Magical moments at Potter & Potter bring in thousands of dollars

WHAT: Magic, and all things related to the history thereof, is a lucrative niche in collecting. From antique or vintage posters to advertising, props, accessories, devices and how-to guides, it all sells. And sometimes it sells big.

About a decade ago, Potter & Potter started in Chicago as an auction house specializing in magic and its memorabilia. The house has since expanded to related fields and retail. In a sale of gambling memorabilia last month, lots included the $12,000 circa 1880 brass Will & Finck Jacob’s Ladder-style brass sleeve holdout pictured here, where the card return was activated by a rubber band. Later models used a spring, and even later models were plug-in.

MORE: Early books explaining the how-to of classic tricks are extremely popular. One title, “Advantage Card Playing and Draw Poker,” where one page showed a typical sleeve holdout, fetched $14,400.

SMART COLLECTORS KNOW: This is one collecting category where buyers seek what they like. There is no rule for what constitutes a good collection, so anything goes. Buyers are united by a fascination with flim-flam, sleight of hand, cons, illusion, cheating devices (the sale had gizmos for nicking cards and loading dice), and crooked tricks.

Collecting specialties range from posters featuring great magicians to trick vintage toys and card sharping.

HOT TIP: At the time, Will & Finck holdouts were favored by professional sharpers due to their compact construction, size and smooth operation.

BOTTOM LINE: The top lot at $24,000 was a rare 1882 book on how to win at Faro. A crooked-dice-making jig brought $1,140, and a reflective ring made so the wearer could read cards as they were dealt off the top of the deck sold for $1,320.

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