MORE SECOND HAND MAGIC FROM MARTIN BREESE
Martin drafted this newsletter before he had to go back into hospital for further treatment. He is likely to be in hospital for a while, but he is well and still ably directing operations. He has asked me to apologise to those who may have written to him, and have not received a reply. Martin has many more items from this recently acquired collection – which he will gradually work through and photograph and price up and he will continue with this as soon as he is back home.
Martin is delighted with the feedback he is getting about his new book Al Koran - The Unique Years. He writes:
‘I did know that I would be back in hospital otherwise I would saved some the great emails I have received about this book. Chris who wrote about the book from a computer file he was sent has been so excited about the printed copy I sent him. It is clear that he really likes the book. It is the same with Peter Zenner who wrote an article for the book and he wrote to say how delighted he is. I printed half of the usual number of hardback copies so it will run out soon with I think about 250 copies left for sale. It will sell out and not be out on sale so don't delay if you want a copy.’ Order through www.abracadabra.co.uk
More 2nd Hand Magic:
A further listing of 2nd hand magic recently acquired. On my last list I thought that the wood and metal item was possibly by the famous Martin. I received an email from Ron Vergillio who gave me the facts: “That Item was called the Super Silk Winder by Rosini. Louis Tannen, Inc. sold it back in the 1950's. I bought mine in the late 1950's and still have it. This is just to let you know the origin as I know it. It's in his catalog No. 2 from 1955. Could be in No 1 also but don't have that book. Regards, Ron Vergilio” Thanks for your help Ron, Martin.
Everything is plus postage and there is a minimum charge of £10 – so if you just order one £5 item john will charge you £10. So please if anything interests you contact John and tell him where you live and he will advise if the item is available and also how much it will cost to post it to you. John’s email address is: john@abracadabra.co.uk. Payments are always to my Paypal account mbreese999@aol.com.
Over half of the last list sold within a few hours of the newsletter going out. The remaining items are shown on the web site at the end of this new list. Items that have already sold are marked as such on the web site
ANVERDI’S SIGOWI LIQUID EFFECT
Anverdi’s hand crafted items fetch incredible prices amongst collectors and this is no exception. It does not come with instructions but I am told that the effect is detailed in one of Anverdi’s books. I looked it up on the internet and Chuck Caputo gave a brief description of the effect as follows:
“A green silk is placed in a clear glass, when you cover the silk/glass with a clear tube and lift upwards the silk vanishes and turns into a green colored liquid which can be poured out. I might add there are no “pulls” involved. All of the above effects (he refers to some other Anverdi items) are clearly detailed in Anverdi’s books, check them out!”
This effect is made in perspex and if you are an Anverdi collector you are bound to know how to operate it and how it all works. £200 plus postage
KALEIDOSCOPIC COINS BY EDDIE GIBSON FOR SUPREME MAGIC
This is a copper/silver effect using a red oriental coin, a black oriental coin and an older 10p coin (not in use nowadays). Nicely routined and something to learn as winter draws in and it is too cold to get down to the magic club. £20 plus postage.
DELIRIUM TREMENS BY RALPH W HULL
If they made Fox Lake cards as far back as the 1930’s then this dates from the 1930’s. Normal cards turn into creepy crawly cards the patter says as if the onlooker has drunk too much booze for far too long. Detailed instructions with photographic illustrations … a bit of magical history. £5.00 plus postage
SIDEWALK SHUFFLE BY MARTIN LEWIS AS POPULARISED BY KEN BROOKE
A complete set (plus extra cards) of this famous effect. In Ken Brooke’s hands a miracle. These cards are jumbo in size and have gone yellow but they should serve as a practice kit for anyone who wants to learn this great effect. Comes with the Martin Lewis instructions. £5 plus postage.
OKITO GLASS VERY OLD INDEED
I found the following description on the internet: This is a glass that is bottomless and has a round glass insert fixed to the base. The glass insert makes it possible to put a silk in the glass (in the insert) and fill the glass with milk. Pour out the milk and the silk is either vanished through the bottom or still there completely dry. The glass is fluted so the insert isn’t easily visible even when the glass is empty. This one seems to be very, very old. £30 plus postage.
PRO-PACK – DESCRIBED AS THE MOST COMPLETE PACK OF SPECIALLY PRINTED GAFFED BICYCLE CARDS
Brand new pack of every kind of feke card you could ever want. £5 plus postage.
WERRY’S MIRACLE X FROM SUPREME MAGIC
Comes with a leather wallet that strikes me as being an early Himber wallet. Complete with a detailed routine. £10.00 plus postage.
BENSON DULAY’S SPIN-A-DART BY ALAN MILAN –
THERE’S A KEN BROOKE CONNECTION!
Alan Milan was one of Ken Brooke’s earliest magical associates and I believe that they ran a magic business together … might have been the Veroni House of Magic. Six cards are placed around the perimeter of the device and a prediction handed out. A spectator throws a dart at the disc which is spinning and the dart is shown to have impaled one card. And the one card is the very card in the prediction. Very clever effect and not something that many Ken Brooke fans know about. Comes with detailed instructions. £50.00 plus postage.
MONEY PRINTING MACHINE
Last time I saw one of these was in Singapore and it was in Hong Kong I am told that it was used for a major scam. A unwitting investor was shown how the machine when loaded with a special paper could print bank notes very quickly and very easily. The swindlers wanted to get a very large sum in bank notes from Hong Kong into mainland China and they explained to the investor that he could buy the special printing paper at one quarter of the cost of the money it could print and he could fly into China with the blank paper and the machine and once in China he could print the notes and quadruple his money. He took the machine and a thousand sheets of paper and they took him for a lot of money.
The machine is really effective and looks as if it is genuinely printing money from blank paper. Not supplied with instructions but it is very easy to work out the handling. £60 plus postage.
CHARLES GAUCCI’S SPECIAL RING GIMMICK
This effect is not complete with instructions but anyone who is familiar with Charles Gaucci’s divination effects will know exactly what it is and how to use it. I know what it is roughly but certainly do not wish to expose the effect. It is used to divine in which hand a spectator is holding a coin or similar size object. £35 plus postage.
CLASSIC DIVINATION BOX OLD BUT STILL IN WORKING ORDER
This effect is probably described in one of the Hoffmann books as it has been around for a long long time. The spectator is asked to arrange the cubes in the box in any secret order and to close the lid so that the magician can not see inside. The magician looks through the little metal tube and is able to tell the exact order of the cubes in the box. It does not come with instructions but if the purchaser does not know how to use it I can write a few lines to explain the working. I can point you in the right direction! If you know what I mean!!!! The box is truly sealed and the magician cannot see into the box. Another one for the collector. £75 plus post.
KEN BROOKE’S NEMO DIMINISHING CARDS.
One of the classic diminishing cards but sadly it does not come with instructions. It was routined by Ken Brooke and one of his classic releases. £10.00 plus post.
SLYDINI SILKS
The real thing as used by Slydini and very hard to find these days. 18” square. Made from parachute silk as required. I am probably underselling these but will price them at £20.00 for the set plus postage.
More to come soon. Please visit www.abracadabra.co.uk for a repeat list of these effects.
All the very best, Martin