Bazar de Magia Malini Egg Bag with DVD

There has been some misconceptions concerning the Malini Egg Bag made by Bazar de Magia. So much so, I obtained one myself to see if the claims are true. I could not believe such an established manufacturer of magic props would make a product that was not workable.

Bazar de Magia makes a good quality Malini Egg Bag, that will accomplish the job for most "curious" magicians that want to see and find out if this is a routine and presentation that will fit with them.

I have to admit, I have owned all of egg bags over the years, and handled many having worked in a local magic shop. I had only periodically included an Egg Bag presentation in my shows over the last 50 years 60 years. As a youth and teenager, I was not the excited about the egg bag, and thus only used it for filler.

I now know why I thought that way. It was because, I did not know a good routine, and handling of the bags. There is so much more the putting an egg in a cloth bag and showing it has disappeared, only to reappear by removing it.

It was not until the Malini Egg Bag was put on the market by Charlie Miller, that it looked more interesting. But I still did not purchase it, that is, until the late great trust worthy Ken Brooke of London, England started selling and advertising it. I had dealt with Ken Brooke by mail order for several years, and trusted him completely when he recommended and offered magic effects for sale.

I sent off my check, and he returned it, because he was against copying other creator's work. His letter explained that he would only sell his Ken Brooke and Friends work on the Malini Egg Bag, but the bag would have to purchased from the American dealer Magic Inc., Chicago, Ill. I immediately ordered the Malini Egg Bag from Magic Inc. and set off another check to England for the manuscript.

When receiving Charlie Miller's instruction’s, they were kind of scarce in the handling, just an several page booklet, on the routine. No detail handling for showing the bag, or handling of the spectators. It took me a long time to realize that true magic is in the details for handling of a prop, and the patter to get the most out of any magic effect.

When the manuscript came in the mail, I read it through, and buckled down to absorb the material. Reading and studying it 10 times, with prop in my hands. English words and what mean are very different then what I was used to, being brought up in the Midwest. To be honest, I did not understand the meaning of what was to be said. Ken Brooke even detailed the exact hand movements in handling the bag. Later, I would realize these hand moves were how to show the bag empty and letting the spectator take a close look, and feel the bag themselves. There was a reason for every move and word used during the presentation.

When I started performing it, I had many "Aa Ha" moments, I was so stund to realize and connect the meanings of every word and why it was used an placed in the routine at that moment.

This realization made me become a true believer in the power of the Egg Bag.

Bazar de Magia, offering comes with a DVD. All this for only $25.00 is really a great to see if this prop is something you would be interested in presenting to your audiences.

The bag is not made from the crepe material, but a sort of medium weight lining material, this material has the non-wrinkle feature that crepe material also provides. Very light weight, and opaque.

I have read on the Café, some members want to use a larger egg, Bazar de Magia’s bag has a larger opening for use of even an extra large sizw egg.

I have also read that some purchaser’s say this is a “Left Handed Bag”, this concerned me, and one of the main reasons I wanted to find out for myself.

I would like to inform the uninformed that this Malini Egg Bag is not what would be called, “a left handed bag.” This assumption was most likely made, because they did not get the Ken Brooke and friends manuscript. This feature was most likely provided by Charlie Miller, for those that used his description in his routine. As scanty as it is provided.

One feature missing from the bag this discussion is covering, is the feature, that tells if the performer has the bag in the proper orientation to begin the effect. I personally have never used this feature, because if you follow Ken Brooke’s instruction for the set up of the bag for presentation, the performer would never need to check this feature. If a person believes he would like this feature, a simple single stitch with a knot he can easily feel, would suffice.

I believe the bag was sold as a single item previously, I could be wrong, but I was surprised to see a DVD provided, I do not remember it being mentioned in older advertisements.

The DVD provided is of a personality in magic in South America, he has a routine that takes bits from various sources, and combines them into his presentation of this effect. I can’t say it is superior to or equal to the Ken Brooke instruction, but it would give a starting point to begin an egg bag routine, and how to interact with spectators.

The DVD is dubbed voice over that is very well synchronized to his lip movement and actions. One of the better created voice over DVDs I have seen, so you are not distracted by other sounds, during the learning process.

They also explain how to blow an egg, their version, which is different then the way I learned how to do it, is provided. It is also not the provided method Charlie Miller describes in his instructions. He uses an ear syringe, making it possible to use only one puncture in the egg.

I hope this clears up the misconceptions and wrongly posted comments that have been made on the Café over the years.

I would recommend the Bazar de Magia Malini Egg bag for the curious magicians seeking to try something new. You can’t look at this prop and say if it will be a good trick or not. As it is not the prop, but the way you handle, present, and interact with all the elements involved.

How many times have members on the Café, post for instructions to a prop. They know nothing of what it is, or what it does. Why, because the needed the printed instructions. The instructions are actually worth more then the prop in most cases. Otherwise, it is something to set on a shelf and admire. That is not what magic props are for in my opinion.

$25.00 is a good price in this day and age in magic.

Other Malini Egg Bags sell from $40.00, $85.00, to $100.00 or more. The reason for the price is mainly using expensive cloth materials, along with expert seamstress work. Actually, as mentioned previously, these features have little to do with the entertainment value of the effect. I only heard on magician comedian ever say to an audience, this prop cost me $500 and that is all it does. He gets a laugh, but they said nothing about the price, no applause at all.

Final note: Do you want your bag to bellow open, so insertion of your hand and the spectators are easier, and the egg will not stuck in the folds of the cloth. The secret is to turn the bag inside out, and cut a cardboard insert to fit in the bag while it inside out. This will cause the bag to open or bellow out to facilitate easier handling and production of the egg.

I must be crazy to tell all these secrets for free, this is to good of an effect to just give this information publicly for free.

Thanks for the info Bill, much appreciated.

Thanks for the review, history and tips, Bill. Denny Haney keeps saying he's going to do a weekend masterclass in the Malini egg bag, based on the Charlie Miller and Ken Brooke routines. Hope he does. That will definitely be worth the drive and an overnight stay in Baltimore

Thanks for the info, Bill! The ear syringe is a good idea for cleaning the blown egg--it sends out 3 seperate streams of water.

Now I'm wondering if my bag is a Bazar de Magia egg bag? It came in a bag with no labeling. It is not silk/lining material. It is kind of heavy material. It also measures 9" x "10, not 8.5" by 8" as described on the Bazar de Magia site. I'm sure it's a left hand bag, too. I bought it in Detroit. I couldn't find it in Ohio at Haines or Be Amazing. Strange no one carries a classic trick...

Bill, is your bag a more silky material? Thanks again.

Dr34, There is no such thing as a left handed Malini Bag, turn it around, you are holding it wrong. Unless Bazar de Magia corrected this new version with DVD in the manufacturing process. I would have to see a previous version bag that sold for $20.

The authentic Malini has 2 thread runs on one side at the top of the opening. With those stitchings sewn runs should be toward you as you hold the bag. If there is no stitching at the top opening on only one side, then it is most likely a Bazar de Mgia bag. That is the what is missing from the Baza de Magia bag, and that it will take a large jumbo size real egg.

There are several manufactures of the Malini Egg Bag. All I am sure have hard to tell little things they did done as improvements, as they see it, or to make it more cost effective.

The original Malini bag made for Magic Inc. by Charlie Miller, is approximately 7 inches tall by 8 inches wide. It came with a shorter routine in a printed booklet or treatise for the bag.

This latest version by Baza de Magia, comes with a DVD, and in a flat cardboard packaging (cost $25). The previous offering for was $20 (no DVD) in a box, no idea if instructions were included. The bag that is made of silk crape cost $100. The original was a little heavier crape material, and has some body to it. Danny Tong's (sells for $40)come with no instructions (Ken Brooke and Friends) as he sells this separate for $10. Being you purchased at a shop, it could of been 2nd hand, for all we know.

The $100 bag is made in custom sizes, she has the purchaser send her a tracing of you hand with all finger and thumb spread. So here bags are would be all different sizes. I never read that this is a requirement. The material was a textured feel of the material, not silk. The main factor is that it was a wrinkle resistant material.

Yes, dealers do not carry any form of the Malini, the main reason is that they still have the mind set, it is not that great of trick, but many would carry the U.F. Grant bags back in the 1970's. Most they would just vanish and produce the egg, as a demo.

Funny note: Our local dealer never did the Egg Bag in any of his stand-up shows. One time he had a repeat show, and decided to so the egg bag. The next day he was telling me how well the effect went over for the Hobson Malini bag. Now he did not do the Ken Book handling, but just watched Jeff Hobson's video, and it still sold well to the audience. I just smiled, as I did not want him doing a trick in the area that I was doing.

As for the material, it is not suppose to be a lining material, but a very light weight material, but not as light to see through like lining material.

I have not idea which bag or who made your bag, as I cannot see it, and you do not give the tell tale stitching I mentioned earlier. Are you left handed? If you place your right hand in the bag with stitching toward you, you should be able to vanish the egg.

This is the best I can explain it in text form.

Got this one too the other day. DVD is Ok, I would suggest searching the Ken Brooke booklet also. Egg bag is nice, I like the way it is made.

I feel Jeff Hobson's egg bag and routine is superb. He offers it for sale on his website.

Jeff Hobson's routines are or were free to view on his website. The only thing is, that unless your a Jeff Hobson, it will not play as well for you. Whereas, the Ken Brooke instruction, is generic, because it give detailed handling of he bag and spectators. This is one time text is superior to video.

You can develop your own routine...his bag design and the moves are very workable. His video tutorials are excellent and full of great info. His bag does have a little different design and the material he uses really adds to the effect. I have 3.

The Malini Eggbag pro from Bazar de Magia does not come with a DVD anymore. You only get online instructions that are not even downloadable!