Fantasio candles

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Tom Moore
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Fantasio candles

Postby Tom Moore » December 7th, 2020, 3:10 pm

Putting together a routine for a show that is crying out for a candle sequence and discovered (after researcher spending an afternoon googling) that fantasio candles don’t seem to be a thing any more. Is there a generic version that’s taken over or do we not have any decent vanishing / appearing candles any more?
"Ingenious" - Ben Brantley: New York Times

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Brad Jeffers
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Re: Fantasio candles

Postby Brad Jeffers » December 7th, 2020, 4:24 pm

Tom, this is your lucky day ...

I have for sale : FANTASIO'S CANDELABRA CADABRA

This is in like new condition. Never used. Never even removed from it's box. I bought this in 1974 at an Abbotts Get Together. You rarely see these come up for sale.

From the instructions ...

A Candelabra is shown holding four tall candles.

FIRST EFFECT: Magician lights one of the candles and produces a 24 inch silk from the flame.

SECOND EFFECT: He removes this candle from the holder and covers it with the silk. The candle now vanishes under cover of the silk.

THIRD EFFECT: Performer now lights a second candle and removes it from it's holder. Instantly, this candle changes into a 24 inch silk.

FOURTH EFFECT: Displaying this silk, magician proceeds to cover the two remaining candles. He lights these two candles and the audience sees them burning through the silk. Performer then removes the candles with silk from the CANDELABRA and simultaneously, both "LIT CANDLES VANISH".

Complete in original packaging and with original instructions.

$425 postpaid

Here is Fantasio performing his Candelabra Cadabra

Tom Moore
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Re: Fantasio candles

Postby Tom Moore » December 7th, 2020, 5:05 pm

If it’s the white candles I’ll take it. No questions
"Ingenious" - Ben Brantley: New York Times

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Brad Jeffers
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Re: Fantasio candles

Postby Brad Jeffers » December 7th, 2020, 5:21 pm

I guess it's not my lucky day...
They're red :(

MagicbyAlfred
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Re: Fantasio candles

Postby MagicbyAlfred » December 8th, 2020, 9:20 am

I feel like it's my lucky day, however; otherwise I would probably never have seen that clip of Fantasio's phenomenal performance on the Ed Sullivan show. Very few performers can hold a candle to Fantasio.

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Re: Fantasio candles

Postby Bill Mullins » December 8th, 2020, 10:12 am

Very few performers can hold a candle to Fantasio.


:groan:

Laurentberetta
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Re: Fantasio candles

Postby Laurentberetta » May 6th, 2021, 5:04 pm

Hello Brad
Do you still sell the Candelebra with the 4 red candles ?
Thanks !

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Brad Jeffers
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Re: Fantasio candles

Postby Brad Jeffers » May 6th, 2021, 8:42 pm

Yes, I still have the Fantasio Candelabra for sale.

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JimKane
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Re: Fantasio candles

Postby JimKane » June 22nd, 2021, 8:54 pm

Tom raises a question I was wondering about as well. Now that Fantasio no longer manufactures the plastic canes and candles - and the market is flooded with cheapy copies from all over - which brand are the Pro and Semi-Pro magicians using these days which deliver the same level of quality as the old Fantasio brand?

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Fantasio candles

Postby Richard Kaufman » June 23rd, 2021, 9:59 am

Does anyone still use these props? I haven't seen a pro uses a vanishing candle for years.
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Tom Moore
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Re: Fantasio candles

Postby Tom Moore » June 23rd, 2021, 4:27 pm

I honestly can’t think of anyone working regularly doing a candles act- that was one of the primary reasons for putting it into this particular show; it’s old enough most audiences won’t have seen it and I think I’ve got enough of an angle on it to make it work. That said I’m still hunting for a good quality white candle- the various other brands all appear to be coming out of the same mould and are nowhere near as smooth as Fantasio’s
"Ingenious" - Ben Brantley: New York Times

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Fantasio candles

Postby Richard Kaufman » June 23rd, 2021, 4:58 pm

Hundreds of magicians must have drawers full of Fantasio products. Have you contacted Gabe Fajuri at Potter and Potter?
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MagicbyAlfred
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Re: Fantasio candles

Postby MagicbyAlfred » June 24th, 2021, 9:23 pm

Here is the Maestro himself at work over 50 years ago at F.I.S.M. Holland:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kmihF1RObI

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JimKane
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Re: Fantasio candles

Postby JimKane » June 25th, 2021, 12:02 am

Richard Kaufman wrote:Does anyone still use these props? I haven't seen a pro uses a vanishing candle for years.


That's very true; and, is probably the single best reason for a creative magi seeking to set himself and his act apart from the today's crowd to feature these props.

Last month, I spent the most enjoyable and intense two hour brain-storming session with Dick Gustafson over the phone, discussing the re-engineering and re-envisioning his classic appearing lit candelabrum finale' effect - both a new ignition system - he used 2 completely different systems through the years - and, the construction/composition of the basic prop itself.

If you're familiar with Dick's segment on Ed Sullivan - see YouTube - it's easy to see he is using a real, solid metal candelabrum; as well as, real, solid wax candles. So, in trying to envision modernizing the prop - not the effect itself, just the prop - down to the absolutely smallest possible load, for the pro or semi-pro wishing to work away from tables or an assistant - a high-quality, convincing, and reliable set of appearing candles would be an absolute necessity by my way of thinking ; be they metal, or plastic - just like the good old Fantasio-made products.

The problem today becomes, knowing who's making good-quality canes and candles these days in plastic? The one's from today which I have tried out, all seem to be slow, flaccid, and without much 'zip and snap'. So, I'd really like to know; as experimenting in the workshop with unproven proto-type designs using plastic props, which may need to go through multiple re-designs - and end up trashing many store-bought props in the process - is way cheaper than cutting-up/ruining expensive metal props.


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