Just wondering what would be the ideal close-up box (case) for you.
what would be the best compartments,Drawer config, special holders inside, ECT.
of course portable and able to be locked.

what are your ideas?????

Sebashtion H.

Hi,
I have an aluminium cantilever box I bought from Maplin.co.uk.
It's light, durable, and the compartments can be adjusted to fit what ever you want in. Small enough for cards and coins but big enough for larger items too. And it locks, all for a really great price I thought. Hope that helps

It's a good question, I'm kinda surprised why it's taking so long for people to respond.

I would like:

* A servant.
* A padded performing surface.
* The ability to slant the surface towards the audience.
* Table attachable
* Flange attached & comes with attachable tripod.
* Elastic band across the performing surface to hold down playing cards in windy conditions.
* Two small high power magnets under the right and left back corner of the performing surface to attach special things to. About 1" diagonally from the corner.
* combination locks to keep curious kids out.
* Film canister sized pockets to hold T**** T**s
* Thickness of storage area should be able to hold cups that can hold Tennis balls
* Velcro loop side strip attached to table side of servant for the attachment of accessories designed by the magician.
* Smooth compartment under padding performing surface the size of poker sized playing card with a thumb sized U shaped cut out for easy extraction.

Any other ideas?
Keith

Keith,
Could you be more precise with your ideas? LOL.... That sounds like a great case. In hard wood with a beautiful finish on it!


Mark

I use a pearl trap table these days as my table
and I use one of my table servantes to hold my act.

They're all attached and never come apart unless I want them to.
Easy to transport and sets up in 10 seconds.

Mark,
Of course the case should be built with "light weight hard woods" with a beautiful finish and every other oxymoron I can come up with. I feel that this is a great exercise in imagination that could lead to somebody producing a nice product for magicians. Even if this has been done a hundred times before, I can see this being a good brain-storming exercise that could benefit us do.

How about a instant stand like a Collector's Workshop Banjo table, the case of Emilius Brown in "Bedknobs & Broomsticks", or the Ed Wynn's Pitch table from "One for the Angles" episode of the Twilight Zone 1959?

Let's continue contributing to this pipe dream, then just maybe, somebody will pick out their favorite ideas and create a case/table that can help a magician create the spark in someone else's suspension of disbelief and create some magic!

Keith

If you want this as a close-up case, all you need is your pockets. Maybe a doctor's bag or a small box to keep spares in. If you want something for a stand-up or parlor show, that's a completely different matter.

When you start discussing table-top performing surfaces, then you are getting into things that, IMHO, are of questionable value. For example, if you are strolling in a restaurant, and you have a nice, nifty "table-topper," at some point, you will be either invading the customers' spaces, or you will be holding up the distribution of their food.

If you have a clamp-on table surface, you interfere with the customers a bit less, but you still have an object that protrudes into the walking area.

Table stands that you bring next to a table have the disadvantage of being a potential tripping hazard. And all of these have the potential problem of the people at other tables being able to see your "behind the scenes" work.

Most of the people I know who own table top working surfaces with drawers, servantes, etc. are amateurs who are really unaware of the realities of working at a table.

I very much agree with Bill's points. Carrying a table around in a paid restaruant gig seems a little awkward to me. Close-up is also performed in other conditions outside of a restaurant. I know of magicians who set up a station in a corner of a social event to perform as opposed to truely walking around. I have personally been at a party where I took an briefcase of effects. When the party had a dull moment, I was requested to do a few things that were warmly recieved. Please, nobody stop a good party to show a magic trick! Maybe, if I was able to drop a few legs out of that case and set up a table, I could create a quick and easy platform feel for my close-up magic. There is also the very common "magic club" scenario that seems to happen to many of my magician friends.

Keith

KeithP
man that sounds like a nice set up....... very detailed.

Sebashtion H.

I'm with Bill on this. When I was working for the Trader Vic Organization back in the late 1960s everything came out of my pockets. The only time I would step away would be to get my set of Danny Dew Fox Cups if people were really interested. Otherwise, everything was carried on my person.

And no special pad to set the props on, either. Just the cloth covered table.

Back then I believe I was the only restaurant magician working in Southern California other than the guys at the Castle.

I was initially wondering about a close up box, the container to carry your props to where you were to perform, not the surface to perform off of... just wanted to hear your thoughts on something that was not just a briefcase bought at office depot but something you would be happy to use to transport your important items in.....

Tables do intrude on the spectator at the restaurant, are sometimes a pain to carry, and there are post after post on the for and against the table to carry.....

My intentions was to hear about Your "Holy Grail" of carrying containers.

Sebashtion H.