Although I agree with several of the previous posters concerning gratitude, I will take a different approach. There are some great routines that use age old magic set props - and turn them into audience killers. One example is Mike Close's "Renaldo the Great" from his Workers books - a modern day routine with a plastic Chinese Prayer Vase. Mike Skinner also had a great sleight-of-hand routine using a plastic Ball and Vase set, but the name of it escapes me right now. I seem to remember that possibly Mike Gallo had a Ball and Vase routine also in Richard's Almanac.
Besides...magic sets are fun. I use to do magic in a restaurant and I've had a great time playing with Mac King's new magic tricks, which are distributed by Fundex here in Indianapolis.
Also, while living in Vegas many years ago, I got the chance to meet Marshall Brodien and Jay Marshall. As a kid growing up watching Marshall on the Bozo the Clown show, my relatives often bought me his "TV Magic Cards" that were sold in every Walgreens at Christmas time. My interest in magic started then, and in my mid-twenties I got to work for one of the bigger magic names while in Vegas.
