.  You’ll love this box for sure.

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Here we have another beautiful recreation by Carl Williams of the Okito Mystery Paddle that was originally created by Okito c. 1955.  This version by Carl Williams was released c. 2000 in a limited edition of less than 30.

The instructions say this is an adaption of a well-known slate trick marketed by Annemann, which I was unable to find a reference to. But as far as I know it is an adaptation of U.F. Grant’s Slate of Mind.  Apart from looking significantly nicer I like the fact you start with a full deck and have six cards “randomly” chosen from the deck with neither the audience or the performer knowing what they are.  That gives the impression that one card out of a whole deck was in fact predicted.

If you ever wanted to perform any form of Slate of Mind, Okito’s Mystery Paddle would be the best way to do it: it looks beautiful and is more convincing.

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Here is another work of art from Michael Baker and only three of these were ever made.  As is often the case with Michael’s creations he spared no expense or time in the creation of this remarkable miracle.  Every panel has a different picture and the colors are rich and intoxicating.

The method is as clever as the props are beautiful and there is a lot going on to create the perfect illusion of an impossible transposition from the large cabinet to the small.  Even though right up to the last second you can show the orb is inside the large cabinet, it magically transports itself to the smaller cabinet.

I’m looking forward to seeing the Speed Demo for this bad boy, and I hope you are too 🙂

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This item from Magic Wagon is inspired by two of my favorite effects: Tony Lackner’s Hand of Cleopatra and John Good’s/Collectors’ Workshop’s Clock of San Marco’s Square. Right up front I would say I would not replace either with Arrow of Truth … 🙁

However, I am referring to the traditional uses of Cleopatra and San Marco’s.  Luckily, thanks to the clever guys at Magic Wagon this box can reveal two items, not one.  And the always thinking John M. Talbot shows how this feature can be used for more than a nice copy of two classic effects.  John has created five effects that are included with the instructions:

• Elementary My Dear Watson – this is closest to how I perform Cleopatra, with an extra twist thanks to the ability for the two reveals.
• Sally Picks a Card – this is my favorite and John really shows you how to squeeze a great surprise, which is a little scary, from an otherwise innocent two reveal system.
• Point The Way – John makes use of some interesting Steampunk cards and a real compass.
• Dead or Alive – The Room goes dark and a scream is heard in the distance 🙂  Need I say anymore,  John knows how to have some fun!
• Win or Lose – another novel use of this box as an old gambling device.

I don’t know under what circumstances John gets involved with Magic Wagon’s effects, but I do know when he does the item is significantly better thanks to his clever routines and out of the box thinking.  I hope the partnership continues because some Magic Wagon items that start out as nice boxes literally transform into real miracles  when he gets involved.

Great job Magic Wagon, and please stick around John 🙂

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This is easily one of the very best items created by the original Collectors’ Workshop Founders and Dream Team of Rich Block and Nick Ruggiero. This has it all:

• Startling Vanish and Reappearance of a real Alarm Clock
• Incredibly reliable remote control
• Hilarious Situation Comedy built into the Routine
• Easy to perform and easy to set up
• Intriguing Props and Sounds
• Packs neatly into a custom ATA case for storage

Most importantly, unlike some of the more complex items such as P.T. Barnum’s Delight, this is incredibly reliable and works right out of the box.  You have to read the detailed instructions but it all sets-up logically and in my testing it has not failed once.  It is very solid, you set it up and follow the directions and you have comedy gold at the push of a button and one of the most amazing visual vanishes of a clock you will ever find!

Time Odyssey is hard to find these days and it has not been reproduced by George Robinson, who purchased  Collectors’ Workshop twenty years ago, due to the complexity of the manufacturing required. One of the many reasons Collectors’ Workshop have been so revered by Collectors and Performers over the years is due to amazing effects like Time Odyssey 🙂

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This is Magic Wagon’s miniaturized version of  World’s Greatest Prediction Chest by Arturo, Roydon, Bob Mason and a wonderful job they have done too!

John M. Talbot wrote the instructions for Magic Wagon, and that is always a good thing because John will often taken an idea and flip it on its head to create a whole new approach which is better than the original ideas for the unit.  In this case John describes four main ideas:

1. Formal Future Show/Event – this is the primary routine that was created for the original Prediction Chest and The Telegraph Chest works perfectly in this mode.  I personally feel that the original bigger chest in the plastic display box is more suited to this type of presentation but that is just personal preference, you can certainly use The Telegraph Chest for this.  In fact if you picked up a plastic chest (from Amazon for example) you could quickly reproduce almost the same set-up.
2. Formal Same Day Show/Event – this is a similar routine to 1. but I think it is more suited to the size of the box.
3. Casual Home Performance – this would be perfect for any large family meal or get together
4. Non-Prediction Presentation featuring Houdini – this is my personal favorite because it views this prediction chest as something quite different and John has created a routine that involves Harry Houdini with multiple magical moments happening and an engaging story line.  This is why Magic Wagon ask John to get involved because he has devised a use for the box that you would not normally consider and you’ll love it 🙂

For those that like clever props, you’ll love this, and if you want to really amaze them you’ll love this, and if you like tinkering and combining different props together you’ll love this too.  Something for everyone and John M. Talbot has done plenty to help you along the way.

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