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Catalogs in Magic & Conjuring

Catalogs constitute a very important record of history. It allows one to date tricks and effects, research the lineage of inventions and get a feeling of days gone by. Catalogs also inspire the imagination and exercise your magic knowledge. Reading an effect description in a catalog involuntarily makes you think about how this effect might be achieved. You start to think about methods and principles with which you could accomplish the same trick. And if you can't come up with a good answer you want to buy the trick. Wonderful!

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Arthur P. Felsman
Felsman Catalog No. 17 by Arthur P. Felsman

Arthur P. Felsman took over August Roterberg's business. His catalog looks very similar to the Roterberg catalog with beautiful illustrations and detailed product descriptions. Compare for example with Roterberg Catalog No. 15.

1st edition 1919, 189 pages.

$10
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August Roterberg
Roterberg Catalog 15 by August Roterberg

August Roterberg was a very successfull magic dealer working from Chicago in the 19th century. His catalogs and books are collector items. One of his catalogs, number 15, is reproduced in this ebook. Catalogs help collectors identify and date pieces in their collection. Reading through catalogs is for me an exercise in creativity. When I read an effect description I try to think of a method to achieve it, not knowing the secret behind the trick sold. I am sure you will enjoy browsing through this beautiful catalog with lots of illustrations.

1st edition 1913, 216 pages.

★★★★★ $12
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August Roterberg
Roterberg Catalog 1 by August Roterberg

This is the first catalog Roterberg issued, titled: "Descriptive Catalogue of the Latest European Novelties in Magic, Second Sight, Anti-Spiritualism".

Noteworthy here is that Roterberg states that he corresponds not only in English but also German, French and Volapük - a universal language created by the German catholic priest Johann Martin Schleyer in 1880.

1st edition ca. 1894, 20 pages.

$10
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August Roterberg
Roterberg Catalog 5 by August Roterberg

The title page reads: "Superior, New and Standard Conjuring Tricks, Spiritualistic Manifestations and Books on Conjuring."

Particularly noteworthy are the pages in the back where he reprints quotes and praises from customers who have read his books including John Northern Hilliard and Harry Kellar.

1st edition ca. 1898, 76 pages.

$10
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August Roterberg
Roterberg Catalog 7 by August Roterberg

Beautifully illustrated catalog (prior catalogs had no illustrations) with a one page list of books at the back.

1st edition 1904 (date stamped on front 18th March 1904), 45 pages.

$10
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August Roterberg
Roterberg Catalog 8 by August Roterberg

A huge jump in size from catalog 7 to this catalog 8. Includes a separate section on books where he writes about Expert at the Card Table:

Without doubt the very best and most up-to-date treatise on the numerous sleights used by gamblers, concluding with a thoroughly interesting chapter on Card Sleights and Tricks with Cards. Among the various new gambler’s sleights will be found many which will prove of excellent service to the progressive conjurer. 205 pages; 101 illustrations.

The last section is for: Practical Jokes, Puzzles and Novelties.

1st edition 1904 (date stamped on front 15th July 1904), 170...

$10
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August Roterberg
1911 Supplementary Catalogue of New Tricks by August Roterberg

From the introduction:

The splendid array of tricks offered in the following pages is the result of a most careful selection from several hundred new ideas. Of these new tricks, I have embodied in this catalogue only those which I consider to be the very best, this being practically the first time that the majority of these tricks have been offered for sale. All descriptive matter is original with me and the illustrations have been made from my own ideas, under my personal supervision, great care having been taken to neither exaggerate nor misrepresent the effects in either the reading matter...

$10
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August Roterberg
Catalogue of New Card Miracles by August Roterberg

From the introduction:

The clever creations in the following pages are the result of the great demand for card tricks which has swept the magical world. A few years ago practically all card tricks depended upon skill in sleight of hand. There were few, if any, real good tricks which the inexperienced could successfully perform without previous practice. The sudden demand of tricks for this nature has resulted in the invention of many clever and puzzling effects by some of the masterminds of the Magical Profession.

In the following pages are offered, for the first time, a collection...

$10
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B. W. McCarron
The Nelson Enterprises Master Catalog Index by B. W. McCarron

Robert Nelson and his brother Larry ("Alla Rageh") started the Nelson Enterprises in 1921. This Master Index cross-references by title, catalog issue and page number every effect, book and manuscript issued by Nelson from 1927 through the last catalog in 1972. This Master Index represents a summary of:

  • 45 years of Nelson Enterprises catalog offerings.
  • 21 Nelson catalogs.
  • 5846 total items appearing in those catalogs.
  • 2476 total pages are summarized in this Master Index.
  • 1276 separate effects, books, appear in this Master Index.
  • 125 pages are in this Master Index.
  • 36 months in preparation. ...
★★★★★ $25
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Donald Holmes
Donald Holmes Catalog 6 by Donald Holmes

Donald Holmes was a magic dealer and author from Kansas City, Missouri. This is a very nice illustrated supplementary catalog starting at item number 601 all the way to 664.

1st edition 1924, 36 pages.

$5
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Donald Holmes
Supplementary Catalogue of New Conjuring Tricks 1916 by Donald Holmes

This catalog includes some error corrections for the prior catalog, advertises Holmes' Conjuring Serial No. 4 A Mind Reading Act, and then it describes items No. 400 to No. 481.

1st edition 1916, 36 pages.

$8
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Ed Harris
Magic From India Catalog: Ed Harris edition by Ed Harris

Partial catalog of Electro Fun, Calcutta, India, entirely drawn and lettered by Ed Harris.

PDF 26 pages.

★★★★ $0
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Edward M. Vernelo
E. M. Vernelo Catalog 1901 by Edward M. Vernelo

Vernelo, another Chicago magic dealer, not only sold a good selection of magic tricks but also novelties, puzzles and a large selection of non-magic books. About half of this catalog is dedicated to books in all kinds of fields of interests including letter writing, public speaking, jokes, stories, bookkeeping, photography, calculations, and many more.

1st edition 1901, 192 pages.

$20
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Edwin C. Hood
H. C. Evans Catalog 1909-1910 by Edwin C. Hood

H. C. Evans was a company specializing in the manufacture and sale of gambling and carnival equipment. They also sold sporting goods like baseball gloves, various balls, hunting and fishing gear. Particularly noteworthy are their offerings for cheating purposes such as hold-outs, or dice which have been altered in a number of ways, or marked cards, etc.

1st edition 1909, 64 pages.

$5
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Edwin C. Hood
H. C. Evans Catalog 1929 by Edwin C. Hood

In 1929 H. C. Evans was a large company specializing in the manufacture and sale of sporting goods and casino equipment.

  • Casino supplies
  • Trade Stimulators
  • Pocket Novelties
  • Amusement Park Supplies
  • Fair Ground Games
  • Shooting Galleries

1st edition 1929, 160 pages.

$10
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Edwin Hooper
Supreme Catalog No. 1 by Edwin Hooper

The start of a legendary business.

1st edition 1956, 57 pages.

$8
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Edwin Hooper
Supreme Catalog No. 4 Part 1 (1966) by Edwin Hooper

A long list of unbelievable variety, depth and breadth of magic tricks, illusions, apparatus, accessories and more. So much in fact that this catalog required three parts.

1st edition 1966, 432 pages.

$10
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Edwin Hooper
Supreme Catalog No. 4 Part 2 (1967) by Edwin Hooper

More tricks, books and accessories for the magician. There are no duplicates from part 1.

1st edition 1967, 167 pages.

$4
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Edwin Hooper
Supreme Catalog No. 4 Part 3 (1969) by Edwin Hooper

Even more tricks, books and accessories for the magician. There are no duplicates from part 1 or 2.

1st edition 1969, 94 pages.

$4
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Edwin Hooper
Supreme Catalog No. 38 by Edwin Hooper

This catalog has four color plates in the middle and a price list at the very end.

  • Accessories
  • Canes and Candles
  • Cards
  • Changing Bags and Egg Bags
  • Children's Magic
  • Close-Up Magic
  • Comedy Magic
  • Escapology
  • Flowers and Plumes
  • General Magic
  • Illusionettes
  • Liquid Magic
  • Livestock Magic
  • Manipulation
  • Mentalism
  • Money Magic
  • Production Items
  • Puppets and Ventriloquial Characters
  • Rope Magic
  • Silks and Ribbons

1st edition 1989, 613 pages.

★★★★ $10
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Edwin Hooper
Supreme Catalog No. 39 by Edwin Hooper

I believe this is the largest magic catalog ever published. It clocks in at more than 620 pages and is bursting full with products. A unique lovely feature of this catalog is that each section is introduced by a famous magician: Mentalism by David Berglas, Ropes by Pavel, Comedy by Karrel Fox etc.

  • Introduction (Paul Daniels)
  • Accessories (Keith Churcher)
  • Balloon Modeling (Bob Wooding)
  • Books and Publications (Edwin A. Dawes)
  • Canes and Candles (Jeff Atkins)
  • Cards (Francis Haxton)
  • Changing Bags and Egg Bags (Mark Raffles)
  • Children's Magic (Terry Herbert)
  • Close-Up Magic (Bobby Bernard)
  • Comedy Magic (Karrell Fox)
  • Escapology (David De-Val) ...
★★★★ $12
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Ellisdon Bros. Ltd.
Ellisdons Catalog by Ellisdon Bros. Ltd.

It advertises with: The largest Mail-Order House in the World for Jokes, Magic and Novelties.

1st edition 1953, 39 pages.

★★★★★ $4
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Floyd Gerald Thayer
Thayer Catalog #8 by Floyd Gerald Thayer

This is a beautiful catalog with an introduction that includes photos of Thayer's residence. This catalog was published in 1936 and as the title page correctly states: "The Finest, Largest, And Most Comprehensive Compilation of Magical Goods Ever Published."

1st edition 1936; 311 pages.

★★★★ $10
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Frances Marshall
Ireland Magic Catalog No. 17 by Frances Marshall

The Ireland Magic Company was founded in 1926 by the late Laurie Lowell Ireland. The first retail advertisement appeared in The Sphinx and The Linking Ring for March 1929. The first trick was the clever Ireland Button Trick.

1st edition 1962, 224 pages.

★★★★ $8
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Displaying 1 to 24 (of 96 products)
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