Hello, I would be glad to introduce myself. Sometimes I get a little ahead of things. Hello, my name is Al, the creator of the new Bottom Ridge Shells that will be available soon at www3shells.com
I am a 62 years old retired close-up magician. I mostly performed in the settings of professional business type people like private country clubs, some trade shows and for a few years I was setup to live in a hotel to perform every night behind the bar and for the hotel guest having dinner.
I now live in the beautiful Los Altos Hills in California on a few acres. Recently I decided to open a website to offer some of the items I created over the years all on the three shell game. Most all of the close-up magic that I performed was my own or made changes to fit me.

The three shell game has always been a big interest to me for many years. But to put it into my act I did not want to copy the con-man and I believe the shell game has much more potential for a magician if I could get rid of all the clues and rules. In all honesty we all know the three shell con-game is easy to figure out if someone has the soft pea together with the standard shell. As moving a shell containing a ball will in turn cause the ball to be ejected and reveal the operational aspects of the game. I believe strongly that spectator interaction and hands-on involvement does significantly enhances the spectator experience in all magical tricks. Therefore I have redesigned a shell that overcomes these limitations.

The site is still down to repost all the new pictures and need to make a new instructional video for the new shells. I am hoping to have it up and running within a week or two. This new shell was made from a real walnut shell from the inside and out. All the molds are done. We are starting to make them now. All of our products are manufactured in house, not subbed out like others and are in house quality controlled.

This website address below is not password protect to view the new Bottom Ridge Walnut Shells
http://www.3shells.com/new-br-walnut-shell.html


I hope this answers any questions about me or my shells and look forward to getting too know you all.


3shell-al

They look better than ever! Those are the kinds of walnuts people are most familiar with seeing.

I do want a set of these for the museum. This is a very clever design.

I look forward to seeing these as well.

Thanks to you all. I'm happy you like the new walnut shells. The website is almost ready. The hard part is to finish making the preview and instructional video's that will be free to view on most all of the products that are purchased. After viewing these instructional video's the handling of the shells will come easy as the new handling looks and feels more natural. The handling can even work good with the standard type shells

Reply to - Bill Palmer - About getting a Bottom Ridge Walnut Shell set for your museum you should check out all the shells and accessories on the website that will be opening soon. As there are so many different type of shells to fit the situation besides the walnut shells. I'm sure you will be amazed with the others as well.

Reply to – Pop Hayde - You can view the New Bottom Ridge Walnut Shells at
http://www.3shells.com/new-br-walnut-shell.html

Thank you, 3shell-al

Also, thanks Dave V for helping me to figure out on how to show the shells!

3shell-al

Glad to help. It seems that most of my magic happens at the keyboard.

Just thinking out loud, but this set essentially operates as a magnetic pea and shell..........but without the magnets.......and with a lot more flexibility.

Quite brilliant.
New moves have to surface using this set.........and it's not often you see completely new moves in the ole' shell game.

Yes,the new rubber metal blend pea can work with or without magnets. This takes away the need for any special peas. You do not have to use any magnets to perform the game. You can still use most the moves you use now, if you like. The one move I have taken out is the finger pinch steal which I never liked from the first time I seen it used. As the fingers are in a position that looks like your holding something. If you lay a pea down on the table and pick it up in holding it, you will see that your fingers are in the same position as when the fingers are down on the surface behind the shell in the pinch steal position. Then when the fingers come away from the shell it is in the same position because now you are holding the pea. What I tried to do with this new design is get rid of all the clues and rulers.

There will be a instructional video on the website after purchase of shells. Once the website reopens it will give you a better picture on what you can do even before any purchase.

Hello to all
The link below will show a video preview of the new Bottom Ridge walnut shells and the full site will be opening very soon. When the full site opens you will see all new designs beyond just walnut shells for the three shell game.

Hope this video preview helps

http://www.3shells.com/new-br-walnut-shell.html

I look forward to buying a set of these too.

Fortasse

Count me in for a set

Have you seen the Bottle Ridge Shells, with the video ? I talked to someone who seen the whole site just before it was shut down temporary and said he had many great looking shells and accessories on the site. Any body know when site is going to open? benhart

I have some money put aside for when they go on sale for purchase.

http://www.3shells.com - The full website for the new Bottom Ridge Shells is now open to view or order.

This is the only place at this time that the Bottom Ridge Shells can be viewed or ordered.
They are not in any stores. If they ever do go in the stores it will be very few stores. We do not want to mass produce these shells. We want to remain as the best featured shells made today.
This site has one of the largest selections of shells and accessories for the 3 shell game on the Internet.

Sorry for the delay, shellgame-al

WOW!
For those into the shell game, THIS is a game changer.

Amazing website, incredible inventory.

I agree with you, Wow! That site was like being in a candy store! I bought two shell sets, the bottom ridge walnut shells and the comical monkey shells that come with a peanut ball holder. I had to get off the site as there were too many cool things. A short time after I made payment by paypal, I received an email with a website link and a password to view and download handling instructions in a PDF file and video's, that are very well done. I tried some of the handling with my standard shells and shellgame-al is right about the new handling. His handling even works great with the standard shells. This new handling makes so much sense. I will let you all know what the shells are like after I get them. If the handling works as good with them as it does with the standard shells, I will be very happy.

Bottom Ridge Shell - Questions
I had some private emails asking questions about the spectator being able to handle the soft pea with the shells. Also asked how to explain the bottom ridge with the flat surface used with the soft pea.
It's all very simple and works to your advantage.

Soft Pea: When displaying the pea you comment on the fact that it is a soft pea so you will not be able to hear which shell has the pea. This takes away the real fact of why a soft pea is used. This will make sense to them. If you used a hard pea, you would hear the pea in the shell.

Shell Ridge: You pick up two shells and put them together like a whole walnut shell. Show how the shells have an entire flat surface and open the two halves to show the ridge barrier. Explain and show now the ridge barrier will keep the pea in the shells when the shells are moved around. This makes it a fair game. Which is almost true and the spectator will feel it is too their advantage to have a fair chance to win.
You explain that these shells give you a fair chance, unlike the con-man shells that do not have a flat surface or a ridge barrier to retain the pea in the shells when moved around in play.
For the first time you can openly display the game to work for your advantage as everything works as it would be expected to work,

Sometimes I even like to switch the roles and let them be the shell operator and I become the player at some point in the game. They will see firsthand that it has to be good sleight-of-hand, not the equipment used. The spectator now has more hands on involvement and you appear as a magician rather than imitating a con-man.

As a magician, this is my goal.

http://www.3shells.com Is now offering all FREE SHIPPING on all orders!

Bottom Ridge Shells and accessories.

Hope this helps.

I'm definitely in the minority, judging by the excitement, but just not buying the ridge look. Matter of fact, when I was
looking at the pictures on the site, my wife happened by and asked why the shells had a "big rim". During the shells (also
the cups) a casual flash to show an innocent and empty object helps the sell. Not sure what a spectator would really think of
the ridge.