Magical folks,

Abbott's should give each of you a commission for, first, your excitement over the entertainment value of the mutilated parasol effect and, second, the excellence of the Abbott's model. Your comments/observations are among the most valuable things that have ever been recorded on the Café website.

Magical things,
Zipper

Zipper,

Actually there are many of us on the Café that would recommend many other wonderful manufacturers / creators / dealers of magic props as well as Abbott's. It is just that the question in this thread was asked regarding the parasols specifically.

I will always recommend the creators and dealers of every prop in our shows as quality and workmanship are of the utmost of importance to us. We have found that investing in props and support equipment that will withstand the wear and tear of regular hauling and performance are worth their weight in gold. The ability to contact the creators for support of their props is priceless!

~Nanci

Here is a straight forward review and exactly my experience upon recieving my Abbott's Parasol. I am a Toronto Magician who paid over $510.00 for this product. I saw the youtube videos. Everyone said this is the best. Here is the truth.
I got a cardboard box in the mail. I opened it up. I saw the parasol and a bag. Inside the bag were small scunched up silk hankies about 9 inches and these were cut in half. They looked nothing like the videos on the internet. Then I opened the parasol. Black chips fell all over the floor. I asked Abbott's to please check my order over carefully before sending it to me. They did not. How could they. Then I noticed that the parasol did not stay open but had to be held open. Then I noticed a small white patch that was missing a part of the red silk on the umbrella. I had to re-paint the parasol and the column as well. I am going to replace the silks as well. They are unsatisfactory. I informed Abbots. They said the column is thinner now and they have to make the silks small to fit. I am only upset because what I got is not what I saw. They could have left a disclaimer stating, "Product may not look as shown." That is all they had to do. Since they are not going to do this. I am!
Buyers Beware. Abbott's Mutilated Parasol is not what it looks like online or on the internet.
Yours truly, and truthfully, Vincent.

The truth being told, Magic is a pretty small business, for the most part.... and the dealers, magicians, and customers tend to know each other pretty well, and all things being equal, word gets around and nobody wants to deal with someone who isn't honest.

The same holds true for magic prop reviews......if you shoot people straight, you shouldn't have any problems....having said that, magic dealers need to stand behind their props and treat their customers right.

If you have paid good money for a prop from a manufacturer that is unsatisfactory, you should have a right to receive fair and responsive customer service from the dealer you bought it from....the best dealers will always do this as they value their customers and their brand name's reputation.

I suggest that if you are unhappy with your Abbott's Mutilated Parasol to call Greg Bordner at Abbott's and discuss the matter with him.