Sugawara's Mystery Frame

[Richard Kaufman]

If any of you who read Genii remember that amazing little wooden half-card frame that Sugawara demonstrated, where the face of the card changes, you'll be glad to know it's finally on the market.
Every piece handmade by Sugawara himself:
http://www.seomagic-usa.com/catalog/pro ... ts_id/1600

[erdnasephile]

That looks really neat!

Richard (or anyone else): have you seen this done in person? The only reason I'm asking is that at IBM/SAM, I saw a number of Sugawara's items demonstrated in person. For whatever reason, they just didn't look as good in person as on the videos.

The one part that looks a little funny to me in the video is during the insertion of the card, the performer uses his thumb to "crawl" the card into the frame. I suspect that action must be necessitated by the method as it would seem more natural just insert the card fully with the right hand.

[Richard Kaufman]

I have seen Sugawara demonstrate all the items in person since I shot the videos that are in the Genii issue. They all look great.

When you saw them demonstrated at the IBM/SAM convention, the guy was just learning them. Not a good idea for someone who is trying to sell tricks.

Laymen don't pay attention to the types of things you do, like the thumb action. I highly recommend this item.

[Q. Kumber]

In the "old days" most dealers knew how to demo a trick.

These days, if they aren't slumbering behind their stalls, you're lucky if they even know how to show it, never mind dem it.

[I.M. Magician]

As an old demo guy myself, I must agree with Richard and Q. If I wasn't comfortable performing a trick, I simply wouldn't do it. Sometimes, I just needed more practice and other times, it just wasn't the kind of effect I wanted to do for whatever reason.

Till this day, I don't do any effects using any kind of invisible thread. I'm just not comfortable with it. It's not me as they say and that's OK. Although a thumb tip is a wonderful piece of apparatus, I'm not thrilled using one of those either. And that's also OK.

Any time I walk into a magic shop with rare exceptions, whoever is behind the counter is just standing or sitting there. That's certainly not how a magic shop makes sales and survives. In my day, I used to demo for everyone who walked into the shop.

[Thurston]

Frame looks great! Very Tenyo-like.

In Toronto we are lucky to have a great Brick and Mortor Shop "Browser's Den of Magic". Owner Jeff Pinsky is a great demo guy and it is fun watching him dem for casual customers. It is a real skill to show passion and enthusiasm for an item that you have demo'd 1000's of times...

[I.M. Magician]

It's the 1000's of times that makes one a great demo guy. Till this day, the effects I do the best and am most comfortable with are the ones I demo'd a thousand times.