School for Scoundrels

Don Driver's DVD: Building a Tip, Getting an Edge - $35

This excellent DVD features Zachary Strange and demonstrates how to gather a group of people for busking, street magic. The information is easy to learn and is concise in delivery.

Don Driver's DVD: Svengali Pitch - $35

This no frills, short, to the point DVD features the Svengali Pitch. This routine is proven and easy to learn. Bonus material includes Magic Fuzzle Pitch and a DVD extra: The Legendary S. David Walker pitching at the 2005 Wisconsin State Fair.

Street Theatre DVD

Award-winning documentary-maker, Peter Shatalow films some of the world’s best Buskers live on the streets for this action packed film. Mixing raw street performance and up-close and personal interviews the documentary spotlights; Alakazam, Jeff Collins, The Flaming Butterflies, Gazzo, The Coadster, Silver Elvis, Taxi Trix, Chalkmaster Dave, The Silly People, Michael O'Neil, The Jim Show, Master Lee, Bernadette et Rita, DynaMike, Stitch, Trulee Odd, Aytahn, The Cowguys, Jeff Hill, Aidan Orange, Daisy and Derrick and The Fire Guy.

100 action packed minutes.

NEW - Billy McComb Table

Includes Custom Carrying Case

The School for Scoundrels and Hocus Pocus team up to bring you another exceptional product you won't find anywhere else!

Introducing the Billy McComb Table! Personally designed by Billy and used in his shows for cruise ships and stand-up performances, it can finally, after all these years, be yours!

Whit Haydn and Chef Anton have teamed up with the master himself to give the most durable and practical stand-up table on the market. Made to pack down to almost nothing, this table comes with a custom made zippered carry bag with a shoulder strap. You'll be able to take it with you everywhere with no limitations! Travels light and small, this table enables you to carry it on airlines as a carry-on bag. It even fits in the suit compartment of a Samsonite Suitcase. If space is an issue, the problem has been solved!
Professionally manufactured by Encore Magic, the specifications of the Billy McComb Table are as follows:

Poly Honeycomb core skinned with black Haircell ABS and 3/8" thick panels
Top Size 10.5" deep x 20" wide
Closed position: 4" X 15" X 20"
Weighs 18 pounds.

A limited number of these are being produced, however, so you must act now and reserve your very own Billy McComb Stage Table.

Table:

$995

Carrying Case:

$195

School For Scoundrels Trade Show Shells

Whit Haydn and Chef Anton, went into this incredible metamorphosis of the classic swindle that everyone knows and loves! Now you can perform it on stage, on the street, at trade shows, parlor and other venues where before it was not possible!

These beautiful, hand-crafted, virtually indestructible resind hard plastic shells are all mechanical, which means there's no sleight-of-hand required. That's correct -- no sleight-of-hand required; it's self-working!

Three Jumbo Shells measuring an incredible 8"x6" and 2 1/2" deep!
Includes four 2" peas (you can purchase additional peas separately)
Includes a DVD of Chef Anton and Whit Haydn's audience-tested routine and advanced handling tips!
Exact patter used in Chef Anton's trade show act for years
Large enough to load your company's premiums or products
Great visual prop for promotional photos

Not only do the Trade Show Shells play great from a distance, they are an extremely attractive, eye-catching prop with plenty of guaranteed audience interaction!

"Visual, practical, and incredibly commercial! This prop is a people magnet! I already have a dozen ideas!"
--R. Paul Wilson

New - Replacement Jumbo Peas and Magnet
This replacement set includes 4 of our 2" Jumbo Peas along with the magnet for the gaff.

Whit Haydn's The Mongolian Pop-Knot Video

Whit Haydn developed the Mongolian Pop-Knot while working as a street performer in New York City back in the 1960's. This wonderful cut and restored rope routine has been a staple of his famous comedy "teaching act" ever since. It has been performed in nightclubs, on cruise ships, for corporate banquets - in almost every conceivable performing situation. This routine works surrounded at a private party, or on the largest stage (Whit has performed this routine for eight thousand people in an amusement park when opening for Conway Twitty.)

What makes this routine unique is that every sequence is justified by the patter. It is not a series of unrelated tricks with a piece of rope, but a true routine that has an internal consistency and intelligence that draws the audience in and keeps them involved and interested throughout the performance.

While supposedly explaining to the audience how "that old trick" of cutting a rope and restoring it is accomplished, the magician cuts a rope and ties it back together with a special knot. The knot "pops" off the rope and the rope is restored. At this point things get more complicated as the magician seems to lose control of events. The rope is cut in three pieces which changes sizes and then are stretched and shrunk back into correct sizes. The three ropes are tied together, the two knots are "popped" off and tossed into the audience, and the rope is shown back together again in one piece. It can even be left for audience examination.

The video not only teaches a powerful and entertaining routine that "packs small and plays big" it is a real lesson in magic from a great thinker and performer. Whit explains what goes into creating a routine, the subtleties of performance and presentation, and the little moves and details that can throw the spectator off and make it impossible for him to figure out the secrets. You will not only enjoy performing this routine, but learning it will help make you a better magician.

The Ultimate Malini Egg Bag

"This is the best egg bag in the whole world!"
World Champion Magician Lance Burton

"This is the only bag I'll use and it's the one I recommend. Need I say more?"
--Johnny Thompson

The Silk Legacy Malini Egg Bag is a creation from none other than Max Malini. Charlie Miller made improvements to the Malini bag. Johnny Thompson perfected it and now this legendary piece of magic is handcrafted by Fabric Manipulation. These bags are made of what we feel is the perfect silk fabric; it is the ideal weight and thickness, enabling the egg to slide easily, yet allowing for minimal "bulge." Silk Legacy Malini Egg Bags are currently available in standard black silk and they measure 7" wide x 8" long. The design and construction of these egg bags are according to Johnny Thompson's exact specifications.

The Ideal Ball/Egg Holder

Strong enough to hold a billiard ball yet gentle enough to hold a blown chicken egg. The Ideal Holder is made of polyolefin-covered brass. The covering not only protects the objects from scratching, but it also gives a secure grip that is more reliable than other ball holders. Easily pins to any jacket or shirt for precise placement.

"This is the only billiard ball holder I have found that actually holds a real billiard ball without my having to worry about the ball falling out prematurely."
--Chef Anton - 2 Time United States Trick Shot Champion

NEW - Whit Haydn's Street Magic

Street Magic is a thirty-six page book of fascinating accounts of Whit Haydn's street-performing career in the 1960's and 70's. Including stories from the streets of New York, Washington, DC, London, and Paris, Whit explains how his philosophy of magic changed through his experiences. He gives the first in-depth description of the history and psychology of his routine The Impromptu Card Routine/A Routine for the Blind, and includes the ESP Survey, a routine for working the streets when it is too cold to perform or the police won't let you draw a crowd. He discusses the various methods for developing confidence, calling and holding a crowd, and enlarging the take. He discusses what can be learned from working the streets that can be applied to all magic venues. This booklet is a re-working and enlargement of the previously published notes from an August 1997 lecture at the Magic Castle.

4 - White Silicone Balls for The Street Cups
The perfect balls for performing the ageless Cups and Balls routine. These beautifully crafted white silicone balls measure 1 3/8". Set includes 4 balls.

New - The School for Scoundrels Close-Up Pad/Dice Stacking Boards

Framed Professional

Regular

Our hand-made Dice Stacking Board/Close-Up Pad features a perfectly smooth, black dice-stacking board made popular by Mike Rogers and on the flip side has a burgundy 4mm neoprene close-up pad. Regular 12”x16”, Jumbo 16”x24”. Easy to travel with, Chef Anton has been featuring this in his close-up routines for years. Now the secret is out!!!

Our professional version is the same top which is featured on The School for Scoundrels Street Table. The working surface is 17”x30”. It features a beautiful forest green velvet which makes an elegant close-up pad. The top can be turned over to provide a hard , slick surface for dice stacking, etc. You can also add a beautifully crafted hard-wood frame made of solid Poplar with a Golden Oak finish which allows the top to be placed onto any base.

School for Scoundrels Table for Close-Up and Street

The School for Scoundrels Close-Up and Street Table

4 height adjustments (33 3/4", 32 1/4", 30", 27 3/4")

Working Surface Dimension 19" x 32"

Weight in box ready to be shipped 25 lbs

This beautiful table is made exclusively for the School for Scoundrels by Mike Elkan Custom Furniture. It is gorgeous, beautifully stained and finished, light-weight and sturdy. It has 4 height adjustments (33 3/4", 32 1/4", 30", 27 3/4"). The beautiful forest green velvet makes for a perfect working surface, or the top can be turned over to provide a hard, slick surface for dice stacking, etc. The legs and top are hinged together to make for easy carrying and instant setup. This is the perfect table for Ren-Faire, festivals, corporate picnics or any outside performing situation, and is also great for fancier gigs. It is pretty enough to serve as a coffee table. The working surface is huge, perfect for the cups and balls, or for card work.

School for Scoundrels Street Table Bag

Protect your investment. Made of heavy canvas, these custom made bags are insulated with foam and have a zippered compartment for your personal belongings and props. Each bag has a shoulder strap for easy travel.

The Magnetic Golden and Magnetic Street Shells

The Magnetic Golden Shells

The Magnetic Street Shells

Made with the beauty and cleverness of our regular Golden Shells and super-realistic Street Shells, these exclusive sets offers the operator a truly "unfair advantage" -- magnetic shells and peas! Imagine the possibilities. Each shell in the set contains a rare-earth magnet invisibly embedded in the front of the shell. The special peas are magnetic—each contains a tiny, undetectable rare-earth magnet.

The shells are designed so that when the shell is pulled back slightly, the pea will be picked up, when pushed forward slightly--the pea is released under the shell. The magnets in both the pea and the shell make this sure-fire and dependable. This is not like a chop-cup, the pea is released from the shell by a smooth, natural motion.

The hand and shell can be shown empty, and the pea can appear under it at will. This makes moves like the Roll-Flash a cinch, and enables the performer to easily place an “empty” shell into the spectator’s hand without him feeling anything, and the pea can be made to appear under the shell whenever the performer is ready.

When used in combination with a second pea under another shell, the magnetic pea gives an unbeatable and mind-numbing advantage. The possibilities are endless. The shells come with five working peas, two straight peas, and two magnetic peas. A suede carrying bag is also included.

Magnetic Golden Shells - $200

Peas for the Shell Game

The School for Scoundrels Perfect Pea is made of an injection-molded polymer and are perfectly smooth and uniform. They are a bright green color (like a fresh pea). This color shows up well against almost any mat or performing surface. They are washable and never lose their grip. They will work fine on any type of surface--even glass or marble. These are regarded by most professionals (including Bob Sheets, Lennart Green, Rich Marotta, and Johnny Thompson) as the best peas ever made available for the shell game. Working Peas are used in the performance of the steal and pinch and other moves, Straight Peas are made of hard plastic and will not come out from under the shell--these are switched in or out in order for the spectators to examine them or handle the shells. Set includes five Working Peas and two Straight Peas.

Whit Haydn's The MongolianPop-Knot Booklet

For more informati on on Whit Haydn's The Mongolian Pop-Knot, click here.

This is Whit Haydn’s comedy routine for the cut and restored rope. Photos illustrate all the moves, and complete patter and presentation are included. This routine was part of the act that won Whit the award “Stage Magician of the Year” and “Parlour Magician of the Year” at the Magic Castle. It was originally developed for his street act in the 1960's, but has played for audiences on cruise ships, nightclubs, amusement parks, and television all around the world.

Whit Haydn's Comedy Four Ring Routine

For reviews of Whit Haydn's Comedy 4 Ring Routine, click here.

This video includes a live performance of Whit’s award-winning routine, and all the moves, patter, and presentational tips that make it easy to add this showpiece to your repertoire. This routine, originally developed for his street magic act in the 1960's, is considered by most experts to be the most commercial version of the linking rings available for any venue.

"If you don't have a linking ring routine and you want to add one to your stand-up repertoire, Whit Haydn's Comedy 4 Ring Routine is the place to start. Ring routines don't get much better than this."
--Michael Close, MAGIC Magazine

NEW - The Pool Hustler's Handbook

The Ultimate Bar Bet Book

Click Here for a Review from Pool and Billiard Magazine

Click Here for Excerpts from the Book

Never pay for a drink again! The Pool Hustler's Handbook is the ultimate bar bet book with 128 color pages and over 100 diagrams. This collection of the fifty best billiard brain teasers are designed to make you appear to be a knowledgeable and skilled pool player. It also teaches you how not to get hustled. Non-Buyers Beware!

"I can't believe he hustled me!"
Minnesota Fats

"A clever, entertaining book I wish I had written. What fun!"
Robert Byrne - BCA Hall of Fame

"Chef Anton shoots the works!
If you don't already know this stuff, buy a copy.
If you do already know this stuff, buy every copy--The jig is up!"
Harry "The Hat" Anderson - Cheers, Night Court, etc.

"If we were rating books on their fun factor,this one would walk away with all of the awards. Everyone who has ever picked up a pool cue should have a copy of this book - if only for their own self-defense!"
Pool and Billiard Magazine

Some customer reviews:

"Great job on the book. The presentation is superb. I can't wait to dig in!"

-- Califon Billiards

"We sold out in just three days. Customers are asking for it by name."

-- Game Room Gallery

I can't tell you how much your book has changed my life. I mean things
are completely different now. COMPLETELY different!!
Using your pool table hustles earned me millions of tax free dollars and
made me LOTS of new friends!! And roommates.

-- Alan Bernhoft

Thank you very much for the prompt service and
for personally autographing the cover - what a great and unexpected touch."

-- Rupert Ashford

"The spiral binding was a 'stroke' of inspiration, making the book easy to use"

-- Tom Shaw

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