The single plans also has an extended written text about the illusion and the plans are much clearer. Buying the Black book is a good thing, as well as all of his Illusion series.

There is so much more to illusion then just building them. Consider storing them, transporting them, the assistants measurements, are just a few examples of what to do with illusions. I think it was Mark wilson who said I paid for the illusion several times just in storage fees. If I sold it after I was done, think of all the money I would have saved, or something like that!

As for building a guillotine: The Haunted Illusion book is better because there are so many other good illusions in it.

Personally, I don't like home made guillotines, especially the French kind. one slip and it is really off with the head. I could write a booklet on this! I have the Richbark Simplex Head Chopper:
http://www.richbark.com/m_illusions.html

Thanks to makeupguy and Dennis Michael

I am looking to build the "EasyBuildGuillotine" because of what was said.

I received the Classic illusions vol. 2 where there are most of the guillotines and it is great source to choose and build

Obviously, on Page 1, I have updated all the key postings for a huge list of Illsuion Plans. Most focus on Osborne's work.

Getting into an illsuion show is an expensive business and one must be committed.

Osborne's New 2007 Step Right up Book. Many of which are in his Haunted Illusion Book
The List on the first page has been up dated.

Osborne, Paul: Step Right Book Copyright 2007
Osborne, Paul: Alligator Woman: Step Right Up Book
Osborne, Paul: Blade Box: Step Right Up Book & Haunted Illusions
Osborne, Paul: Cardiff Giant: Step Right Up Book
Osborne, Paul: Electric Chair: Step Right Up Book
Osborne, Paul: Girl to Gorilla: Step Right Up Book & Haunted Illusions
Osborne, Paul: Girl in Fishbowl: Step Right Up Book & Haunted Illusions
Osborne, Paul: Headless Lady: Step Right Up Book & Haunted Illusions
Osborne, Paul: Head on Sword: Step Right Up Book & Haunted Illusions
Osborne, Paul: Head Cremation: Step Right Up Book
Osborne, Paul: Living Half Girl: Step Right Up Book & Haunted Illusions
Osborne, Paul: Mabel Illusion: Step Right Up Book & Evolution
Osborne, Paul: Man with Three Legs: Step Right Up Book
Osborne, Paul: Monster Guillotine Step Right Up Book & Classics of Illusions
Osborne, Paul: Seeing Through a Woman: Step Right Up Book
Osborne, Paul: Spidora: Step Right Up Book & Haunted Illusions

Here are more Illusions which are in the book:

The Seven Secrets of Illusion Design by Eric Van Duzer
Abbott's Aga Levitation
Aga Levitation I
Alternative Sword Box
Appearing Bride
Appearing Chorus Line
Arm Chopper
Artist's Dream
Asrah
Assistant Switch in Sheet Backdrop
Aga Levitation
Bangkok Bungalow
Bare Stage Appearance
Bare Stage Vanish
Black Art Theater
Blue Box
Break-apart Cabinet
Broom Suspension
Burning Alive
Cargo Net
Abbott's Chinese Chopper C
rystal Casket
Crystal Casket Revisited
Disembodied Princess
Dollhouse I
Dollhouse 1I
Elastic Lady
Flash Appearance Flying
Flying Carpet
Ghostly Piano Player
Girl from the Light
Guillotine
Here There
Hindu Basket
Instant Appearance
Instant Vanish
Keller Levitation
Knifer
Lion's Bride
Little Stinkhouse
Living Torso
Million Dollar Mystery
Mirrored Platform
Mismade Girl
Morrit Plank Illusion
New Palanquin
One Performer Vanishes and Reappears Elsewhere
Overflowing Coconut
Pendulum Illusion
Pepper Ghost
Phantom Black Art Platform
Platform Levitation
Cutting in Sixths
Raceway
Ribbon through Woman
Shape Shifter
Sphinx
Spirit Theater I
Spirit Theater II
Staircase Vanish
Substitution Trunk
Super-X
Sword Suspension
Sword through Neck
Table of Death
Tabletop Vanish
The Burglar
The Chamber
The Metempsychosis
Three Kings and a Queen
Tichbourne Claimant
Tip-over Cabinet
Transportation Transporter Illusion
Triangle Illusion
Two Assistant Arch
Two Performers Change Places
Two Performers Enter. One Vanishes and Becomes the Other
Vanishing Elephant
Vanishing Head
Vanishing Lady
Vanity Fair
Victory Cartons
Visible Sawing
Who's There?
Woman through Glass
Woman without a Middle
X-Rayz
Zig Zag

This too has been updated in the Hugh list of Illusion on Page 1

The following is the table of Contents in the Illusion Book:
The Complete Book of Asrah by Dr. Scandia from Steven's Magic.

INTRODUCTION 1

NOTES and SUGGESTIONS 2 - 4

FORMS 5 -19

• Traditional Form
  
• Complete Collapsible Form
  
• Table Collapsible Form
  
• Impromptu Form
  
• Easy Constructed Form
  
• Pillowcase Form
  
• Suitcase Form
  
• The Scissor Collapsible Form
  
• Disposable Form
  

TABLES 20 - 46

• Traditional Table
  
• Take Apart Table
  
• Take Apart Table II
  
• The Velcro Table
  
• Magic Table ASRAH
  
• Backdrop ASRAH
  
• The Board Table
  

COVERS & BACK DROPS 47- 49

• Pillowcase Cover
  
• Backdrops
  

RIGGING 50 - 60

• ASRAH Rigging
  
• The Gizmo Gimmick
  
• One Hand One Man Gizmo
  
• Pole Rigging
  
• Strange
  

PERFORMING 61- 62

• Music
  
• Lighting
  
• The Normal Presentation
  

Would you consider The Seven Secrets of Illusion Design a very good starting book? I have purchased some individual plans (Andrew Mayne), but there are several in this book that I desire strongly.
So is this a great place to go?

--Ryan

"The Seven Secrets of Illusion Design", is to Illusions, like Friztkee's "Showmanship for Magicians" is to presentation or his "The Trick Brain" is to creativity.

It is a book to understand the mysteries of the "big box" tricks. If you are looking for details plans there are none. If you want to be able to understand how most (some say all) illusions work, then this book helps you by categorizing them into 7 areas. It's worthy of an illusionist bookshelf.

I found it intriguing, interesting reading and because I love illusions, I was not disappointed in it.

If you want to build an illusion, then buy the plan for that illusion. "The Complete Book of Asrah" is different. Even though I own the book, I still bought Osborne's "New Asrah" Plans. In this case the book gave really in-depth study of one illusion, its forms, its methods, and its presentations as well as drawings to build one. The drawings were not as detailed as the plans, but the book explains much more than what comes with the plans. Both together it completes the understanding, of that single plan as well as how to present it.

You won't get that process with, "The Seven Secrets of Illusion Design" just an understanding of how illusions fit into these seven categories and their basic secrets.

Mmmmmm it seems like those books would be a good buy, I'm going for it!

How the heck am I supposed to read the plans in Classic Illusions by Paul Osborne? It's really small and somewhat sloppy?

Hello! Anybody know the web or e-mail of Roy Shank and Bill Shedoudy from creative magic design? Thanks for the help!

I am considering purchasing Osborne's plans for the shadow box. However, I'm just curious if anyone here knows approximately how much it would cost to build it?

Thanks,
Craig

I bought one of the Osbourne books because I wanted to build a new Zig Zag and I couldn't find my Harbin Book.

If you already know what you are doing, and can kind of engineer as you go along then the plans in the book are ok.

If you are new to this then definitely buy the individual plans. The books are shrunk down and therefore not to scale. In the case of the Zig Zag there were several key dimensions that I was looking for that the plan in the book didn't provide. On a scale plan I could have just used a scale rule to come up with the dimension. But since these were shrunk down I couldn't do that.

Also get used to Paul's way of dimensions. On the Zig Zag there was a dimension that looked like 17" - because the books are poor copies of the plans - things get a little blurry. Luckily I worked everything out before making my cuts because the 17" really turned out to be 1'7" ( 1 foot seven inches).

But the man is a genius and you can find great inspiration from the books, once ready to build - if you aren't really sure what you are doing - buy the plan also.

Holy Guacamole!!!
I had no idea that there was so much information out there. My head hurts just looking at the titles. Thank you for all this info. I have ALOT of research ahead of me. And Thank you Mrs. Morningstar for sending me here.

Hey, Kris...
Don't you love it? Glad to have you here, girl!
Autumn

Wow! I know it's been said a dozen times if not more, but I feel like it needs said again.

Way to go Dennis! You're the man!

I'm not sure when it happened.. but some time ago I made an off-hand comment that Paul Osborne wasn't a carpenter/illusion builder.

I didn't mean that he had NEVER built illusions.. He's actually a skilled carpenter, 2nd generation, with a full shop and warehouse....

What I meant was that he often mentioned that he "had a guy" who did, or helped, him with much of the building that came out of his warehouse. That in no way was meant to imply that "his guy" was the one actually doing all the work.

It would be IMPOSSIBLE for someone with no carpentry skills to have drawn the incredible number of illusions he's drawn.. specifically the original illusions that I grew up with in the 1980's published in Genii.

I worked for Paul for a few years in amusement parks.. and I've never since met anyone so full of wisdom and helpful hints in regard to illuions and performing.

Hi everybody,

if anyone can help me, I can not find anywhere, even not on Paul Osbournes website, that book :

The Classics of Illusions Volume Three

Osborne, Paul: Aga Levitation, The: The Classic Illusions Vol. 3
Osborne, Paul: Cutting in 6ths (Sixths), The: The Classic Illusions Vol. 3
Osborne, Paul: Princess of Thebes, The: The Classic Illusions Vol. 3
Osborne, Paul: Palanquin, The: The Classic Illusions Vol. 3
Osborne, Paul: Head Chest, The: The Classic Illusions Vol. 3
Osborne, Paul: Taboret, The: The Classic Illusions Vol. 3
Osborne, Paul: Chests of Mystery, The: The Classic Illusions Vol. 3
Osborne, Paul: Shadow Boxes, The: The Classic Illusions Vol. 3
Osborne, Paul: Girl in Drum, The: The Classic Illusions Vol. 3

Is that one "to come" or totaly sold out ?

Thank you

It was once on Osborne's website but, now after I just looked, and it is not there. It has never come out. I was waiting for it because I like shadow boxes. If it does I'll add it to my collection.

Update: July 7th, 2010:
The Classics of Illusions Volume Thre......8.00
Osborne, Paul: 25 Things: The Classic Illusions Vol. 3 (Things you must consider...)
Osborne, Paul: Aga Levitation, The: The Classic Illusions Vol. 3
Osborne, Paul: Cannons, The , The: The Classic Illusions Vol. 3
Osborne, Paul: Chests of Mystery, The: The Classic Illusions Vol. 3
Osborne, Paul: Cutting in 6ths (Sixths), The: The Classic Illusions Vol. 3
Osborne, Paul: Queen's Cut: The Classic Illusions Vol. 3
Osborne, Paul: Girl in Drum, The: The Classic Illusions Vol. 3
Osborne, Paul: Head Chest, The (Chest of Nefertari): The Classic Illusions Vol. 3
Osborne, Paul: Arrowhead: The Classic Illusions Vol. 3
Osborne, Paul: Dagger Chest: The Classic Illusions Vol. 3
Osborne, Paul: Tools: The Classic Illusions Vol. 3 (The tool kit)
Osborne, Paul: Mignon: The Classic Illusions Vol. 3
Osborne, Paul: Palanquin, The New: The Classic Illusions Vol. 3
Osborne, Paul: Princess of Thebes, The: The Classic Illusions Vol. 3
Osborne, Paul: Shadow Boxes, The: The Classic Illusions Vol. 3
Osborne, Paul: Shadow Boxe Revisted, The: The Classic Illusions Vol. 3
Osborne, Paul: Stack of Boxes: The Classic Illusions Vol. 3
Osborne, Paul: Taboret, The: The Classic Illusions Vol. 3
Osborne, Paul: Postword: The Classic Illusions Vol. 3 (About Illusion Systems)

Thanks Dennis Michael for your answer seems we got to wait.