I just recently won a mint condition Fun-key and want to ad it to my walk around, table hopping, etc. work.
Does anyone have any experience with it?

I know most everything he did was practical and real world usable so I'm sure this will too.

This is a forgotten gem. It is nearly self working and people love it.
I broke this out the other night during a walk around gig and people would gasp.
They were shocked because they didn't notice on the table ahead of time.
If you can get one I cannot recommend it enough.

I made one up based on Steve's Lecture DVD. It is a great trick.

I haven't heard of this before, can you provide a description please?

This is a great trick and if done right you may find people talk about this nearly self working trick long after any knuckle busting effects you perform.
I'll kind of pass on how I have done it in the past and that will also answer what the effect is as well.
During a routine I would mention that I needed some change for a quick trick. I would reach into my right pocket and dig around as if looking for something but never find any change there. I did however end up pulling my keys out and casually set them on the table.

The keys just consist of a couple house keys attached together by a simple ring and the fob is just a simple english penny.

I then would say "you wouldn't by chance have a quarter" as I placed my left hand into my other pocket as if still looking. Just before they could react I had the change in my pocket held in my cupped left hand and I would say "oh sorry never mind I have one here" I then dropped the change back in the pocket as I explained I could do a killer disappearing quarter trick.

I placed the quarter in my left hand and made it disappear "of course that was the easy part, the hard part is bringing it back" I opened my hand and seen on my palm was a key. Realizing that something odd happened I was not ready for at this point; I would realize that logic would dictate that the quarter must be on the key ring which has been in full view on the open on the table.

Using my completely empty right hand I would lift the keys from the table and attached to the key chain is the quarter.
Everything is now dropped into my pockets and it is ready to go again

That is the idea; I wanted to write it in such a way that I could show the timing because I think the first thing someone will say is can the coin be signed. In this effect I think to do so removes the impromptu elegance that is automatically built in.

I know this is all subject to opinion but during the routine your talking about a trick with a quarter as you casually place your keys on the table. This is totally dismissed by your audience as an absent minded gesture. Then by pure chance you do have a quarter after you ask for one implying that any quarter will work for the vanishing quarter trick.
Then the vanishing quarter trick goes wrong and the key appears bringing full circle to the first absent minded gesture that took place.
Then the quarter is seen hanging from the key chain.

I just think that there are a lot of little psychological touches that come into play that make this such a good quick trick.

Was just chatting with Steve Dusheck recently regarding this very subject…

"The craziest stuff happens to me...I was out at a big dept. store recently, and was showing a bit of magic to an older guy and he was quite happy about it. He then asked if I wanted to see something. Of course I did and he pulled out a little key chain thing that I recognized immediately as your "Fun-Key" (Funky), but I didn't say anything. The elderly gentleman proceeded to present it and what an amazing trick it was to watch happen.

Always wanted that one but could never find it any place. It's one of your [Steve's] old ones and difficult to come by nowadays. But it was definitely fun to watch, and the old gentleman did it perfectly…You [Steve] would've been proud. He said he was a bit of a magician in his day, but only carried that one trick with him for the last 25+ years. He said he really liked what I showed him too, but what he showed me was so much more priceless in so many ways."

Steve and I had a good chat about it and I got to hear about another one of his many wonderful experiences in magic…Always a treat from the mind and magic of one of the craft's best magicians and creators.

Thanks for sharing

Are the lecture notes still available anywhere?

I believe Steve still sells the DVD on his sight. Be aware that years ago he had made this and something happened to an original and the DVD is not high quality. However everything and I do mean everything on it is.
Everything on it could be a feature piece for someone with a good eye.

If I were to buy this DVD how hard would it be to put together?

I am curious as well, is the gaff easy to construct?

Not sure, but the DVD is still just only $10 bucks, with a lot of good creative magic on it, and he explains how to do and make most of it, if I'm remembering correctly.

Anyway. it's well worth it... And this fine creator's work should be on everyone's magic shelf…Remarkable man and effects!

This sounds like a do not pass by thing then.
I'm not real familiar with his work but with these reviews it sounds like I should be.

No. No sirreee. You don't want to know anything about him. Better leave that to us.

I have this in my collection and the thing I have noticed is that Steve had a thing for simplicity.
The gaffes were all simple ideas but were always real subtle.
This is no exception. If your handy with a drill, belt sander, and a soldering iron you could put this together in a half hour.
Though a Dremel would probably work too.

I would second that it is a pretty easy idea. The fact that he put it out on his video years ago can ease your mind about making it yourself too.