Double Door Checker Cabinet by Eposito’s Magic Workshop

Don Esposito created this wonderful Checker Cabinet back in the 1970’s.  Don ran a well stocked Magic Studio in the town of Rockville Center, New York that opened c. 1973.  He filled the studio with a lot of great magic some of which was designed and built by Don himself in his Workshop.

This Checker Cabinet is one of the items built in Eposito’s Magic Workshop and it is very simple to use but has a lot going on.  You have plenty of options for dressing up your routine, and below you will see the effect I chose to prepare for my next Speed Demo this weekend 🙂

When I received this cabinet the single lever which is used to cause the change would stick and was fairly noisy.  It would be acceptable for a parlor set-up but not so much formal close-up.  I removed the unit and noticed the wood was scraping against wood.  I think it was probably like this when it was first purchased too.  So I stripped it down and added some industrial dry film graphite lubricant which creates a wonderful slick layer on both sides of the wooden base – now this thing moves smoothly and silently. It is night and day different and the way it should have been from day one.  As a side benefit it covers the unprepared wood with a black coat so now it even looks more pleasing inside (nothing changed from the outside of course).

I then set about working on a routine to maximize the features of this cabinet. I really like this routine and although there are plenty of other things you could do, this works for me.  A really great and colorful item, that is easy to do and has plenty of surprises and action.

These are all the items included:

Includes:

• Double Door Checker Cabinet with silent and smooth switch.
• Two Decorative Pagoda Covers.
• Two Guards.
• Two stacks of checkers, each with three loose checkers and space for hidden load.
• About 200 Chinese Coins (bonus) ($30value)
• Two decks of Chao Red Playing Cards with Chinese themes to complement the Cabinet (bonus) ($28 value)
• Various circular discs which can be used for coins, rice, etc.
• Full instructions

Effect: Here is my routine.  The Chinese Cabinet is shown and the doors are opened to reveal a guard standing in front of a very prestigious Chinese Casino – that only allows members to enter.  He is surrounded by his fortune (piles of gold Chinese coins) and the performer states the Guard never strays from his fortune or lets any non members into the Casino.

You now introduce two decorative pagoda like covers and some stacked and loose checkers.  Both covers are lifted and shown to be empty. The checkers are used for gambling and a special deck of cards is introduced and a card is chosen, remembered and returned to the deck.  The checkers are stacked into one pile and covered with one of the covers.  The performer states that as much as he wants to go gambling he is not a member and could never get past the guard, and he’s tried many times 🙁

The doors to the Casino are now closed concealing the guard and his fortune.  The performer then notices some loose Chinese coins on the top of the Cabinet and with a smile quickly pockets them and says: “Boy it is my lucky day, lets try something else!”  He says “Watch closely, it all happens very quickly.”  With a snap of his fingers he lifts the pagoda covering the checkers and it has turned into a huge pile of gold coins.  The performer says “Remember the guard never strays from his fortune and lifts the other previously empty Pagoda and there is the Guard, stern as ever looking after his Gold.

The doors to the Casino are now opened and the Guard has been replaced by a stack of Checkers with a single card sliced in the middle, which turns out to be the chosen card. There is also a new sign that says All Welcome! And the performer states well it really is my lucky day and I know where I’ll be this evening as he looks fondly down at the Casino. 🙂

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