I used to collect Hot Wheels cars. I actually used to have a rather large collection in my early twenties. It wasn’t until after we had the twins that I realized the folly of collecting: you’re holding onto something for someone else at an undetermined time in the future. So I gave them all away that Christmas to a local homeless shelter; they are toys, after all. So why not give them to the target audience they were intended to. Cut to earlier in the week, despite that I don’t collect Hot Wheels anymore, I still know what I’m looking for. I still snag the limited edition cars off the shelves to donate to kids during Christmas. Last year, I donated about 24 limited edition cars to a Las Vegas hospital (UMC). However, since the move, I have found the most curious thing: chase rares. EXTREMELY rare cars that you’d have to be Johnny-On-The-Spot when they get stocked as soon as they hit the floor. Lest they be snagged by employees who know what they are looking for or other local collectors. The cars have rubber tires, so they don’t roll on a track or on the floor worth a damn; not really the best diecast car for kids, actually. So when the missus and I went to ye locale grocery store and I saw that a display was virtually untouched, I checked it out. Lo and behold, chase rares about; four of them to be exact. These are basically cars for the adult collectors to have bidding wars over on Ebay. So that’s what I’m doing. Even though I’m more inclined to donate these cars, I’m selling these four to fund my children’s hospital show. A lesser evil for a greater good.
Speaking of the greater good, here’s a Tenyo I got earlier last week that’s going directly into the children’s hospital set!
BIG MAC CUBIO
Inventor: Unknown!
Year: 1998
Cost: I don’t want to say!
Type of Effect: 1st effect: ‘telekinetic control’/quasi-levitation
Skill Level: Beginner
CONTENTS:
- 1…Big Mac Cubio.
- Japanese instructions. But I can kind of read Japanese; AND I know how a Cubio works, so there!
EFFECT #1: You, the magician, present ‘Big Mac Cubio’, a small hamburger with a string through it. When the string is held vertically, the magician can make the cube stop ON COMMAND in MID-AIR. However, when handed to a member of the audience, they can’t make the little fast food wonder stop, ONLY the magician can make the carb-heavy burger stop on the string.
REVIEW:
I know I did the review of ‘Super Cubio’ recently and ‘Big Mac Cubio’ was mentioned as a ‘Cubio’ variant. So what gives with a near-repeat review?
Well, I paid a not-insignificant amount of money to acquire the ‘Big Mac Cubio’, and because of that, we are going to do a review on it, because I’m the conductor of this train.
I won’t make it boring for you.
So, remember the happy meal toys you get at McDonalds when you were a kid? Well, what if, instead, you got a really good magic trick instead of a generic plastic toy? Or a Hot Wheels car that didn’t fit on the orange track because they won’t make toys you can choke on these days?
Well, if you lived in Japan in 1998, you could have some neat Tenyo in your hands—AND a rather unhealthy meal. Can’t win them all.
McDonalds and Tenyo combined force at one point, and the result? THREE Tenyo tricks that were MCDonalds themed. One of them was sponge French fries, one was a packet trick that allowed you to accurately predict a chosen menu item, and the third is ‘Big Mac Cubio’.
Now, here’s the thing. I don’t like fast food. Much less, I haven’t ordered anything at a McDonalds since 2007 (I ate three Big Macs within the span of 5 minutes and got really sick the rest of the day because of it. I don’t completely think it was the Big Mac’s fault, but I haven’t been able to look one in the patty since) So why did I acquire a McDonalds themed trick?
First of all, Tenyo’s T-numbered ‘Cubio’ and ‘Super Cubio’s’ cube…die…thing is an oddly shaped prop that doesn’t look like anything recognizable. It’s not really a standard die, it’s an odd cube with a large colored dot on each side. Big Mac Cubio looks like something recognizable: a hamburger. I don’t have to say it’s a Big Mac. I could say it’s from Burger King, In & Out, White Castle (I have never been, but they have hamburgers. And again, I run this train), Hurley’s Burger Compound--whatever I feel like. Just by looking at it, people can associate it with a hamburger. And the details and paint job on it are PHENOMINAL. Not a single part of it has paint bleed-over—even the sesame seeds, which are part of the mold; they are painted. It sounds completely silly, but it doesn’t look like any detail was left out in making this little thing.
And with that, I instantly have recognition working for me, which means I can take that and make a routine involving a hamburger. Or, in a vaguer sense: lunch! I packed a SMALL lunch! HA! That’s what I’m going to use!
Now, ‘Cubio’ and ‘Super Cubio’ are rather small. Well, ‘Cubio’ is small. Looks more impossible looking when it happens—especially if you’re working in front of a skeptic. ‘Super Cubio’ is easier to see, but bigger and more plausible that something is happening. ‘Big Mac Cubio’ is actually a LITTLE BIT bigger than ‘Super Cubio’. To compare sizes, ‘Super Cubio’ is a 1” cube all the way around. Now, ‘Big Mac Cubio’ is the same height as ‘Super Cubio’: 1 inch high. BUT, it’s 1 ¼” in diameter. It’s a SLIGHT difference in measurement, but it’s enough to count.
Another difference with both ‘Super’ and ‘Big Mac’ is the string. ‘Super Cubio’ has a dark blue string that’s knotted off at each end. ‘Big Mac’ has a black string with tiny yellow plastic rings at each end. It’s a nice touch.
The last difference I will note is also one of ‘Cubio’s’ most defining features: a gimmick that allows it to be inspectable. Initially, I thought that ‘Big Mac Cubio’ WOULDN’T have this feature. I figured so that younger kids can use the trick and amaze their friends without having to worry about such a thing.
I was pleasantly surprised. HOWEVER, both the gimmicks for ‘Super Cubio’ and ‘Big Mac Cubio’ are different. They do the same thing, just differently. Personally, I like the ‘Big Mac’ gimmick better for reasons I can’t state.
The ONLY problem I can think of involving the bigger ‘Cubios’ is that the smaller version looks more impossible because it does the same thing as the bigger ones—just smaller. It’s hard to imagine something that small doing what it does. The bigger ones give way to speculation, however, they can play to a larger crowd, which is why I favor the larger ‘Cubios’. It’s personal preference.
This entire review sounds like I’m bagging on ‘Super Cubio’. Will I get rid of my ‘Super Cubio’? No way. ‘Super is a nice addition to my collection and it’s a fantastic trick that grew on me VERY quickly. I’d recommend finding ‘Cubio’ or ‘Super Cubio’ while they are (kind of) relatively cheap, depending on your financial situation.
As far as ‘Big Mac Cubio’, I love it, it’s going to be a fantastic addition to my growing repertoire. As far as you, the curious reader, goes? I’d really only recommend getting one if you are a serious Tenyo collector—or a complete whack job. They are ridiculously hard to find and they go for an amount that some would consider ludicrous, considering its technically a burger on a string.
Speaking of the greater good, here’s a Tenyo I got earlier last week that’s going directly into the children’s hospital set!
BIG MAC CUBIO
Inventor: Unknown!
Year: 1998
Cost: I don’t want to say!
Type of Effect: 1st effect: ‘telekinetic control’/quasi-levitation
Skill Level: Beginner
CONTENTS:
- 1…Big Mac Cubio.
- Japanese instructions. But I can kind of read Japanese; AND I know how a Cubio works, so there!
EFFECT #1: You, the magician, present ‘Big Mac Cubio’, a small hamburger with a string through it. When the string is held vertically, the magician can make the cube stop ON COMMAND in MID-AIR. However, when handed to a member of the audience, they can’t make the little fast food wonder stop, ONLY the magician can make the carb-heavy burger stop on the string.
REVIEW:
I know I did the review of ‘Super Cubio’ recently and ‘Big Mac Cubio’ was mentioned as a ‘Cubio’ variant. So what gives with a near-repeat review?
Well, I paid a not-insignificant amount of money to acquire the ‘Big Mac Cubio’, and because of that, we are going to do a review on it, because I’m the conductor of this train.
I won’t make it boring for you.
So, remember the happy meal toys you get at McDonalds when you were a kid? Well, what if, instead, you got a really good magic trick instead of a generic plastic toy? Or a Hot Wheels car that didn’t fit on the orange track because they won’t make toys you can choke on these days?
Well, if you lived in Japan in 1998, you could have some neat Tenyo in your hands—AND a rather unhealthy meal. Can’t win them all.
McDonalds and Tenyo combined force at one point, and the result? THREE Tenyo tricks that were MCDonalds themed. One of them was sponge French fries, one was a packet trick that allowed you to accurately predict a chosen menu item, and the third is ‘Big Mac Cubio’.
Now, here’s the thing. I don’t like fast food. Much less, I haven’t ordered anything at a McDonalds since 2007 (I ate three Big Macs within the span of 5 minutes and got really sick the rest of the day because of it. I don’t completely think it was the Big Mac’s fault, but I haven’t been able to look one in the patty since) So why did I acquire a McDonalds themed trick?
First of all, Tenyo’s T-numbered ‘Cubio’ and ‘Super Cubio’s’ cube…die…thing is an oddly shaped prop that doesn’t look like anything recognizable. It’s not really a standard die, it’s an odd cube with a large colored dot on each side. Big Mac Cubio looks like something recognizable: a hamburger. I don’t have to say it’s a Big Mac. I could say it’s from Burger King, In & Out, White Castle (I have never been, but they have hamburgers. And again, I run this train), Hurley’s Burger Compound--whatever I feel like. Just by looking at it, people can associate it with a hamburger. And the details and paint job on it are PHENOMINAL. Not a single part of it has paint bleed-over—even the sesame seeds, which are part of the mold; they are painted. It sounds completely silly, but it doesn’t look like any detail was left out in making this little thing.
And with that, I instantly have recognition working for me, which means I can take that and make a routine involving a hamburger. Or, in a vaguer sense: lunch! I packed a SMALL lunch! HA! That’s what I’m going to use!
Now, ‘Cubio’ and ‘Super Cubio’ are rather small. Well, ‘Cubio’ is small. Looks more impossible looking when it happens—especially if you’re working in front of a skeptic. ‘Super Cubio’ is easier to see, but bigger and more plausible that something is happening. ‘Big Mac Cubio’ is actually a LITTLE BIT bigger than ‘Super Cubio’. To compare sizes, ‘Super Cubio’ is a 1” cube all the way around. Now, ‘Big Mac Cubio’ is the same height as ‘Super Cubio’: 1 inch high. BUT, it’s 1 ¼” in diameter. It’s a SLIGHT difference in measurement, but it’s enough to count.
Another difference with both ‘Super’ and ‘Big Mac’ is the string. ‘Super Cubio’ has a dark blue string that’s knotted off at each end. ‘Big Mac’ has a black string with tiny yellow plastic rings at each end. It’s a nice touch.
The last difference I will note is also one of ‘Cubio’s’ most defining features: a gimmick that allows it to be inspectable. Initially, I thought that ‘Big Mac Cubio’ WOULDN’T have this feature. I figured so that younger kids can use the trick and amaze their friends without having to worry about such a thing.
I was pleasantly surprised. HOWEVER, both the gimmicks for ‘Super Cubio’ and ‘Big Mac Cubio’ are different. They do the same thing, just differently. Personally, I like the ‘Big Mac’ gimmick better for reasons I can’t state.
The ONLY problem I can think of involving the bigger ‘Cubios’ is that the smaller version looks more impossible because it does the same thing as the bigger ones—just smaller. It’s hard to imagine something that small doing what it does. The bigger ones give way to speculation, however, they can play to a larger crowd, which is why I favor the larger ‘Cubios’. It’s personal preference.
This entire review sounds like I’m bagging on ‘Super Cubio’. Will I get rid of my ‘Super Cubio’? No way. ‘Super is a nice addition to my collection and it’s a fantastic trick that grew on me VERY quickly. I’d recommend finding ‘Cubio’ or ‘Super Cubio’ while they are (kind of) relatively cheap, depending on your financial situation.
As far as ‘Big Mac Cubio’, I love it, it’s going to be a fantastic addition to my growing repertoire. As far as you, the curious reader, goes? I’d really only recommend getting one if you are a serious Tenyo collector—or a complete whack job. They are ridiculously hard to find and they go for an amount that some would consider ludicrous, considering its technically a burger on a string.