Pictures – Page 17 – MagicShow.Tips

Magic Collector Expo Dealer’s Room

Here’s a little peek at the dealer’s room at the Magic Collector Expo:

There’s more, I just took those pics as the doors opened and not all the dealers were set up yet. Lots of books and posters, as for props there was a lot of smaller things. I didn’t see a lot of bigger props, it could be that many of the dealers and attendees flew in, so it’s harder to move those larger props around.

I picked up a few things (so far):

Nothing super crazy. The main things are the blue 28 foot streamer, which will be in my summer show. I was planning on producing a 36 inch silk, but the streamer will have a bigger impact as a lot of the volume of a square silk is lost.

The other thing I will use is the Ali-Baba box in half dollar size. I have a quarter size and it’s just too small, so the half dollar size is a nice upgrade for the routine that I do.

The other things are for me to mess around with.

-Louie

Magic Collector Expo

The only magic convention I’m going to this year is the Magic Collector Expo. My wife says I’m officially an old man that I’m going to this instead of one that’s got the “latest and greatest” stuff. I do like those conventions, but this one worked with my schedule as most other magic conventions are in the summer that is my busy season.

This convention started yesterday as in at The Orleans casino in Las Vegas. I got into town yesterday just in time for the first session. The sessions here are mostly historical talks or things relevant to collectors.

Personally I really like these types of talks. The speakers were telling personal stories of their relationship with the people and collections. I like that style of presentation more than a totally historical talk about someone that’s been dead for 150 years. I will still watch and enjoy the purely historical talk, I just prefer when the person is telling personal stories.

I really liked Bill Schmeelk’s talk about how he got into working as a machinest and doing that for Owen Magic, John Gaughan, and starting Wellington Enterprises! I really like the stories about the different personalities and what they quirks were and the “conflicts” that different builders had with each other.

I use Rich Marotta’s Rat Trap trick, which is one that Wellington used to make. Unfortunately as far as I know that prop is currently unavailable.

After the sessions I made it to the dealer room. I’ll write about that another time. If you’re into vintage props and the stories behind them, you should check out one of these expos!!

-Louie

Magic Collector Expo

Today I’m travelling from New Orleans, Louisiana to The Orleans Hotel in Las Vegas for the Magic Collector Expo!

I’ve realized that I’m officially an old magician because I’m going to this. It’s also a sign that I’m into the history of the magic tricks and props. I’ve always been into the history, but the props is a more recent thing in the last decade or so. I’ve always been into the old magic props, but having the money and space to collect and display them has only been about the last 10 years.

This should be a fun few days and if you’re at the expo, be sure to say HI!

-Louie

Magic Show Prop Box

For my show this summer that I’ll be doing at libraries and summer camps, I wanted to dedicated prop box for it. I found this old RC Cola box at a junk shop. The guy wanted way too much for it, but I talked him down to where it made sense as I didn’t want it as an advertising collectible, I just wanted it as a box.

Once I got the box home I covered it with black fabric, added metal corners and changed the hinges. Here’s what it looks like now:

This was a quick, easy way to make a prop box for the summer magic show. It doesn’t need to last for years, just 3 months!

-Louie

Out of Town – Shipping Notice

**The daily blog will continue to be updated below this pinned post**

This is a quick heads up that I’m out of town today (5/2/25) through May 9th, 2025.

No orders will ship during that period or work on products will happen while I’m away. In stock items will ship on Monday 5/12/25.

**The daily blog will continue to be updated below this pinned post**

Mystery School Monday

Last night I was the guest on Jeff McBride’s Mystery School Monday. I think that Jeff said they’ve been doing these Monday meetings for something like 15 years!

It was great to be talk to magicians about who I am and what I do. We talked about performing at fairs, vintage magic tricks and why to perform shows at retirement communities.

I also got to talk about my “That Way More” presentation for the ambitious card. I always love sharing this trick and explaining WHY it is the way it is. If you’re a Mystery School member last night’s meeting should be in the archive.

-Louie

Gold at the End of the Rainbow!

These gold coins are simply Eisenhauer dollar coins that I painted gold. They are for my summer library show.

My show is about colors and have a magic wand that I painted like a rainbow. At the end of the rainbow is a pot of gold, so I’m going to produce a coin from the end of the rainbow magic wand. Then I’ll produce multiple coins (with the Sylvester Pitch), then do a series of vanishes and productions with a single coin that ends with the production of a jumbo coin.

I always try to have some sort of a sleight of hand sequence in my family show. It’s a way I can show that I can do the stuff and it’s not just prop driven. While this isn’t 100% necessary, I do this for me!

-Louie

Breakaway Flower

Another prop for my summer library show is a breakaway flower. This is like the old breakaway wand comedy prop, but it’s flower.

It does have one other bonus bit to it, the top flower separates from the stem. They are attached by a magnet. The idea for the routine will be that the flower is going to disappear. It breaks and it put it back together a few times. Then the flower separates from the stem. I toss the flower in the air and it disappear, but the kids notice it’s stuck to my butt. The flower finally disappears (in a devils hank?) and reappears somewhere else.

Nothing super crazy here, but a way to theme the breakaway wand from a comedy prop that’s added to a routine, to it being one of the main props for the routine.

-Louie

Hand Held Microphones

In my audio box I have a lot of things, one of them is an extra handheld microphone. This is a Shure SM58 that has an on/off switch. The reason I have the switch is so that sound guy can leave that channel on and I simply switch in on or off as needed. That way I won’t have the delay of the sound guy realizing I’m using the mic and him turning the channel on.

If the venue has a handheld with an on/off switch I will use theirs. However I did an event recently and their handheld microphone sounded like talking into a marshmallow that was inside of a metal can. I plugged my Shure SM58 into their cord and it was much better sounding!

It doesn’t take much to travel with that in my audio box and it comes in handy much more often than you’d think!

-Louie