3044-4485) A GIFT FROM THE GODs, CHUNG LING SOO by Val Andrews.

The Story of Chung Ling Soo. The Marvellous Chinese Conjurer.

Copyright 1981 and published by Goodliffe Publications, Ltd. in England.

HardBound with DustJacket and 187pages.

Chapters Include:

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Hardbound with 53 pages -and- in Mint Condition.

Book measures approx. 5 3/4"x8 3/4".

Includes special stories and new facts, plus 35 photo’s of Soo and many of his Beautiful Posters, etc.

There's a large sticker on the inside of the front cover with the books limited number
-and-
Hector Robinson’s (Son of Chung Ling Soo) Autograph.

Stated Limited Edition, this one #148.

Published by Arco Publishers, Ltd of New York and London.

1955 First British edition

Will Dexter was born in 1909, one of the officers of The Magic Circle and always interested in magic..

For this biography Dexter has gathered material from all over the world. He tells of Robinson's early experiences in the United States, of his appearance and calamitous failure at the Folies Bergeres as "Hop Sing Soo" - and his great success the following night as "Chung Ling Soo". He tells of the battle with Ching Ling Foo, a genuine Chinese magician. The truth behind the greasepaint and the Oriental mask, and yet retains all the glamour and colour of a great illusionist and a great personality.

Chapter's include:

Introduction - Acknowledgment - Who Was Chung Ling Soo? - Misadventure - The Man of Mystery - Exit Loo, Enter Soo - Foo Versus Soo - The Conquering Hero - "House Full" in Australia - A Change of Mind That Was Fatal - Close of an Era - The Man Who Wrote "Sensational Tales" - Fulton's Fantasy - The Trick That Scared Houdini - Front Row, Orchestra Stalls - Guardians of the Secrets - Secrets For Sale - Appendix One - Appendix Two - Index.

Hardbound with DustJacket (in protective cover) and 223pages. - $75.00

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Published by Supreme Magic Company, second printing from September 1973. Hardbound with DustJacket. 224pages.

Will Dexter was born in 1909, one of the officers of The Magic Circle and always interested in magic..

For this biography Dexter has gathered material from all over the world. He tells of Robinson's early experiences in the United States, of his appearance and calamitous failure at the Folies Bergeres as "Hop Sing Soo" - and his great success the following night as "Chung Ling Soo". He tells of the battle with Ching Ling Foo, a genuine Chinese magician. The truth behind the greasepaint and the Oriental mask, and yet retains all the glamour and colour of a great illusionist and a great personality.

Chapter's include:

Introduction - Acknowledgment - Who Was Chung Ling Soo? - Misadventure - The Man of Mystery - Exit Loo, Enter Soo - Foo Versus Soo - The Conquering Hero - "House Full" in Australia - A Change of Mind That Was Fatal - Close of an Era - The Man Who Wrote "Sensational Tales" - Fulton's Fantasy - The Trick That Scared Houdini - Front Row, Orchestra Stalls - Guardians of the Secrets - Secrets For Sale - Appendix One - Appendix Two - Index.

As can be seen from the photos below, the book and DustJacket are in Great Condition. - $50.00

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In 1995, I purchased a wonderful Houdini Collection from a gentleman in Florida. In addition to all the items in this Collection, there were several sets of Handcuffs which belonged to Houdini.

What’s offered here is the Tower "Double Lock" Leg-Irons.

The TOWER company came into being some time around 1874, the date of the first Tower patent. Its restraints remained in production, in one form or another, until the 1940s. Some collector's believe that its products were made by the Union Hardware Company, right from the start, but others think that this firm only became involved when it took over the TOWER business at an unknown, but rather later date.

The TOWER cuffs have a lock case, on the inside of the bow, and is distinguished by the position of the keyhole at the bottom of the lock case. This keyhole proved to be awkward, making it difficult to unlock the leg-iron cuffs. These leg-iron cuffs came with an improved Double Locking feature.

The TOWER DOUBLE LOCK cuffs were the standard of the industry for decades.

Below, are assorted photos of the Leg Irons, their display box, a close up of the name plate and the assorted provenance letters.

The Leg Irons are in working order. The photos, below, show the cuffs in the closed and open position.

The key is the Original Key, which came with the Leg Irons.

The Leg Irons come with three letters showing, you, how they are traced back to HOUDINI.

One letter is a xerox, from the gentleman in Florida, telling about the collection and how it came to be in his possession.

The second letter is another xerox (dated 1979) from William Mahan (to the gentleman in Florida), stating the handcuffs, etc. were obtained from Hardeen, who had told Mr. Mahan, the material came from Houdini’s collection.

Mr. Mahan was a CLOSE Personal Friend of the Hardeen family and obtained a lot of Houdini’s material during Hardeen’s later life.

A portion of the letter from Mr. Mahan (dated October 10, 1979) states:

I am sorry that you missed out on the collection of magic I sold to Goulet. But, I am happy that you got the things Ray didn't. The red drape I gave you belonged to Adelaide Hermann; it was given to Lady Ruth, my wife. Also, the ivory (yellow) tipped wand you received was Theo Hardeen's. We were close to Hardeen you know. I'm giving you this wand with with a set of lock picks. I got the picks, and the handcuffs I sold, from Hardeen who told me they came from Houdini's collection. Theo's gifts were the heart of my collection. Pete, if I can be of any assistance regarding any of the posters, magic apparatus, memorabilia, etc., please don't hesitate to ask.

The last letter is from me, stating how the collection came to be in my possession.

The handcuffs have been placed in a Walnut Box, which has a glass lid, so the handcuffs may be viewed. The box measures 12"x18"x3" Deep. The box has a nice varnish and is a bit darker than the photos, below, show. The handcuffs are resting on a pillow of Red Satin (also, a bit darker than the photos show below).

There is a name plate, on top of the glass lid, describing the cuffs. The box has two latches which can either be opened or locked (keys included).

As a little Bonus, I will include a Copy of a Lengthy Newspaper article (Sunday, July 3, 1988, with photo’s) written about the gentleman in Florida by Times Staff Writer Laura Griffin. - $7,500.00

Leg Irons in display box, closed and open.

Display box open

Close up of Leg Irons  in closed/locked position, showing both sides.

Leg Irons stamped as being "Tower Double Lock".

Close up of Leg Irons in open position.

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This is a Large Format magazine (measuring 9 3/4"x12 3/4").

Under the heading of "Special Articles" is one about Houdini:

"The Mystery Man of the Stage"
by Burr C. Cook.

Article touches on:

(a) 1920 Webster’s Dictionary addition with exact listing described. (b) Riveted into a large, hot water boiler in 1907 by the Marine Boiler Works of Toledo, Ohio. (c) The rest of page on Houdini, the book collector. citing examples of: (1) David Garrick’s Original Diary. (2) 1584 edition of Scott’s "The Discouverie of Witchcraft". (3) "Annus Mirabilis" (1666) by Dryden. (4) "Life of Edmund Kean" by Hawkins. (4) "The Memories of the Life of Theophilus Keene" by Richard Savage.

This magazine looks as though it were published yesterday. Outside of a small tear, on the front covers bottom edge, it has good tight covers, clean pages, etc. etc. On a scale of 1-10, it would have to be a 9!! - $75.00

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Foreword by Jay Sankey.

Original copyright 1988 by BHM Industries of Brisbane, Australia.

This the 1988 2nd printing.

SoftBound with 103pages and 22 effects with over 156 line drawings.

The content page was so detailed, I have reproduced it below for ease in reading.

Some staining on the outside covers, but the inside pages, etc. are just fine.

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Published in 1986 by Ben Harris Magic in Brisbane, Australia.

Contents include:

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Story of the Play:

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, and Harry Houdini, world's greatest magician and escape artist, are dear friends, although the issue of "Spiritualism" often causes them to argue. Doyle arranges a séance with a famed New York medium in the hopes Houdini will become a "believer". Houdini, however, plans to expose the medium, Mrs. Alexander, as a fraud. What he doesn't count on is the cleverness of the woman. She's well aware that Houdini defeats every medium he encounters, but she has no intention of being one more victim. The dramatic (and often funny) sparks fly as the two lock themselves in combat, with Sir Arthur and a young woman reporter on the sidelines. Ultimately, Doyle and Houdini have a stormy scene, and the magician finds he must retreat from Mrs. Alexander's skill and intelligence. It's the only time Houdini fails. He and the medium make a strange pact: to stay as far away from one another as possible. If Houdini "behaved" Mrs. Alexander won't reveal his secret to the world: He believes Sherlock Homes is a real person!

Haven't heard of this "Houdini Play" from 28 years ago? Well you have now!! - $20.00

PaperBound book with 54pages.

Copyright 1984 and published by The Abbott Magic Company of Colon, Michigan.

Contents Include:

CHARACTER READING by R.S. Glover - Part One: Misfitting The Misfit - Part Two: Mixed Types - Part Three: Profiles, Texture, Color - Part Four: Spoiled and Sensitive People - Part Five: The Impractical Man

ASTROLOGIA by Howard P. Albright - Billet Reading Routine, Number One - The Automatic Prompter - How To Use The "Prompter" Cards - Sealed Message Reading Routine Number Two

Previous owners name rubber stamped inside. Measures approx. 8 1/4"x10 3/4". - $25.00

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This offering is a descriptive analysis, in popular terms, of a subject that has fascinated the world since ancient peoples started receiving revelations from mysterious sources they called the Gods. This is the first of five books the author would write, on the results and meaning of research into extrasensory perception, or ESP.

Louisa, along with her husband J.B. Rhine, moved to Duke, in 1927, to study psychic research. At the Duke University laboratory, the pair would invent the term extrasensory perception to describe the receipt of information by certain people through means of their senses. This coming largely through having students, and other subjects, attempt to guess the distinctive symbols on cards they could not see. If the percentage of correct guesses was consistently higher than the probability of chance could account for, Rhine assumed that the presence of ESP was a reasonable explanation.

Original copyright 1961.

This is a Beautiful edition published by Time/Life Books back in 1990.

Book is HardBound with 253 SILVER GILT EDGED pages.

It also has an attached ribbon bookmark.

The content pages have been reproduced, below, for ease in reading.

The bound volume measures approx. 5 3/4"x8 1/2"

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At age 36, in 1929, the author had become one of the world's most famous trance mediums. Bereaved people, famous and obscure, flocked to Garrett for word about their dead; politicians and psychiatrist sought her advice. She never took a fee for her service, believing that money would interfere with her work. In 1951 she established the Parapsychology Foundation.

Original copyright 1953.

This is a Beautiful edition published by Time/Life Books back in 1991.

Book is HardBound with 254 SILVER GILT EDGED pages.

It also has an attached ribbon bookmark.

The bound volume measures approx. 5 3/4"x8 1/2"

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The author, an astronomer and astrophysicist, was asked in the late 1940s to take on the investigation of so-called flying saucers, which were then the subject of great flurry on interest and which, apparently, the air force regarded as a decided nuisance. The author shared the skepticism of both the air force and the scientific community. But as a scientist, he drew no conclusions until he actually looked at the evidence. When he did, he found a high number of incidents that seemed unexplainable on any of the usual grounds.

In this book, the author gradually downing conviction that there must be something objective and real behind a great many of the reported sightings and encounters with spacecraft and their occupants.

It was the author who coined the classification "close encounters of the third kind" and later served as technical consultant for the science fiction movie using his phrase as its title.

The author believed there should be a clearinghouse for UFO investigations, under civilian and international control. Since neither the US government, or the United Nations showed any real interest, Hynek, in the early 1970s, set up such an agency himself: The Center For UFO Studies, in his home town of Evanston, Illinois.

Original copyright 1972.

This is a Beautiful edition published by Time/Life Books back in 1990.

Book is HardBound with 276 SILVER GILT EDGED pages.

It also has an attached ribbon bookmark.

The content pages have been reproduced, below, for ease in reading.

The bound volume measures approx. 5 3/4"x8 1/2"

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3062-4533) THE MOST HAUNTED HOUSE IN ENGLAND by Harry Price.

Ten years investigation of Borley Rectory

The book has furnished possibly the most fully documented account of an example of Poltergeist, of localized supranormal happenings in existence. A conscientious and well-written record.

Original copyright 1940.

This is a Beautiful edition published by Time/Life Books back in 1990.

Book is hardbound and has 255 SILVER GILT EDGED pages.

It also has an attached ribbon bookmark.

The content pages were so detailed, I have reproduced them below for ease in reading. Just click on the thumbnail photo to bring up the larger photo.

If you don't have a copy of this book in your library, now's the time to do so.

Book measures approx. 5 3/4"x8 1/2".

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3063-4555) THE PROJECTION OF THE ASTRAL BODY by Sylvan J. Muldoon and Hereward Carrington

Original copyright 1929.

This is a Beautiful edition published by Time/Life Books back in 1990.

Book is hardbound, has SILVER GILT EDGED pages, 242 pages and is as New as the day it was published 21 years ago!!

It also has an attached ribbon bookmark.

The content pages were so detailed, I have reproduced them, below, for ease in reading.

If you don't have a copy of this book in your library, now's the time to do so.

Book measures approx. 5 3/4"x8 1/2".

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3064-3437) MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN PIN

Taystee Bread Promo from 1934.

Measures approximately 1"x1 1/16".

Worn and pitted, but still a nice Mandrake collectible from 76 years ago. - $20.00

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3067-8663) LAS VEGAS CASINO DECKs OF CARDs FROM THE 1970s

What's offered here are BlackJack table decks of cards from the Stardust Hotel/Casino -and- the Sahara Hotel/Casino.

Blue and red back decks for each casino.

The Stardust decks of cards are Sealed - the Sahara decks are unSealed, but don't appear to have been used.

The Stardust casino is no longer in Las Vegas, just another which has been taken down and I 'think' a new/larger casino being built at this time.

Great memento's from an era of 30+ years ago. - Stardust deck @ $25.00 - Sahara deck @ $15.00

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"CAUTION: This record may change your life. It contains complete instructions for 11 fantastic effects, currently being used by top professional magicians & mentalist, using cards, coins, books & dominoes, that you can do any place, any time without special skill's or equipment. Perplexing, mystifying and above all entertaining!"

Since the LP is still sealed and unopened, in its cello wrap, I'm going to assume it's in Mint Condition. - $35.00

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 3073-8443) EMMETT KELLY, Jr. CLOWN/MAGICIAN STATUE.

What we have here is a die cast pewter-silver-plated, with cut crystals, Statue of Emmett Kelly, Jr. standing behind his magician’s table, holding a magician’s hat in his left hand (of which there’s a cut crystal ball coming out of the top). His left hand is holding a rabbit, by the rabbit’s ears. On top of the table are fans of cards and a pair of dice. On the floor, around the table, are all kinds of items: silks, four more rabbit’s, two more round cut crystals balls, three linking rings, etc. etc. On the front of the floor base, it’s stamped "The Magician" into the metal.

This 1992 statue (limited to 5000) was Exclusively produced, in the United Kingdom, for Flambro imports. The wooden base was made in Taiwan. This one is stamped, on the bottom of the statue, 981.

The statue stands 5" tall and being made of pewter, it’s quite heavy - weighing 3½ pounds.

The detail in this piece is Amazing. - $85.00

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Must of had a little use, but not much -and- the only way I know this, is the person whom I purchased these from, left some salt and pepper in the shakers!! Now emptied.

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3076-4798) "EUROPEs ECLIPSING SENSATION HOUDINI" POSTER 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle

When put together, according to the box, this measures 19"x27". A pretty good size puzzle.

Put another log on the fireplace and enjoy a relaxing evening. - $45.00

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