I am looking in to the three shell game and something new (to me at least) three shell props from magic makers... I am not a big fan of magic makers stuff... but I do have a few things from them that I like... my 3 Questions are.

1.) I was wondering if any one had "Golden 3 Shell Game" and if they like them?
2.) And if they held up well?
http://www.magicmakersinc.com/magictrick......ell.html

3.) what do you think of the "Perfect 3 Shell Game"?
http://www.magicmakersinc.com/magictrick......ell.html

Also have you seen these... Monster Shells...
http://www.magicmakersinc.com/magictricks/monstershells.html

thanks
Chuck

Chuck, the golden shells from Magic Makers are UNUSABLE. They're pure junk. Trust me......really, these are probably the WORST shells ever made.

The "Perfect 3 Shell Game" is OK, but it's a copy of the Vernet shells, and a rather poor copy at that. Why anybody would buy these over the Vernet's is beyond me. These don't look as good as the Vernet's, but they ARE the only Magic Makers set that at least are useable for magicians.

The Monster Shells are a blatant rip-off of the School for Scoundrels Trade Show shells, and a poorly done one at that. Because they're a straight rip-off of a product that didn't exist before SFS invented it, I wouldn't even consider these for a purchase. As well, when sitting beside the SFS Trade Show shells, these MM Monster Shells look like junk.

I'd honestly recommend that you check out the School For Scoundrels web site for their "Street Shells" in resin, and their wide choice of metal shells.
Also, La Maggiore shells are a superbly made slightly larger resin shell.

The School for Scoundrels and La Maggiore shells are the benchmark in resin and metal shell sets. You really can't do better in a resin or plastic shell.

The Magic Makers "Perfect" set is OK, but the rest of their shells are junk. You're wasting your money on them.

Personally, I use Tom Bartlett's "Deacon Dan" natural shells, but they're a bit more money, and something you might want to get into after you've been at it a while. You can get them from either SFS or La Maggiore.

A great beginners set if you want to get in for under $15.00 is the Vernet.
Otherwise $45.00 for the SFS Street Shells, or around $60.00 for the La Maggiore is your best bet.

Chuck, what videos/DVDs do you have?

Heya Chuck,

I couldn't agree with Silverking more. He's bang on the dot. You will save yourself money in the long run by buying the SFS products. The are far and away the best bang for your buck.

The shell game is my FAVORITE effect BTW. I use it every time I perform. Cheers to for looking into this classic!

Silverking,
thanks for the info... I will look into the SFS stuff...

Dynamike,
I have the Bob Sheets VHS "Absolutely Nuts!"...

Chad,
Thanks for the input...

Chuck

Chuck, try out The Phil Cass Video dealing with the shell game. Another good one is Bob Kohler's, "The Golden Shells."

Bob Kohler's routine is a good one, and that's because it's based on possibly the best routine of all time...."SuperShells" by Gary Oulette.
You can get the "SuperShells" book for around $12.00 if you'd like to give it a try before going for the DVD.

Phil Cass's video is ALSO based on "SuperShells" (see a pattern here?), BUT this routine is more about Phil's personality, not his skill with the shells (although he's very good). Very few folks will ever be able to do this routine the way Phil does it. Phil has stated that this routine could get you punched in the face if performed for the wrong people in the wrong place.
A lot of magi want to think they can do what Phil does........but they're wrong.

I'd actually pick up the School for Scoundrels DVD if I were looking for something to add to the Bob Sheets VHS you've already got. (In fact you'll see lots of Bob on the SFS DVD).
The DVD itself pretty much stands alone as far as quality goes, but when you add in the 20 or so extra .pdf files on various elements of the shell game, there's just no better reference available anywhere.

You'll likely wind up owning all the DVD's (there's only half a dozen, so it's not hard), but I'd be inclined to start with the SFS product.

Bob Sheets has a new Shell Game DVD coming out soon.

Dynamike,
do you know when it is comming out?

Thanks
Chuck

Are you sure you don't mean the School for Scoundrels second DVD on the shells?
........with Bob Sheets appearing on it alongside Whit Haydn and Chef Anton, and perhaps some others?

I suspect that's the one you're referring to?

If that's the one....then Whit says it will be out "soon".

I got a set of those Magic Maker shells for free awhile back. Even for free they weren't worth it. I turned around and gave them away to someone else, like an unwanted Christmas fruitcake.

Yep, that is the I am referring to. Bob Sheets told me it would be soon too.

Visit the magic makers website and you'll find dozens of ripped off effects, many of which they don't have permission to use.

The MM Golden Shells look nice, but they are hard to use. They are not very "tall" so it is not easy to hold them between the fingers. They are not totally useless, but they do require more practice to use them. I use the SFS Street Shells, personally, and I love them. If you are just starting out with the shell game, start with the Vernet set. Also, in performance have the spectator really play the game with their money. This makes the routine far more interesting and far more entertaining. It also helps out with the psychology of the game. Whether or not you keep the money is up to you. I always keep the money. I see it as "payment for the entertainment". For those who don't like that just remember that Harry Houdini used to borrow coins, do a few coin tricks, and then "forget" to give the coins back.

You need to look at the cover picture of Frank Garcia book on the shell game and see where School for Scoundrels took the idea from.

I know Tom, I must admit that I only presume that Frank Garcia's shells were custom made for him, and not available as an off the shelf item (if they were available, I've never seen them anywhere).

SFS was the fist to take the "big shell" idea and actually bring it to somewhat of a mass-market, with Magic Makers doing what they do when they see something they want to copy.

I'm not looking to argue though, and enjoy owning my original SFS Trade Show shells likely far more than a similar owner of the flimsy plastic Magic Makers shells.

Just an FYI, the MM shells were molded from a real walnut shell.

I picked up a set of "Paul Bunyon" jumbo shells on the big auction site recently. I think they're MM monster shells in a funny box. They look the same, but came with a goofy radii set of green sponge balls.

The worst part about the MM monster shell is the injection "plug" in the inner ceiling of the shells. I've about dug my spoon gouge into my left palm countless times hacking those things out.

I'm going to be selling a boat load of magic items soon to pay for a set of SFS Trade Show Shells. Unfortunately, the money I make performing goes to pay bills. I gotta sell old toys to make way for new ones

I knew Frank Garcia well, and remember the photo of him with jumbo shells. I don't remember him ever doing a routine with them. They were just a photo prop as far as I know.

The original jumbo shells that are in the line of succession of the Trade Show Shells were made by Fakini for Steve Conner back in the late seventies, I think.

Steve got the shells and the original molds. It was a custom job, something that Fakini made to order for Steve to Steve's specifications.

Steve asked me if I could help him come up with a routine for them, and I told him I didn't see any way that they could work deceptively with sponge balls.

Years later, Paul Gross of Hocus-Pocus Magic asked me to look at a set of jumbo shells.

I recognized them as the set Fakini had made. He said he had bought them from Steve and was thinking about making a set for the market. He wanted to know if I could make a routine for them.

I said I had played with the idea before, and didn't find it promising. Eventually I came up with a solution using two solid peas and magnets, and had a jumbo shell designed from scratch by our plastics manufacturer. It is not a copy of the Fakini shell, but a completely different design.

Hocus-Pocus Magic and School for Scoundrels put out our shells and a DVD of our original routine. The shells are Jumbo, and we claim no credit for the idea of using Jumbo Shells. But these shells are an original design, and the method is our own.

For the record, we have never complained about the Magic Makers Jumbo shells, or their brass or plastic shells. They have a right to make all of those things.

School for Scoundrels did not invent plastic shells, metal shells or jumbo size shells.

We did complain when our trademarked names "the Golden Shells" and "Street Shells" were both used by Magic Makers, but when we asked them to change the name of their products, they did, and we have had no problems with them since.

I called Fakini, and he says you're quite wrong.