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Steve Brooks Founder / Manager Northern California - United States 3780 Posts |
Pete,
I've noticed over the years you have quite an interest in the Cups and Balls. That said, what sparked that interest in this particular trick of magic?
"Always be you because nobody else can" - Steve Brooks
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Pete Biro 1933 - 2018 18558 Posts |
Not sure about the first impression, but when visiting Danny Dew, in Phoenix, he gave me one each off all the types of cups he was marketing.
In addition, Senor Mardo, who had moved to Oakland, from back East, taught me how to do the cups. Having the best cups available and a great teacher was a plus. Before that I had bought a set from Abbott's but they were klunky and didn't inspire me to use them. I created a couple of my own moves, like the Karate Acquitment (which I have just posted a demo of on my web site) and really enjoyed doing them Then I got obsessed with different kinds of cups and started to collect them. Another inspiration was seeing Shankar Junior do the Indian version and he gave me a set of his cups in exchange for taking pictures of him. Then I got interested in Johnny Paul's great routine (you can see on a DVD from Stevens magic) which was totally different. Turned out I couldn't find any cups that worked. Then on a visit to Gary Darwin's in Las Vegas he showed me a display of Johnny Paul's actual cups, which Johnny had given to him. Gary let me measure them and working through Stevens we contacted Johnny's widow and got permission to reproduce his cups. I found a super high quaility metal spinner and when I visited them to see about making the cups, the owner told me that he had made the first ever chop cups for Chop Chop many years ago. He said, "We don't make any money making stuff for magicians, bit I like 'em, so we'll make yours." Now that I have had my collection for a long time, I decided to sell off most of the cups to raise money for Doctor's Without Borders, to help with their work in Hiati.
STAY TOONED... @ www.pete-biro.com
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pepka Inner circle Uh, I'm the one on the right. 5041 Posts |
Speaking of collection, I'm very proud that I own a set of Sherwood cups once owned by Pete. I mention that every time I use them. The audience usually replies....."Who the hell is that?"
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Pete Biro 1933 - 2018 18558 Posts |
They never heard of Sherwood? Sheesh...
STAY TOONED... @ www.pete-biro.com
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dcjames Special user 577 Posts |
Good one Pete.
I am pleased to say that I recently purchased a set of Sisti Pro cups from Pete. Makes them even more special to me knowing they were once owned by such a great performer. Pete - At the height of your collecting cups & balls, how many sets did you own?
“Magic is very easy to do - poorly.”
Tommy Wonder The Books of Wonder Volume 2 |
Pete Biro 1933 - 2018 18558 Posts |
I would say around 75 sets. From cheap little plastic sets to engraved Sherwoods and lots in between.
But no collection compares to Bill Palmer's. He was so nice to bring a huge part of his prized cups to the World Magic Seminar last year so we all could see some cups we had only heard of, but never seen. My favorites are the Paul Fox cups Danny Dew gave to me. (I still have one set, but had sold the brass and copper Paul Fox standard size and the brass Chick Cups). I like the Ramsay two cup set that Jake, at RNT2 made up and the Johnny Paul cups and the copper Galli Galli cups that I produced. I like the Indian set of really old brass, engraved set I found in antique shop. I'd write more right now, but I gotta go watch Conan's last show on NBC. :spinningcoin:
STAY TOONED... @ www.pete-biro.com
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Bill Palmer Eternal Order Only Jonathan Townsend has more than 24312 Posts |
Thanks for the kind words, Pete. For me, collecting cups is not only a passion, but it's also part of a big detective story. Now I'm just beginning to see a collection of "threads" running through the collection.
One aspect that most people are unaware of is that I also collect cups and balls literature. Most of it is either a photocopy or a reproduction. Lord knows that I couldn't possibly afford a first, second or third edition of Hocus Pocus Junior. But the nice thing about our modern technology is that these old books are now available in reproductions. And with the efforts of people like Fortasse, we are seeing these appear in good English translations.
"The Swatter"
Founder of CODBAMMC My Chickasaw name is "Throws Money at Cups." www.cupsandballsmuseum.com |
Pete Biro 1933 - 2018 18558 Posts |
Oh boy, do I have something I think you may want Do you have the origian Mss. for Joe Berg's THE CHINESE CUPS AND BALLS (and the woven cups?)... will photograph later today and post online.
STAY TOONED... @ www.pete-biro.com
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Bill Palmer Eternal Order Only Jonathan Townsend has more than 24312 Posts |
I don't think so. I'll look.
"The Swatter"
Founder of CODBAMMC My Chickasaw name is "Throws Money at Cups." www.cupsandballsmuseum.com |
Pete Biro 1933 - 2018 18558 Posts |
Sorry, didn't have time to photography 'em, wound up going to Dean Dill's to help him with a project, then went up to the Magic Castle to see Scotland's Paul Nardini and Jessie Dee perform. The place was so crowded you could barely get through from one spot to another. They ran out of parking spaces too.
STAY TOONED... @ www.pete-biro.com
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BCS Inner circle 1083 Posts |
Pete… I really enjoy reading your posts, especially those regarding the Cups & Balls. I purchased a set of Johnny Paul Cups a couple of months ago and I am still practicing with them. You are so right; the Johnny Paul routine is so different and seems that it will be very entertaining once I get it down.
How many sets of the Johnny Paul Cups did you have spun? Besides being perfect for the routine, the traditional shape and being made of brass makes them pretty handsome. They really look like Cups from days gone by sitting on my shelf. Thank you for all that you share, Bruce |
Pete Biro 1933 - 2018 18558 Posts |
Over the years, maybe 100 sets. I'm not really sure, if anything it would be less. Glad you are enjoying them.
STAY TOONED... @ www.pete-biro.com
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BCS Inner circle 1083 Posts |
Pete... Thanks and I am enjoying them a lot.
Bruce |
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