Magic Wagon Ultimate Penetration Frame

[JohnM]

The Magic Wagon Collectors on the Cafe who are very adamant (re: Mr. Ed) have run into a little snag.

They claim that they are wonderful collectors items and that you can always get your money back if you don't like the trick.

Well that is not the case this time. The one that sold on ebay did not make back the retail price for the seller.

It sold for $269 but originally cost $325. Ouch!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Magic-Wagon-Ult ... 232ffd1164

Also a few more people are starting to speak up that maybe Magic Wagon is not all it is cracked up to be. If that trend continues then that could cause a really big OUCH.

Caveat Emptor

[Rob Rand]

Hey, the Ebay buyer was someone from the Netherlands ... no, it wasn't me

Today I received the Ultimate Penetration Frame from MW directly. No customs clearance, as usual! No shipping costs!

Maybe I am naive, but .... I like this MW item very much!

I believe there is actually no other way to make this effect as cnvincing as possible. It is almost not possible to make this trick totally examinable. But I do not own Tenyo Wonder Window.

Anyway, the trick is supplied with a beautiful standard (for showing the trick nicely), it works like a dream, i AM VERY HAPPY WITH IT!

Yes, m*****s. Yes, 2 w*****s. When performed with a nice storyline, the audience sees a miracle.

JohnM, what do you mean with "MW is not all it is cracked up to be". Is the reputation getting downwards from MW?

[David DeTenyo]

Thanks for the review Rob! Glad to hear you like it

By the way there are two more UPFrames on Ebay for the moment ... .

Do you own Mystery Triangle by Tenyo Rob? If not you really should buy it. Same for Wonder Window but this is hard to find. They are from plastic but are completely examinable before and after.
MartiniMagic on TMC said: "Comparing Magic Wagon's Ultimate Penetration Frame to Tenyo's Mystery Triangle is interesting. One is beautifully constructed, aesthetically pleasing to eye, a tremendous value for the money, entertains and amazes people, is fully examinable and the other is made by Magic Wagon."

I do have to agree with John about MW however. While their items are always very durable and beautifull some of their latest effects are a bit of a let down for some. Zingana Box, Quantum Tunnel and now UPFrame are all nice pieces but not really baffling compared to items that are sold for the same price. If you're a collector of MW go for MW, if you're a performer you should wonder if you aren't better of spending 200 - 300 USD on other stuff that is often better. Alan Warner to name one has great effects for the same price, often even cheaper (even on Ebay)!

I'm not jumping the MW boat but I find myself more 'reserved' when a new item pops up on their website. I have a bunch of magic I'd love to have that gets great reviews and is in the same price range ... .

On the other hand, perhaps we should be happy a company like MW exists and brings us beautifull wooden/brass micro magic, even if not all of their products are at the top

[Rob Rand]

David, yes I own Tenyo's Mystery Triangle, and I know what you mean. A real mystery to the audience, AND you can lock it AND you can hand it out for examnisation. Absolutely a winner!

The UPF bij MW requires an other story line. Because it's made from wood and looks therefore more classic and perhaps very old (age-old), it inspired me to the following story line: I call the glass in this frame the golden fleece. When it remains intact, King Arthur remains his power. But whenever the enemy succeeds to penetrate it with 3 swords, it's over with the power of the King. At night a cover is put in the middle of the frame to protect it. Three fiendish knights (three musketeers?) have planned to enter the golden fleece anpenetrate it with their swords. They succeed. Before dawn they remove their swords and go away. At daylight the cover is removed. And then the miracle has happened: the golden fleece is unharmed! The knights have failed against the self-restoring power of the golden fleece, King Arthur can remain on his throne!

I performed this story-telling miracle for my wife, and it worked! She even didn't ask to examine the frame!

That's the only way to perform this. Not as a trick, but as a miracle.

But on the other hand, the Quantum tunnel is indeed not very inspirational. The Zingana box however has its values. I baffled some colleagues with it, they really were stumped!

BTW, the coming months I really want to stop buying (expensive) tricks. I want to focus more on presentation.

[JohnM]

That is a very funny quote from MartiniMagic.

Rob you need to have 50 posts on the Magic Cafe to see the Secret Sessions section.

In there is a long thread on Magic Wagon.

Lately some of the devotees have been back peddling a bit on their love for Magic Wagon.

Another opinion I have is that the MW woodworking is nice and sometimes very beautiful but that does not make it a good magic trick. For me it has to be a good trick first and then what it made of or how it is made comes into play. If it is not a good trick, then I am not interested even if it is made of wood from Noah's Arch.

[SimonC]

I dipped my toes into MW over the summer with Bermuda medallion but it's not my kind of trick, it's mint and if anyone has a couple of tenyo they'd like to trade I'll be more than happy. Personally I'm sticking with tenyo and Jenzo Harmonics, handsome chap that he is

[Rob Rand]

JohnM, thanks for the advice. I am not very active on TMC, because I feel a bit intimidated by all the great names there. But have to step over that and make more posts there because I really want to reach the 50+ posts and I am very curious about the discussions going on about MW.

[John B.]

Hi Rob,

Once you get 50 posts the MW post is well worth reading. While I appreciate the quality of the craftsmanship of MW items, I too have been disappointed with the most recent releases. However, Diceolation is the exception and is one of the best they have ever released.

John

[Rob Rand]

Hello, for those interested just want to let you know I made a video of UPF. It's more a demonstration than a real original presentation. See:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YinFy305HlA

Rob

[Peter G]

It looks much bigger than I imagined! Actually after seeing this, I appreciate it much more than before...
Great job!

[SimonC]

I like the stand it comes with too, gives it a slick look.

[JohnM]

Cool video. I like that you used a helper too.

[David DeTenyo]

Thanks for the video Rob! It does look nicer then I thought and works very smooth

[Roberto B.]

Wonderfull!.......I don't have this one and it was a pleasure to see it in action with an excellent execution................ we are making an archive of video demos of Magic Wagon effects!!.....that is what I miss in collectable magic: there is a lack of information about how the effects perform in real life.

[BobD]

Nice video! If I saw this video before the item sold out I would have bought one. This is more of a parlor trick than micro magic as I expected.
Is the stand gimmicked? If it is, you can do the penetration with the glass in the stand and you can do the trick surrounded. But I think your handling is better because it is more deceptive.

[Rob Rand]

BobD, yes you can do the trick inside the stand, but indeed it's more deceptive while you're performing it in your hands.

[BobD]

Thanks for the info, Rob Rand. I just wanted to know because if ever I acquire this piece I might not be able to do it without the stand as well as you do it.

[Rob Rand]

To be extra clear: the stand is not gimmicked, only the frame is.

[BobD]

I was not impressed at all and did not buy it ... . As said before the sides of the panel are way too big for the illusion to be convincing, it is indeed pretty clear how it works (WW / Soft Coins or perhaps a variation on their Impossible Glass penetration but I doubt that). The whole thing looks so 'bulky'

Hi David,

Can you tell us more about Impossible Glass Penetration. Is it a good trick?

[David DeTenyo]

It's pretty good - it works but it is a bit 'weird' to handle. What happens is you put a piece of glass in a stand, then you have to 'do' something (easily concealed however) and you can push the swords through the glass. It is not self-working but not that hard.

The glass plate can be thoroughly examined, and casually the glass while it is in the holder too.

[BobD]

Is the trick deceptive? Is it difficult to figure out? Are people impressed with the trick?

[John B.]

I heard Impossible Glass cannot be viewed from behind. It's a nice idea for a trick!

[David DeTenyo]

Is the trick deceptive? Is it difficult to figure out? Are people impressed with the trick?

It is pretty deceptive I think (with some proper misdirection) - I never performed it to anyone :p I will perform it once I am completely settled in the new house for my wife, the toughest audience there is and I will then let you know

Withour giving away the secret: everyone knows a glass panel is solid. If a sword has to pass through it the glass panel has to move. It is this 'move' you have to do with/under some misdirection/cover. Now go take a look at the picture of the effect again - think hard, I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually

I heard Impossible Glass cannot be viewed from behind. It's a nice idea for a trick!

Indeed.

[BobD]

Thank you, David DeTenyo and John B.