I am interested in buying a nice three shell game set and heard some good things about SFS street shells and La Maggiore shells, and I need some more information on which one is recommended before I get one. Please help me out with some advice, include your opinion with a rating of 1-10 and why you think that type of shells is better that the other.
Thank you, Dan

You ask a very hard question as these 2 sets are both very good, each has there own attributes, I have both, when I am working table to table I will use the Street Shells as these will work on any surface and handle like a dream, when doing a show sat down and at the table and I have a matt I would use the Maggiore shells, these are bigger and more visual and bueatiful to use, I would have to give both sets 10 out of 10. I hope that answers your question and this is only my personal opinion, as for the next set, I am going to purchase a set of Colorado Silver Shells from S4S and I am hoping I can rate them as 20 out of 10.


Darren...

I perfer the La Maggiore shells over the S.F.S. shells. The L.M. shells are larger and they look more like actuall wallnut shells in color and weight. The S.F.S. are good but to me lack realness quality of the L.M. shells.

Thanks for your help, but I was wondering which shells are better for close-up work with out using a close-up pad, and I also read that the L.M. shells don't have a Chanin Dip and wanted to know if this is a factor when not using a close-up pad.
Thanks, Dan

I do not agree with RS1963 that the La Maggiore shells look more like real shells than the street shells. They are modeled on a very rare walnut that almost no one has ever seen in real life. If you go to any grocery store in the country, the walnuts will be the size, shape, and weight represented by the Street Shells.

Secondly, the size of the La Maggiore shells does not make the effect more visible in my opinion. The pea is the star of the game, and the pea should be larger if you want to make the game more visible. Larger cups for the cups and balls don't mean anything if you don't have larger balls and oranges. If you have larger cups and still use the same balls and loads you had with the smaller cups, there is no gain.

I designed the S4S shells with the Chanin Dip because I thought it made working on a bar or coffee table without a mat much easier and surer. I wanted a set of shells that would fit comfortably in my right coat pocket and that I could pull out and use anywhere in walk-around--I never carry a mat when I am strolling.

It is really our Perfect Pea that allows us to work without a mat and both sets come with that, but the Chanin Dip makes it simpler. You can use the La Maggiore shells without a mat, and it is not hard to learn how to "float" them over the table. But the S4S shells practically work themselves.

Nonetheless, the La Maggiore are beautiful and well-made shells, and some people will prefer working with them, while others will prefer working with the smaller School for Scoundrels shells. It is all a matter of taste and style, and what works best for you. You really can't go wrong with either set.

I agree. Small shells, make the peas look bigger. It is like a small person wearing a big shirt, the person now looks even smaller, or the opposite: a big person wearing a small shirt makes the big person look even bigger. The trick should be about the pea, that is the important part. That is why I don't have the gold shells because I think it draws attention away from the pea. Same with the cups and balls, engraved cups draw attention away from the balls.

It is very hard to put a big pea under a small shell. It depends on what kind of pea the magician chooses to use. A hard rubber pea or a sponge pea. It doesn't matter as far as the audience is concerned. As long as the routine is entertaining and the client is happy.

I like the sponge pea because it has many advantages.

One set of shells I have are plastic and I use the smallest of the by gosh sponge balls. They don't have a dip back to make the pea exit easy but with a sponge ball it is not needed.

One way I used to open the effect was to hold the sponge ball under one of my fingers sort of like a magician might do in a bowl routine with a sponge ball. But I do it with the shells right at the start of the routine.

I show the shells empty and then put all three mouth down on the table and then turn them over and produce the sponge ball pea. This little bit of business is a neat little thing that goes over very nice at the start of the routine.

I like to use a close up mat because not only it is a performing stage but offers a clean place to do all magic effects. It spotlights the effects and it also stakes out a my performing area at their table.

The nice thing about a large set of shells that you can use a large pea or the small sponge ball. So the pea will look larger because it IS larger. I have very small hands and I use large shells or small shells, bottle caps, thimbles, and mini cups - or what fits my mood and the gig.

As Whit says it is a matter of opinon. To me the sfs shells are too light in weight and in color. I have talked to several others who feel the same way. I do not dispute the feeling that the sfs shells are good. I would never say that they are not. They are very usable and many other magicians love them.

I would never part with My L.M. shells. Others would never part with the sfs shells it is all matter of what you want from the shells you are going to use.

I've just recently started playing with the street cons. I have tried out a few different shells and really like the SFS shells a lot more than any of the others. My friend collects shells, so I've seen a lot. SFS shells are a little light, but who, other than a magician or conman, knows the difference?

The Street Shells are molded from a carved and puttied walnut shell. They are the exact same weight and size as a half shell from a California walnut. They even sound like the real thing when they hit the table.

The La Maggiore Shells are colored like a walnut shell that has been lacquered, whereas the Street Shells are colored like an untreated raw shell--the way they would have looked when used by an 1890's sure-thing gambler. The treatment of the shells with lacquer and putty was something not done until after 1900.

Mr.Haydn, is SFS going to release lectures notes for the 3Shell game soon? If so, approx. what date?

Jerry

The first DVD on the Shell Game, "Introduction to the Shell Game" is already out. We will have at least two, and perhaps three more. The second one will be out hopefully by the end of the year. When the DVDs are done, the book on the shells will be published--probably along with the last DVD in the series. It may be quite a while before that. We have always taken the time to do things right, with as careful research as possible into the history, psychology and techniques of these scams. We have been teaching these scams in our course at the Magic Castle now for almost ten years. We plan to keep going for quite a while, putting out new products and info as we go--but not until they are ready, and up to the high standards that Chef Anton and I both insist on.

I wasn't initially going to respond to the post, but to correct Whit's statement, La Maggiore shells were meticulously color-matched to an untreated raw shell.

Those who wish to compare the finished product side-by-side with other raw shells of that species can look here:

http://threeshellgame.com/cafe.htm

Thanks to everyone for their continued interest in the Three Shell Game!

Andrew

Dan, you should scroll to the next page and read "Shell Game Shells" for some more answers. I like the Black Fox Scarab shells.

Best regards,
Glenn Godsey

I like the Black Fox shells as well. Just got a set of the blue crarab shells, and love them

I like my Supershells kit from the Camirand Academy that I bought many years ago. Works nicely on my Ouellet Close-Up Stage.

I purchased the Street Shells from Bob Sheets and also the DVD "Introduction to the Shell Game". Although I am new to the shell game the DVD is great and very easy to follow. You can not go wrong with the two items. On the LM shells there are direction on how to add the Chanin dip at http://www.threeshellgame.com/modify.htm if you are interested in doing that. For the money and quality the SS and DVD seem to be a great deal. Buy the way on the DVD you also get some PDF files that give you a lot of history on the shell game and routines.

I own and I've used the SFS, the LM, the Camirand kit and store bought shells I prepared myself. All work great, but doing them yourself is very time-consuming, as you really need three shells that look exactly alike or very nearly so. Finding three and then preparing them without breaking or chipping... well, it's quite a chore, to say the least!

I don't think the weight is that big of a deal. Real walnut shells don't weigh very much. If you feel you must have heavy shells, get the SFS golden shells. As to the Chanin Dip, if you use a harder pea, like the Perfect Pea, you probably need it. If you use a sponge ball or foam pea, you definitely don't need it.

Routines? My favorite is probably still Gary Ouellet's "Supershells." Glenn's routine and Whit's stuff are also exceptional. The Chanin book has some great stuff with the shells and Frank Garcia's "All in a Nutshell" can still be had from eBay--well worth having in your library as a resource.

But I'm rambling. As has been stated above, you can't go wrong with this decision. The SFS and LM are both excellent and worth every penny! I promise you will be happy with either.

Glenn Who?

I think he means you, Glenn.