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Tom G Inner circle SW Michigan 2909 Posts 
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One time, Todd sent me a homemade formula to get rid of discoloration. Worked well, but it was quite a while ago and the email is long gone...
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damonwebster New user 20 Posts
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Probably why he wanted me to send the sets back to him!
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MysticJohn Regular user 130 Posts
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The TCC set is very nice in walkers is very well done. I believe they are currently sold out.
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warren Inner circle uk 4920 Posts
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Quote:
On May 4, 2024, MysticJohn wrote: I didn't like them and got rid of mine as the Penny didn't look right as it was cut down so the actual edge of the coin was missing. |
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Thehat New user 9 Posts
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I have the Mark Mason set and the Roy Kueppers sets and an old Johnson set. Of those still available, Mark and Roy’s sets even out for me on good and bad points. I personally am happy to have several sets to choose from and use.
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MagiCal52 Special user United States 519 Posts
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Hmmmmm...
Question about CSB coins..Are the spectators really going to examine them in GREAT detail....I'm not understanding the difference between quality and non Quality iof you are just going to flash the fronts and back briefly... |
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Chris Aguilar Special user 629 Posts
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Quote:
On Dec 18, 2025, obsidian52 wrote: I think the coin gaff collectors just want to flash/impress other magicians with their Lassen and Schoolcraft gaffs ("Loook at that vacuum fit!", "The shell coverage is amazing!", "So precise and absolutely perfect!"Aren't these precision/expensive silver coins amazing! ,etc.) . |
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karnak Special user Stamford CT 845 Posts
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I’m by no means a “collector.” (No way could I ever afford such a status.) But I do appreciate genuine quality and craftsmanship, when I see it.
Is such quality necessary, in the trenches of performance? Well, spectators vary. Many, perhaps most, are fairly uncritical in viewing magical proceedings. But some (maybe more than you might expect) are pretty alert, sharp-eyed, and critical-minded. Worse for you, if they are also loud-mouthed, and perversely eager to call you out on anything they perceive as “suspicious” (such as gaffs that are a bit too obvious). So, top quality is insurance against gaff detection. For me, that insurance premium is worthwhile. And that extra “convincingness” can even affect how well, or how smoothly, you perform. Comfort level is a value to factor in. So there’s that, as well — and all for the cost of just a few bucks more, into what may be a single lifetime investment (notwithstanding arrogant condescending elitists who will just tell you that obviously your sleight-of-hand must suck, and therefore you should just work on that instead; oh, and also on not foolishly showing that painfully obvious fake gaff for too long). How much more comfort and confidence will you have, going into an effect, with a quality gaff in play — instead of hoping to get away with, say, using one of those ultra-crappy cheapo stamped fake shells? (The first time a dealer offered me one of those, I could not believe they were serious. Painfully obvious to us, only *possibly* not noticed by some very casual, distant, or distracted observers — big gamble, and not a risk I’d feel comfortable taking.) What price can you put on that? All of that said, maybe the bottom line comes down to this: go with what you’re most comfortable with (comfortable financially, comfortable relying upon secure deceptiveness, whatever). If you were a counterfeiter trying to pass phony currency, would you want top quality fake billls in hand, or Monopoly money?
For a supernatural chiller mixing magic (prestidigitation, legerdemain) with Magic (theurgy, thaumaturgy, mysticism), check out my novel MAGIC: AN OCCULT THRILLER at http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Occult-Thriller-Reed-Hall/dp/1453874836
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GJo Special user 588 Posts
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Many people…not all people…who test drive a high end sports car will appreciate how it handles, accelerates, and makes the driver think they’re more accomplished than they are. Some of those people will choose to buy that car, and they’ll enjoy driving it every day.
Same thinking applies to other goods like watches, cookware, clothing…and magic props. Does a magician need finely crafted props to be entertaining? Absolutely not. And there’s the key. Are you entertaining? Record yourself performing and ask yourself that question. If being more entertaining is the goal, then prop quality beyond working properly isn’t that important. |
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karnak Special user Stamford CT 845 Posts
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It seems to me that “working properly” is the issue here. A cheap gaff that does not fool sharp-eyed critical spectators fails that basic functional test.
When that’s gone, then so is the entertainment value. There’s no magic happening anymore; merely exposure, and embarrassment.
For a supernatural chiller mixing magic (prestidigitation, legerdemain) with Magic (theurgy, thaumaturgy, mysticism), check out my novel MAGIC: AN OCCULT THRILLER at http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Occult-Thriller-Reed-Hall/dp/1453874836
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GJo Special user 588 Posts
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Quote:
On Dec 20, 2025, karnak wrote: That’s not what I was considering when I mentioned working properly.…as in does a shell fit correctly so it covers and releases properly. The comment was in response to how precisely Schoolcraft/Lassen shells fit. Appearance (does a shell look like a genuine coin) is a different aspect. |
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inigmntoya Inner circle DC area native, now in Atlanta 2450 Posts
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Quote:
On Dec 18, 2025, obsidian52 wrote: They *might*, and the point Warren made above is valid with the TCC set and others. Now *most* people have never seen an English Penny, so they won't know what they're supposed to look like, but they *have* seen coins, and likely at least some from other countries. I can't think of one coin I've seen aside from from ancient Roman ones that don't have a clear rim. So an English Penny without a rim is going to look at least a little off, even if they can't put their finger on it. Funny thing is, the rimless penny isn't exactly a quality issue. It's a (poor IMHO) design choice. English pennies are larger than half dollars. Perfect as the outer/shell coin for the 2 copper 1 silver sets that predate CSBs, but (IMHO) a terrible choice for the inner coin as you have to remove pretty much the whole rim for it to fit. Do you *need* Todd Lassen tolerances, infinity edge, etc.? If you're Luis Piedrahita performing close-up coin magic on TV with the cameras focusing in close? Absolutely. Anything else? Probably not. "Johnson quality" will cover most anyone's needs. But rimless English pennies are below that threshold. Can you "get away with it"? Sure, just like you can get away with using those cheap fake Morgan dollars with the pointy noses until you run into a spectator who knows what they should look like. |
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inigmntoya Inner circle DC area native, now in Atlanta 2450 Posts
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Quote:
On Dec 18, 2025, obsidian52 wrote: Oh, and when performing CSB I don't want to flash the coins briefly. I want to give the spectators a good look to let it sink in that the coin one hand has transposed with the two in the other hand, with no doubt due to only getting a quick flash of a look. Part of that is being able to let them burn the nested gimmick. One of the very few times you want...NEED to cleanly display the dirty side of a coin, so yeah, the quality there is important. |
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Vlad_77 Inner circle Somewhere Past the Planets 5881 Posts
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I love CSB and while I do perform with a classic set, I also want to mention Brass Buttons. It's a beautiful set and comes with a ton of excellent routines. I am working it in every once in a while and the reactions are amazing.
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Maximilien New user Paris (France) 51 Posts
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I’m reviving this thread. I’m also looking for a CBS set, bearing in mind that I’m a card guy and that I mainly want to experiment with a routine I’m considering incorporating into my show. I’m having a hard time finding a set that’s accessible, decent quality, and reasonably priced (TCC, Carpenter’s Coins, etc. are sold out…). Any product recommendations that are available in 2026? Many thanks !
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inigmntoya Inner circle DC area native, now in Atlanta 2450 Posts
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Quote:
On Jan 25, 2026, Maximilien wrote: The Carpenter routine is great. The coins sold with it were unfortunately subpar. Brent Braun's brickandmortarmagic.com has a Roy Kueppers set in stock for $100. They're well made but (my personal peeve) use an English Penny as the insert coin. If you can swing $125, I've got a Johnson set with their Chinese coin and Mexican 20 Centavos (which makes a better insert and is what Pressley Guitar's original design used). Also check out Brass Buttons and N2G's RBG which are CSB variants with different types of coins/objects. |
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Maximilien New user Paris (France) 51 Posts
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Quote:
On Jan 28, 2026, inigmntoya wrote: Thank you ! |
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karnak Special user Stamford CT 845 Posts
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Quote:
On Jan 28, 2026, inigmntoya wrote: Is the Carpenter routine available separately (independent of the coins it came with)?
For a supernatural chiller mixing magic (prestidigitation, legerdemain) with Magic (theurgy, thaumaturgy, mysticism), check out my novel MAGIC: AN OCCULT THRILLER at http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Occult-Thriller-Reed-Hall/dp/1453874836
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inigmntoya Inner circle DC area native, now in Atlanta 2450 Posts
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Quote:
On Jan 28, 2026, karnak wrote: Not that I'm aware of. |
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MagiCal52 Special user United States 519 Posts
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Oliver coins make decent coins at a reasonable price...no one is going to Really examine them...Its like the old Metaphor...You would NEVER go to a car mechanic (or any mechanic for that matter and ask to see their tools..Same with magic...no one in 56 years of dabbling in magic no one has ever asked to see my coins and if they did I would do a very easy switch..
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Posted: Apr 24, 2024 11:53 am 
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