This review is for the Strat-O-Sphere. Not sold at Penguin, but many other dealers carry it. Picture above, link here.

The Effect: The audience sees a clear tube with a base, a large metal cylinder, three brightly colored balls, and a small box. The clear tube is covered with the metal cylinder. Although the tube and cylinder have just enough room for the three balls, the audience is always unable to keep track of the colors as they are placed inside. It seems that the balls keep jumping from place to place.

Finally , the magician removes one of the balls and places it into the small box...instantly the box is open to reveal that the ball has vanished...the audience can see clear through to the other side ! The metal cylinder is removed and the ball has returned to join the other two!

The basics: Let me just comment on the quality of this product before I begin the actual review. You recieve a wooden base, all the balls, the smaller tube, the larger (gimmicked) tube, and a Gung-Ho-Vanishing Box. Let me just say, these are of excellent quality. The tube goes straight on the base. The bigger tube slips straight over the smaller tube. The balls slide like butter down the sides of the tube. The Gung-Ho-Vanishing box has a high-quality gimmick in it. The balls are pretty darn durable, also. Add all these up, color it with some extremely beautiful colors, and you have yourself a Strat-O-Sphere.

This routine is excellent. It, of course, can be about a stoplight. They supply you with patter about a stoplight worker in which the person who puts the colors in order always messed up. It could be about kids on a bus stop. In fact, they supply you with this patter, also. A lot of routines are available with this special prop.

The coloring is beautifuly hand-done. Airbrushed, stencling, all of it is done. It's not just run through a machine and poorly done.

This routine is extremely easy, yet effective. I came up with original patter, and that was the hardest part! If you can open a box and place balls in a tube, you can do this effect. One slighlty difficult thing is your lighting, as it will effect your tube in a way. Another thing is angles. The angles on the vanishing-box are just about head on, and slighlty to the sides. This is extremely easy, though.

Also, the Gung-Ho-Vanishing Box can be shown empty, and you'll be able to produce a large amount of silks. It can be used to produce many items that fit.

What else is there to say? I paid $80.00 for mine, but I would've gladly paid $150 for the beauty, quality, and secret of this product. It was my first near $100 purchase on an individual effect, so I was hoping it'd be of good quality. I'll let you know, I'm not disappointed one bit.

The effect: 10 I mean, there are so many routines, it's over-whelming.
The gimmick: 10 The gimmick is inside the bigger tube, and you can still show the tube empty. Invisible to the eye, and completely self-contained.
Reset: 9 Reset is extremely easy, and will take about two seconds in an alone place.
Quality: OFF THE SCALE Off the scale. What else is there to say?

The final word: This product quality cannot be shown by a picture. I recommend picking one up, today!

I always include this effect when I perform my children's routine. It gives them a chance to yell out the colors and counting and they always scratch their heads when the one ball always ends up at the bottom.

Yup. An extremely effective kids show effect.

I took my son to a b'day party recently and there was a magician who performed this effect. It actually baffled me as well.

I have to agree.

This was one of the first props I bought, and it's been in every one of my (non-closeup) shows ever since.

It's a crowd favorite -- for adults as well as children of all ages. Great reactions all-around.

There's somethin' about the look of it that makes it that bit more amazing. It's sittin' right here on my shelf, so everytime I look up, I see it.

Somebody PMed me asking a question about the box. Yes, when you show it empty, you can reach your arm through the center and the top!

Here's some pics of mine! Sorry for the messy room.





I wish my camera would take better video, but I'll try later to take a video of the effect. It's a great cam for pics, though!

I think this is a thrill for children because of its use of bright primary colors and the basic miracles of the effect - transpositions, a vanish and a reappearance. Plus the children like seeing unusual “Magical” props. I always use a magic wand to demonstrate the red ball traveling from the box back to the tube.

I group this into my other “Sure Fire” children’s effects: Hippity Hop Rabbits, Sucker Die Box, Acrobatic Silks and Squared Circle Deception. (With squared circle, I pull out 2 33’ ft. colored silk streamers, a full bottle of cola and a rabbit puppet).

awesome review..i should get it

i also love this trick. i bought mine from penguin magic about a year and half ago when they still offered it. i think i paid somewhere around 50 or 60 for it back then (not certain). i must say i have enjoyed using it for the kids i work with in church. i usually use it to illustrate a biblical story or idea. the kids go nuts over it. something that also goes great with this type of effect is the hippity hop bunnies. not necassarily with in the same act; but it definitely falls into the same category in my opinion for amazing the kiddo's. the one trick i wish penguin had not discontinued was the square circle deception. i have yet to find a magic dealer that carries the one penguin used to sale. it had all the features and looks i was wanting in a square circle deception, then when i finally got the money for it i went to penguin placed it on order then the computer spit out those awful words DISCONTINUED.

Good job that you got the original, and not the Joker Tube that they have here at PenguinMagic

Actually, they discontinued both here.

DANG IT! CRAP! Errghhh I was going to get the Jokers Tube. Dang it. Why did they quite?


luois

Because they discontinued the Kid's Show section, and most of the products.

Ohh. They haven't had that discontinued long have they? Mabey a couple of months? Becuas i was about to perchase it in the summer.

luois,

You can still purchase the joker tube at larocksmagic.com

I can say that if penguin doesn't carry it can't I?