Has anyone seen this on the Hocus Pocus web site? I went ahead and ordered it. Does anyone else here use a coin ladder? What are the strong/weak points? What type of coins do you use? I am still waiting to see if it comes with any kind of producer or dumper, or do I need to purchase those seperatly.

Abbott's also makes a very nice Crystal Coin Ladder (small) that comes with your choice of metal or glass "steps" and is double-gimmicked for individual coin production as well as additional loads for the finale.

(I haven't seen the Hocus Pocus offering.)

If you were going to perform a coin ladder routine, then your should use a standard size con ladder. George Robinson at Viking Magic makes the ebst and lightest coin ladder on the market today. it costs about $1,300.00 but is well worth it if you do this sort of coin maniopulation on stage. Having a pint sized table top coin ladder deflates the beauty adn elagance of a good coin ladder routine. If done properly and convincingly, a coin ladder routine is quite poetic and musical. However, it is meant to be for a stage performance. By reducing the height of a coin ladder so that it can fit on a table top, does not make the effect suitable for parlour or close-up. It only reduces its effectiveness.

I have not seen the table top version of teh coin ladder from Hocus-Pocus other than what is shown on thesite so I cannot comment on the type(s) of mechanism it uses or on the reliablity of it. However, I am not impressed with its design and I do not believe that by reducing its size to fit on a table top makes it a suitable routine/effect for parlour or close-up. Certain effects are meant to be used strictly for stage (or close-up) and a variation of the size of the item does not necessarily make it suitable as an effect for that venue.

Best regards,


Michael

Why didn't you ask someone at HP?

I agree with Pete. You should have asked these important and legitimate questions to HP before making this expensive purchase. They are very helpful and I'm sure they would have answered all of your questions. Pete is also very helpful in answering questions about any of the Porper items.

Greetings,

Let me answer some questions about this item.

It's made to work with Dollar Size Coins. The item also breaks down for transport. It also does come with a coin dropper and a CD explaining how to put it together and take it apart. And, it does come with a bag to carry the item.

Hope that helps!

It does Jason!

Pete, I saw it and ordered it. I inquired at the time, but the info was not available. Whether or not a producer, dropper or dumper was included would not have affected my decision. It would just have been an additional purchase I needed to make.

I've been looking for a table top size for quite some time. I disagree with Magicinsight (with all due respect). I don't believe the size will diminish the quality at all. It's all in the performer and/or performance. For what I plan to do with it, a smaller size is needed.

Thanks!

If it suits your perforamance requirements and style, then I am sure that you will find use for it and be happy with it. I still respectfully disagree with you Deceptionguy that sometimes size does make a difference. But if you can use it and you can entertain with it, then my opinion is irrelevant. Maybe I am still upset that the Yankees lost.

Best regards,


Michael

I seen one of these at Abbott's Get-to-Gether several years ago. Bob Little said he got it from France I believe. I do not care for the design myself, but loved the ease of working a Miser's Dream. You do not need to know any sleight of hand at all. It hold a very large quanity of coins, the half dollar model I seen held about 4 dozen coins.

The olders are built into the ladder. So to answer you question. You just need a lot of coins. I would have purchased the model I saw if it was dollar size.

For some reason that is a flaw of Manufacturers and dealers. They always make half dollar size. Viking model is more to my liking but he made it to hold half dollar size coins.

I just don't get their thinking, nice to see Hocus-Pocus is on the ball.

I own an Abbotts mini coin ladder..... It is great for small cabaret shows ......
I changed the bowl at the bottom ..for a glass one .....

I just searched high and low in the Hocus Pocus site and never found any coin ladder.
I tried "coin ladder", "coin", "misers", and "table top coin ladder" with no results. How is it listed?

Best regards,
Glenn Godsey

In my area one magician has a Coin Ladder and I think he bought it from a company in Florida. Pretty weird effect.

Viking offers two coin ladders. One is $1500. The other $2655.00

Both are out of stock.

As a point of interest> the Abbott Coin Ladder is not intended to be set upon a table during actual use...the apparatus is carried in your hand while the other hand produces the coins. As a finale you may set the "ladder" down and produce a "shower of coins" from both hands.

The best one I've seen is Norm Nielsen's

Is that a "one off" or a marketed model ??

I made a small one myself and did a good job as well , Just wasn't able to make the special coin dropper built inside the ladder.

I believe Norm built that himself. He is quite an accomplished builder.

The Abbott ladder looks a bit suspicious if you hold it in your hand the whole time ..... It needs to be broken up with some bare hand work ....... The add in the catalog says it is easy and self working ... it is not easy .... It took me a few months of practice to come up with a suitable routine and I am still working on it ..... bare hand coin work is a must for any coin ladder routine to give it texture and somewhere to go......

Perhaps starting with a "simple" coin pail will give you the confidence to introduce the larger prop. Remember the Secret Words = practice practice practice (...and read read read). Have FUN!

There is a clear photo of Del Ray using his close-up tabletop coin ladder on page 50 of the Jan., 2004 issue of MAGIC magazine. The photo is good enough that you could use it as a plan to make one.

Best regards,
Glenn Godsey