5 Stars

This is a great effect created by El Duco c. 1979. You do not have to use a cigarette to burn the hole but you could use a pencil or pen. I found a fake cigarette that has a sharp tip which is perfect for the effect so I included that.

This is one of those effects you have to do to see how good it is. The method is simple but very effective. I think if you try this you will be very pleased with it. You can even borrow a bill and everything can be examined at the end.

This effect was so popular it was “re-invented” by Supreme Magic as “Burn-Thru” c. 1984. Looking at the advert it looks like Supreme made an almost exact copy of El Duco’s which pretty much rules out independent invention.

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This is without doubt the easiest and most reliable Fire Wallet I have used. It is a simple push button and in my tests does work every time. It is also meant to “hold the juice” for 24 hours. I have not gone that long but it does seem to protect the lighter fuel from most evaporation.

It also has a second flap so you can clearly show the wallet filled with cash or a cute flying butterfly also included.

If you’re looking for a fire wallet that is reliable and does not rip your thumb up, this is the way to go.

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Joe Long and Paul Lembo did an amazing job when they tackled this wonderful rare item created by Magiro c. 1996.  It was originally called Glasklare Wanderung and was sold exclusively by Eckhard Boettcher in Germany. The effect has it all:

• Colorful and Interesting Props.
• Some great comedy byplay.
• A killer finale that will amaze lay people and magicians alike.
• It is also easy to perform and reset is instant 🙂

As shipped from Joe this comes with everything but the cover required to perform the magic (pretty much any piece of cardboard or heavier cloth can be used).  When I was playing with this I realized a French flag would be perfect for this purpose.  The flag has blue and red at the ends and so you can use it to not only cover the stand and glasses but also to remind the spectator where the red and blue silks are located.  Believe me as you get older these mental cues are really helpful.

This is one of the best items that Joe has released and there are only 12 of them so these will certainly become more collectible over time.  Great job Joe and Paul 🙂

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This clever mechanical slate was created by the prolific British magician, author, and inventor Peter Warlock. It was released by Harry Stanley c. 1956 and then reissued by Supreme Magic c. 1978. This is the original version sold by Harry Stanley and it looks and works perfectly.

There are two phases to the effect: the selection of a four digit number and then the further selection of one of those final digits – all of this is predicted in advance of the actions happening and it looks quite amazing. Hence “Five” Thoughts Ahead 🙂

The weakest part in the original routine as supplied is the selection of the four numbers does not use a gimmicked add-a-number device.  Over the years there have been a few devised but one of the very best is the Bogey by Ray Piatt and Larry Becker:

The Bogey by Ray Piatt, Larry Becker

So to do justice to this clever slate you should best combine it with The Bogey – then you have the perfect complement of two devices to produce a truly impressive feat of mentalism. And of course I provide both devices for completeness 🙂

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My good Friend Alan Warner always shows me the money  🙂

There have been many versions of the money maker, I liked the Delben Blotter and Carl Williams’ version even more, and of course Owen’s Denver Mint. However, Alan Warner in his usual imaginative style has taken a fairly simple effect made it look beautiful and added the double whammy of the note changing not once but twice.

The box is very distinctive and the mechanism works very cleanly.  It is actually quite amazing how he gets the change to work twice without removing or stealing anything away. Very simple to do and a sheer delight to behold.

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This is one of Mikame’s Finest! This is a very well made chest for switching cards, billets, business cards, and other small thin items. It’s primary unique feature is that the gimmick does not operate until you press the secret release – this means that you can have a spectator freely open and close it and nothing will happen until you are ready. The gimmick operates very well and is pretty much invisible.

It also looks very nice and is a pleasure to operate. Of course Mikame are not the first to have a card box like this and in fact Viking/Collector’s Workshop have two devices that are actually better in some circumstances:

• Chameleon Chest which has a larger load area and is used very much to switch billets. Unfortunately, you cannot give it out for examination – normal handling is ok, but you have to watch the spectator. The Chameleon Chest also comes with some very wonderful routines by Larry Becker.
• Psychic Sword – this box is actually closest to the features of the Mikame Changing Chest, in that it has a locking mechanism such that the box can be opened and closed before operating the gimmick. The mechanism is well hidden, but not secret and the gimmick could be operated almost without a spectator knowing it. Probably unlikely, but certainly not impossible. The Mikame one is secret and could not operate without knowing the secret.

So which one do you choose? Well I guess I would choose Chameleon Chest first, then Psychic Sword, then the Mikame one. However, having all three is a perfect solution and you will find times when each one proves useful!

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The Magician’s Changing Chest is one of Mikame’s Finest!  It is a very well made chest for switching cards, billets, business cards, and other small thin items. It’s primary unique feature is that the gimmick does not operate until you press the secret release – this means that you can have a spectator freely open and close it and nothing will happen until you are ready. The gimmick operates very well and is pretty much invisible.

The other feature of this chest is its size – it is large enough to load up with your full close-up act and you can be using it to remove items from during your show – making it seem even more innocent.  You can then blow them away with an amazingly clean prediction effect which is so perfect for this chest –   Hen Fetsch’s Tridento.

It is hard to find a better effect suited for this chest and because it’s use is so clean it really becomes a miracle as you can see in the video.

Includes:

• The beautiful Mikame Magician’s Changing Chest.
• Two decks of cards required for the amazing Hen Fetsch effect Tridento.

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Mel Babcock is the king of Die Boxes, and his See-Thru Block Box is no exception. It’s hard to imagine where the block goes – but baby it sure does go! This is much heavier and better quality than the Mikame Craft  which you might have seen before. When you hold this in your hand you know you have a prop that will last a lifetime – just feels so solid.

This is the rarer red block, all of the other ones I have seen use a bright yellow block.  This is the 3″ size.

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This is one of the earliest pieces created by Michael Baker. It was built after Bob Tysl contacted Michael to build a vanish created by Eric Lewis that was featured in Albo 04 – Further Classic Magic With Apparatus by Robert J. Albo.

Five years later he went on to make an even more impressive and colorful version featured here. But this was the original version and what a clever beauty it is.

The sound of the vanish does need to be masked by placing the tube down at the same time, but as can be seen in the video it can be quite effective.  What is the real convincer is you can see the block in the tube even when it is removed from the cabinet.  Also the cabinet can be looked at quite closely from the front and the top before and after the vanish and nothing can be seen. When you first try it, the vanish is quite magical in itself – where did that block go 🙂

The Sewell Block on Rod Appearance is more well known and is one of the most amazing appearances you will find.

Although the later version of this effect is better, at the time this version was one of the most technically challenging props you could build. The effect is amazing and this will look impressive in your collection and it is much rarer too. Michael only made two of these.

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If you have ever loved playing with the beautiful brass chips of Per Clausen, Eddie Gibson, El Duco and many others you have good old Sam Dalal to thank for that.  Sam created a series of ground breaking chip effects in the late 1970’s and they have been copied and improved ever since.

But Rainbow Chips was the original that paved the way for all these brass miracles all the way from India and Sam The Sham 🙂  And Sam tells me they sold tens of thousands of these bad boys!

Rainbow Chips were inspired by a still older effect called Spooky Spots c. 1948.

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