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havagrim New user 54 Posts 
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Hi!
I am not so much into the world of coins, except the normal sleights and I do a matrix effect by John Kennedy I like very much. Now I have for a long time thought about obtaining myself an half dollar shell. I actually got a used one from a prop seller here in Sweden. Very cheap, but I got what I paid for. The half dollar shell is bigger (quite alot) then the half dollar. So it doesn't really fit. It just falls out really really easy. Makes a lot of noise aswell.. Now since I am pretty new to the do's and don't's with shells, shimms and what not, I need some advice on a good line of shells I could obtain. Only brand I really know of is tango. Any tips and hints are welcome! Ronnie
"The world is my playground"
Magician from Sweden. |
Octopus Sun Special user Wiggle Wiggle 586 Posts
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http://www.roykueppers.com/
http://coingaffs.net/ http://www.toddlassen.com/ http://toddlassen.com/commercial/ http://www.joemogar.com/ here's a starting place for you to search good luck |
Poof-Daddy Inner circle Considering Stopping At Exactly 5313 Posts
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Quote:
On 2012-11-06 11:14, Octopus Sun wrote: Very good list of high quality gaffs but don't look over Johnson "the working mans coins"  great quality and price. http://www.johnsonmagicproducts.com/shop/ and http://themagicwarehouse.com/ carries many johnson products in stock
Cancer Sux - It is time to find a Cure
Don't spend so much time trying not to die that you forget how to live - H's wife to H on CSI Miami (paraphrased).  
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mtgoldstein Veteran user Houston, TX 325 Posts
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In light of your first post I second Poof-Daddy's recommendation. I have both " the working man's" as we'll as the top end. I find I throw the cheap one in my pocket all the time, but protect the high end gaffs for planned occasions. It's a mind set I guess. But thus more experience is gained with it. If I had gone from a very gaff as you describe to the top of the line, it still might be on the mantle being admired instead of the pocket.
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bowers Inner circle Oakboro N.C. 7024 Posts
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I also do the same thing.i keep my lassen clad
set in a purse in my pocket all the time.ready to perform at a moments notice.and use my high dollar silver set in a setting over carpet or a table.just in case of droping it. todd |
Vlad_77 Inner circle The Netherlands 5829 Posts
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Poof-Daddy,
Nice comments about Johnson Products! I do coin magic but I am primarily a card person. That said, I protect my Johnson coins as if they were made of platinum. I have never tried a Schoolcraft nor a Lassen, but, a lot of you coin gurus have such praise for them. For a long time, Johnson Products were the product of choice so here is a little challenge: Convince this stubborn card guy to try one of these expensive gaffs from either Schoolcraft or Lassen. If Johnson coins have worked for me for 20 years in thousands of performances, should I consider a change? There must be a reason why these coins are much more expensive than Johnson. I am willing to learn.
Namaste, Vlad |
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Merc Man Inner circle NUNEATON, Warwickshire 2538 Posts
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Wooooooh slow down lads. Before we go quoting the guy other shell suppliers, let's look at his initial concerns; particularly as he's new to coin magic.
Havagrim - first and foremost, this response isn't intended to be patronising. I've just taken on board your comment that you are new to coin magic. To this end, a couple of things worth noting. First and foremost, an expanded shell WILL be a loose fit. It needs to be quite loose so that it can cover any matching normal coin without it getting stuck. Half dollars do appear to vary in diameter, with newer less worn coins being a little tighter fit than worn ones. It also needs to enable the normal coin to fall out quite easily for a number of shell routines. It isn't designed as a locking coin. Secondly, you will notice that there is a marked difference in sound when using a shell. This is part and parcel of most gaffed coins - it just needs handling practice to reduce the noise aspect that you mention. You may have known these points already - apologies if I'm 'teaching a granny to suck eggs' (heaven knows where that expression comes from)! I just don't want you going out and wasting money on a new gaffed coin that is going to potentially give you the same results. Finally, I'd unreservedly recommend Tango Expanded Shells if you are going to purchase a new one. As well as the shell, you will also get an excellent free instructional DVD aptly named 'The Tangopedia' that will take you through a number of excellent routines with a shell. Just make sure that this DVD is included with your gaff. If a dealer has old stock, it may not be accompanied with the DVD. Here's something you may find useful (note that these are all fully explained on the FREE DVD if you purchase a Tango Shell): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5c9v53kEOg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0K9QDqYTG2U http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRkMHBodFFk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W01NkJxY8n8 Hope that this information helps.
Barry Allen
Over 15 years have now passed - and still missing Abra Magazine arriving every Saturday morning. |
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bowers Inner circle Oakboro N.C. 7024 Posts
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The difference between a johnson - tango on expanded shell.
than a custom expanded shell is. number one difference is the fit.the shell will fit the coin so well that there will not be any play for noise.but it will fall out just as good.and from the back side with the coin nested in the shell.you can show it very very close without any thing looking out of the unordinary.there is a big difference.thats why they cost more. and if you go unexpanded it gets even better as far as fit and coverage. but the shell can only be used with the set of coins it has been fitted with. I have coins fitted so good that there is a half second delay in the coin dropping out because of the vacuum effect.but its all about what you want in a set. todd |
J-Mac Inner circle Ridley Park, PA 5338 Posts
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All the Tango shells I have are not very good - the relief is flattened and stretched-looking. I realize that all expanded shells are stretched to a point but my Tango shells are very noticeably flat, and the relief images on them are distorted. Granted all of my Tango shells are older, ranging from about two years to several more years old. It is possible that they have become better since then, though I haven't gotten any such indication from anyone I know well that they have.
I also have Johnson shells - all are as perfect as I can imagine. Same for Todd Lassen's, Schoolcraft's, and Bob Swadling's. Thank you. Jim |
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bowers Inner circle Oakboro N.C. 7024 Posts
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I agree with jim on the older tangos for sure.
johnson is the best mass produced shell out there. I have a custom johnson morgen expanded shell that is extremely good fit.but like I said above. custom coins are better fitted because more time is took to get that fit.its all up to the person in what they want in a shell.i like one I can coin roll with or flip it in the air without the worry of it coming apart.sound somtimes plays more of a part than sight in a effect.if a spectator hears a coin clink or chatter they know it isn't a normal coin.i have been questioned on sound before. |
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Poof-Daddy Inner circle Considering Stopping At Exactly 5313 Posts
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And as far as the talking goes, I believe tango sells teflon circles in half and dollar size pretty cheap
Cancer Sux - It is time to find a Cure
Don't spend so much time trying not to die that you forget how to live - H's wife to H on CSI Miami (paraphrased).
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bowers Inner circle Oakboro N.C. 7024 Posts
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Yes they do poof.but the clinking I'm talking about
is the loose play the nested coin has in the shell itself. |
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havagrim New user 54 Posts
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Thanks for all the input. I now I came across as completly new to coin magic, wich I am not. I am just very new to shells, as I have never had any. I realise the shell shouldnt be on to tight, so I can retrive the coin in a rather easy manner. Its just that in my shell its waay to loose. Even tho I am new to shells, I can see that many other shells fit better (from what I have seen when other people have handled shells). That was why I was curious to other brands that the tango line (even tho I am sure they do have good shells aswell). It is hard to differ the good from the bad when new to this world like me
I have been into magic for many years since I was a kid. But I have been away from magic for a very long time. Only doing a random card trick here and there and I had a small return some ten years agoo when I got some new prop and re-learned some stuff and had a gig or two, before I went back to hibernating. Now I have been back for a bit more then a year again, and its been great. Have had a quite a few very successful gigs, and I am re-learning everything very fast and also I am discovering things and great magicians to learn from I should have years ago had I not had my break. Feels like my reborn interest in this wonderful art is here to stay, and I am for the first time in my life actually making money of this, instead of just spending money on it! With that being said, I think this place is such a great place for someone like me. So much great peple to answer all the questions someone like me might have! Thanks for all the great input! Ronnie
"The world is my playground"
Magician from Sweden. |
SheldonR New user 70 Posts
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Quote:
On 2012-11-11 17:55, Merc Man wrote: Alright! This is really awesome. Thank you for sharing all of these links in here Merc Man, I can really use a lot of them right now for sure. I also love Johnson's products and frankly I've studied a few tricks from them as well. It's really good that you have a compilation like this links that you shared. Gives other lots of opportunities to learn more with less hassle. |
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J-Mac Inner circle Ridley Park, PA 5338 Posts
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Quote:
I also love Johnson's products and frankly I've studied a few tricks from them as well. Just curious - you have "studied" Johnson's tricks? What have you studied? Their instruction sheets, while better than a lot that usually come with gaffed coins, aren't really what you want to be "studying" to learn coin magic! You need to be reading books like Henry Hay's "The Amateur Magicians Handbook", and Richard Kaufman's "CoinMagic" among many others. You won't learn much at all directly from Johnson. Jim |
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Posted: Nov 6, 2012 03:08 pm 
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