Abbott’s monthly publication, Tops Magazine, covered the magic scene happenings, and contained some of the best magic of the day.
For a while they also published “Trick Annuals” which had just magic, no convention coverage, advertising, etc.
In 1963, Tops was having its silver anniversary, turning 25 years old. (I was turning 3 years old!) So the 1963 Trick Annual has the extra “silver anniversary” cachet! But collectability aside, this annual has some GREAT magic from some of the greatest magicians of the 1950’s and 1960’s:
Ren Fetzer’s Lift off – floating mike stand effect. Stewart Judah’s Divination with ESP cards, McCathy’s Kidshow routine, Marlo’s homing card handling, a John Braun card routine, Dennis Loomis’ Okito box routine, Eddie Joseph Ring and rope handling, ideas and routines for the AttaBoy trick and the Pogo Ball trick (or Ghost Cabinet, where a ball and glass are in a cabinet, and the ball mysteriously ends up inside the glass), a serial number divination by North Bigbee, a bunch of great ideas from Joseph White, a sex-detector routine and balloon rabbit hat, both from Sid Lorraine, a foxy card reveal from Karrell Fox, and a routine from Tom Palmer (later known as Tony Andruzzi).
This 55 year old publication is in near Mint condition. It has some minor yellowing around the edge of the cover, but otherwise, is in almost perfect shape.
