Meir’s Muses
MyMagic eNewsletter #1,125
August 2, 2023
Around two years ago I released my Japanese Coins & Shell set. It took years of precise design dimensions, research, graphics, and much more to put it together. You may remember that around three weeks after I released it, I was ripped off when an inferior version that used my design, and graphics appeared on the market, they even used the dyes I paid for to manufacture it. It’s a shame. That company lost tens of thousands of dollars in future business from me by doing this and then lying repeatedly to justify the theft.
At the time I had big plans for an entire product line using those coins, with variants of some classics and some new routines and gimmicks.
There have long been stories of some creative magicians who get ripped off and then leave magic because of it. One of those geniuses is on the cover of the August issue of Genii. I get it now. It is not really a conscious decision to stop. It is a form of depression where you lose your enthusiasm and desire to continue.
After two years of procrastinating, I found a potential new manufacturer and started thinking about what to do next.
In the meantime, I decided to finally release my Edgy Coins Across routine using the coins. I believe it is one of the easiest and most direct routines of this type. You can watch a live performance: HERE
The routine is included in the new tutorial that comes with the coins. If you previously purchased a set of the Japanese Coins & Shell set, all you have to do is follow the original link you received with the coins and the new tutorial will be there for you to download using the same password.
►Japanese Coins & Shell Set:
Almost all “Chinese” coins that have been used in magic have flaws that keep them from looking real. Whether the characters are reversed or not even Chinese, they often say something silly, or have weird colors that make them look like toys. This is something that always bothered me. I even called them fake Chinese coins when performing with them.
Our designer, Akemi Yoshida, found ancient Japanese Coins that would look good for magic and redesigned them to look modern. This coin is based on the Taisho Era coin from around 100 years ago.
The coins were enlarged to US Half Dollar size, they were stamped in brass, and were given an antique gold finish. The expanded shell was manufactured by making duplicate coins that were a little larger than a half dollar and then a lathe was used to hollow them out and create a perfect shell with full coverage. It is so good that you can show both sides of the shelled coin and you can’t tell that it is there.
Watch and buy: HERE
Sales for the new Ed Solomon book were much better than expected. I am around halfway to breaking even on the project and already received some positive feedback from purchasers.
►Meaningful Conjuring:
Ed Solomon, who was also known as DeNomolos, was a master storyteller who used magic to emphasize the point or moral of his stories. He wanted his magic to appeal to the intellect and touch the soul of his audiences, or as he put it: “People may not remember my name or the magic that I performed, but they will remember how it made them feel.”
Between 2004 and 2015 Ed wrote 125 columns in The Linking Ring magazine that featured short stories that used simple magic to highlight their messages. All those columns are included in this book along with some bonus tricks, essays, and more.
If you ever wanted to elevate your magic from just being a series of puzzles into meaningful moments of magic, this book may inspire you to think along those lines. Remember that all good magic revolves around solid stories and premises and this book is full of both.
Watch and buy: HERE
►UPCOMING APPEARANCES:
►August 6-9: Exhibiting at Magic Live! in Las Vegas. Info: HERE
►Sunday August 20: Performing at Comix @ Mohegan Sun Casino. Tickets: HERE
Stay happy, Meir
PS: I will be away next week at Magic Live where I will be debuting some new stuff and hopefully find a bunch of new exclusives that I can offer you over the next few months.
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“By means of the simplest and commonest objects… the reader can illustrate some of the most wonderful things… while amusing his audience and creating a feeling of admiration for the amusement-maker.”
…Robert Waters (Magical Experiments, 1892)
