Collectively Speaking

You might say Roger Dreyer came to collecting by an 'unorthodox' route.

When he was 11, his grandfather wanted to get him a deck of “marked” playing cards so he could win back money from older kids who were cheating him at the game.

The illusion was tantalizing! And the rest, as they say, is history.

Today, a noted magician, Dreyer heads up Fantasma Toys, maker of—you guessed it—upscale magic kits.

Dreyer tells Playthings that he first started performing professional magic shows so he would be able to purchase magic items. And It wasn't long until he was collecting; perhaps a bit out of necessity.

“There's nothing worse,” he says, “than a child spectator whining, 'I have seen that trick before.'”

So, wanting to perform tricks that no one else was using, the young magician sought out antique magic props that were mostly manufactured pre-World War II. Before long, he was a collector—a passion he credits to his parents. “My parents are major collectors of many items including Middle Eastern artifacts and Chinese art. They influenced me to develop a passion.”

Eventually, that passion led to a singular obsession; collecting what Dreyer calls “Houdiniana”—“items that pertain to the great legendary magician, actor, author and escape artist Harry Houdini,” he explains.

Dreyer tells Playthings that he has one of the largest Houdini collections in the world. “One day, I hope to sell Fantasma Toys and utilize the money to open up a not-for-profit performing arts museum/theater in New York City that will also showcase my Houdini collection,” he confides.

His collection consists of one of a kind Houdini lithographic posters used to promote his shows; his original trunk that is one of the most talked about magic illusions called “metamorphosis;” Houdini's original straight jacket; advertising movie memorabilia from the films he stared in; many of Houdini's handcuffs, picks, and secret gimmicks; and hundreds of pieces of ephemera tracking the life of one of the top Vaudeville entertainers ever.

“My Houdini portfolio has outperformed any of my Wall Street investments,” Dreyer quips. Which means he certainly is not about to sell any part of his collection any time soon. Money is secondary, he says. “I love the art of magic and this quality is easily communicated into the level of detail Fantasma executes in its product development,” Dreyer adds.

He says that magic taught him how to look at toys in a different way due to its illusionary qualities. And it has surely influenced his career.

“Magic, due to its visionary attributes, influenced me to start my first company just called Fantasma,” he explains.

Dreyer sold that first company and with Mark Setteducati, an award winning toy designer and magician, started the new Fantasma Toys in December 2001. The company's main focus is on “manufacturing quality magic items under the brand name Fantasma Magic,” he tells Playthings, adding that the company develops products that pay tribute to the past legends of magic.

Dreyer believes there is a tremendous potential for modern day toy makers to study antique toys and “adopt the clear-cut simplistic play value from yesteryear toys into their products today. I highly recommend that toy product developers shop at antique toy shows or at events such as Atlantique in Atlantic City.”

Oh, and if they come across any “Houdiniana” while there—Roger that.

Are you an avid collector of toys and have a story to be told?

Please e-mail Maria Weiskott at: mweiskott@reedbusiness.com.