Harbin book....

Your doorway to those rare collectibles that everyone is searching for: books, props, posters, cards, and paper ephemera are all here for you to buy and sell.
mehtas
Posts: 292
Joined: January 23rd, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: UK

Harbin book....

Postby mehtas » January 19th, 2022, 6:41 am

Not mine but why would someone pay so much for a pirate copy ?? :shock: :shock: :shock:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/125001214360?_ ... true&rt=nc

Tarotist
Posts: 1363
Joined: July 29th, 2021, 7:16 am
Favorite Magician: David Nixon

Re: Harbin book....

Postby Tarotist » January 19th, 2022, 8:44 am

Probably the algorithms or something! I often see outrageous prices mixed in with reasonable prices for some reason.

mehtas
Posts: 292
Joined: January 23rd, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: UK

Re: Harbin book....

Postby mehtas » January 19th, 2022, 11:11 am

Its baffling.

I've seen original Harbin book go less than that.

User avatar
Richard Kaufman
Posts: 27047
Joined: July 18th, 2001, 12:00 pm
Favorite Magician: Theodore DeLand
Location: Washington DC
Contact:

Re: Harbin book....

Postby Richard Kaufman » January 19th, 2022, 11:34 am

It has happened in the past that Al Mann's counterfeit copies have sold for more than the original.
Subscribe today to Genii Magazine

mehtas
Posts: 292
Joined: January 23rd, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: UK

Re: Harbin book....

Postby mehtas » January 19th, 2022, 1:33 pm

Many years ago I saw one with a black cover come up on ebay and it just made about $100 !.

Did Al Mann print two different versions ??

Tarotist
Posts: 1363
Joined: July 29th, 2021, 7:16 am
Favorite Magician: David Nixon

Re: Harbin book....

Postby Tarotist » January 19th, 2022, 1:51 pm

Here is another one on ebay. A little cheaper!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/125108529000?m ... olid=10050

Bill Mullins
Posts: 5911
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Huntsville, AL
Contact:

Re: Harbin book....

Postby Bill Mullins » January 19th, 2022, 2:09 pm

mehtas wrote:Many years ago I saw one with a black cover come up on ebay and it just made about $100 !.

Did Al Mann print two different versions ??


I've seen one that sounds like this. I was just a photocopy of the book that someone had hardbound.

mehtas
Posts: 292
Joined: January 23rd, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: UK

Re: Harbin book....

Postby mehtas » January 19th, 2022, 2:16 pm

Bill Mullins wrote:
I've seen one that sounds like this. I was just a photocopy of the book that someone had hardbound.



No Bill, The one I saw wasn't a photocopy.

Far as I remember the inside was very similar to the above listing. It just had a dark black hard cover.

It was so long ago that shipping from US to UK wasn't that expenssive so I had a bit of punt myself but didn't win it :(

User avatar
Richard Kaufman
Posts: 27047
Joined: July 18th, 2001, 12:00 pm
Favorite Magician: Theodore DeLand
Location: Washington DC
Contact:

Re: Harbin book....

Postby Richard Kaufman » January 19th, 2022, 3:48 pm

There is a stamp of some kind that is physically attached in the real book, and is printed in the counterfeit books.
Magic Circle, unfortunately, owns the rights to the Harbin book. If they would simply reprint the damn thing it would put these pirates out of business.
Subscribe today to Genii Magazine

Ian Kendall
Posts: 2631
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Edinburgh
Contact:

Re: Harbin book....

Postby Ian Kendall » January 19th, 2022, 4:48 pm

Here is another one on ebay. A little cheaper!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/125108529000?m ... olid=10050


That's a different book, Mark. It's a collection of Abra articles put out by Goodliffe.

Tarotist
Posts: 1363
Joined: July 29th, 2021, 7:16 am
Favorite Magician: David Nixon

Re: Harbin book....

Postby Tarotist » January 19th, 2022, 6:58 pm

I know it is a different book. I realised it five minutes after I posted it but couldn't be bothered doing anything about it. I do remember the time when he first put out the book. Or some book anyway that gave away the secret of the Zig Zag and the plans for making it. I am not sure if that is the book under discussion.

The story at the time (I can't remember if it was written down or just magician's gossip) was that he was so upset that magicians had stolen his idea that he decided to expose the damn thing to all and sundry anyway in some kind of locked book. I don't know the details. I do know that the first one to allegedly pinch his idea was a magician by the name of Jim Sommers and then everyone joined in the thievery. Times haven't changed.

Ian Kendall
Posts: 2631
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Edinburgh
Contact:

Re: Harbin book....

Postby Ian Kendall » January 19th, 2022, 7:04 pm

The book was published, and only those with a copy could legally build a Zig Zag. A limited number were printed, and the rights were transferred to the Magic Circle who destroyed the plates so no more books could be printed.

And then the bootlegs appeared...

Tarotist
Posts: 1363
Joined: July 29th, 2021, 7:16 am
Favorite Magician: David Nixon

Re: Harbin book....

Postby Tarotist » January 19th, 2022, 7:29 pm

I knew Robert Harbin very, very slightly. He was a very nice man.

User avatar
Rennie
Posts: 966
Joined: January 23rd, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Manteca, California

Re: Harbin book....

Postby Rennie » January 23rd, 2022, 5:22 pm

Tarotist wrote:Here is another one on ebay. A little cheaper!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/125108529000?m ... olid=10050

This is not the same book.
The effect is the important thing, how you achieve is not !!

User avatar
Q. Kumber
Posts: 1851
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Favorite Magician: Tom Whitestone

Re: Harbin book....

Postby Q. Kumber » January 23rd, 2022, 5:53 pm

In the original edition of Magic of Robert Harbin there is an erratum on Page 154 with the correction pasted in on the side of the page. In the pirated edition it is printed on the page. Apart from that both printings are pretty much identical.

Tarotist
Posts: 1363
Joined: July 29th, 2021, 7:16 am
Favorite Magician: David Nixon

Re: Harbin book....

Postby Tarotist » January 23rd, 2022, 9:06 pm

Rennie wrote:
Tarotist wrote:Here is another one on ebay. A little cheaper!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/125108529000?m ... olid=10050

This is not the same book.


You are a bit late old chap. Ian Kendall pointed that out a few days ago.
Anyway, I didn't say it was the same book. I merely said it was another one on E-Bay. And it is "another" one. See? I have an answer for everything...................


Return to “Collector's Marketplace”