This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/12/2020
Real Secrets. An apparently complete file of the subscription magic trick service, including original mailing envelopes, receipts, packaging, apparatus, and instructions, as issued by the company. Not collated, but apparently complete, as sent to one of the “platinum” subscribers. Includes two years of material (all issued). Among the effects are Scratch Off Poker, Jelly Bean Estimator, versions of Simon Aronson’s Shuffle-Bored, and nearly two-dozen more. Neatly kept and organized. The first example of a complete set of this esoteric and secretive grouping of material to come to auction. Offered to subscribers on a quarterly or annual basis, Real Secrets was issued in 2012 and 2013 on a monthly basis. Launched with little fanfare and virtually no advertising – or information about the individuals behind its creation or what would comprise the series – Real Secrets nevertheless gained a steady following in a short period of time. Successive issues revealed hidden Easter egg-like messages and effects in previous releases, and many of the monthly issues included custom printed props – key tags, playing cards, paper goods, and other small articles – that make possible an array of startling and, often times seemingly impromptu tricks. Subscribers were encouraged not to discuss the effects or makeup of Real Secrets in order to keep the material semi-exclusive. The series concluded after just two years, and the website for the company is no longer active. It eventually became public knowledge that the duo responsible for the project was Michael Weber and Tim Trono.