What's the 1 illusion that has given you the most mileage?
The illusion you've been able to perform the most...
The illusion that consistently gets you the best audience reaction...

My Owens Magic Rings and My Owens Magic Zig Zag illusion . I have performed for over 40 years. My Website magicstheater.com

Not surprised that the tried and true classics have gotten you the best mileage. Great to hear from you!

Mine is the chair suspension - only because it's the only "illusion" I had. I recently acquired a thin sawing and 3" hole sub trunk. I have a floating table I've used for 5-6 years - it gets fantastic reactions. Not sure if you consider this an illusion.

Zig zag.... chair suspension.... I’m seeing a Harbin type pattern here!

I count the floating table. I’ve seen it performed by several illusionists and it got better reactions than major illusions in the same show.

Do you use the chair suspension as much as the table?

I have a warehouse full of original illusions but as I look back over the years, the Sub Trunk has been the most often used illusion in all my shows. Works anywhere, always sells. I do have some original beats on it but it plays fast and strong.

I use the chair suspension much more often than the floating table, only because I do more kid shows than anything else. Kids 5 - 12 years old don't appreciate the floating table. As it floats they will sometimes chant "let it go, let it go". However, they seem to be in awe when they see one of their counterparts suspended. Kids can be a handful sometimes.

The subtrunk has been a part of my act since the 80's.... I've bought and performed a ton of Illusions.. but I still have the third one I ever owned. A Chalet. I can't imagine life without it

This one deceptive base has gotten me on TV in Malaysia a few times. I just refurbish it to suit different shows.😉

Here it is both a vanish AND an appearance in one go. A transformation of sorts.

https://youtu.be/dGPk4H_EOpE

I'd have to say Bo Staff Illusion. We've used it in every conceivable situation, venue, location and it always gets a very strong reaction.

Interesting! That is a very versatile illusion that I wouldn’t have initially thought of. Very cool.

The sub trunk always finds a way into my shows... Me and my sister HATE it, but the audience loves it so it stays.

Jonah

Such is life! The classics are classics for a reason. I don't work with a dedicated assistant so a sub trunk doesn't work for me but I've thought about getting an Assistant's Revenge to have that "metamorphosis" type of effect in my show.

While not technically a professional, I have been using a Don Drake Black Art set up for almost every Halloween event in the past 10 or more years.
It's very versatile when you get the lighting right!

Six foot tall Guillotine. My wife purchased it for me as an anniversary present back in the 80's.

A much used Grant vanishing head bought from Grant himself at a small shop in Illinois.

Zone Zero by Jerry Andrus.

Portable, never fails and audiences are baffled. Also The Thing by Bill Abbott. Better than The Zombie!

Doug

Si Stebbins for Tarot.

As far as the big toys go ... we get a lot of mileage out of Audience Acupuncture and the Modern Art of course. If we take it down a notch ... I've performed the Abbott's Ultra Modern Suspension (Chair Suspension) thousands of times! I've made my money back on that one!

I have been in Magic over 50 years and performing at Magic‘s theater and Museum in Austin for eight years .We perform the famous Owens magic Zig Zag my wife does a wardrobe change in the zigzag and when she comes out in a different dress it never fails to get a big reaction the audience don’t see it coming. I also perform a six ring routine based off of Doug Henning and Richard Ross combine been performing this routine for 30 years.There’s not a show that goes by that someone doesn’t after the show say they love the rings. So even though the zigzag has been copied 1 million times and the rings have been performed millions of times when you present them properly and you have good quality illusions there still super powerful.