Description
(Notice: Use your own standard batteries it is not shipped with any – it requires: 11 x 1.5v C cells and 1 x 9V for the remote.)
Another brilliantly made electronic item from the always amazing Anverdi. Harry Stanley was talking about the earliest version of this table as early as 1963 in The Gen October, 1963:
THE SOUTHPORT WONDERS: “Mystery Radio”, “Walking Table”,”Remote Rising” and fantastic devices for Mentalists, were a few of the things I mentioned earlier as those I showed privately to selected magicians. They are very exclusive “out of this world” items, on strictly limited sale and the cost is 100 guineas minimum. Owing to the very exclusive nature of this, I know you won’t mind if I say that I can only answer inquiries from interested people, this is not for curiosity seekers. It’s pricey stuff I know, but, nevertheless wonderful value for money if you can afford it!
Harry Stanley, The Gen October, 1963
c. 1970 these tables were available from Tannen’s too. The first version of this table only went in one direction – typically away from the performer and off stage. But the later version (and this version) can go back and forth. I’m not sure exactly when the improvement was made but somewhen between 1972 and 1983.
This is a very solid table that works on both hard surfaces and short-pile carpet (I don’t think it would work too well on a shaggy carpet, but maybe) It comes with a small (about the size of a card case) two-way remote with on/off button on the remote, and there is also an on/off button in the base. This has a remote fishing line that allows you to turn the base on (or off) during performance too by pulling on the line. Or you could leave it on and just use the remote to move the table backwards and forwards. It works very well and although there is some wobble in the table due to the momentum and stopping and starting, the table when stationary is very solid and rigid. The early versions only had three long struts which made for a much more wobbly table, but this version uses six legs with a sold base half way up (which can hold items if desired) and it is about as solid as you can make such a small table.
In the video it sounds pretty loud, that is primarily because the video is right there on the wooden floor and picks up all the sounds. Of course this is really a stage item anyway. The fact that the table moves back and forth is no magical mystery to a modern day audience of course, and the impact of the table moving is for the surprise not the deep mystery. This item like most of Anverdi’s items uses readily available batteries and it works as well today as it did 40+ years ago. It all packs down into a small convenient carry case.
Effect: Magician controls table by remote control to move either left or right. The table is always under the Magician’s control.
(Notice: This does not come with any instructions.)
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