I was just wondering, because I wanted to get some extra stuff to add to my intro routine..
I saw this 'Bubbler' for sale for around $350.

I was wondering who uses this, and is it really worth it?
It sounds like you are paying $350 for a tube that blows bubbles. Not too impressive is it.

I've never seen it performed, but I do know that it blows bubbles!! BUT each bubble is filled with smoke!!! sounds pretty sweet!

I have it and it is great. The cigarette is never seen and you don't put smoke into your mouth. Another nice thing is that outside the bubbles are not as easily blown away because the bubbler makes thicker bubbles. However, when the bubbles pop the smoke is still cig smoke and it smells like it. Don't think of using this for kids shows. Very well made, will last a lifetime.
James
ps
that ad copy about a very detailed recipe for bubbles is total bunk. He just tells you to use glycerin in Joy blue soap and experiment.

So, what the $350 being spent on?

why is it that much?

Fyi, this post is just meant to show how effects get expensive, the numbers shouldn't be taken to be literal so please don't scream I'm wrong in this specific case I'm trying to talk industry wide, from what I've read on the Café and talked to in person to creators.

Markup for retail is anywhere from 40%-80%(very rough of course depending) from what the creator gets, depending if its wholesaled or not and many other factors.

So lets say John is getting $200 for the $350 retail unit.

I think it is safe to say no one thinks this is going to be the next Svengali deck, so we are talking only a limited # of professionals who want to do an effect with smoke bubbles.

In other words, it isn't like magic makers is going to get a factory in china to mass produce these, it is likely they are made one at a time or in small runs by either John or someone John knows who made the first one for John.

This means if there is any custom molding needing to be done for this, its relatively expensive to do on short runs. Not to mention if John is a performer and still directs distribution, any time he spends on it is time taken away from other work or other products.

I really don't know how much R&D went into this product especially, but many times when a magician comes out with a $400+ effect they aren't always even going to entirely recoup the initial R&D cost for a long time, because they initially spent the money to figure out how to do the effect for themselves, and usually marketed it afterwards, only because dealers or other magicians wanted one for themselves.

Given all this, I can't see how you could expect someone to go through the hassle for much less money.

If the community says they won't buy the bubbler for more than $100 for instance, then guess what they stop getting produced and won't be available anymore, because it isn't worth going through all the steps necessary to keep the product on the market.

-daegs
ps If the bubbler is just a plastic drinking straw with a cig inside, I retract all my statements

However my understanding is that the reservoir and smoke generation(cig perhaps) are self contained in the unit, which would imply at least a little custom work inside the tube

I got 30% off so it was $245. The whole thing is stainless steel, breaks into two pieces and is covered in a very heavy clear plastic tubing. You light it, set it upright and it is ready to go. The design assures the bubbles will be thick and filled with white smoke. With the right material, you can bounce the bubbles on your arm, then down to the table and after a few bubbles produce items like balls and silks.

The productions are not taught in the Bubbler instructions.
I hate crap. I am a pro stage worker and buying this is no big deal. It's enough trouble that most people will never perform it. I have a routine that is different.

If you are a hobbyist and want to play with some bubbles and smoke, buy Losander's Art of Levitation 3. Just use a clear plexi tube and a cigarette.

I need something that works every time and won't break. The Bubbler fits those requirements.
James

Thanks.
Seems like everyone likes it.

Does anyone have any additional pro's & cons about this product?

I've seen John T. Sheets do this routine for years. I have seen Vito Lupo beg for John to sell him the rights. I have also seen the prototypes. As described in a couple of the replies above, this is a lifetime prop that allows you to blow bubbles already filled with real cigarette smoke... no messing with separate cigarettes, straws, lighters, etc. If all you do is blow smoke bubbles... you are doing something no one else can do! Just as with the Quantum Bender, this is a carefully researched product, made to careful specifications in a professional machine shop. If you do real stage shows for adults, this will set you apart. In the interests of full disclosure, I did write the directions for this, and most of John's other products... but he doesn't pay me to say any of these things. I don't carry a Bubbler around with me 24/7, but I could! (I do carry a QB2 and Atomic Bills 24/7!)

It's a shame real smoke has to be used... I wonder if a non-tobacco version will be released?

Hello,

The Bubbler device is a high quality prop that is meant for use on the stage. It's NOT just a tube that blows bubbles. It allows you to blow bubbles that are automatically filled with real smoke! There is no messing with separate blowpipes and loose cigarettes to add the smoke after the bubbles are formed. No cigarettes need be seen at any time during the performance. The Bubbler is designed for use with only one hand, so the other hand is free for other movements, like to prepare for steals etc..
The device is engineered from high quality aluminum and stainless steel. The Bubbler will last a lifetime, and yes you may use a non-tabacco replacement to create the smoke.
Since real smoke fills the bubbles, this effect is not recommended for Birthday party performances or close up situations. The design and manufacturing of this deceptively innocent looking device insures that the source of the smoke stays dry before, during and after the performance, no matter how it might be tipped. What you do with the bubbles after they are blown is limited only by your imagination. You can produce solid glass bubbles, balls, silks, roses, cards, fans, candles, coins, parakeets, doves, or whatever your imagination devises.
And yes, this item is expensive to have machined and manufactured. I hope this helps.

Magically,
John

PS- Here is some additional info from others: http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......m=109&10


I hope this helps!