Mine was the Lance Burton one with the VHS.
It was a hand me down from my Aunt so some things were missing, but I loved it.

A 1928 Gilbert set passed down by my Dad. Complete and with instructions he had hidden away for decades.

I can't remember the brand but I remember the bunny paddle, the snapper, the cups it came with and the number cards that over time were changed and made into a lotto style trick. It also came with Chinese laundry tickets! If it came with anything else I can't remember.
Edit! It did also come with rice bowls.

Shortly after my friend and I saw Marshall Brodein ads on TV. We went to the mall and I got a "Magic Box" and he got the TV Magic Cards.

Does anyone have a 'nudi paddle'. I got one from 'Bergs Hollywood' store, 60 years ago. Clear plastic, with a pretty girl in shorts / turn over, Nude- A 2 side decal an a clear plastic handle. only , the stick broke off - repair was not easy. fun fun fun

I never had one but I had an Uncle who did. Forgot all about it.

I was 12 and my first kit was the 1964 My Favorite Martian Magic set.

I especially liked the spaceship on a string that would drop or stop on command and the snapper rocket ship.

At that age, the finger chopper was a favorite, lol.

The finger chopper! Haha, I forgot about those. My friend and I had a fascination with those at that age too.

Chinese Illusions of Magic
I believe these were a Sears exclusive from Adams in the late 70s or early 80s.



It was an amazing kit with quality versions of many standards of magics, such as the linking rings, egg bag, rice bowls, etc. The only bad prop was the egg bag, which was made of plastic. I thought it also included billiard balls but don't see them in the photos.

Many of these effects I upgraded to more professional versions and performed for years.

Sim-sala-bim by Klee, Germany. From 1978.

A Hocus Pocus kit by Dutch company, Jumbo.
Around 1972.

Mark

I received the Marshall Brodien TV Magic Kit for Christmas from Santa.

My first Magic learned was first from the BOOK : "FUN FOR BOYS" , 1943. Also had Ventriloquism - which what I do most now, as at 88 (June 4) Magic Case is a little heavy - boo hoo - ref. profile photo

Me too! Received it for Christmas one year. Its version of the ball & vase looked like a stubby rocket, and also included a gimmicked hammer as another way of vanishing the ball (just by whacking it).

The following year I got the old Adams magic set with colorful plastic cups and balls, rice bowls, tiny billiard balls, etc.

Other than some gaffed cards, which were my first tricks, I think it would be the Hat Full of Magic put out by Reiss.

Still have many of the tricks and all the manuals after 47ish years.

When I was 16 (72 years ago) - won a model Airplane with my Vent at a Community Talent Show - took it to Hollywood Magic on Hollywood Blvd. A Hugh Scary looking Mgr. but very nice - let me trade it for a "Hat Loader, Chinese Die Box, and Rope in Vase " > That started in with little larger Magic. Still so much fun -

I bought large set no.1 Chu's Magic of Hong Kong in a toy shop. Inside is Prof Nightmare, Ball & Vase, Cups and Balls, Linking Rings.

I remember getting TV Magic Cards first (5H was my card...). I know I had a magic set later, it was probably of the TV Magic variety but I don't remember what year. Sometime between 1974-76. I remember it had red rice bowls, a ball & vase. The magic set did not have TV Magic Cards, did not have the two-headed lollipop thing, and I don't think it had cups and balls. I believe it had a coin-to-rubber-banded-nested-boxes thing with a slide. It had linking rings. I don't know if this trick was in the kit, but I remember having a blue plastic coaster with a trap door you could hide a coin in. Put a glass on the coaster, shake, and the coin appears under the glass.

In the years 1974-76 what brands of magic kits were there, besides Marshall Brodien TV Magic?

I'm surprised Doug Henning didn't have any then. Looks like he only endorsed one in 1980.

Bill Bixby THE MAGICIAN Magic Set - Created due to the short-lived TV series THE MAGICIAN starring Bill Bixby.

I was just trying to find re-runs of that show a few weeks ago. No luck.