I have made, bought and designed and built magic tables over the years, and I have come to the conclusion that there is no, one, perfect magic table out there.

The table I use depends on the contents of your show and the performing conditions. For example, if I'm working in a mall, let's say at the food court with strolling magic, I might have all the props on my person or I might use The Abbott Night Club Table, for it's easy to move from one place to another and you can work with a large close-up pad attached to a board.

After each trick, you simply lift the board, ditch the effect and obtain the new one. Every prop is out of the sight and reach of spectator. If I'm doing a stage show and there are quite a few other performers in the show, I use Lefler's suitcase table-the smaller size. It doesn't detract from the other props because of bright colours and gaudy designs like the Mak Magic Hat and Cane.

If I'm doing a manipulative routine, I'll use my space-age plexiglass table held together by velcro. For sidewalk magic, I'll use a recycyled organ stage complete with wooden tray and close-up pad.

The biggest problem with most tables is the weight. My latest table is a Marcello Contendo table with the spider legs. I bought one of those light ATM tool boxes(look like a brief case) from Canadian Tire, I then attached rubber plugs-the ones that came with the Contendo magic table to the bottom of the case.

Got to leave for Akea so I have to cut this short. Anybody out there discovered the perfect table?

Darryl the Wizard

I have to agree, there is no perfect table, as the situation you are in dictates which table is the most useful.

You have to decide whitch "bad" to keep. I have tried all different tables and the best one I like is the suitcase table. They are heavy but with rollers they make it a lot better to lug around. There is no "perfect" table.

Nothing is perfect.

Of course, there is the belief that the perfect magic table is the one you are not using now.

For me, it's down to a suitcase table vs. a simple collapsible table and a case. So far I've stayed away from the suitcase tables, they just look too heavy.

Another user here suggested an x-frame music stand and gave a link to an inexpensive one. It works really well, easy to make a top for it out of plywood.

I use a suitcase table all the time with a custom made tabletop on top for more room. The lefler suitcase tables are fantastic but the top is much much too small for me.

I need room, baby!!!

Weight is somewhat of an issue but it's got wheels and I usually carry everything on a wheeled-dolly-thingy anyway to keep me at one-trip-to-the-car. It's lockable too. When I did a festival type thing and did not know what to expect, I didn't care. Brought all my stuff, put what I wanted into my pouch, and locked the rest up inside the lefler table, around a pole with a combination retractible cable-lock from REI.


I've found some tupperware boxes that fit like a glove (3-accross) into the
lefler table shelf. That keeps the props from wandering from place to place.
When I set up, I remove the lids (which aren't really needed since the fit is
so nice) and use them like drawers. The center box always holds the items I
need in my pockets to start my show. I bought many additional boxes (with different colored lids) for future needs or different types of shows.

I always use the same tabletop but sometimes I will use a restaurant tray stand.
That is pretty rare these days.


So the combination of safety, portability, convenience, the boxes on the shelf discovery, et al, has me thinking that the lefler pro table is the way to go.

I use the small one. Perhaps I'll try out the larger one one day. I could use just a touch more room. But the large lefler is (I think) an inch taller, which I don't really want. I could remove the wheels since I never really use the wheels anyway.

Just a thought.

I came to the conclusion that what I needed was already being mass produced, somewhere. I have a lot of experience working in plastic injection mold shops, so I knew that plastics could be strong and durable, yet be very light.

I prefer to work out of a duffle or plastic tote, sitting on a restaurant tray stand. I could never see the sense in pulling props from behind a table, instead of up from a box.

I sometimes use a Viking tripod, with a cutting board top, with elastic wound around it to keep props from blowing off.

For chop cup, I use an ammo crate with speaker cloth covering it, mounted on a Eureka base. The opening of the crate faces me, during the show - a side of the crate is used as the table top.