Random I-Tunes Song of The Moment: The All American Boy by Bill Parsons

Paul Harris Presents Lubor's Gift by Lubor Fiedler Review:

Two Boxes, 17 minutes, 1 DVD, a couple ideas, one clever illusion and a hundred bucks. Is it gem or is it rubble? Stay tuned.

Effect

This is the Gozinta Boxes invented by Lubor Fiedler. It's Paul Harris's update to the concept. The basic effect is you open a box, and remove another box. Then when you put the boxes away, you put the outside box in the inside box. The illusion is that the bigger (outside) box fits into the smaller (inside box). You can do just that and nothing else. However, Bro Gilbert offers two other ideas that give the effect a little more meaning.

Method

It's self working. The boxes are constructed in such a way that either one can be the inside box or the outside box. There's really not much to say here. It's easy; anyone can do it.

Ad Copy Integrity

The ad copy is 100% accurate. It's everything it claims to be. Again, this is a simple prop, so there's not a whole lot to be said about it. Watch the video demo, and you'll see it exactly as it is.

Product Quality

The boxes are very good quality. They're solid and durable and will likely last a long time. It's also decorated in such a way that the illusion is further enhanced above and beyond the original version. The DVD is very clean and clear, easy to navigate, well lit, well mic'd and well taught. It also comes with postage stickers that match the ones printed on the "outside" box. You can place these stickers over the printed ones to give it a more authentic look. That's a clever idea for sure. Because this is simply a self-working prop, there's not a whole lot that can be said on a DVD about it. Bro offers two really cool ideas (one from Paul Harris and one from himself) that make the effect more meaningful.

However, I was a bit disappointed that there really wasn't much more than that. Lubor Fiedler invented this in 1966. My understanding is that he uses it in every single show. I used to use a small one to keep my sponge balls in. I would have liked to have seen other suggestions and uses for the box. What does Fiedler do with it? What things has he done with it over the years? At the same time, this is the kind of thing that many of you already have an idea of what you'll do with it even before you buy it.

I don't know how much it costs to manufacture these, but at a price tag of $100 bucks, I would have expected a bit more information and usage ideas than the 17 minutes supplied. That's really the only "product quality" issue I had.

Final Thoughts

I honestly don't know if $100 is a good price for this or not. As the ad copy points out, it's an "impossible object", a "collector's item" and an "unforgettable effect" all rolled into one. As a collector's item alone, it might be worth the price tag. It's hard to say. However, I believe that you'll be happy with the product itself. It's just a matter of whether or not you'll use it, and only you can decide that. Then you have to decide if you're willing to spend $100 bucks to use it. Everything else is totally solid. The only thing I'm "wondering" about is the price tag.

Final Verdict:
4 Stars with a Stone Status of Gem.

8 Comments

  • Jay Best says:

    I think this thing is really cool although the method seems kind of obvious to me. (Of course I could be totally wrong on the method but I will not be spending $100 to find out). Presentation would make or break this one for sure, without a great presentation it will just be a puzzle (sadly way too many magicians present all their magic that way). As for the price I am okay with some people charging high prices for their stuff for a couple reasons.

    A) You are paying for a secret. How can you put a monetary value on that? Does that make it worth it? That is up to the individual. For me, in this case, the answer is no. 2) The higher price keeps it out of the hands of 14 year olds that expose it on Youtube and keeps it where it should be with people who are serious enough about our art to appreciate it.

    Max Mavens Multiplicity DVD is a good example, it was the most expensive DVD I have even purchased at $75. Worth every penny to me, maybe not the next guy. (FYI my purchase decision was aided by a 5 Star GEM status at Magic Reviewed)

    I’m going to shut up now, my comment probably shouldn’t be longer than the review. As always Jeff, thanks for the review.

    • Jeff Stone says:

      @Jay – I’m with you a hundred percent. It’s always hard to make a call on whether a product is worth the asking price. I paid $350 for Mother of All Book Tests. Others never will. So it’s hard to say who will pay what.

  • Vladislav says:

    this is a very old idea.

    • Jeff Stone says:

      That’s correct. It was created in the 60’s by Lubor Fiedler. I mentioned that in the review above. This is an updated version of his original idea from the 60’s. It’s a collaboration with Lubor Fieldler, Paul Harris and Alan Wong.

  • Dan Waterman says:

    I wonder if anyone besides Paul Harris decided to put this back on the market what the magic communities response would be…first of all the $100.00 price tag would be lamb basted regardless of the effects supposed worth to a collector! This is a bulky and uninteresting puzzle regardless of how it’s presented…as mentioned earlier this has been around for a long time and as far as I know there has been no overwhelming demand from magicians to breathe new life into it. Once again Mr. Harris is wisely using his name to promote a high priced prop that will spend more time in the magic drawer than in actual performances…remember Little Man?

    • Jeff Stone says:

      @Dan – you make some valid points. Just keep in mind that I don’t judge the effect. I just judge the quality of the prop. The reason I don’t judge the effect can be found in your reference to Little Man. I know people who love that effect and feel that it’s one of the best things in their repertoire and they use it all the time. Everyone has different tastes. Some people think the Gozinta Boxes are very clever and amazing, while others think they’re stupid and useless. I know many pros who use Gozinta Boxes in their every day work. It’s all a matter of opinion. So I just stick with the facts regarding the content of the DVD and the product quality regardless of how well I like the effect (or not).

  • Ken Schreibman says:

    What are the approximate inner dimensions? Can it hold a 6-inch ball?

Your email address will not be published.

 

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.