The Phoenix
Iconic books available once again. This is an extremely rare opportunity to get original, new-condition D. Robbins copies of The Phoenix. Available separately (scroll to the bottom) or in a 5-book bundle.
(Please note: The Phoenix - Volume 3 (Issues 101-150) is not available in the bundle or separately).
These large, beautiful books are highly sought after collectibles that have often been difficult to find in good condition. However, during our purchase and renovation of the Vanishing Inc. magic stores in Disneyland and on Pier 39 in San Francisco, we uncovered an extremely limited amount of copies. Don’t miss your chance to add these to your collection!
Each book is available separately below or you can get more than 1,300 effects and ideas with the massive five-book bundle.
About The Phoenix
Produced by Louis Tannen of Tannen’s Magic, The Phoenix was a bi-weekly magic periodical written by Walter B. Gibson with Assistant Editor Bruce Elliot. It ran for 300 issues from January 1942 to Feb 1954 and featured an incredible array of wildly creative effects and ideas from some of the most respected magicians in the world.
Contributors to The Phoenix include:
- Ed Marlo
- Dai Vernon
- Nate Leipzig
- Alex Elmsley
- Ted Annemann
- Ross Bertram
- U.F. Grant
- Horace Goldin
- Paul Curry
- Jay Marshall
- Al Baker
- Jean Hugard
- Roy Benson
- Frank Garcia
- And so many others!
From close up magic and card magic to mentalism, stage and parlor magic, bar tricks and other fun moves, variations, and ideas, there is truly something for everyone in this special series.
To commemorate this iconic publication, a limited release hardcover book was created every 50 issues. In total there were six books housing over 1,500 ideas.
Every magician can benefit from having these in their library!
Bundle includes all books except for The Phoenix - Volume 3 (Issues 101-150), which is also unavailable separately.
Also available individually:
The Phoenix - Volume 1 (Issues 1-50 | January 1942 - December 1943)
Price: £31.75£31.75296 Entries | 207 Pages | Hardcover | Illustrated
Highlights include:
- Hard Boiled Miracle - A nickel vanishes and re-appears in a hard boiled egg
- Blow Up - Marked coin penetrates an inflated balloon
- Cut to Measure - Cut and restored tape measure
- Site-Unseen - Three selections are found by stabbing an unknown card reversed in the deck
- Ry for Mystery - A method for preparing for Out of this World during your performance
- Match Stickler - Burnt match vanishes and appears in spectator’s hand among unburnt matches
- Getting Away from Card Tricks - A surprising appearance of a whiskey glass during the explanation of a color change
- Cute Cut - Three selections are cut to
- Deferred Coincidence - Three cards selected from a red deck and from a blue deck end up matching
The Phoenix - Volume 2 (Issues 51-100 | December 1943 - February 1946)
Price: £31.75£31.75259 Entries | 200 Pages | Hardcover | Illustrated
Highlights include:
- Allow Me - Matchbook opens and a match stands up on its own
- Card Trick from Sphinx - A deck is held to the wall by flash paper that, when ignited, makes all the cards fall except for the selection
- Off the Bottom - One-handed bottom palm
- Matchless - Steel ball through filled matchbox
- Travel Thought - Divining two cities using cards and a map
- One Hand Control - Aces are lost and then found again using one hand only
- Tickets for Two - Two decks, two selections change places
- Detail Does It - “Do As I Do” but with three coins instead of cards
- Wine Go - A principle for vanishing liquid and also pouring two different liquids from a bottle
The Phoenix - Volume 4 (Issues 151-200 | May 1948 - April 1950)
Price: £31.75£31.75237 Entries | 197 Pages | Hardcover | Illustrated
Highlights include:
- No Misdirection - A clever quick trick for stopping hecklers
- Tabled - A single card through table
- Shoulder Card - A card to inside pocket or wallet without palming
- Jam Auction - A one to five dollar transpo that ends with the five turning into a dime
- Telexicon - Spectator cuts several alphabet cards and forms a word that the performer is able to divine
- Seconds - One-handed second deal
- Pop - Card jumps from the top of the pack up into the air
- Say it With Music! - An intriguing presentation for divining a selected vinyl record
- A Penny For Your Thoughts - Blindfolded performer divines the date of a coin and two selected words from a dictionary
The Phoenix - Volume 5 (Issues 201-250 | April 1950 - March 1952)
Price: £31.75£31.75253 Entries | 200 Pages | Hardcover | Illustrated
Highlights include:
- Dagger in the Mind - Blindfolded card stab using two decks and two cards
- Note to Hand - Clever matchbox billet switch
- Sic Transit - Selected cards visibly appear in a beer glass
- Grant’s Card Trick - Three cards change places in the spectator's hand and performer's pocket
- Full! - Empty matchbox becomes full
- Elmsley’s Puncture! - A hole on a business card is moved
- 10 to 1 - Dime is stretched until it's a silver dollar
- Allerton’s Biddled Card - A unique handling for the classic Biddle Trick
- Siumlacrum - Performer knows exactly where a spectator pushed a needle through a doll
The Phoenix - Volume 6 (Issues 251-300 | March 1952 - February 1954)
Price: £31.75£31.75257 Entries | 200 Pages | Hardcover | Illustrated
Highlights include:
- The Unambitious Card - Card travels down from the top one card at time (a fun effect for magicians)
- It’s The Humidity - The pips fall off the Aces leaving you with blank cards
- Rotator - A prop for writing down the order of a shuffled deck so it can be used as a memorized deck
- Invisible Water - A glass of water appears behind a wine list
- It’s My Move - The “poisioned” glass is found before it’s too late
- The Miser’s Dream Come True - A Miser’s Dream routine using a wine glass
- Made Match - A piece of wood is transformed into a match
- Migraine - Powder transforms into aspirin pills
- Bottom Reversal Control - A card is controlled to the bottom, while also being reversed in the process
- X-Deck - Named card has an X on the back
Customer reviews for The Phoenix
Our customers haven't reviewed this product yet. Be the first to review The Phoenix.
Community questions about The Phoenix
Have a question about this product? It's possible others do too. Ask here and other Vanishing Inc. Magic customers will be able to respond with assistance! Alternatively, email us and we can help too.
James asks: I have purchased the bound issues of 151-200 in the past only to find it did not contain Issue 153, pages 615-617,which contains the Sacks dice routine. Do these bound volumes include those pages?
- 1. Herman responds:In my bound volume of issues 151-200 the Sacks dice routine is in Issue 152 (NOT issue 153), pages 615-617. But I bought my bound volumes a long time ago with the first two volumes showing Louis Tannen as the publisher.
- 2. Justin responds:I purchased these books from Vanishing Inc. I am looking at The Phoenix 151-200. In Issue 152, Sack's Spotted Sorcery appears on pp. 615-617. It appears that issue 153 ends on p. 614 and that issue 154 begins on p. 619. So, if you are looking for Sack's Spotted Sorcery it is in this volume. I cannot explain why there is a gap in pages 614 through 619.
- 3. Don responds:There is a detailed description of the Sack's routine in Bruce Elliott's "Classic Secrets of Magic", pages 36 through 46. I don't know if it is word for word identical to the description in the Phoenix. This book is out of print, but available used and was relatively inexpensive the last time I looked.
1 question
