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Dougini Inner circle The Beautiful State Of Maine 7130 Posts |
Hi Wizard!
Man...waiting for pay day is excruciating! ARRGH! I need to PayPal him the last payment, and then wait patiently for its arrival! The pic on the site ain't that great, but I've been told the actual chest is IMMACULATE! It's teak, too, so that ought to add to the beauty. I almost didn't do this. I'm on a VERY limited pension, and for me to spend this much...well you'd have to hear the story behind this chest. Michael took a devastating loss on this whole ordeal. They were originally to cost $400, but he got royally screwed. Saving money by sending work overseas (I won't name the country involved) is a BAD idea. I keep hearing this. Yeah, Wizard, I WILL cherish this Herb Chest. After hearing Michael tell me the story, I would have bought it even if it WEREN'T a magic effect! Doug |
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Dougini Inner circle The Beautiful State Of Maine 7130 Posts |
I showed a friend what I had ordered, and he said, "That's quite expensive for a chest to put your "herb" in!"
ROFLMAO! I never even thought about that! Hmmm... Doug |
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Wizard of Oz Inner circle Most people wish I didn't have 5150 Posts |
I'm sure there's a Cheech and Chong bit out there that covers this...
;)
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.
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Dougini Inner circle The Beautiful State Of Maine 7130 Posts |
Ya know Wiz...I thought of that! Amazing! I may have to rethink this! Oh...maybe not for some audiences, though! LOL! I WILL keep that one in mind. In fact, I may have to do some additional "prop work"...
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Dougini Inner circle The Beautiful State Of Maine 7130 Posts |
OK, I've had the Druid's Herb Chest for a few days. I wonder if a pic will work. Let me try this:
Now, let's see... Yep! It's at the bottom! I'll get my camera out in the next few days and take a few pix of this. It's one-of-a-kind! You’re right, I LOVE IT! I’ve never worked a Die Box before, so a few things like the nail on the front top door was confusing, and I figured that out. What really gave me a hard time was making sense of the thing being turned around when loading the s****. That really screamed “method” out loud to me, so I began thinking… What if it’s actually performed on a fireplace mantle, up high, with the specs down lower looking up at it? In the patter, I have it said that the “cabinet” is placed facing the wall, due to its POWER. If the thing blows outta there, it facing the wall will (hopefully) absorb part of the blast. So that’s the pre-sell, I mean really make ‘em afraid of it, why not? It’s really the only reason to turn it around backwards. The instruction sheet is a faithful reprint of that part of the book, so maybe I need to email Walt! I really need to work on the presentation. The “hypnotized apprentice” or other entity involved, etc. Coming up with “what is this inside” is needed, plus it’s apparent the cabinet was made for TWO of these, these chests, or containers. One of them is obviously missing, so that has to be considered. I have an idea or two (one so “out there” I might not use it), and just the appearance of the cabinet gives VOLUMES of ideas alone… Now, really just pointing up the power of the horror that lurks inside, and the penalty for not observing rules and traditions passed down for unknown eons…etc., is key. I worked for Stephen King for 6 years. Yeah, I'm a bit cracked... Or maybe we want to just talk about the Olde English Tea Chests “…back in the day…” just to keep our guests from running out of the house screaming. That actually happened to me once. Got a little too, “out there” a bit for her tastes. Heh heh. But I digress… This certainly takes the old “sucker” sliding die box to a new level! I have always hated that trick for the fact that it makes no sense! This could almost be too good! Some folks don’t like anything too “magical” or seemingly “occult”, and I’ve run into that type many times in performing over the last 40 years. The Zombie literally got me thrown out of a Baptist Church show I did for the kids downstairs. The kids made such a fuss over the Floating Sphere, the adults wanted to see it (after the sermon) upstairs. Big mistake! One lady fainted, and another viciously accused me of Satanic…whatever, and the pastor indignantly asked me to leave. Yeah…gotta be careful. I’m not even into anything occult or Satanic, it’s just that I have a pretty good knack for coming up with “out there” ideas. Stuff that has to do with ancient aliens and unknown cultures. Two things, one, is I am so happy to see this trick taken to this level of theatrics in Magic. Far too often we see the tired old stuff, lame in its execution over some website (read: YouTube!), or worse, on National TV! With just a little work, this can be a freakin’ MASTERPIECE! Of course, that depends on the creativity of the person presenting this. Just as it is, it makes a beautiful “set piece” for a fireplace mantle! Then someone comes in and she invariable asks what “that” is up there on the mantle. “Ohhh that???” (She’s not sure, but she thinks she sees a distant screaming insanity in a fleeting instant, as my eyes drift up to “The Cabinet”) “’The Cabinet of IT… (and should only be told in whispers…) is ancient cabinet that contains only what is known as ‘IT’, a thing so powerful, and devastating, entire rooms of people have been vaporized – into thin air – from attempting to misuse…IT” !!! Or something like that. If I like the girl, maybe it’s an old lady’s tea chest that had some mighty peculiar behavior…whatever. This is just perfect, though for a darker story… (slightly insane laughter) Second thing, I am so glad we still have the “private manufacturer” still in business for the magician! Now you have to realize that $270 for me is WAY out of my price range for a magic trick. This is not just a magic trick. It is a true illusion for the stage! I realized this when I operated the “secret something” on the left door. I thought, laughing, “Ha! This will never fool ANYONE!” Then, I took a few steps back…oh, yes IT WILL! I then realized (D’uh) that this is not a close-up prop! Back about 15 or 20 feet, you cannot even see the nail, the difference in depth perception with the f*** or anything else untoward, cabinet-wise. At that (stage) distance, the “Herb Chest” can be placed at any angle (fit together)! You can’t tell subtle wear & tear (minor stuff), or any other little things you could if you showed this up close. It’s also a .damn shame only 20 or so people will own one of these! I won’t go into my opinion of saving a few bucks by sending our manufacturing overseas! That’s another conversation! What I will say, is how thankful I am to have purchased this! I don’t know if I’ll be “buried with it” or not, but I don’t plan to ever sell or give it away! “Wack-O-Magic” is a great name for a magic shop, but might be a bit misleading! This kind of quality is certainly not “Wack-o” by any means! The shaft-job Michael got in all of this, just further galvanizes my feelings toward creating anything for the Magic Industry! I’ve talked to some talented people from Peter Loughran to Chuck Leach, and the John Sheets story almost made me cry. This little Herb Chest Cabinet and its little bag is probably the most expensive thing I will buy. I had to have it, after talking to Michael personally, and encouragement from Walt Anthony. Its real value is knowing its history… I wonder who is going to get the last few...? Doug Click here to view attached image. |
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Wizard of Oz Inner circle Most people wish I didn't have 5150 Posts |
I knew you would love it Dougini! I like your ideas...the box really does get the juices flowing. And how about the beautiful bag that comes with it? It looks like it came right out of an ancient castle.
I wish more classics of magic were made in this distressed style. They would be so much more believable than just a lacquered box with Chinese characters painted on them.
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.
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Dougini Inner circle The Beautiful State Of Maine 7130 Posts |
I agree, Wiz...
Didn't mean to hijack this thread, but this seems to be the perfect place, rather than open a whole new thread. These are the pix Click here to view attached image. |
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Dougini Inner circle The Beautiful State Of Maine 7130 Posts |
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Dougini Inner circle The Beautiful State Of Maine 7130 Posts |
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Dougini Inner circle The Beautiful State Of Maine 7130 Posts |
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Dougini Inner circle The Beautiful State Of Maine 7130 Posts |
Herb Chest with doors open:
That's it, pretty much. Just wanted to share... Click here to view attached image. |
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Wizard of Oz Inner circle Most people wish I didn't have 5150 Posts |
It's a beautiful thing.
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.
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dfolson New user 67 Posts |
Wow! I am only 8 years too late for this one... This is a beautifully designed illusion!
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Bill Hegbli Eternal Order Fort Wayne, Indiana 22797 Posts |
David Charvet wrote his routine up for the Die Box in his new book, "Charvet on the Classics", ht has a routine for adult shows and the theme is antiques. Would fit a few of the listed Die Boxes in this topic.
There is also his routines for the Vanishing Wand, Die Box, Jumbo Cards Across, and the Linking Rings. Worth the $15 to get a new perspective on the Classics of magic. Check out his website for this interesting booklet, containing 30 pages, and perfect bound. |
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