We collect unusual toys, and with a collection of over 20,000 (and rising!) that have been bought over the last 30 years, there is a wide variety of amazing things to share with you!
We don’t do dolls! Our toys might have a fun or unusual mechanism, can be used to amaze or puzzle people, are a bit magical or maybe a bit scientific. Whatever the angle, they have to have something a bit ‘special’ about them.
Nearly all the toys you see here are from Tim’s Toy Collection, and are no longer available in the shops. Many were bought 20 or even 30 years ago!
However we do have a small range of items that can be bought on-line. You can visit the Grand Illusions Toy Shop, www.grand-illusions.com
Hendrik Ball
www.grand-illusions.com
From Grand Illusions. Visit Tim’s Toy Shop, at https://www.grand-illusions.com/ _______________________________________________________________________ Next, Tim has quite a few vases in his toy collection, although as you might expect they are not exactly normal vases! First up, a metal magician’s vase, which magically refills itself with water! One of the items commemorating the Queen Elizabeth’s Silver Jubilee in…
From Grand Illusions. Laurence and Angela St.Leger created a range of wonderful miniature automata. See https://www.laurenceandangelastleger.com/ This one shows three Can Can dancers, or maybe they are part of the line-up at the Folies Bergère? Tim made a video recently, showing many of the St. Leger automata – see https://youtu.be/G1hmwR3_6Dg Sadly, Laurence St.Leger passed away…
From Grand Illusions. This is a working model of a Chinese compass that dates from the 4th century BC. It is believed to be the oldest instrument in the world which is known to be a compass. The square plate is made of bronze, and the spoon or ladle is made of lodestone. Lodestones are…
From Grand Illusions. Visit Tim’s Toy Shop, at https://www.grand-illusions.com/ _______________________________________________________________________ Tim is always ready to share his puzzles and illusions in order to entertain people. For this reason he keeps a range of small items in his pocket at all times, ready for some impromptu fun at a moment’s notice. So imagine if you will…
From Grand Illusions. Essential equipment for parties!
From Grand Illusions. Tim has a self reversing train in his collection – every time it hits an obstacle, it reverses direction. However it just consists of the engine. However there was a Japanese toy that was made around 1980, which Tim does not have, but wishes he did! This train has an engine and…
From Grand Illusions. Tim has many items in his collection which are based around cutlery. Starting with his ‘Cutlery Clock’. From a trick fork and a trick knife, to forks that revolve in order to help you eat your spaghetti! A telescopic fork and spoon for otherwise out of reach items… and a spoon with…
From Grand Illusions. Laurence and Angela St.Leger created a range of wonderful miniature automata. See https://www.laurenceandangelastleger.com/ This one shows the Pied Piper of Hamelin, who legend has it was employed by the town of Hamelin in Germany to rid the town of a plague of rats back in the Middle Ages. He played his magic…
From Grand Illusions. ‘The Magic Show’ is a book that knows how to perform magic tricks! It was created some years ago by two of Tim’s friends. You can still find second hand copies if you search online. Tim demonstrates two of the magic tricks! There are twelve in all. A book containing signs which…
From Grand Illusions. Sign up for the free Grand Illusions newsletter, at http://conta.cc/3dplns1 _______________________________________________________________________ Tim’s collection continues to grow, and here are some of the items he acquired recently, a couple of which have a specifically Easter theme! A friend gave Tim an intriguing kaleidoscope, which has two rotating brass wheels at the front. ‘Toys…
From Grand Illusions. Sign up for the free Grand Illusions newsletter, at http://conta.cc/3dplns1 _______________________________________________________________________ This optical illusion is also known as an ambiguous object – an object that changes its appearance depending on the direction you view it from. ‘Ladies and Gentlemen’ from one angle looks like the figure of a woman. Turn it though…
From Grand Illusions. Sign up for the free Grand Illusions newsletter, at http://conta.cc/3dplns1 _______________________________________________________________________ This optical illusion is also known as an ambiguous object – an object that changes its appearance depending on the direction you view it from. Viewed from one direction, this object shows the four card suits – diamonds, clubs, hearts and…
From Grand Illusions. Sign up for the free Grand Illusions newsletter, at http://conta.cc/3dplns1 _______________________________________________________________________ ‘Modular origami or unit origami is a paperfolding technique which uses two or more sheets of paper to create a larger and more complex structure than would be possible using single-piece origami techniques. Each individual sheet of paper is folded into…
From Grand Illusions. Sign up for the free Grand Illusions newsletter, at http://conta.cc/3dplns1 _______________________________________________________________________ This optical illusion is also known as an ambiguous object – an object that changes its appearance depending on the direction you view it from. Rounding Square from one angle looks like four overlapping circles. Viewed from the opposite direction, it…
From Grand Illusions. Sign up for the free Grand Illusions newsletter, at http://conta.cc/3dplns1 _______________________________________________________________________ Optical toys and illusions are the theme of this video. First, a card that Tim received some years ago, which shows a vehicle that looks as if it is 3D, but is actually hollow. So when you turn the base one…
From Grand Illusions. Sign up for the free Grand Illusions newsletter, at http://conta.cc/3dplns1 _______________________________________________________________________ Jolly Jugs appear to be quite normal, but they have a rather unexpected trick to them. Fill the jug with water, and you can pour the water out from the spout in the normal way. However you can also make the…
From Grand Illusions. Sign up for the free Grand Illusions newsletter, at http://conta.cc/3dplns1 _______________________________________________________________________ Tim is always ready to share his puzzles and illusions in order to entertain people. For this reason he keeps a small pack of items in his pocket at all times, ready for some impromptu fun at a moment’s notice. So…
From Grand Illusions. Sign up for the free Grand Illusions newsletter, at http://conta.cc/3dplns1 _______________________________________________________________________ In 1822 the British scientist Michael Faraday, working at the Royal Institution in London, created the first electric motor, where an electric current was used to produce motion. The story goes that he made his discovery over the Christmas period, possibly…
From Grand Illusions. Sign up for the free Grand Illusions newsletter, at http://conta.cc/3dplns1 _______________________________________________________________________ Not sure you could find all of Tim’s amazing books at your local library…! Wink Magic has lots of optical illusions that need to be viewed with one eye closed. Then a book filled with images of amazing body art. Amazing…
From Grand Illusions. The CUMOS Box, or cubic cosmos scope, is a 3D cubic kaleidoscope. These are hand made by the Japanese inventor, Professor Minori Yamazaki. There is an 8mm viewing hole in the front of the box. “At first, I was trying to capture the vast cosmos within a tiny box that would fit…
From Grand Illusions. Sign up for the free Grand Illusions newsletter, at http://conta.cc/3dplns1 _______________________________________________________________________ This simple little experiment shows something that we find quite profound. Create a random pattern of dots on an A4 sheet of paper, and then make an identical copy of the dots on a sheet of acetate. Place the acetate on…
From Grand Illusions. Tim shares a few more of his most unusual books. First up, a Swiss book he bought about 20 years ago. The title on the front cover is almost invisible, unless you shake the book up and down, and then you see the title which is SEE. The book explores all kinds…
From Grand Illusions. Sign up for the free Grand Illusions newsletter, at http://conta.cc/3dplns1 _______________________________________________________________________ The iKaleidosphere turns images and videos on any smart phone into amazing kaleidoscopic pictures! Simply use the heavy duty rubber bands to attach a smart phone to one end of the iKaleidosphere, and then look into the other end of the…
From Grand Illusions. Sign up for the free Grand Illusions newsletter, at http://conta.cc/3dplns1 _______________________________________________________________________ Tim has many friends around the world who share his passion for collecting physics toys and unusual gadgets and gizmos. Tim shares items he has found and in return people send him items in return. He recently received a parcel from…