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We are not worthy: Schoolcraft 3CF for Sale

The Author with His 3CF from Schoolcraft CoinsWe put up our Schoolcraft 3CF for sale on eBay.  We are not worthy.

Here is the ad for Jamie ’s coin set:

The 3CF is an original Schoolcraft creation.   The 3CF is everything the 3CM is and more!  This gimmick is basically an all-in-one gaff.  The outer most shell is expanded, so you can use it with regular coins. 

The middle shell is Deans Set sized, so it will work with the Deans Sets.  And lastly the magnetic insert coin is also a magnetic flipper.  Giving you four coins that will all go into one.  The magnetics are perfectly balanced just like the 3CM gimmick, and the entire unit is lined with industrial grade Teflon. 

There are several artists currently working on routines for this new unique gaff.  There are some exciting additions to this gaff also coming in the near future. The 3CF is a 3CM, Magnetic Flipper Coin, Shimmed Shell/Magnetic Flipper Combo, and an Expanded shell all rolled into one compact gaff.  Giving you endless routine possibilities!!

How great are Jamie Schoolcraft’s coin sets?  They are so great that we do not deserve them.  We have skills and we can handle much of what is taught in Bobo’s but there is little chance you’ll see our coin routine in Vegas – unless it is in a contest at one of the many conventions.  And we do believe anyone performing close-up should use the best props available and necessary to achieve the intended effect.  So, by our logic, we should keep the coin set.  Unfortunately, logic doesn’t thrive in our skull; it is drowned by floods of emotion and scorched by the searing sun of self-doubt. 

Is the Schoolcraft 3CF the finest piece of equipment we have ever owned?  Yes.  Do we deserve it? No.

A reasonable person might ask, why or how would a person “deserve” one trick or another?

We have no retort.  It is not a matter of price – although the set is not inexpensive – or even its relative rarity.  The question is only whether we deserve to have a set made with such precision, such skill? 

We have come close to listing the Schoolcraft 3CF on several times but hesitated before clicking the final button.  We bent over the coin set, stroking it slowly and intoning Gollum’s “precious, precious.”

If you are interested and deserving of such a fine effect made by the master craftsman, you can check out our listing on eBay.  If you believe yourself undeserving of such an item, you can join us at the group therapy session on Tuesdays in conference room C-1 at the community center.

Here is the eBay link if you have it in you.  http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190447069439

September 20th, 2010 | Tags: , , , | Category: eBay Items, Latest Magic News | Leave a comment

Dusty and Timmy Separate – Dragon Puppet on eBay

We don’t usually plug our sales on .

Most of the time we are selling horrible goods with starting prices well above what any rational person would pay, to which we tack on incredibly inflated shipping charges.

Remember when we were selling our knock-off of Nickels to Dimes made out of kiln-hardened clay? We don’t think many of those even made to the buyers in one piece.

Who could forget our Pen thru Anything rip-off described as “the Original” because it used a quill instead of a ball point pen?

If it hadn’t been for those pesky game wardens, we’d still be selling that trick.

We thought the Bald Eagle would stand for capitalism and understand our need for his feathers.

Well, today we listed a good friend on eBay.

Dusty the Dragon is leaving the act and we wish him well. He is a smoke-breathing made by Axtell Studios and used in our Kid Show act. The kids loved him. They were always excited and shocked when he would blow smoke out of his nose.

We had a wonderful time together but decided the time had come to go separate ways. We hope a young magician or ventriloquist will pick him up. He deserves to stay in the business.

We had him made with all the upgrades – the smoke package and arm control. He cost us close to $600.00 but we started the bidding at $28.88 without reserve and we’ll ship him free anywhere in the U.S.

You can check him out on eBay here.

We’re going to return to our fetal position and sobbing corner now.

July 20th, 2010 | Tags: , , , | Category: eBay Items, Magic News | Leave a comment

Crossroads in Columbia – The Hardys in South Carolina

Image of Clinging Psychopath Melanie Hardy from Waist DownFrom the upcoming 16-Part , The Hardys in America. Teachers may request the classroom guide to help students better understand the series.

Introduction to The Hardys in South Carolina

South Carolina has a special place in the Hardy Family’s history. It was nice  to be back in the state responsible for many of the more important incidents and eras in America’s First Family of . We were in Columbia, the state’s capitol for the South Carolina Association of convention and had a great time.

But our experience could not compare to those of our three relatives in the same town. Uncle Tubby, Aunt Melanie, and Aunt came to Columbia for different reasons but all left profoundly affected by their stay.

Tubby Hardy – Little Big Man

Tubby was actually the ironic and hurtful nickname for our uncle Todd Hardy given to him by Sr. to ridicule his unfortunate life-experience. He entered the Hardy business of magic after a career riding and then handicapping horses.

, in his era, were expected to “make weight” for each race by being at least ten pounds lighter than the lowest weight allowance on the circuit. In 1959, the Chicago – Louisville – Lexington circuit required the riders to be no more than 93 pounds so that with their tack and fancy silks, riders added no more than 103 pounds to the back of the horses.

Tubby was able to make weight for his first two seasons. He was a gifted rider. He broke his maiden and lost his bug status at the end of his first year. Those are good things. Breaking one’s maiden means he won his first race. Losing his bug meant he was no longer considered an apprentice jock.

Coming off bug status made him less attractive to owners and trainers who were willing to hire the apprentice designated in racing forms with an asterisk (or a “bug”) by their name.

Bug riders were allowed extra weight allowances and could often enter a race with ten to fifteen pounds less than any horse in the field. This weight benefit was often crucial in the non-sprint events.

Once a rider lost his bug, he was forced to compete against the other jocks directly.

Tubby entered the 1959 season at Arlington Race Course outside of Chicago weighing exactly 93 pounds. He was able to pick up some mounts from kindly trainers but had little success with the less-than-promising horses. In 1958, his winnings topped $22,000 and made him the highest-earning bug rider on the circuit. In the first three months of 1959′s season, he struggled to make ends meet with just two rides in the money — and one coming because of a disqualification of the two horses well ahead of him.

He began to gain weight half-way through the season and by the time the circuit moved south to Louisville, he was just less than 140 pounds.

Continue reading Crossroads in Columbia – The Hardys in South Carolina

November 15th, 2006 | Tags: , , , , , | Category: eBay Items, Magic History, Magic Stories | Leave a comment