Illusions

NOTE AS AT 10th February:

I have now received an offer to buy all the illusions below at their listed price so if you are keen to buy one or all of them, that is the price to beat. Good Luck.

P.S. An American friend visited last night and could not believe how cheaply these are priced. I agreed but I need the space by the end of next week.

So now I am coming to the end of the magic that I have stored for so many years and I fear the ending is not going to be easy for me.

Today, for example, one of my favourite illusions failed to meet its reserve price and so it will go to the bonfire. I don't believe I should let these items go for nothing even though they do need a lick of paint in some cases.

Magicians have asked me what there is left of the big stuff so here is the list.

A. THE BACKSTAGE ILLUSION

This is my own design (and my father built it) of a very well known 'plot' wherein the magician performs a quite baffling illusion to produce a girl. Using any excuse (a special treat for someone in the audience, the musical director's birthday, whatever) the magician says that he will show everyone how it is done because he isn't going to ever do it again, so why not? He will even face the other way so that they will see it in detail.

The curtains open and indeed there is even an audience on the backcloth (not supplied) and the magician performs the whole routine again. Normally there are two boxes involved and the real audience get to see the girl crawling about. In my version it is much more comfortable for the assistant because there is only one upright box.

You can see the routine here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7B0lf_CR0A and it is interesting to note that the two 'stagehands' sweeping up are Ali Bongo and Gil Leaney, bless 'em both.

Offers over £650 to danillusions@gmail.com Note that this email address is only used for this illusion sale and will be inactive after 10 days.

B. THE TRIPLE TRUNK MYSTERY

In the 1930s a magician called George Grimmond appeared at the Magic Circle with three nesting wooden trunks. He let the members examine the boxes, which they did very closely, and then he was locked into the first trunk which was leather strapped round and fitted with four locks on the OUTSIDE of the solid lid. This was then lifted into the second trunk and that was strapped and locked before being lifted into the third and outer trunk.

This, too, was strapped and locked and a cloth cabinet (like the Spirit Cabinet) was then pulled around it and in a remarkably short space of time he was out of it all, and it could immediately be examined. It's a great idea.

The years go by, George got to be elderly, and he offered it to me to do on the Paul Daniels Magic Show. I had a problem in that I was claustrophobic and this does give you nightmares. Anyway I rehearsed it and did it on the show. On that show we invited a furniture expert from the BBC's Antique Road Show to examine the boxes. That's how sure I was no one would find the secret. Warning, I am only 5'6" and reasonably slim. George quite rightly had the crates made to fit him and he was smaller than me. I was CRAMMED in there and anyone who buys these original boxes will have to be of similar build or teach an assistant to do the escape. IF these get sold, then I will teach the purchaser myself.

Offers over £600 to danillusions@gmail.com Note that this email address is only used for this illusion sale and will be inactive after 10 days.

C. THE STEEL LINED COFFIN

I had this especially made for the Paul Daniels Magic Show and it is HEAVY. A clean looking wooden box is shown and the audience examine it. A steel lining, obviously one piece, is lowered into the outer wooden case and the magician climbs inside it. A steel lid is placed onto the top and I had assistants with rechargeable electric drills with spanner socket heads tighten nuts down onto the studs.

Now the wooden lid was lowered onto those nuts, sealing them in and hasps were fitted with locks.

All of this was done on the two (supplied) wooden supports so that when the short curtained cabinet was closed around the coffin the audience could see underneath at all times.

In a very short time, I was found to laid on the top of the coffin. This is truly impossible.

Offers over £600 to danillusions@gmail.com Note that this email address is only used for this illusion sale and will be inactive after 10 days.

D. THE GIRL THROUGH THE GLASS

A BIG illusion. It comes with a large sheet of glass set into a large wooden frame, probably about 6' square. Two long tables are placed on each side of the glass and a girl is laid on the table, covered, and the sliding board with her on it is pushed through the middle of the glass.

Beautifully made by my father the only thing that would need touching up/TLC is that I decided it would be more deceptive if the large sheet of glass was stained like a fancy window and that might have faded (I have not unpacked this to find out.

Offers over £700 to danillusions@gmail.com Note that this email address is only used for this illusion sale and will be inactive after 10 days.

E. OKITO STYLE CLOTH PENETRATION

Memory tells me that we copied this from old photographs and basically it is a large Chinese style 'door frame' that has a sliding panel that goes up and down in front of what is seen to be a large piece of cloth. The panel is lowered to the middle, the top and the bottom of the cloth staying in view at all time, yet the magician or assistant can go around the back and not only push objects through the cloth but also their arms and head etc.

Of course the cloth can immediately be shown to be unharmed.

Offers over £200 to danillusions@gmail.com Note that this email address is only used for this illusion sale and will be inactive after 10 days.

F. THE MAGIC SQUARE

A major feature in my touring show and my West End productions. This ALWAYS got huge applause and yet it is only a mathematical magic square. The difference here was that I made it into a large display item with large numbers that were put into place by my assistants as I 'created' the square based on a number called out by the audience.

Complete with the numbers.

Offers over £250 to danillusions@gmail.com Note that this email address is only used for this illusion sale and will be inactive after 10 days.