There are times I really wish I didn't have to use my copper cups, but plastic is too toyland-ish. You know, those living room performances at dinner parties where your audience is middle aged. Copper is far too formal, plastic ruins the mood as they start to take you for a kiddy magician. These are great for that audience. I would not use them at a child's party or at larger college or corporate events.

That said, these ARE wood. They aren't fragile but you can't drop them onto hard floors. The won't ding. They'll split.

They are fairly well turned for the price, though one of my set wasn't fully widened at the mouth. It tended to ride high on the other two cups. No worries, I just grabbed some 120 sandpaper and spent 15 minutes with it, opening it up until it fit will onto the others.

The interior isn't finished and the wood hasn't had any chemical stabilizer added. I can see a few steaks of light coming through the bases when I hold them to the light. I'll be adding, gradually, some citrus oils to the interiors to help stabilize them against humidity changes (we get wild swings in humidity in Texas).

They are nicely balanced. Being wood, you don't get that "tink" sound when you load a hard object, which is very nice. They are finished on the outside with what feels like polyurethane; really slick. Dry hands will run the risk of having these slip through your grip; use glycerin or some other moisturizer before working with these.

I was not sure what would show up in the mail when I bought this set of cups and balls. I was teaching a young magician how to do some cups and balls routines and I knew he needed a set of his own. I'm not rich so I looked around and decided, why not give the wooden set a try. He'd been using my copper set, but he's still learning and klutzy. I knew he needed something he didn't have to worry about getting lost, stolen or banged up. From the pictures I felt these looked great for the price, and again, I kept thinking wood, I have to see this. My apprentice did a show a few days before these came in the mail and I was so proud as he used tinfoil balls and red plastic solo cups. He was so taken back when I presented him with his own "snazzy" cups and balls. He's been working non-stop with them ever since and loves it! Now, I plan to order myself a set for my magic collection. They are light weight, they are great for those starting out and over all I feel very worth their price. I'm pretty convinced that if you can become seamless with this set you can buy the 100+ dollar set of your dreams with out hesitation.

I just recieved these in tha mail. I have to say when I first pulled them out of the bag I was disappointed with the size of the cups. I figured they would of been bigger. There was also a chip in the rim of one of the cups, which I had to glue to fix.

However, After I began to use the cups I absolutely loved the way they felt and handled. The color goes good with my theme in magic. I tend to use alot of medicine man/ Voodoo type of themes. The organic look of the cups just fits very well.

The balls that come with the cups are your standard balls that would come with a set of cups. So I was happy about that as well.

Overall after using them and running through my routine; I found that I was satisfied. Be carefull with them though. I can see them breaking if you drop them on a hard service.

I perform magic in a medieval setting (I'm a historical reenactor, and a member of the SCA). A lot of modern props are simply unsuitable for the style of presentation that I do. I've been looking for a nice wood or metal set of cups for this effect, and these looked simple enough to work - with the potential to decorate further myself later.

They arrived today, and I'm very pleased with the overall quality. All three cups stack straight and evenly, and the coloring is a sort of yellow/maple. There were no cracks, chips or damage to the finish on any of the cups. The balls provided were of good quality, and I was able to perform with them immediately upon removing the cups from the bag. There was also a one page (folded) set of instructions on how to perform, that aren't really adequate for a routine, but most people aren't buying a set without already having some other reference on what to do.

There are a couple of minor flaws, some of which are not really an issue for me, but I wanted to mention them. The finish on the cups is very glossy and slick to the touch with dry fingers. You may want to scuff them up slightly or moisten your hands with lotion before performing. The interior of the cups are unfinished, but sanded smooth. You will want to rub some furniture oil (etc) into them to condition the wood and ensure a longer lifespan for the cups. The bag that the cups are stored in is a thin, red velvet and the fit is very snug getting the cup sin and out of the bag. I hope that it will stretch out a bit with use, and this is really the only thing that kept me from giving it 5 stars.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the purchase, and with the quality of the cups. For twenty bucks, I consider this a good bargain for someone looking for basic set of wooden cups.

These cups and balls are great.The cups are made vary well, they can take a lot of force, and are beautiful. As well, the balls that come with the cups display nice for presentation and are good for manipulation.

I handle these at a convention. I was not impressed with the overall quality.Penguin offers many great alternatives. The overall balance and feel was just not up to snuff. They are better than the little plastic cups to get and kids kits.