Nielsen Magic

Nielsen Magic Page featuring news, information and activities of Nielsen Magic. Specializing an exclusive line of magicians' props and supplies, and magic posters.

Founded sixty-four years ago, Nielsen Magic is the Number One Source for original and reproduction magic posters on the internet. We are also the manufacturers of the exclusive Nielsen Magic line of magic props, which include the Okito-Nielsen line. Our customer service is exceptional and all items are proudly made in the United States.

Exactly six years ago today, my husband and best friend was called back to Heaven. Norm Nielsen and I shared twenty-five...
04/22/2026

Exactly six years ago today, my husband and best friend was called back to Heaven. Norm Nielsen and I shared twenty-five wonderful years together, and there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of him.

I miss him deeply. 😢

He loved simple things. His favorite beer was a nice, cold Heineken in the evening after a good, productive day in the workshop.

Today, as I spend time with family and friends in Panama City, I couldn’t help but order one in his honor.

Until we meet again, Norm. ❤️🙏🏼

04/05/2026

Happy Easter, my Facebook friends!

I wish you a blessed day full of renewal and new beginnings. Thank you, Jesus! ❤️🙏🏼 ✝️

I just realized that I haven’t posted anything on social media in a while. Frankly, I have been very busy in the last few weeks. I am attempting to make a batch of Okito-Nielsen Chinese Sticks, and working on other projects.

My daily tasks in the shop have been too boring and mundane. Thankfully, there has been no drama and no complications worth posting online .

However, I did make a little video of a repair I completed last week. I admire other builder friends like my dear friend Paul Lembo, who is the king of magic prop repairs. He has the patience of a saint with these tasks.

People don’t realize the time it takes to make a small repair on a prop. A client sent me the lid of a box that someone dropped and dented. From beginning to end, the repair took days to finish. I asked the client to send the dented lid. Luckily, the wood was not cut in any way. To fix dents, the trick is to expand the wood fibers. The lid already has finish in it, so I dipped the corner in water for 3 - 4 hours. The water slowly creeps into the wood expanding its fibers and restoring its shape. I then waited a day to let it dry, before I tackled the job of sanding and finishing the lid. The nearly two-minute video shows the process.

Have a great week folks! Stay well. ❤️🤗

Another beautiful day in Las Vegas, NV. Thank you, God, for the delightful weather. ❤️🙏🏼Here is a selfie of me today - b...
03/14/2026

Another beautiful day in Las Vegas, NV. Thank you, God, for the delightful weather. ❤️🙏🏼

Here is a selfie of me today - before a painting session - in my natural habitat.

Have a great weekend, folks! ❤️😘🤗

I have been quite busy for the last couple of weeks. I have been finishing a small custom order (which took me longer th...
03/11/2026

I have been quite busy for the last couple of weeks. I have been finishing a small custom order (which took me longer than anticipated), and last night I finished cleaning the entire shop in order to “change gears” so to speak.

Today, I am starting to work on a batch of Okito-Nielsen Chinese Sticks, as there has been a demand for them.

I can no longer get the fabric for the bags in which they were packed, so I am using another material.

I am now running errands and purchasing the primer to be used on these. The picture shows the materials for the primer ONLY that I just purchased. This little box contains $265.14 worth of materials. I only purchased a quart of primer, the reducer and paint nozzles.

The sticker shock on all materials is real. The price of metals has almost tripled since the pandemic, nd the price of paint is prohibitive.

The above does not include the paint or the decals. The materials for the decals I make has quintupled in price, and it is difficult to get.

This is the new reality for all craftsmen and builders out there. Although I should be retiring, I admit that I do like what I do.

Have a great Hump Day folks!

Today is February 17, 2026. Today is Norm Nielsen’s birthday.Happy Birthday, Norm!!! ❤️🤗🎁🎂🎈🥳Not one day goes by that I d...
02/17/2026

Today is February 17, 2026. Today is Norm Nielsen’s birthday.

Happy Birthday, Norm!!! ❤️🤗🎁🎂🎈🥳

Not one day goes by that I don’t think of him. He enriched my life and made me a better human being. I am deeply grateful for that gift.

May God bless you always, Norm, wherever you are now. ❤️🙏🏼

This photo was taken in 2015, and it is of Norm (on the right front) with his lifelong friend Johnny Thompson (left). Johnny and Norm met in the early 1960s. They were from the Chicago area and they both shared a passion for magic. They collaborated in many ways and produced several magic effects that we still sell.

Johnny developed a comedy magic act and became known as one of the most knowledgeable experts in the field, becoming a consultant for some of the best known magicians in the world today. Norm developed a manipulative magic act, manufactured magic and later became a magic poster collector.

Good times! I miss them both. ❤️😢

12/31/2025

Video # 21 - Nielsen Dean’s Box - 2025 Batch

The Final Video.

Well folks, guess what? All good things come to an end.

This one minute video at 2x speed, shows the conclusion of our over 600 hour project. I am also grateful that my pal Denny made some time to assist me in the process.

In the last 20 videos you have seen us cut the materials, shape them, transform them and finish them into the various components for our magic boxes. This is where everything comes together. After applying the exterior finish, we gather all the parts and attach them to the make the final product.

IMHO, Dean’s Box is one of the best parlor magic tricks in the world of magic today.

This piece is available for sale in our website at www.nnmagic.com

At this time I would like to take a moment to THANK YOU VERY MUCH for your kind following and support. It is people like you that make my job worthwhile.

I also would like to wish you a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year.

May God bless you all! ❤️🤗🙏🏼

12/31/2025

Video # 20 - Nielsen Dean’s Box - 2025 Batch

We really made a week long push to complete the boxes at this stage.

After all the pieces are stained, the next steps are:
1. Install the magnetic catches on the lids.
2. Apply the a coat of sealer.
3. Sand all the pieces - lids and boxes - after the sealer coat with a fine grit sandpaper.
4. Apply two coats of the final finish.

Whew!!! Almost done…

The video is at 2x the speed and show a little bit of the process.

12/26/2025

Video # 19 - Nielsen Dean’s Box - 2025 Batch

The following video footage was recorded on December 7, 2025. Although the project is completed, I promised to finish the entire video series about the process.

It is time to apply a finish to the exterior of the boxes.

The first step is to stain all the boxes first. Adding a stain allows us to control the finish by making sure that the wood looks uniform in color throughout the entire batch.

We clean the interiors and mask and protect them, and then proceed to stain them.

Everything is tedious but straightforward.

My speaking part is at 1.25x the speed to avoid voice distortion, and the rest of the video is at 2x speed. A huge “thank you” goes to my friend Denny for his assistance in the process. With his help, we were able to finish the boxes by mid-December. 😁

12/21/2025

Video # 18 - Nielsen Dean’s Box - 2025 Batch

The following steps, summarized in a one minute video, took several days to do.

After the lids are fitted to the boxes. The next steps are:

- Round over the sharp edges of the entire box. We want to ensure that when you hold it, it is pleasant and soft to the touch. This is done with a router bit on a router table.
- Each box is individually numbered.
- The lid has a magnetic catch so that it will stay closed during performance. The hole for the magnet is drilled at this stage.
- The rear edge of the lid is rounded over as well.
- The entire box and lid are sanded one last time with 220 grit sand paper. The sander has a soft pad to help sand the edges without flattening them or damaging the main sander pad.

This entire process is repeated on all the one hundred boxes we are making for this batch.

12/18/2025

Video # 17 - Nielsen Dean’s Box - 2025 Batch

As promised, I am committed to post the remainder process videos for Dean’s Boxes.

After the mortises are cut and the hinges and lids of the boxes are installed, the next step is to properly fit the lids to the boxes.

Remember: The boxes we are making are 100% handcrafted. We have gone through dozens of steps and multiple parts. The material we are using is wood, which expands and contracts. Although we are being as precise as possible, there will be a few variations in each of the boxes. It is normal to have a 1/16” small margin of error on each piece. All the pieces have been cut, glued, clamped, sanded and withstood a lot of handling.

All the discrepancies are corrected on the steps described in this video which is played at 1.25x speed for brevity.

12/08/2025

Video # 16 - Nielsen Dean’s Box - 2025 Batch

The following video at 1.5x the speed is self explanatory.

The boxes have been routed, and it is time to install the hinges to check everything for fit.

This step took us a couple of days, as there are one hundred boxes in this batch.

I will be posting almost daily now, because we are soon approaching the end of the process, and I am behind on the videos. Lol!

(We are doing our best to have these ready by next week. 😜)

Address

Las Vegas, NV
89133

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+17026567674

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