An OLD ELLISDON'S Trick from the Fifties?

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Re: An OLD ELLISDON'S Trick from the Fifties?

Postby Mandrake » Dec 21st, '20, 11:16



Waaay back in the 1960s I worked at a steel tube factory and the powers that be there decided to make that ball and tube gizmo as a giveaway to advertise the products. Sadly the instructions given to the machine shop were not clear and several hundred sets were made from tubes so thick you could see the difference from a mile away!

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Re: An OLD ELLISDON'S Trick from the Fifties?

Postby Barry Allen » Jan 10th, '21, 20:38

magicofthemind wrote:I still have a few Ellisdons items. It has to be said, though, that some of them were disappointing, bordering on junk. I have, for example, a pack of "Mocker" marked cards, which are so badly printed that the backs are in different shades. And one that went straight in the bin was the Ball and Tube - two ill-fitting cardboard tubes and a glass marble. Possibly the best item that I still have, and occasionally use, is the nose flute!

Good grief - their ball & tube brings back a memory. Two small, shiny red cardboard tubes and a glass marble indeed!

I also bought a couple of their packet card tricks (from an old newsagent shop) back in the late 70's - it was such cheap card stock, the double facers were see-through!

Gawd knows how they got away with it.......I certainly wouldn't have done - even if I tried.

Meanwhile, Inzani Henley were also producing some tat; sold by Hamleys Magic Dept.

Shortly thereafter, I discovered Tenyo and the Paul Daniels range (manufactured by Dubreq). It was as if a whole new world had arrived. :D

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Re: An OLD ELLISDON'S Trick from the Fifties?

Postby Mandrake » Jan 10th, '21, 20:53

Nostalgia rating now very high!

I bought a load of the Paul Daniels TV Magic Tricks from various places and dutifully collected the tokens which, when posted off, would see an extra special trick sent to me as a bonus. Sadly, I didn’t realise that the firm making this offer had gone bust but I did get my letter and tokens returned by the Post Office – about 6 months later!

The quality of those tricks was excellent, far superior to the plastic tat which was being sold as magic at the time and I still treasure my little collection of them.

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Re: An OLD ELLISDON'S Trick from the Fifties?

Postby Barry Allen » Jan 10th, '21, 23:45

Mandrake wrote:Nostalgia rating now very high!

I bought a load of the Paul Daniels TV Magic Tricks from various places and dutifully collected the tokens which, when posted off, would see an extra special trick sent to me as a bonus. Sadly, I didn’t realise that the firm making this offer had gone bust but I did get my letter and tokens returned by the Post Office – about 6 months later!

The quality of those tricks was excellent, far superior to the plastic tat which was being sold as magic at the time and I still treasure my little collection of them.


The freebie that you missed out on was 'The Imprisoned Penny':
https://www.picclickimg.com/d/l400/pict ... -1970s.jpg

The range was very good - and contained some excellent effects. One of these was Flash Dice - it was actually manufactured by Tenyo - but came without the black plastic outer sleeve for the box.

I think Tenyo also produced the Dynamic Coins for Dubreq - they were certainly Tenyo Quality.

I used to sell these - along with some of the Paul Daniels range in my first Weekend job at a Joke and Magic Shop in Greenwich. I was 15 at the time - so this must have been 1979. The Cups & Balls and Svengali packs were always very good sellers to passing tourists. This was also invaluable experience - presenting magic for people other than friends and family; as well as giving me a good grounding in selling, handling people, etc.

I think the range was expanded by a few items - including as I recollect, a rip-off of Paul Harris's effect 'Twilight' - the coin effect with a small hand mirror.

Thereafter, there was also the Velvet Magic Range:
https://miro.medium.com/max/1000/1*Iz_u ... MRxNg.jpeg

I never had any of these as I'd started a new love affair - with Magic Books (particularly sleight of hand). Fortunately, this is still going strong to this day.

Happy times though!

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