Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

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Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby CraigMitchell » July 24th, 2022, 8:46 am


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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby Q. Kumber » July 24th, 2022, 9:15 am

Yes, it is well worth reading … and sharing.

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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby Jack Shalom » July 24th, 2022, 12:00 pm

That was certainly entertaining and informative.

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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby katterfelt0 » July 24th, 2022, 2:41 pm

I always knew IMS was a scam, but I never knew the extent of the scam. Tom did some brilliant research.
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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby Brad Henderson » July 24th, 2022, 3:24 pm

Recently there was an expose of the award - including audio recordings. I don’t recall the details but it was particularly damning.

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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby David Ben » July 25th, 2022, 4:45 am

Tom - a great article. It has the stuff for a wonderful screenplay. Funny, poignant and pathetic, with an extraordinary cast of characters. I suggest you get right on it.

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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby RobFromNZ » July 25th, 2022, 6:10 am

Great article. I watched an IMS video once with Tom Mullica and Jay Marshall discussing ventriloquism. Great hosts, but it seemed clear the video was thrown together 'last minute'. The story in this article gives the clue as to why!

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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby Tarotist » July 25th, 2022, 12:52 pm

He sounds like a man after my own heart! Old Murray the famed escape artist once advised me, "If you go through life and never do business with a crook you will never get anything done"
A very wise man.
I remember visiting him in hospital along with another magician and he pointed to me saying, "It is nice to see this thief here!" I always considered that a wonderful compliment...............

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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby Tarotist » July 25th, 2022, 1:12 pm

Anyway, I shouldn't worry about him. He is in his early eighties. He won't be doing too much scamming in the future. I tend to admire the old scoundrel. I have known many like him. They were part of my education. You have to have lived in Blackpool to know what I am talking about.

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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby Tom Frame » July 25th, 2022, 1:32 pm

Great job, Tom! You skewered the scoundrel.

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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby Tom Stone » July 25th, 2022, 2:25 pm

Tom Frame wrote:Great job, Tom! You skewered the scoundrel.

Thanks Tom! It was far from trivial to find the information, and I'm somewhat surprised myself over how much I found. This would have been impossible just 15 years ago.

Brad: Any chance you could find that expose again? I'd be most interested in it.

David: Thanks. I'm flattered that you liked it. But I think 6300 words is enough, and I have 2-3 unfinished screenplays in the drawers already, so I think I'll consider this done. :-)

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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby Brad Jeffers » July 25th, 2022, 3:32 pm


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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby Bizzaro » July 25th, 2022, 5:43 pm

Brad Jeffers wrote:This year's recipients


If that was in May, it looks like it was filmed at MAGIC Live?
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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby Tom Stone » July 25th, 2022, 5:54 pm

Bizzaro wrote:If that was in May, it looks like it was filmed at MAGIC Live?

Yes, May 19, the day after Magic Live ended.

Btw, 8 days ago International Magicians Society put up a new video on Youtube.
An amazing illusion... all you need are eggs, chickens, two stooges and a tad too little knowledge of how to mask out things in After Effects.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h214Kwy-K3o

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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby Roger M. » July 25th, 2022, 10:21 pm

Excellent article Tom, very detailed.

It's amazing that even when some magicians know something is a complete scam, there are still some who will still try to leverage that scam to their advantage.

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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby Brad Henderson » July 26th, 2022, 8:23 am

Tom. I cannot find the link to the audio but it revolves around Taylor Reed and the purchasing of the award.

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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby Tom Moore » July 26th, 2022, 5:21 pm

Not to legitimise tony it’s worth mentioning that the majority of awards in performance arts (magic, circus, dance) basically follow the model of the Merlins, as do awards in architecture.

This isn’t a niche magic thing…
"Ingenious" - Ben Brantley: New York Times

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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby Brad Henderson » July 26th, 2022, 8:07 pm

I wonder if the price for the award change with the amount of time for which one is awarded ‘the best’. I mean, does magician of the century cost more than magician of the year or magician of the decade? Any idea what he’s charge to award me, let’s say, Best Magician of September 19, 2023 from 11:15 AM to 1:47 PM EST?

I’d give at least 8 bucks for that.

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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby Bizzaro » July 27th, 2022, 1:23 am

Tom Stone wrote:
Bizzaro wrote:If that was in May, it looks like it was filmed at MAGIC Live?

Yes, May 19, the day after Magic Live ended.

Btw, 8 days ago International Magicians Society put up a new video on Youtube.
An amazing illusion... all you need are eggs, chickens, two stooges and a tad too little knowledge of how to mask out things in After Effects.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h214Kwy-K3o


YIKES!
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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby Tom Stone » July 27th, 2022, 7:13 am

Bizzaro wrote:
Tom Stone wrote:Btw, 8 days ago International Magicians Society put up a new video on Youtube.
An amazing illusion... all you need are eggs, chickens, two stooges and a tad too little knowledge of how to mask out things in After Effects.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h214Kwy-K3o


YIKES!

Indeed. The videos are meant to show off what kind of magic you'll learn if you sign up for his video courses... using stooges and VFX.

The web page of Guinness World Records have a search function. If you search for Hassini's claim that IMS is "the world's largest magic society as recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records", you find nothing.

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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby Tarotist » July 27th, 2022, 7:48 am

This sort of thing reminds me of what old time magicians would call "theatrical licence"!

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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby Joe Lyons » July 27th, 2022, 8:10 am

Looks like Guinness needs updating. They've got most expensive magic poster sold at auction at $55,000. 22 years ago.

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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby Tarotist » July 27th, 2022, 10:23 am

I had only heard vague references to this wonderful scam and didn't know much about it until Tom brought it to our attention. Anyway, I just did a search for information and came to this video by random accident. I am in great awe and wonder with my jaw agape at the splendour and sheer audacity of it all! I didn't expect it to be so elaborate with a real audience with candlelit tables! And the award winner is so eminent and I suspect knows full well it is a load of tosh and a scam. Ironically he debunks and exposes scams but he seems very happy to take part in this one. He probably knows it will do him a lot of good since the general public have no idea that it isn't what it seems to be. Magicians are supposed to be experts in deception but I have known for years they are innocents in the ways of this wicked world and have led comparatively sheltered lives. Anyway, enjoy the video! I was greatly amused at the self congratulatory nature of the thing!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uK2lW8CLN4s

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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby Tom Stone » July 27th, 2022, 11:30 am

Tarotist wrote:I didn't expect it to be so elaborate with a real audience with candlelit tables!

That's from this year. It was patched onto the end of the Magic Live convention, so a lot of magicians were already in the area.

It is quite uncommon with such banquets. I believe this have only happened once before in 28 years.

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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby Zig Zagger » July 27th, 2022, 6:42 pm

Great research and article, Tom, thank you very much for that!
I will happily spread it further via my blog.

It seems that Taylor Reed had a video on YouTube titled "Taylor Reed exposes the Prestigious Merlin Award", but apparently it was taken down and is currently not available...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwEhOdTxrFg

The abysmal IMS website seems to have gotten its latest update in 2010... and it features legendary winners like "Channing Pollack" (sic!). And master deceiver Hassi Tonini (or whatever his name) is rather outspoken about the PR benefits of his putz prize and means of - uumm - acquiring one:
https://www.imsmagic.com/the-merlin-award.html

There are a few known and a few more totally unknown magicians in Germany, too, who shamelessly boast their fool's gold statuette, the world-leading prize that comes with a price tag. I particularly enjoyed the blurb of the "Best Mentalist Germany 2019," who lists among his top credits a show at a garment-free experiental sauna club...
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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby Tom Stone » July 27th, 2022, 8:05 pm

Zig Zagger wrote:It seems that Taylor Reed had a video on YouTube titled "Taylor Reed exposes the Prestigious Merlin Award", but apparently it was taken down and is currently not available...

I just asked him. Turns out he didn't post that video, someone else did. He explained that he had been recorded without his knowledge and permission, so he had it taken down.

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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby Tarotist » July 27th, 2022, 8:25 pm

Has anyone actually refused the award? Or do they have to pay to get it? Either way I don't see a lot of reluctance to take part especially when the odds are that the winners know it is a load of tosh. And if they do know what is really going on they aren't really being scammed, are they? I don't really see much in the way of victims here. I suppose it might devalue other more legitimate awards but that is the nature of capitalist competition and the world we live in. Again as old Murray used to say, "If you go through life and never do business with a crook you will never get anything done!"
Wise man Murray!

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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby Tom Stone » July 27th, 2022, 8:50 pm

Tarotist wrote:And if they do know what is really going on they aren't really being scammed, are they? I don't really see much in the way of victims here.

The instances cover the whole range from being completely complicit to being completely scammed. The young guy in Croatia that I mentioned was victimized. He and his girlfriend was scammed to pay a fortune. Others might have got some publicity, but still feel embarrased over having been duped. While others have completely understood the game and gone through it with open eyes

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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby Tarotist » July 27th, 2022, 10:36 pm

Oh in that case I do agree that Tony has been dreadfully wicked!

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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby Tom Stone » July 28th, 2022, 11:21 pm

Seems the news have reached Hassini now.
The "IMS Officers" page is removed from the navigation menu of the site - but it is still there, and is undergoing heavy editing. Most of the names I've mentioned in my article are now removed.

I'm still finding out more stuff though...

Regarding the Max Toth who is on the board of directors, in the Merlin ”jury” and who signs the Merlin emails:
https://merlinawards.wordpress.com/faq/

I just found out that he died in 2011.

I started with the title: "IMS Volume 38: Stage Hypnotism, by Max Toth & Joann Abrahamsen” that I found at an old pirating site.
http://mymagictv.blogspot.com/2011/07/i ... ademy.html

Searched for "Joann Abrahamsen hypnosis” and found her website:
http://www.joannpabrahamsen.com/links.htm

She links to Max Toth, but a Whois-search seem to say it is a different Max Toth, as this guys domain was started later.

So I went to Wayback Machine, and found that the previous owner of the domain had let it go in 2011.
The archived copy of the original site talks about Pyramides:
https://web.archive.org/web/20010722035 ... xtoth.com/

Searching for "Max Toth Pyramidology" led to the info that he had died in March 2011:
https://hatch.kookscience.com/wiki/Max_Toth

You can see him in action here (at 1:56):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6nig2bny9E

It is amusing that a parapsychologist still gives out awards as late as 2016 (and maybe even later), when he died in 2011.

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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby Tom Stone » July 28th, 2022, 11:34 pm

Heh... he just changed one instance of "Max Toth" to "Max Roth".

Once the editing of this page ( https://imsmagic.com/ims-officers.html ) is done, it will be interesting to compare it with the archived page at Wayback Machine and see which names he found most essential to remove:
https://web.archive.org/web/20211204220 ... icers.html

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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby Richard Kaufman » July 29th, 2022, 12:03 am

There was a very funny joke in tonight's gala show at FISM about the price of a Merlin award.
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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby Jack Shalom » July 29th, 2022, 9:49 am

Richard Kaufman wrote:There was a very funny joke in tonight's gala show at FISM about the price of a Merlin award.


One's reputation?

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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby katterfelt0 » July 29th, 2022, 1:53 pm

Jack Shalom wrote:
Richard Kaufman wrote:There was a very funny joke in tonight's gala show at FISM about the price of a Merlin award.


One's reputation?

:D :D :D
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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby TheChrisRandall » July 29th, 2022, 2:16 pm

I worked with Tony in Cyprus and we had a world class cast that was scammed into coming to a big gala show in Cyprus and we showed to a small empty dinner theater that had no stage. Hassini demanded he closed the show with a spirit cabinet which was so bad the owners of the theater made him stop performing or they would end the show. It was a train wreck of a show with some of the best acts in the world. The cast was so stellar it was the show you can't mess up. Damn that Hassini has a gift only he could wreck such an amazing cast. He also tried to hang out daily backstage when I worked at the World Greatest Magic Show in Las Vegas and was constantly trying to push his crap award on the award winning cast. Sadly a few people fell for it. I also witnessed this is China and Thailand and magic conventions where we told part of our pay was a Merlin prize for Participating in the contest or convention. Award ceremony came and a Merlin was given out.... To the organizor of the convention who flew Tony out to give him award but also make him......get ready..... Wait for it.....m
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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby Tarotist » July 29th, 2022, 2:43 pm

Somebody should write a biography of Tony. Unlike most magicians who have the personality of a dial tone and the ethics of a choir boy he sounds like a colourful character! I was once told that a sterling quality of a magician was "audacity and bluff" he has it in spades!

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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby BarryAllen » July 31st, 2022, 5:17 pm

As I said on another post on this forum, 'Magician's Awards' aren't worth a carrot in my opinion. This guy's proves it beyond doubt!

However, is Hassini the only person making fake claims about magic competition? I think not.

I recently listened to a Podcast with Graham Jolley. If you are interested, the background of both his appearance and the aftermath of Penn and Tellers 'Fool Us' scam, sorry - show, is quite an insight! Suffice to say that the opportunity to open their show in Las Vegas never happened.

Starting around the 32 mins 30 second mark - (although if you like down to earth reality, the entire podcast is quite superb).

https://youtu.be/c48oB4XGegU

I wonder if anyone will ever do a drains up on Penn and Tellers show? I would imagine not.

As for Tony Hassini.

Well what can I say? Yep, definitely a bit of a rogue; but sit down and prepare yourself for a shock - the World is full of them. It always has been and it always will be.

At the end of the day, if magicians have been too naive to fall for his spiel then, as Mark Lewis says above, I think it endorses what I similarly think about most Magicians. Given that their desired craft is basically to manipulate, misdirect and deceive, it never ceases to amaze me just how gullible our fraternity is at times.

Getting scammed is just part of life's rich tapestry in my view - you either learn and grow from it, or you'll get turned over yet again.

At the end of the day, Hassini seems a bit of a character. I'd take him for a pint any day to hear his stories. I'd imagine that it would be more interesting than spending a night down at the local magic club; watching people murdering a false count; or struggling through their latest brainf@rt bought off the Internet.

Just my opinion - please don't shoot me for it!

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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby Tom Stone » July 31st, 2022, 5:52 pm

BarryAllen wrote:At the end of the day, Hassini seems a bit of a character. I'd take him for a pint any day to hear his stories.

You are of course welcome to spend your time in any way you want.
However, there are people who have taken Hassini for a pint, and who have heard his stories. It might be a good idea to check with them, because there's some risk that your expectations are exaggerated.
I spent 4 days listening to him in Croatia. He's no Mark Lewis.

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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby BarryAllen » July 31st, 2022, 6:25 pm

Tom Stone wrote:
BarryAllen wrote:At the end of the day, Hassini seems a bit of a character. I'd take him for a pint any day to hear his stories.

You are of course welcome to spend your time in any way you want.
However, there are people who have taken Hassini for a pint, and who have heard his stories. It might be a good idea to check with them, because there's some risk that your expectations are exaggerated.
I spent 4 days listening to him in Croatia. He's no Mark Lewis.

There is only ONE Mark Lewis Tom!

Not quite sure what you mean by my expectations being exaggerated. Suffice to say that having been born and raised in East End of London pubs during the 1960's/70s, I grew up listening AND learning, from some very colourful characters; from market traders to dock workers; from Scandinavian sailors to local petty thieves and hard core villains.

Let's just say it made me a little more streetwise from an early age. Moreover, watching market traders for hours, flogging off all types of, for example, 'fire-damaged'(?) tat, was a much better education in handling a crowd/audience than watching a magic show.

To this day, whilst I have personally lived the life of a Saint, I enjoy the company of people who have lived their lives ducking and diving. They tend to be just a tad more interesting than the average brainwashed automatons, who appear forever transfixed to their mobile phones.

At the end of the day, Hassini has just striped up a few people with his product offering (I can think of a string of magic dealers who tick that box); made some ridiculous claims via the internet (have you seen most Magician's websites?); and found a niche initiative/market that some people are sad enough to buy in to.

He hasn't killed anyone, has he?

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Re: Merlin award scam - an article by Tom Stone

Postby Tom Stone » July 31st, 2022, 6:40 pm

BarryAllen wrote:
Tom Stone wrote:Not quite sure what you mean by my expectations being exaggerated.
(snip)
To this day, whilst I have personally demonstrated the persona of a Saint, I enjoy the company of people who have lived their lives ducking and diving. They tend to be just a tad more interesting than the average brainwashed automatons...

I've also met colorful characters, and have come to associate such characters with colorful stories. That association is not a natural law though - there are exceptions. There are exceptions that make even "brainwashed automatons" appear like well-versed conversationalists.
Well, you've check with others or not.


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