George Guerra

Very Special, Indeed!

If any one has been following Todd’s gaffs on ebay, you may recognize this set. It definitely set a record for coin gaffs and clearly made a statement for the quality and demand of Todd’s work. Yep, it was a bidding frenzy, but no regrets. What distinguishes this special set apart is 1) the versatility of the matched gaffs in the set, 2) its uniqueness (Todd’s own words: “…one of a kinder.”, “ebaying this one too due to the special nature of the set. I won’t be taking any custom orders for sets like these.”), and 3) the use of beautiful Seated Liberty half dollars. The oldest coin gaffs I was accustomed to seeing were Barbers, but this is the first time I had publicly seen any with the even older Seated Liberty coins. I am not a numismatist, but you just have to love these old U.S. minted coins.

The gaffs are so very nice and, hopefully, some of what I experienced when I first saw them can be conveyed with the images you are seeing. The set consists of an obverse sided expanded shell with 4 ungaffed matching coins and two opposite copper/silver coins (“Ishtar” set) with two ungaffed matching copper pennies (1899 Victoria). The C/S coin with the reverse sided silver is fitted to the obverse expanded shell for a sun/moon set, if desired. Lots of coin magic here! All came nicely stored in the popular JOL leather coin purses.

All this would be plenty, BUT Todd is quite a guy and didn’t feel it was fair to see this item go so high on ebay, so, without any obligation (and didn’t have to), he added 1) a second expanded shell with the reverse side showing, and 2) a beautifully crafted gravity flipper using a nice 1860 Seated Liberty half. This "sweetened deal" can be seen in the third image. Overall, this has to be the nicest and most complete Seated Liberty coin gaff collection, you could ever imagine. I am ecstatic and anyone who has bought from Todd doesn’t need any convincing about the man himself and his work. BTW, the package I received also included another great new item that came up on his blog, which I requested to buy, so I had one fantastic coin gaff feast that day. Thanks, Todd…no one else would have been so generous and fair with his customers.

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Beautiful classic resurrected by CW

I saw this Thayer item at auction 2 years ago, selling over $800. It intrigued me at the time on reading the description, so it was a pleasant surprise to see CW offering it.

The apparatus is so well crafted. The aluminum tubes are heavy duty, thick walled (no flimsy tubes for sure), and beautifully polished (looks much better than the images I have seen of the original) and all nicely presented in a foam lined box, signed by George on one corner of the inside lid with date of manufacture and a comment of its limited production.

The method is interesting…simple, yet actually diabolical with no mechanical devices to worry about. There is only one ball used (can be marked by the spectator) and a description on the original suggested a borrowed bill to lay over the glass for ‘dual penetration", if desired. There is an angle issue, but that should be manageable. Overall, a most welcome piece to any collector or performer.

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Are There Any Losers from Todd?

Came back from vacation and this beauty was waiting for me. This is one of Todd’s most requested item I’ve heard. Now that I have it, I can see why it’s so popular. One coin becomes two, then three, and all contained in one gaff, nothing added or taken away. I have shown the sequence with the gaff in reverse on the first three images.

I asked Todd to make mine in bright AU 1921 Morgans. I like the details on these clean coins, though many may prefer the quiet, softer, older coins. The magnets used are just right to hold everything together, but easy to un-nest.

Todd included in this recent batch a JOL coin purse…a nice touch. However, I have used these purses when they first came out and I now have them in some drawer…unused. My own experience is that, though the craftsmanship is superb, I find that long term storage in these purses induces an ugly tarnishing on the silver coins. Now, that may be acceptable if you have bright AU coins, as you can clean off the tarnish back to the original luster, but I would have concerns what this could do to soft used coins that come with a beautiful patina.

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A Miser Dreamer’s dreamed prop

Since getting the Wolf Classic Coin Ladder and Levent’s “Ultimate Guide to the Miser Dream” DVD, I have been on the lookout for related props or gaffs to enhance this classic effect. Colin Rose of Five of Hearts has released an ingenious, beautifully crafted, solid brass tweezers to make a coin repeatedly appear on its tips and give the perfect illusion of the coin dropping into a container, with convincing sound effect.

The tweezers are heavy duty, measure close to 10 inches, and the method will intrigue you as it did me. The handle has the Five of Hearts trademark beautifully engraved on the handle. Though the tweezers are available mainly in American Half dollars or Euros, I believe, I challenged Colin to custom build one using a 1921 Morgan silver dollar I mailed him. This makes the prop useable with my Wolf Coin Ladder. He came through and it’s a prop I am most proud to own…I am always nervous when I get a new effect for my collection, fearing it will not meet my stubborn picky taste.

There are certainly minor angle issues, especially with the heavier dollar coin, but easily overcomed with a different handling than found in the instructions. It is quite entertaining and magical to practice in front of a large mirror. Seeing that coin suddenly appear as if caught out of the air is astonishing.

Most highly recommended!!

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The Best Ramsay Stack!

John Ramsay’s Cylinder and Coins is a classic effect, but among the few props needed to perform this routine is a special gaffed stack of coins. I have owned several types over the years. There are fixed ones with three pins holding the coins together, either well aligned or slightly staggered to give it a more “natural” look. There were the ones with only one pin to allow the stack to pivot, but the range was only one dimensional. Remember, these are supposed to be just a stack of coins to the spectator and naturally would be misaligning as you handle them.

Now, we have Todd’s Magnetic Ramsay Stack…evolutionarily ahead of everything I have ever seen. NO PINS, whatsoever to be found! But, quite solid with no chance of separation during the routine yet quite natural in handling this stack of beautiful old Morgan dollars as can be seen in the images. Todd picked some choice soft Morgans with gorgeous patina. The design also allows you to use either a 3 or 4 coin stack (I remember churning that choice when I ordered a fixed stack from one well known craftsman)

I have to say that, even though I had an idea how this gaff was likely constructed, on inspecting my purchase the day I received it in the mail, I smiled and just shook my head in disbelief over the precision craftsmanship and ingenious design that Todd incorporated into this gaff. I was surprised! There is absolutely no better stack for this routine to be found anywhere and I doubt anyone can come up with a better one, too.

At the moment, I am building as large a collection of Todd’s work as I can get my hands on. He is the best coin gaff machinist…period! This is not speaking out of air as I do have gaffs from his competitors.

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Gaff or Regular?…Just Too Perfect!

Anyone in coin magic doesn’t need any introduction to Todd Lassen, frankly, the finest coin craftsman anywhere today. It was a Lassen gaff, the original U3F, that made me a convert to coin magic. Over the years, I have owned many of his gaffs, but more recently I have focused my attention with a vengeance on his stuff. Much of it comes from seeing up close all the great goodies coming from his shop, AND without the usual long wait, though well worth it, of course. First it was ebay and, presently, it is his new blog site. Didn’t realize how many neat stuff there was aside from the usual "standard" stuff one is accustomed to seeing.

Pictured here is the hottest new gaff set from Todd…the Ultimate Wild Coin set that, with the accompanying regular remilled coins, will allow you to perform some incredible magic. The gaffs are so perfect that I always have to lift the coins to see which one drops an insert to distinguish the gaffs from the regular coins in the set. Todd has a video on his blog showing one routine where the coins appear, change from silver to copper, and back to silver in an amazing display of coin magic. More routines will be available from the likes of David Neighbors.

This is, without a doubt, most highly recommended, but, then, anyone who has owned a Lassen gaff doesn’t need any encouragement to "shell" out hard earned money on the very best tools to perform miraculous coin magic. Even if you are only a collector, a Lassen gaff is pure metallic Art to savor and enjoy.

QUIZ: can you tell which of the two overlapping sets in the first image are gaffs or the regular companion coins…the answer is in the second image.

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A New Craftsman Is In Town!!

Wacky Wolf inspired box and what a great box this is…with meticulous attention to both detail and quality. As the enclosed letter starts, "Congratulations! You are the proud owner of the Yellowshark Design Sliding Disc Box. This is made of the finest quality materials, designed for professionals…" I am definitely proud to add this beauty to my magic collection

Bright colors, piano hinged doors, perfect fittings, and fabulous graphics on the doors with the center plates attached with screws so that the message can be exchanged are some of my observations on the box. Bill Mitchell the artist behind Yellowshark Design was inspired when he wasn’t happy with the sliding disc boxes currently available and wanted to have one that would fit with the Chance Wolf props he owned.

As can been seen, he succeded quite wonderfully. He used expanded pvc and the box measures 20 1/2" by 8 1/2" by 2 1/2". Two 7 3/8" diameter "blank" discs are included…one can then custom add one’s graphics to it that fits one’s taste. One has a metal washer attached and included with the set is a belt magnet.

He made an initial 2 boxes, then a run of 12 (probably sold out now). There may be no more, BUT we have not heard the last from Bill, "while it was fun to make the props, and it was gratifying to see that there is a market, I do not enjoy working with the expanded pvc material, so I may not make any more. I have been a professional woodworker for the last 20 years or so, and much prefer working with wood." Am I hearing the next Mel Babcock or Alan Warner here…keep tuned.

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Dream numismatic gaffs!!

I have owned several shell coin sets in the past with a few beautiful sets now present in my current gaff collection, but this one inspired me to upload it on Andy’ site. Just got it in the mail this morning, too. It was offered on Todd’s blog site and I grabbed it fast before anyone else could…what a hunt and what a prize. These are the first silver commemorative coins ever released by the U.S. Mint for the Exposition, actually a World’s Fair, held in Chicago in 1893, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ discovery of the New World.

These are not your usual gaff coin variety or choice, but also not quite overall rare, either. However, as Todd puts it, "you can find one or two here and there, but again, finding ones with nice patina in matching conditions and sizes will require mucho patience". As coins go, these are beautiful designs. The obverse was done by Charles Barber, while the reverse design was delegated to George Morgan. Many may not be fully awared, but these are REAL American half dollars.

Two shells came with the set along with 4 regular coins. The top two "coins" in the first image are the shells covering a coin…deceptive when compared to the two regular coins at the bottom, as you ca see. This is the great precision close tolerance typical of Todd’s work. The second image is an un-nested view with the shells to the right. The third image has all the regular coins at the top with the two empty shells at the bottom.

What a treat and you can count on me to keep a constant lookout on his site for any new stuff to buy.

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Okito box magic with class!

This heavy, finest bronze coin box is a real beauty to hold. Clearly the best coin box I have ever owned. It has nice rounded edges that look identical whether the box is upright or inverted with the lid in place. I find this more deceptive than the standard straight edge coin boxes on the market. As seen in the last image, the lid is stamped with the Lassen name for authenticity.

The box came with the new "miracle enjoyment" chinese coins Todd has recently released. These are copper, dollar sized, coins custom made for Todd and he has "aged" the copper nicely. These are a real beauty and matched precisely to fit in this coin box. I asked him to make me a shell for the coins which you can see as the fifth coin on the right in the second image. Though the shell will not fit into the box, it does allow me to do the many shell coin routines with these coins, when one may not want to perform another coin box effect.

Truly, another Lassen great and a great addition to my Lassen collection….thanks, Todd!

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Big and Beautiful!

This vase caught my attention when it was first advertised on the Five of Hearts Magic site, but I held back from buying it till finally giving in recently. Now that I have it, I am glad it is in my collection. Many will recognize this as part of a larger effect and apparatus: "Rice, Orange, and Checkers". Though a classic, I much prefer a simpler transposition and this vase is a beautiful start. Not sure if I care for the checkers in the overall effect.

Made from gorgeous African Sapele, this wood has an amazing lustrous wavy pattern to its grain that seem to shimmer as your eyes scan across the wood. The vase has many fine delicate details and several pyrographic accents, clearly a product of the finest turning skills on a lathe. I have said this before, but there is no better craftsman with the lathe than Colin Rose and C.Paul Coker of Five of Hearts Magic.

The vase stands tall at 12 1/2 inches with 4 inches at the widest. The mechanism is smooth and blended well into the interior of the vase that the vase can be casually shown after the vanish of the rice, without arousing any suspicion.

Most highly recommended!

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