talkmagic.co.uk

evening all

im wondering if somebody could point me in the right direction for finding 'larger magic props' such as boxes which make a lady vanish or appear, zigzag boxes, sawing in half , cabinets etc etc.

i cant seem to find anything on the internet or am i just not be looking in the right places.

or is it because you cannot buy such effects but they are props you need to build and create yourself.

please help.. if you can.

thankyou..

http://www.illusionwarehouse.com/

I have no idea if this website will be any help but the term your looking for is 'stage illusions'

Also check ebay, they sometimes have big box props for sale.

Mark Wilsons Complete Course in magic has many stage illusions that can be created relatively easily.

there are almost allways Cabinet Illusions for sale on magicweek. and there are several builders in the uk, that might hol odd items in stock. You can also hire rom some.
do try and see before you buy though.

thanks for your help everyone... i found quite an interesting illusion i liked ' the palanquin cabinet' and purchased its construction drawings

i think ill make it on a smaller scale first to get an idea of its workings and see if theres any room for adaptations.

This might be relevant: In Half, by Andrew Mayne. Looks nice on the demo.
http://www.penguinmagic.com/p/2491

It really depends on two things; what sort of budget you have and in general, where you're located in that shipping costs can prove troublesome when it comes to such things.

If you've never done or dealt with large illusion equipment I'd suggest you start off with a source like MagicAuction.com which is one of the more reputable sources when it comes to used equipment. The alternative would be to purchase building plans by way of books like the popular Paul Osborne, Jim Steinmeyer and Rand Woodbury texts or, in certain situations you can purchase effect specific plans from certain companies like Owens and Magic-Ventures (Bill Smith).

Do yourself a huge favor and check the legal issues tied to any major prop you invest in, making certain that it came from an authorized source. Most all of Jim Stinemeyer's designs, for an example, can only be purchased through John Gaughan and I think Wellingtons though Bill Smith may be taking some of that weight these days, I'm not certain. On the other hand, I know of no one that has legal rights to produce pieces originally put out by Creative Illusions nor a source from which to obtain plans to said systems.

Technically speaking, no one can legally own and perform the Zig Zag or any other Harbin effect without owning the Harbin Book. . . Harbin was probably the first to make such things "an issue" though some of the contention stems from two chief conflicts; the alluded to theft at his hand of a Percy Abbott prop and vice-versa, the supposed theft by Jim Sommers of the Zig Zag. I wouldn't be until issues cropped up around the Origami Box that a major industry wide sense of legal control and royalty honors came into our world as a constant. Unfortunately, such issues have robbed magic of its innocence and freedom as well.

As has been mentioned, the Mark Wilson Course touches on some basics illusion systems that are still quite viable. You'll likewise find routines and "plans" in the Tarbell Course, several of which are quite cool simply because they are rare.

Be prepared to "deal with these things". . . they aren't cheap! Aside from the up-front investment you must have a reliable assistant or two, storage, transport, rehearsal space and ultimately, insurance and maintenance budgets. If you move more into full-time show production you will also need to have a damned good accountant on your side so as to defray your investments when it comes to taxes. . .

Lot's and lots involved when you move down this path!