TCC is coming out with gold and silver cups and balls sets and others!

I was just wondering, is it really worth it to collect expensive gear (in general), such as gold and silver cups and balls sets? While everyone's collecting habits are subjective (nothing wrong with that), I'm curious to know if anyone uses these expensive props in their performances. I mean, they DO look nice, too bad they are not engraved. But do people use them, or are they solely for your collection/display? I'd love to hear your opinions.


I've included a link to their new Kickstarter campaign:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/142......35291e28

I would caution anyone backing this. I cannot see this being produced at all.

You'll probably find potential purchasers among every category (users, displayers, etc...).

I can't say I'm a fan of the finishes on these sets, particularly the gold...but again, everyone's tastes are different.

My primary - and just personal - concern would be this: I purchased a set of TCC Copper Cups a year or so ago. A couple of weeks after receiving them I saw a number of hairline cracks going around the mouth bead in a couple of the cups. It could be that I'm the unlucky one in a million customer, or it could be an indication of a larger problem with the metal (I haven't yet heard other complaints re: cracks - haven't been looking for complaints, either - so that's a good sign).

OTOH, both the gold and silver sets are said by TCC to use .925 silver, so the metal is different. Any metallic item can be made well or poorly, or somewhere in between.

Because of my experience with the coppers, I'd have reservations making an expensive purchase of TCC cups. YMMV.

The campaign was canceled

I've got a few, rather expensive, sets and I just can't bring myself to use them, as I've generally always worked on the streets. (Engravings on soft metal rarely survive 4' plummets onto hot pavement...)

The ones I almost always use are TF Phoenix cups or the cups marketed several years ago as Cellini cups.

I can't even bare to use my chrome plated TF Phoenix cups, which were designed to use on the streets, as they just look too nice!

Like Gaddy, I rarely use my more expensive and low production number cups. I have Gold plated Owens cups, and a couple of silver plated sets (one a Jack era R&T II set and another is a BUMA made set). I will (and have) used the silver sets for high end gigs but I've not performed with the Owen's Gold plated outside my home. The BUMA set is a smaller set (not quite MINI but on the small size) and I do prefer them for a party gig.

I have a silver (outside) and gold (inside) Don Allen style Chop Cup from R&T II (Jake era) that I've never used.

I've also got an original Ken Brooke Master Cup (aluminum and bought from Ken when I was living in London). I haven't used it in over 40 years preferring a heavy duty copper, R&T version (I've gone through a couple of those).

I'm not a collector but in over 60 years of performing magic I have accumulated some props that have become expensive over the years.

If you are a collector it is worth it to buy the unique and perhaps expensive prop/cups and sit it on a shelf to be admired. If you are a working performer you buy the tools that work best for you including supports your performing "look". It that's gold or silver, then invest and use it.

That's too bad. While I didn't think these were something that would interest me, I would have loved to have watched the process play out...the cups becoming available, the purchases, the reviews, the discussion. It all would have been very interesting to follow.

NTM, having choices is GREAT. While I didn't care for these cups (well, tbh, the *pictures* of these cups), there are surely others for whom they would have been a perfect fit. The more choices, the better. I guess it was decided that it wasn't a good business decision to continue.