Topsy Turvey bottles

Discuss your favorite platform magic and illusions.
magicbymaddux
Posts: 8
Joined: January 23rd, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: CA

Topsy Turvey bottles

Postby magicbymaddux » March 18th, 2008, 9:05 pm

I am going to be performing Topsy Turvy Bottles at my IBM rings magic show and had another magician help me make it into a really good trick (with an ending!). I was wondering if anyone else had any ideas for this trick that might be of use for me in my performance? I end the trick with making a wine glass appear in the tube. If anyone has any ideas that might further my routine, they would greatly be appreciated.

Thanks,

Brandon M.
Magic by Maddux
"Better Parties are No Illusion"

magicbymaddux
Posts: 8
Joined: January 23rd, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: CA

Re: Topsy Turvey bottles

Postby magicbymaddux » March 19th, 2008, 10:59 am

I would love some suggestions on what I can say and do to make the trick funnier
Magic by Maddux
"Better Parties are No Illusion"

Dale Shrimpton
Posts: 387
Joined: March 20th, 2008, 7:21 am

Re: Topsy Turvey bottles

Postby Dale Shrimpton » April 9th, 2008, 6:53 am

The thing is with effects like the topsy turvy bottle,do as i do ect, is to make it look like the magician is screwing up, and not the spectator.

doing this simple thing, should extract more humour from the effect.

and if you say at the end something like..."I ended up with egg all over my face", or "i feel like a lemon" then produce the item mentioned from the tube, you should get a good reaction.

Brad Henderson
Posts: 4546
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: austin, tx

Re: Topsy Turvey bottles

Postby Brad Henderson » April 24th, 2008, 3:46 pm

John Ferrentino had an interesting ending which was published in one of the NY MAgic Symposiums.

User avatar
Spellbinder
Posts: 472
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: New Jersey
Contact:

Re: Topsy Turvey bottles

Postby Spellbinder » April 24th, 2008, 9:44 pm

My routine used two differently colored bottles, which for kids was a brown root beer bottle and an orange soda bottle. The bottles were filled with real liquids, which made the idea of the usual gaff seem impossible (to magicians, at least). The advantage of this was that I started by having the kid helping me choose one of the bottles, and then made it seem as if he chose the "normal" bottle and left me with the topsy-turvey bottle, so half-way through the act I would ask him to change bottles, but now the other bottle took on the topsy-turvey qualities. I ended by changing the bottles into cans of soda. I like Dale's suggestion, however, and if performing it today, I would opt for changing the root beer bottle into a can of root beer soda, but the orange soda would turn into a real orange which would create a better contrast.
Phineas Spellbinder
The Magic Nook

kendavis
Posts: 4
Joined: May 10th, 2008, 4:20 pm
Location: CT

Re: Topsy Turvey bottles

Postby kendavis » May 10th, 2008, 4:39 pm

Great approach Dale! Lets add one more move. After a couple of attempts pull out a white silk scarf out of the tube and wipe your forehead in frustration. Produce the egg or lemon for a closing.

Let's hear some more ideas.

Larry Barnowsky
Posts: 508
Joined: January 18th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Cooperstown, NY
Contact:

Re: Topsy Turvey bottles

Postby Larry Barnowsky » May 11th, 2008, 6:16 pm

The best and most deceptive set of Topsy Turvy Bottles were made by Abbott. They did not use any shell. The big difference was the entire bottle could be pulled out of the tube each time and the tube could be shown empty any time as well. You might see these on Ebay or at a used magic auction site. They are very well made and better IMO than the Grant type bottles.

Larry
Magica Analytica
barnowskymagic.com

User avatar
Pete Biro
Posts: 7124
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Hollyweird
Contact:

Re: Topsy Turvey bottles

Postby Pete Biro » May 12th, 2008, 4:18 pm

Larry is right... I wouldn't use ANY other than Abbott's.
Stay tooned.

GAMOLO
Posts: 81
Joined: January 22nd, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Potomac, Md.

Re: Topsy Turvey bottles

Postby GAMOLO » May 12th, 2008, 5:44 pm

A bit I have done that has always gotten a laugh is to purchase from a Spencer Gifts type store or a "head" shop one of those super long extended neck soda pop bottles, either paint it the same color as the others or fill the bottle up with the same soda as you are employing.

I hide this between my legs behind the magic table and after the basic routine has concluded I stick my finger in one of the bottles and then for a second drop the bottle beneath eye level and switch bottles with my finger now placed in the extra neck bottle. I place bottle between my legs so kids can't see the true length and start saying my finger is stuck and with exaggerated effort as I keep pulling up on my finger I slowly release & expose alittle bit more of the neck from between my legs and slowwwwwly pull it out & up to its full height. The kids love it as it appears I have stretched the bottle and now have a "finale" for the effect.

Wacko
Posts: 6
Joined: May 26th, 2011, 9:51 pm

Re: Topsy Turvey bottles

Postby Wacko » May 26th, 2011, 11:50 pm

There is an all new Topsy Turvy Soda Bottles on the market..

It's done with REAL half liter Coke PLASTIC Coke bottles...

Most of the major magic suppliers have it.. but you can also order direct from the manufacturer.

http://www.wack-o-magic.com

it's had universally good reviews from the cafe.. and most everyone who's ever bought one!

For those that have done the routine with the glass bottles.. it takes some getting used to the new props.. but you can give the bottles away at the end... and you can't break them in transit.. or if they fall off your table.

David Acer
Posts: 733
Joined: February 9th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Montreal, Canada
Contact:

Re: Topsy Turvey bottles

Postby David Acer » May 28th, 2011, 1:36 pm

Rick Bronson is a comedian from Canada with a background in magic who closed his act with Topsy Turvy (a.k.a. Tricky) Bottles for years. He doesn't do much stand-up anymore (he now owns and operates an outstanding, high-end comedy club in Edmonton called Rick Bronson's Comic Strip, along with an equally outstanding, if slightly newer club in the Mall of America), but his comedy earned him several C.O.C.A. (College Association) Comedian of the Year awards and a couple of national TV specials. In 2005, he published his Tricky Bottles routine in a small booklet I wrote called "7 by Rick Bronson," which you can still find kicking around at a few magic shops.
Now tweeting daily from @David_Acer


Return to “Platform & Stage Magic”