I believe that this release might transgress upon the agreement between the Tommy Wonder estate and Matthew Wright, who in 2012 got the estate's explicit permission to manufacture and market Tommy's "Nest of Boxes" (which eventually was released as the Wonder Phone, discussed here).

The license agreement on tommywonder.nl states:
Beware that some tricks are already licensed to others, and you might want to check with them first, to get their approval or not.
and...
"But DO check with other manufacturers, publishers, performers, if they have a licence or signed agreement or not. That is the homework you need to do yourself."

I don't believe the homework have been done in this case.

I worked for many years through university and beyond learning the intricacies of Tommys incredible Nest of Boxes.
I knew I always wanted to own one and was very happy to have to put in all the hard work to make it.
Over the years, the more I worked on various versions of the boxes the more I started to have my own ideas for it and it was at that point that I contacted the Wonder estate back in 2012.
The conversations over my design went back and forth with the estate until they were happy that my Tommy Wonder inspired creation warranted a place in the market and granted me the necessary permissions to manufacture the boxes and use Tommys name in what became known as The Wonder Phone.

I love the look of Rays boxes and it seems like he has done a wonderful job on them....but to me it just feels perhaps a little "wrong". The estate have run out of patience with rip offs and intellectual theft so have just given up trying to fight it. That still doesn't make it right.

I wouldn't be comfortable selling an exact replica of the Tommy boxes without compensating the estate....i think that is the right thing to do and I would hope that Ray feels the same way. Perhaps this is in his plans anyway?

I don't know about the building rights situation, so I won't comment about that. What I do know is, that Ray has improved upon Wonder's amazing creation the Nest of Boxes. Yes, it was already incredible, however, now it's even better! I recently saw this in person, and I can say that he's improved upon it in several great ways, along with many other finer details. The engineering and workmanship is nothing short of amazing, and all the parts are custom machined with absolute precision. The amount of time and work he's spent on it is obviously immense, and I'm sure the hours have been countless. It's truly an incredible piece of apperatus, and I'm sure that anyone who gets the chance to see it, would absolutly love to get their hands on it!

I had an opportunity last weekend to see Ray Lum's Tommy Wonder Nest of Boxes and see it's inner workings along with a demonstration.

Like many, I had only heard about this legendary effect of both incredible precision and deep thinking.

I can say without a bit of hesitation that Ray Lum has poured his soul and hundreds if not thousands of hours of hard work into creating a one of a kind mechanism that Mr. Wonder would surely be proud to behold.

It is a puzzle within a puzzle, and the way Ray Lum has put this together has probably improved upon the perfection of Tommy's masterwork.

Some people might buy this simply as a collectors or vanity piece - a solution to a decades old puzzle that few in the world could ever hope to solve.

I am not by any means an expert on the history of this piece, but I can say that anyone getting this who puts a bit of time into performing this on stage will have one of the true wonders of the magic world and will slay audiences.

I have never seen any mechanism so lovingly made - built with an illusionists heart and a watch makers mind. Incredible doesn't even describe this.

Congratulations to Ray Lum for re-creating one of the world's most treasured effects.

As with many licenses issued, the estate can give permission in any way they deem to do so. Andrew Wright is in England. This model is made in the U.S.A. I have seen licenses being issued by country as well by person.

Verbal agreements need at least 2 or 3 witnesses to be binding, and then I believe they are not forever. Rudy Sanchaz has posted a copy of the agreement in writing.

Andrew Wright posted pictures of his original copy of the Wonder prop on the Café. So he fulfilled his agreement with the Wonder estate. Then he redesigned the effect to the extent, that for my eyes is not the Tommy Wonder prop and effect at all.

Just like automobiles, manufactures world wide all make cars, and they are all different. A car get you from point A to point B, that is all. They all have different designs and workings, engines, power, etc. With the logic presented here, then Henry Ford owns all the automobile designs in the world, and claim to all the manufacturing processes in the world.

From the argument given, even Tommy Wonder dose not have a right to the prop and effect. As there has been many watch to any container as far back as we can research.

So basically, both parties have been given permission to use Tommy Wonder's name as a promotion tool. If both have been significantly redesigned it is not Tommy Wonder's prop.

Just a lately all the new to magic people and dealers keep calling a folding table, as the Harbin Table. When looking at the Harbin book, the tables being sold have no relationship to the Harbin production table at all. True, I have no knowledge if Harbin ever built a different table and called it the Harbin Table as well. There has not been anything published to back up the simply folding table. Even Billy McComb called his newspaper to table the Harbin - McComb Table.

Having watched the video presentation of Andrew Wright's Wonder Phone, I see no correlation between this and the Tommy Wonder Nest of boxes.

If any of the parties involved, seem they must settle this, I suggest you contact the instigator's, namely the Tommy Wonder Estate family, instead of guessing, and find out what their intensions were at the time of the agreements.

The Magic Café is not the place to make unsubstantiated accusations.

Just my own personal opinion.

Still working on mine...

In my opinion, if any changes are made to prop or mechanism in any way, then it is not considered the Tommy Wonder Nest of Boxes. It must be called the RayLum Nest of Boxes. This happens all the time, a classic effect or a performers props is made by a craftsman that want to put his creativity in the original design. Why, I have no idea, as whenever I have made a prop, it is an exact duplicate. Changing anything is doing a dishonor to the original.

I myself, would never buy anything but a exact duplicate as set out in the Wonder books and DVDs.

Mr. Wright made a perfect duplicate of the Wonder effect, the picture he posted shows a wonderful duplicate of the original. Then he set out to make something totally different for himself and to market.

Who is Andrew Wright? 😁

Mathew Wright, aka Andrew Wright, and Mr. Wright!

Got a Question.. what would be a good ‘price’ to buy as such (full works) to buy this ‘prop’ outwith what’s currently out there JJ

You can buy it from Ray Lum for $30k

Hi Rudy, I should have said not including what Ray has out there. I’ve been lucky over 15 years ago to have most of the prop made by a builder who made props for David Nixon (a much loved UK TV magician )