Spy Before You Buy Vols. 1-4 by The Trickery, Bob Solari

Effect: Spy Before You Buy was a series of videos released by Howard Baltus of The Trickery and Bob Solari of Bob Solari Magic.  Each volume featured full demonstrations of around 100 effects. Their inspiration was Dick Stoner who also had a series of magic demo videos in the 1990’s.

Howie and Bob released four video catalogs between 1998-2004 and demonstrated close to 450 effects and with the release of  Spy 4 I believe the total trick count for The Trickery even exceeded Dick’s volumes. You can see all four videos here.

Howie + Bob’s demonstrations were not always outstanding magically or painstakingly rehearsed and they often only took one take per effect, but they made up for it with enthusiasm and were great fun and a perfect way to see lots of magic in a time before youtube and downloads.

I was actually present in the basement at Howie’s home in New Jersey during a shoot in 2001 and remember being surprised that Howie and Bob would often take the next effect from the counter, open it for the first time and go straight into a performance on camera.  A far cry from the 20-50 takes I often put in for my Speed Demos 🙂

The cartoon characters for Howie and Bob featured on the later videos became quite evolved and Howie was good enough to post them on youtube a few years ago to bring back the memories of those simpler times so please enjoy them.

Sadly The Trickery closed it store c. 2012 but good old Bob Solari is still going here.

Contents of Spy Before You Buy 1:

4 COIN MATRIX (TOSI) $12.00
A CASE OF PENETRATION (SOLARI) $75.00
ACROBATIC SILKS $25.00
ALI-GATOR $12.50
APPEARING CRAYONS $6.50
A REAL TURN ON (SOLARI) $25.00
ARM CHOPPER (SOLARI) $185.00
BILL TO PLAYING CARD $7.50
B”WAVE REGULAR (GOLDSTEIN) $12.00
BRASS BALL AND VASE (SOLARI) $75.00
BRASS HOT ROD (SOLARI) $40.00
BRASS METAMORPHOSIS CANISTER (SOLARI) $85.00
BRASS METAMORPHOSIS COIN (SOLARI) $75.00
BRASS MINI CHOP GOBLET (SOLARI) $25.00
BRASS PHANTOM BLOCK MYSTERY(SOLARI) $50.00
BRASS PSYCHIC KEY (SOLARI) $25.00
BRASS SNAPPER (SOLARI) $40.00
BRASS SPIKED COIN (SOLARI) $85.00
CARD FLECTION (SOLARI) $18.00
CARD FLOAT (IMPORT) $16.50
CARD PENETRATION – JUMBO (SOLARI) $12.00
CARD RISE BOX (OAK) $55.00
CARDZILLA $16.50
COIN FUNNEL $30.00
COLOR CHANGING CARD $12.00
COLOR CHANGING KNIVES $18.00
COLORING SET (ITEM#”S 54,55,56) $22.00
CRYSTAL CASKET $17.00
CRYSTAL CYLINDER $75.00
DELUXE RING AND SPRING $6.00
DOLLAR BILL TO MATCHES $10.00
DOUBLE X $5.00
DOVE IN BALLOON TRAY $89.00
DRAWER BOX-JUMBO (RED OR BLUE) $45.00
ECHIC & MAT (EUROPE) $27.50
ELUSIVE POKER CHIPS (TOSI) $26.00
FAMOUS DIME – PENNY $5.00
FINGER CHOPPER (SOLARI) $110.00
FIVE & ONE BILL TRICK $7.50
FLOATING MATCH $5.00
GHOST KEY (SOLARI) $25.00
GIANT B”WAVE (GOLDSTEIN) $25.00
HAUNTED DIE (KENNEDY) $16.50
HELL BENT (SOLARI) $8.50
HOT ROD BLACK $7.50
HOT ROD CLEAR $7.50
HUNTERS MONTE $10.00
HYPNO-SILK ROD (SILKS NOT INCLUDED $28.00
IMAKULATE RING FLIGHT (MAK) $50.00
INCREDIBLE TRAFFIC LIGHT (ITALY) $5.00
INVISIBLE QUARTERS $20.00
JACK-RO-BAT (SOLARI) $7.50
JUMBO VANISHING DECK (WOOD) $110.00
KENNEDY MISTERY BOX $57.00
KENNEDY MISTERY BOX-EXOTIC WOOD $95.00
KENNEDY MOTORIZED REEL $50.00
KILLING TIME (OAK) $295.00
KOALA BEAR BAR $18.00
LETHAL TENDER (DUSHECK) $25.00
LINK KEY (SOLARI) $8.50
MAGIC COLORING BOOK $8.00
MAJOR DEPELOPMENT (SOLARI) $12.00
MAK CLOSE UP CASE $95.00
METAMORPHOSIS CARD $10.00
MIND ASSAULT VIDEO (SOLARI) $35.00
MINI STRAT-O-PHERE $8.00
MISER MIRACLE (SOLARI) $25.00
MONEY PADDLE $4.00
NAME THAT CARD (SOLARI-BROWN) $15.00
NICKLES TO DIMES $5.00
NO SALT ADDED (SOLARI) $28.00
PATRIOT ROPES $3.50
POPSY BALLOONS $45.00
PSYCHIC KEY $12.00
QUADRIFLEX $15.00
QUARTER GO (IMPORT) $10.00
QUARTER SQUEEZE $15.00
“75 TRICKS WITH SVENGALI DECK”-BOOK $2.00
REPAIR BILL (SOLARI) $7.50
RING RAPTURE (SOLARI) $25.00
RISING CARDS $20.00
SEEK AND DESTROY VIDEO (SOLARI) $35.00
SIGNED,SEALED AND AMAZING (SOLARI $16.00
SILK BLOW TUBE $16.00
SOLARI VIDEO SET $60.00
STAT-O-PHERE (MAK) $59.00
STEEL BALL AND TUBE $5.00
SVENGALI DECK (BICYCLE) $7.50
SVENGALI DECK (ROYAL) $5.00
SYMBOL SENSORY (SOLARI) $16.00
TELEKINETIC LOCK (SOLARI) $75.00
TELE-VISION BOX (DEPALMA) $180.00
THE CARD FRAME (OAK) $125.00
THE FLYING COINS (SOLARI) $35.00
THE RAVEN $25.00
THE RAVEN VIDEO $15.00
THRU THE MIRROR (JAPAN) $42.00
TRICKS WITH A HOT ROD BOOK $4.00
TWIST OFF (GIBSON ENGLAND) $65.00
ULTIMATE BRAIN WAVE (SOLARI) $16.00
ULTRA TRANSPORT TUBES (TOSI) $40.00
VANISHING CRAYONS $12.00
VANISHING DECK (EUROPE) $45.00
VISIBLE DOVE VANISH (TAKE APART) $185.00
VISIBLE HALF THRU TABLE (SOLARI) $12.00
WATCH BOX (IMPORT) $15.00
WONDER PEN-A-TRATION (EDWARDS) $32.50
WOODEN BALL AND VASE (IMPORT) $15.00
WOODEN COIN BOX $25.00
ZAPPED (EUROPE) $16.5

Contents of Spy Before You Buy 2:

ANIMATED WAND $20.00
APPEARING CANE – SILVER STREAK $60.00
APPEARING TEN FOOT POLE $20.00
BELIEVE IT OR KNOT $25.00
BRASS CUPS & BALLS $50.00
BREAK-THRU $30.00
BYE GEORGE $10.00
CAGE AND CYLINDER PRODUCTION $25.00
CARD BOX – VIKING $45.00
CARD CASTLE ROUTINE $25.00
CHING LING COIN BOX $10.00
COIN THRU HAND $22.00
COLOR CHANGING CD'S $29.00
COLOR CHANGING ROPE $6.00
CON BAG $25.00
CONFUSING CRAYONS $35.00
COPENTRO $135.00
DEFINITIVE 5&1 BILL TRICK $10.00
DICE CHANGING BOX $12.00
DIE BOX DELUXE $75.00
DIE TO BALL TRAY $30.00
DISAPPEARING CANE – SILVER STREAK $60.00
DO THE TWIST $10.00
DOUBLE LOCKED MYSTERY BOX $60.00
EDUCATED DUCK $75.00
ELECTRONIC MONTE $69.00
ENCHANTED NECKLESS $25.00
EYE EXAM $15.00
FANTASIO'S APPEARING CANDLE $25.00
FANTASIO'S VANISHING CANDLE $25.00
FAN-TO-SEE $12.00
FICKLE NICKEL $12.00
FINGER FLASHER $15.00
FLYING NICKLES $15.00
GIANT MONTE $95.00
GIANT WOODEN CARD BOX $45.00
HEAD TWISTER $25.00
HIMBER WALLET-CREDIT CARD $30.00
HOVER CARD $15.00
IMPOSSIBLE PENETRATION $45.00
IMPROVED ATOMIC BALL – OAK $95.00
JACK AND JILL $45.00
JOKER $6.00
JUMBO WOODEN HOT ROD $5.00
JUST THINK $15.00
KINETIC KEY $45.00
LINKING ROPES $6.00
MCBRIDE"S CANDLE $45.00
MELTING MIRROR $125.00
MING DYNASTY STICKS $60.00
MINI POM POM TRICK $30.00
MINI TRICKY BOTTLES $37.50
MINI WOODEN CARD BOXES $45.00
MUMMY MYSTERY $12.00
NEW PROFESSOR"S NIGHTMARE $24.00
NOW U C IT – NOW U DON'T $30.00
NURSERY RHYME $25.00
ONE 2 MANY $15.00
PANDORA"S LOX $40.00
PANDORA"S LOX – STAGE $75.00
POCKET PRODUCTION PANNELS $37.00
QUIT SMOKING $45.00
RING-A-DING $20.00
RING AND BOX MYSTERY $25.00
SANADA GIMMICK $7.50
SAND FRAME $15.00
SCREDWED DECK $35.00
SCREW TACULAR $15.00
SHAMROCK CUP $40.00
SHRINKING CARD CASE $12.00
SILK WONDER BOX – CHROME $25.00
SILLY GEORGE $15.00
SOLARI"S MONTE $10.00
SOUND GIZMO $20.00
SPOTLIGHT IMAGINE THIS $15.00
STAGE DRAWER BOX $90.00
STEEL BALL THRU BOLT $25.00
STIR FRY $30.00
SUPER SITE $45.00
SWORD THRU WRIST – LIMITED $125.00
TAROT SURPRISE $15.00
THE NOSE KNOWS $20.00
THOUGHT TRANSMITTER $40.00
TORCH THRU ARM $45.00
TORCH TO ROSE $15.00
TRAPPED! $45.00
UFO $20.00
ULTIMATE AIRBORN-PERRIER BOTTLE $48.00
UN-BILL-EIVEABLE $5.50
V.H. BILL TUBE $48.00
WHERE DO THE BUNNIES $?.00
WONDER BAR $12.00
WONDER COIN BOX $40.00
WOODEN COLOR VISION $18.00
WOODEN GOLFBALL & VASE – BIRCH $15.00
WOODEN MAGIC BLOCK $20.00
WOODEN NICKEL TO PENNY TO DIME $35.00
WOODEN WANDS W/BRASS TIPS $24.00

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