After seeing Michael Skinners' wonderful version using tea cups of the Cups and Balls, I have been inspired myself to do a similar routine with tea cups.

Can anyone recommend some nice looking vintage tea cups that also handles well for the moves?

Thanks

I don't think they're special cups. Try second hand store or garage/yard sales. My Nana has a few of these in an old china cabinet1

Bruce Cervon also used T-Cups.

So did Rene Lavand. Both wonderful routines

There is a lot of different type of tea cups, Chinese, Japanese, and English.

Try Amazon dot com to take a look.

I have a complete set of routines called "Cup of T" - many unique sleights for a Tea Cup

I was working with Bill Palmer on documentation - but that got put on hold ...

contact me at gusarimagic@comcast.net

example:
Two Tea Cups and a Bowl are on the table, plus a small teapot. Each Cup is picked up by the handle and shown to be empty, then replaced. A teabag is taken from the bowl and dropped into the Right Cup, followed by one in the Left Cup. The performer starts to pour tea into the Left Cup, looks perplexed and tips the Cup to show it is empty. He then dumps out the Right Cup to show two Bags. Again he visibly drops a Bag into each Cup only to discover that both have collected in the Left Cup. With a shrug these two Bags are replaced in the Left Cup. Now it is revealed that each Cup holds but one Bag. Experimenting, the performer places one Bag in the Right Cup and returns the second bag to the Bowl. They both are found in the Right Cup. Both are placed back in the Right Cup. Changing his mind the Bags are poured into the Left Cup. Now a third Bag is dropped into the Right Cup. No one is surprised to learn that all three are in the Left Cup. One is placed in each Cup and the last returned to the Bowl. The audience is encouraged to guess where the Bags are. Both Cups are tipped to show that all of the Bags are gone. Frustrated, the performer places a Saucer over the Right Cup and places the Left Cup on top with a Bag in it. The Cup is shown empty, the Saucer lifted and the Bag dumped out of the lower Cup. The Bag is replaced in the lower Cup, the Saucer placed on. A Bag is placed in the second Cup9 that is placed on top. Now, both Bags are found in the Lower Cup. In exasperation the performer places the two Cups together, shakes them, and dumps out a dozen Bags onto the table. NOTE: The teapot can be used throughout as desired to build frustration.

I'd try the thrift stores. I find great things and have saved hundreds of dollars in the past few months.

But not as well as Miller or Skinner I'm sure. Cervon was great but he was nothing like Mike Skinner or even Charlie.