Coin gimmicks make me so frustrated.

Gimmicks or No Gimmicks?

  • Gimmicks

    Votes: 5 62.5%
  • No Gimmicks

    Votes: 3 37.5%

  • Total voters
    8
Apr 2, 2017
95
49
California
Hello Friends!

I do apologize if this seems a bit...whiny, but man am I frustrated right now.

I have been doing a lot of coin magic the last two years and I have been getting to a point where I wanted to get my hands on some nice Gimmicks.

So I went out and Bought some beginner coin gimmicks. You know the usual, a turtle, dolphin, something called a T.U.C.

Well Im here to say that I am so angry with how much they cost and if you happen to sneeze on any of them they break. So Im assuming that if I need working sets of any of these gimmicks Im going to have to spend more money then I care to on a hobby and not my profession.

So in short I know there are makers out there like School craft. I do have a very nice Turtle (Johnson) that I use all the time for walk around. Im just annoyed that if you want to practice with "cheaper" gimmicks they are already too much money for some pretty garbage quality.

Ok rant over and I feel a-lot better. Now! Any of y'all have similar experiences or any useful tips on practicing other than buying Sucker Punch? Never got behind the plastic chips that have stickers on them and not even quality plastic.
 

JoshL8

Elite Member
Aug 5, 2017
409
393
WA state USA
Petty similar experience.

I have several turtles from several makers, all cost about the same but only 2 are passable (one oeace dollar and one non silver kennedy). I would say 3 are fine but one of them has that ring on the front thats a tell-tale sign for those in the know. The passable ones are Johnson but so's the one with the ring.

I use no name copper silvers and they pass muster. I do own a Johnson one and its edges are noticably better than the no names...but since the no names work for me its hard for me to want to spend the money on a more expensive one.

My coin in bottle/bite coins are no name and the quality was everywhere. I also own a tango version and its quality is meh as well. Finally got a cheapo that passes well enough but I won't ever replace it if I lose it or if its broken beyond repair. I was told this gaff is just hit and miss for quality and it seems too much of a headache for me to replace it for how much I use it.

I do have dolphins from Tango and they are great, I even hand them out and they pass inspection.

Scotch and soda have been good to me but I quit carrying them due to the reset needed in between uses. I own johnson and tango there. Just bought a magnetic one from tango...will see how it works when I get it but from what I hear its not suggested to hand out because there is sometimes some play in the gaff. If I want a great magnetic one of these I may have to pay a higher price for it.

Sucker punch is great for camera I think and for messing around with some gaffs that are generally quite spendy...but it doesn't feel like decent poker chips and it screams "prop" or "cheap" when handed out. There is some fun stuff to do with it though like chip through table etc. I got mine cheap...wouldn't pay full price for it.

Note that some of these things (like the TUC and sucker punch) you are paying for the routines that come with it as well and no just the gaffs.

Ive been looking for dollar sized sun and moon coins, I have the Johnson 50cent one and it nice but not able to do the move in Sol et Luna, nor can it be handed out at the end. Another one I will have to pay a higher price for a decent set.

Schoolcraft has been on my radaar for a while. Lassen to but I hear he's notorioulsy hard to get ahold of unless you call him...saved me money by not answering my email after I sold one of my cars! But sometime this year I was thinking of taking the plunge for a more decent c/s/b set than I currently own (I prefer this to c/s routines now) or a dollar sized sun and moon.

I would hate for my wife to see how much magic I buy. Penguin has open box auctions that I pull the trigger on far too often.
 
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Apr 2, 2017
95
49
California
Petty similar experience.

I have several turtles from several makers, all cost about the same but only 2 are passable (one oeace dollar and one non silver kennedy). I would say 3 are fine but one of them has that ring on the front thats a tell-tale sign for those in the know. The passable ones are Johnson but so's the one with the ring.

I use no name copper silvers and they pass muster. I do own a Johnson one and its edges are noticably better than the no names...but since the no names work for me its hard for me to want to spend the money on a more expensive one.

My coin in bottle/bite coins are no name and the quality was everywhere. I also own a tango version and its quality is meh as well. Finally got a cheapo that passes well enough but I won't ever replace it if I lose it or if its broken beyond repair. I was told this gaff is just hit and miss for quality and it seems too much of a headache for me to replace it for how much I use it.

I do have dolphins from Tango and they are great, I even hand them out and they pass inspection.

Scotch and soda have been good to me but I quit carrying them due to the reset needed in between uses. I own johnson and tango there. Just bought a magnetic one from tango...will see how it works when I get it but from what I hear its not suggested to hand out because there is sometimes some play in the gaff. If I want a great magnetic one of these I may have to pay a higher price for it.

Sucker punch is great for camera I think and for messing around with some gaffs that are generally quite spendy...but it doesn't feel like decent poker chips and it screams "prop" or "cheap" when handed out. There is some fun stuff to do with it though like chip through table etc. I got mine cheap...wouldn't pay full price for it.

Note that some of these things (like the TUC and sucker punch) you are paying for the routines that come with it as well and no just the gaffs.

Ive been looking for dollar sized sun and moon coins, I have the Johnson 50cent one and it nice but not able to do the move in Sol et Luna, nor can it be handed out at the end. Another one I will have to pay a higher price for a decent set.

Schoolcraft has been on my radaar for a while. Lassen to but I hear he's notorioulsy hard to get ahold of unless you call him...saved me money by not answering my email after I sold one of my cars! But sometime this year I was thinking of taking the plunge for a more decent c/s/b set than I currently own (I prefer this to c/s routines now) or a dollar sized sun and moon.

I would hate for my wife to see how much magic I buy. Penguin has open box auctions that I pull the trigger on far too often.

Thank you for sharing all of your advice, experience, and purchases for me to learn from!

I just about lost it once I dropped the TUC and it was useless. I was always interested in sucker punch but I rarely do thing on camera.

I book a lot of wedding and parties in the spring and summer so I like my stuff to last if I am clumsy and drop a coin.

The Johnson Turtle and CSB I have are built like tanks as far as I know and heard. I like CSB a lot Kranzo and Paul Vigil have really nice routines and are built for walk around type scenarios.

I don’t have any experience with sun and moon. I have been wanting to check them out.

My first coin gimmick was scotch and soda, put it in my pocket and I think I spent it. A very expensive mistake.

I had a similar experience with school craft. Never got back to me about some of the Eric Jones type dolphins.

My wife gave me a yearly magic budget to stick too after she took over the books haha. Another reason I’m so upset when I take the impulse plunge on a gimmick.

-Ned
 
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DavidL11229

Elite Member
Jul 25, 2015
589
314
Seattle
You can check out Roy Kueppers as well. This is a suggestion, not a recommendation as I do not own any of his products. But it is another option to consider.
 
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JoshL8

Elite Member
Aug 5, 2017
409
393
WA state USA
I own some of Roy's chinese coins and they are great. From what I have seen his other stuff is pretty nice too but I too haven't bought gaff's from him either. No other reason other than I don't need any more duplicates to what I currently have. His coin bend stuff interests me and I have considered his sun and moon sets.
 

DavidL11229

Elite Member
Jul 25, 2015
589
314
Seattle
I just bought a Lassen dolphin-turtle-tortoise hybrid named Morgan. I'll let you know what I think when she arrives. It is months worth of my self imposed magic budget and I wouldn't begin to know how to explain it if I was married. It will be a while before I use it in an uncarpeted room. I got a Johnson coin a few weeks ago and promptly dropped it on the hard floor. Fortunately it was one of the cheaper and sturdier styles, but I learned my lesson.

The Johnson turtle I just got seems a bit large, but maybe that's just how they are supposed to be. I lost my last one many years ago and don't have anything with which to compare it. I just used Johnson until I decided to splurge on some nice silver that I will be scared to use. I liked the Johnson stuff we sold at the magic shop I worked in many years ago, so that is still my reference point. I haven't tried the other mass market brands and you aren't encouraging me to either!
 

DavidL11229

Elite Member
Jul 25, 2015
589
314
Seattle
I own some of Roy's chinese coins and they are great. From what I have seen his other stuff is pretty nice too but I too haven't bought gaff's from him either. No other reason other than I don't need any more duplicates to what I currently have. His coin bend stuff interests me and I have considered his sun and moon sets.
Oh I do have something of his, a Chinese coin! It's a nice coin but the coloring was incomplete. He loses a couple points for QC.
 

RealityOne

Elite Member
Nov 1, 2009
3,744
4,076
New Jersey
So my gaffed coins are all Roy Kueppers coins. I've got Scotch and Soda, Coin Bite, a quarter turtle (I had to do some searching to figure out what you were talking about with turtles and dolphins) and some antique Chinese coins. I've never had any issues with quality. Will probably pick up a walking free turtle set from Roy in the future - not sure if I want the expanded or shaved versions but will get the three matching regular coins. I also saw another post on hopping halves and there was a relatively inexpensive set of Roy's available... thinking about getting that.
 

DavidL11229

Elite Member
Jul 25, 2015
589
314
Seattle
I see Roy Kueppers will be at the Portland Magic Jam this year for any of you on the west coast who wish to browse. I don't think I'll make it this year, but it is a fun event. They have Max Maven and Shawn Farquhar this year too.
 
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DavidL11229

Elite Member
Jul 25, 2015
589
314
Seattle
Will probably pick up a walking free turtle set from Roy in the future - not sure if I want the expanded or shaved versions but will get the three matching regular coins.
I'm thinking of going shaved, they should be much easier to handle and I could use the help. I'll probably get one with the turtle done as well, I see Roy Kueppers offers both options. The set I'm getting comes with a shaved dolphin but no regular inserts, so I think I'm looking to add a shaved set.
 

CoreyHarris

Elite Member
May 5, 2018
17
14
41
Kansas City, MO
I have purchased from Lassen, Schoolcraft and Kueppers . I consider Todd a friend, but he can be hard to get a hold of. If you are set on a Lassen set, just be persistent. Also be serious about purchasing. All of the three mentioned make great gaffs. I have no complains, and I never purchase over the counter gaffs anymore. Yes it's pricey, but so worth it to have a nice set.
 
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DavidL11229

Elite Member
Jul 25, 2015
589
314
Seattle
Got my Lassen coin today. Sure is nice, but silver coins are indeed disturbingly pricey.
I still think card magic is more expensive in the long run. Years and years of buying cards, I can go through 2 decks a week at up to $10 a deck. Also books. So many card magic books. You can pretty much only vanish, produce and change a coin so there are fewer books to buy, which is both good and bad. But mostly it's the cards. $1000 (or 2) on coins and I'm good for life, the same money on cards and I'm good for maybe a few years.
That either makes the coin thing easier to swallow or makes me question my card habit.
 
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