Friday, September 4, 2009

Floating Table with Box

ORIGINAL ITEM

Floating Table (with box) by Losander





NEW ITEM

Floating Table with wooden case


Floating Table
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10 comments:

Unknown said...

According to Losander’s own website (Sept. 2007)( http://www.magicalvisionsllc.com/isell3/product.php?id=102 ), he “created” a special effect Floating Table in 1997. He further states “[long list of magicians] . . . They do not support copies in this business. Losander would appreciate if you, as a Magician of honor and integrity would do the same.” ... “And of course if it doesn't say Losander's Floating Table, than it's a copy!“ While I am sure the magicians listed would not knowingly support an unauthorized copy, the implication that his is the original and all others are copies seems to be questionable at best.

Interestingly enough, Losander admits the floating table has been around awhile on the Viking Magic website (http://www.vikingmagic.com/?nd=full&key=1009 ) (Sept. 2007) “The Floating Table has been with us for over 100 years but not until Dirk Losander's Floating Table has there been even the slightest improvement. It is the best Floating Table you have ever seen.” This is not quite accurate either.


TRUTHFULLY, It seems the floating table or “spirit table” effect has been around for at least 200 years. Various means have been used. Some used threads that ran across the top of the table, thread loops that were attached to the table top, pins that extended from the table and caught in a ring that was notched to accept the pins, nails that attach to finger rings, magnets and various versions of the zombie gimmick. Some have had the zombie gimmick built in, others have had it attachable as in a regular zombie. All have depended on a table that was made of either balsa or other light wood, or a very light plastic. How Losander can claim he created it on his website, and claim he has made the first improvement of it on the Viking Magic web site is beyond me - but he does.

The first floating table, using a zombie gimmick (that I have located) was an unknown Albanian magician in Yugoslavia in the late 1970’s. I am not saying this was the first, just the earliest I know about. He sold one to a fellow European, from Republic of Slovenia, Vladimir Mikek (Stage name: Wladimir). Wladimir can prove that he was performing a Floating Table using a modified zombie gimmick MUCH earlier than Dirk Losander. (I have a newspaper article dated Sept. 1982 with him performing it. Wladimir further modified it with the magnet, and then Losander came out with the candle and the box effects. )

Most magicians that think Losander is the “Father of the Floating Table”. This is simply not true, although Losander seems to push this misinformation. It appears Dirk Losander got his idea from Vladimir Mikek and changed it to it’s current gimmick - created by Tommy Wonder, not Losander. Due to Tommy Wonder’s gimmick, Losander’s table also had to be lightened even more making it VERY fragile. Dirk Losander DID NOT come up with the floating table as many incorrectly, but he did popularize it today and does have a beautiful presentation.

I do not know why floating table makers do not give credit for their table, or even worse, assume credit for all floating tables. Probably because misguided magicians who are willing to pay premium prices for what they think is an “original”.

Please don’t misunderstand. I am not saying that Losander’s is a copy -completely. He does use Tommy Wonder’s gimmick. In the Viking Magic statement, he even claims he only made an improvement on it. Losander has even released a video explaining how to make the Tommy Wonder gimmick for a floating table.

Since Wladimir’s floating table there has been a number of other manufactures: Tim Wright, the Da Vinci Table, Stefan Schutzer, Abbots, Owens, Mikame, and Elite Magic to name the biggest. These are big names. Would you expect them to be “stealing” Losander’s idea - as Losander implies?

January 11, 2010 at 7:07 AM
Unknown said...

There is more to this story than Kerry has stated. Obviously, Losander did not invent the floating table. All of us in the business have seen the Owen table, the Thayer table (which Owen copied) and the plethora of other similar tables.

Kerry has not shown any proof of the existence of or the exact method of the "unknown Albanian zombie gimmick" nor has he shown any proof of Wladimir's version.

Losander did not use Tommy Wonder's zombie gimmick in the same form as the Wonder version. Where the credit is due Tommy Wonder is in the principle of having the hookup above the center of gravity and having it pivot, as in the Zombie ball shown in Tommy's books.

As far as having a table with a zombie gimmick that is more than 200 years old, I simply find this unbelieveable until Kerry can come up with some direct proof.

Since the Zombie ball was invented by Joe Karson in 1943, it is incomprehensible that a floating table using that same gimmick existed 143 years before the trick the gimmick was invented for.

November 28, 2010 at 10:58 AM
Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
November 28, 2010 at 10:58 AM
Unknown said...

I think further comment here is necessary. Some of this material was posted at the Magic Cafe and basically was considered without proof.

Here's the problem. In order to prove that the Losander table owes its origins to the Wladimir improvement on the alleged "unknown Slovenian magician's" table, there would need to be some kind of proof of access.

Access is a legal term that is used in intellectual property cases. It basically means that the person accused of pinching the material had to have some kind of contact with the original material. Usually this would mean that the "pinchor" would need to have seen the table and have some kind of working knowledge of what was going on with it. Merely seeing a performance by the alleged "pinchee" would not necessarily constitute access.

So, if Kerry can produce concrete evidence that Losander saw Wladimir's table, then he should produce it. Otherwise, he should stop beating this dead horse.

November 28, 2010 at 11:31 AM
Unknown said...

If he had any sense he would have patented it or copyrighted it. The others are being smart and taking advantage of this huge mistake.

January 9, 2011 at 3:15 PM
Magic Unlimited said...

Carleen, unfortunately it is virtually impossible to patent or copyright a trick. In the rare cases where one can acquire a patent (ie: D'Lite) it still doesn't stop unethical people from copying it.

January 9, 2011 at 3:23 PM
Unknown said...

now in india floating table is available for 25 us dollor ..in us we need to pay only shipping more than 25 dollor

November 7, 2012 at 4:46 AM
albanian magician said...

Bill Palmer said...
Kerry has not shown any proof of the existence of or the exact method of the "unknown Albanian zombie gimmick" nor has he shown any proof of Wladimir's version.
---------------------
BILL PALMER.If you need a proof i can send you, This is the Albanian Magician.I know losander from the day when he was walking with diaper.Tommy get the table from me December 22/1980.If you need more information.Please leave message here where to contact you.

November 29, 2013 at 10:12 PM
Unknown said...

Funny, Bill Palmer is not saying anything now.

Aside from that, I CLEARLY stated he that Losander used Tommy Wonder's method of floating. My comment is that he did not INVENT the effect as I CLEARLY stated.

Losander DOES want people to think it is his invention so his legion of zombies will buy them at incredibly inflated prices. I find this UNETHICAL, not illegal.

Bill, I respect you and your efforts, but you are so off base here it is incredible. Man up and admit you were wrong for once.

May 11, 2014 at 12:28 PM
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July 24, 2021 at 2:51 AM

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