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MikeRaffone Special user 623 Posts |
This is the first time I ever bought prop that has been completely useless in performance. Though, it was given lots of praises by the dealer who way over charged me for it.
When I performed it, it wouldn't even fit a 9 year old's head and the box was way way too heavy for him to hold on his shoulders. You can't show a kids head inside the box before, during or after the performance. The balloons are awkward going in the box and rarely go in straight like the picture on the ad. When you open the front door to show the head vanished, the holes in the back of the box don't reflect what's actually behind the box, but what's on the sides because of the way the mirror reflects. The only thing good I can find about this prop is that it is extremely well made, with expert craftmanship and looks very nice This Friday is trash day and before I dump it, was hoping someone here has some ideas for it or has found a use for this prop besides being a boat anchor? (no water near where I live). Thanks, Mike
Mike Perrello
DC Area's Leading Family Entertainment Expert |
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Spellbinder Inner circle The Holy City of East Orange, NJ 6438 Posts |
Door stop.
Base for a living-room coffee table. Cat house. (not THAT kind, the OTHER kind!) Enlarge holes to make a wine bottle rack. Large animal trap. Sell it on e-Bay to the NEXT sucker.
Professor Spellbinder
Professor Emeritus at the Turkey Buzzard Academy of Magik, Witchcraft and Wizardry http://www.magicnook.com Publisher of The Wizards' Journals |
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ClintonMagus Inner circle Southwestern Southeast 3997 Posts |
I'm not familiar with the trick. Could you post a link to a photo and description of it?
Things are more like they are today than they've ever been before...
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magicbob116 Inner circle 1522 Posts |
Could you somehow partially fill in the holes to use arrows or daggers instead of the balloons? Used as a standard head chest, it might still be functional.
B. Robert Pulver
The "I Hate Card Tricks!" Book of Card Tricks Vol. 1, 2, and 3 Kards for Kids Sticky Situations Sleightly Wacky http://www.magicnook.com/magicbob |
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Spellbinder Inner circle The Holy City of East Orange, NJ 6438 Posts |
Become a shoe-shine boy and use it to store your shoe shine equipment.
Use it in the kitchen to store doughnut holes. Put it in your magic den with a sign on it: "Mysterious Box. Do Not open until December of 2012" Put it on its side near your door for use as an umbrella rack. Turn it into the world's largest mouse trap.
Professor Spellbinder
Professor Emeritus at the Turkey Buzzard Academy of Magik, Witchcraft and Wizardry http://www.magicnook.com Publisher of The Wizards' Journals |
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MikeRaffone Special user 623 Posts |
Awesome material here, keep them coming...
Spellbinder - I'm trying to decide between the coffee table idea and umbrella rack idea. Doughnut holes? Wait, I got it! Put a little monster in the front part of the box and then close the door and drop a crapload of donut holes in (letting them fall in the rear behind the mirror) and then open the door to for audience to see the donut holes vanished, leaving just the little monster with a smile on his face! Clintonmagus, here's a pic: http://www.daytonamagic.net/customer/ind......tId=6854 buy it from me though, I'll give you a discount Mike
Mike Perrello
DC Area's Leading Family Entertainment Expert |
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magicbob116 Inner circle 1522 Posts |
Spellbinder, tell us how you really feel about it.
B. Robert Pulver
The "I Hate Card Tricks!" Book of Card Tricks Vol. 1, 2, and 3 Kards for Kids Sticky Situations Sleightly Wacky http://www.magicnook.com/magicbob |
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magicbob116 Inner circle 1522 Posts |
Another thought on modifying it. You could put a flange on the bottom and attach it to an adjustable base so the child would not have to hold the weight up. I guess the problem of not having enough space for their head is something that's not going to be possible to fix, though. So perhaps storing shoeshine supplies is the way to go.
B. Robert Pulver
The "I Hate Card Tricks!" Book of Card Tricks Vol. 1, 2, and 3 Kards for Kids Sticky Situations Sleightly Wacky http://www.magicnook.com/magicbob |
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Michael Baker Eternal Order Near a river in the Midwest 11172 Posts |
That's a lot of money to get shafted on... bummer.
It sounds like it's similar to a dagger head chest, but because you say you can't show the kid's head at any point, I'm guessing the gimmicks are fixed and don't fold to the sides? You also said it won't fit a kid's head? I'll guess that there is no back door, but just a hole in the bottom for him to stick his head up through? You also said it's too heavy for a kid to hold? That sounds like one of the problems with the MAK Flaming Head Chest. It's built TOO solidly. First option... send it back to the dealer and demand your money back. It sounds like a total piece of junk. Aside from that, there are probably some things you can do to make it useful. Assuming there is no back door. Cut the back and add a slide-in, or hinged door. Enlarging the neck hole may help whether adding the door, or not. Regarding the weight... use it only on adults, or mount it on a stand, like MAK's Murder, Inc., or like the old illusion, "Where Does the Head Go?" Regarding the large holes reflecting the wrong image. I'm guessing with balloons in place, the problem is not as bad, as when there are none in place? If you still want to use balloons, maybe you can cover each hole with overlapping pieces of Spandex. This will eliminate bad reflective images, and still allow you to push the balloons through. If you aren't dedicated to using balloons, cut some pieces of wood or plastic that will cover the holes. Glue them in place. Each of these would have a smaller hole or slot for inserting a dagger, arrow, etc. If it does indeed have a fixed gimmick, that really sucks. Much better when they hinge to fold against the sides. You can also forget about using it as a head chest and turn it into a mirror box/production cabinet. Just cover all the holes and add a pole down the center at the apex of the gimmick. A door in top, behind the gimmick, would be needed, though. All these "fixes" would be laborious, so personally, I'd use the first option above. Send it back after a very nasty phone call. Junk like this should never be on the market.
~michael baker
The Magic Company |
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MikeRaffone Special user 623 Posts |
I already asked for a refund and waiting for reply. If they do fair business, only nice things will be said about the company, otherwise...
Thanks, Mike
Mike Perrello
DC Area's Leading Family Entertainment Expert |
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Spellbinder Inner circle The Holy City of East Orange, NJ 6438 Posts |
Put a heater inside and use it to dry mittens after snowball fights.
Mount it on a pole in the backyard for a bird house. Donate it to a local school to display as an instrument of torture for delinquent youth. Sell it to your local deli as a window display for bologna and pepperoni. Mount it on your bathroom wall as an extra medicine cabinet to confuse guests. Use it as an incubator for ostrich eggs.
Professor Spellbinder
Professor Emeritus at the Turkey Buzzard Academy of Magik, Witchcraft and Wizardry http://www.magicnook.com Publisher of The Wizards' Journals |
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Dynamike Eternal Order FullTimer 24148 Posts |
Are you using 260 balloons? If so try using a thinner balloon, 160's. They will take up less space as the ballons are inserted. It should be easier to see the spectator's head has vanished.
You might want to use a table base to support the chest. A good example will be the "Eureka Table Base." A flange can be screwed underneath the chest so the "Eureka Table Base" can be screwed in . The spectator can stand up while you adjust the "Eureka Table Base" the right height to it will not be any weight on his/her shoulders. Try using the same color balloons. Maybe black will be better because it makes it more of an black art. The mirrors will be refecting the sides, but the audience will not notice that. Experiment with light color balloons of the same color too. |
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ClintonMagus Inner circle Southwestern Southeast 3997 Posts |
I found a link to the product. It seems like a silly, unneccessary variation on a classic effect. The thing that makes the original Dagger Head Box illusion effective is the element of danger. I guess the right story line might be able to sell the effect if it was well-made, but it sounds like yours is a piece of junk.
Things are more like they are today than they've ever been before...
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Spellbinder Inner circle The Holy City of East Orange, NJ 6438 Posts |
Use it as a storage container for ballet toe shoes.
Throw your dirty laundry in it as a hamper. Do the bowling ball trick with it, only instead of a bowling ball falling to the floor with a thunk... Turn it into a clatter box and when it falls apart, use that as your excuse for not performing the pointless and ridiculous act of forcing rubber balloons through a child's head. Buy three more of them and use them as cinder blocks to hold up your car when you change the tires.
Professor Spellbinder
Professor Emeritus at the Turkey Buzzard Academy of Magik, Witchcraft and Wizardry http://www.magicnook.com Publisher of The Wizards' Journals |
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Michael Baker Eternal Order Near a river in the Midwest 11172 Posts |
Quote:
On 2008-08-28 09:12, Spellbinder wrote: Another busy day? (LOL)
~michael baker
The Magic Company |
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jimhlou Inner circle 3698 Posts |
At least it was only $300!!!
Too bad Spellbinder can't come up with any ideas! Jim |
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stempleton Inner circle 1443 Posts |
You know, I have been looking for a "danger" illusion as a highpoint for my show, but I'm not really comfortable with daggers, swords, needles, choppers that are used on a "victim." The balloons though intrigues me very much. If I had stumbled on this item I may have also been a sucker, because the illustration and description look great. I don't have a local supplier that I could view such an item at first-hand. Does anyone know of an item which uses this principle with balloons that IS a good buy? Would love to know more. Thanks.
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Spellbinder Inner circle The Holy City of East Orange, NJ 6438 Posts |
Someone (I will mention no names) PM'd me with a challenge to come up with magic uses for this item. No problemo.
You've heard of the "light/heavy chest"... now we have the "heavy/heavier chest." How about an underwater escape crate for a trained octopus? The octopus is placed inside, its tentacles come out through the holes and are handcuffed together. It squirts out a cloud of ink to conceal itself while it makes its escape. Since a real child's head won't fit inside, how about putting it on a Halloween plastic skeleton? Push witch brooms through the holes (since balloons tend to be all curvy). Open the door and the skeleton head has vanished. Close the door, remove the brooms, and the head is still gone. The skeleton has to walk around looking for its head, and finds it hanging from the back of the magician's pants.
Professor Spellbinder
Professor Emeritus at the Turkey Buzzard Academy of Magik, Witchcraft and Wizardry http://www.magicnook.com Publisher of The Wizards' Journals |
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Michael Baker Eternal Order Near a river in the Midwest 11172 Posts |
Quote:
On 2008-08-28 19:19, Spellbinder wrote: That's actually a very cool idea!!
~michael baker
The Magic Company |
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jimhlou Inner circle 3698 Posts |
Spellbinder, you're a creative genius.
Jim |
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