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Bif Bang Pow, Devil, Devil-Headed, Entertainment Earth, Mystic Seer, Nick of Time, Patricia Breslin, Prop, Replica, review, Richard Matheson, Rod Serling, Twilight Zone, William Shatner
Ah. At long last. I’m writing this blog post. The wait is finally over. It’s here.
On January 13, 2014, my childhood dream of owning my own Twilight Zone Mystic Seer came true.
There was a knock at the door. I’d only been waiting for this guilty pleasure of mine to arrive for nearly an entire YEAR. (Technically two, because I missed out on ordering from the first batch that was released.) I went to the door. I opened the door. And in walked the mail lady with an ENORMOUS box. And I knew. I knew exactly what it was.
My Mystic Seer.
Ten minutes, two signatures and another $45 later (thank you, Canadian tax laws), I stood in my kitchen, looking at this giant box that held the most expensive, frivolous purchase I have ever made.
Even the extra cash I’d just been robbed of wasn’t enough to dampen my excitement though.
Apparently this is what $60 worth of cardboard looks like. Yes, I paid SIXTY DOLLARS to ship this thing from California to Ontario. Hey, it’s a Mystic Seer. And come Howling Man or Bewitchin’ Pool, I was going to get one.
My new toy was packed like a Russian matryoshka doll. It was just box …
… after box …
… after … well, we’ll get to the last box in a second.
My Mystic Seer is number 207 of 300. Hey, not too shabby! Although considering when I pre-ordered it, I feel a bit gypped. Surely I should have gotten one of the first 100. But a Mystic Seer in the hand is worth… well, a Mystic Seer on your table, I guess. O_O
“Ages 14+”. Pft. Darn tootin’! You don’t give a kid access to the Twilight Zone’s mystic hotline for only a penny! Are you crazy? You want Nate channelling Little Anthony or Talky Tina? Oh, sure. It’s all fun and games until someone gets stuck in a diner eating stale whole wheat bread. I hate whole wheat bread, stale or otherwise.
Inside that last box, was THIS box… *eyes light up, hears angels singing*
I had to look over ever inch of the box before I opened it. I read everything, I looked at the pictures – coming close to pinching myself to see if this was actually happening.
The Seer itself was packed in tight with styrofoam. I had a difficult time getting it out of the box as I was paranoid that somehow I’d break it with all the pulling. But then there it was. I pulled apart the foam… and there it was.
*commences fangirling* :D
The Mystic Seer is quite possibly the most recognizable character from the Twilight Zone series. Notice that I called him a character and not a prop. Because to the poor people in the small town of Ridgeview, Ohio, circa 1960, this little guy was very much alive.
Featured in the second season episode, “Nick of Time”, the unmistakeable devil-headed, fortune-telling napkin dispenser becomes the nemesis of one Don Carter, aka William Shatner.
From the first time I saw this beloved episode, I wanted my own Mystic Seer. Why? Because it’s awesome, that’s why! Do I really need a better reason than that? I think not. So when the opportunity to buy a full-size, fully functioning replica presented itself, I scrimped and saved and finally sprung for one of my very own.
And boy, was it worth it!
If you’re thinking of getting yourself one though, be forewarned – it’s not going to come cheaply. If you live in the US, it won’t be too terrible. If you live in Canada, well… be prepared to dig deep into Jason Foster’s treasury. (Yes, yes, I’m mixing my TZ episode references. It’s called artistic license, guys. Take it up with my Seer! *coughPaulcough*) ;)
The Seer’s list price was $249.99. *chokes* Now, had I lived in Washington, New York or Maryland, the shipping would have been free. North of the border though? It was a steep $67.50. Yikes. That meant a grand total of $317.49. Wow. Like I said, not cheap. So you can imagine how I felt when it arrived on my doorstep with an additional charge of $45 in various taxes and handling costs. I paid a handling fee ON the handling fee! No joke! Felt like I was on Odyssey’s Flight 33. That hidden dinosaur upgrade fee is murder.
And let us not overlook the exchange. With the Canadian loonie once again in the crapper, I paid $400 for this … thing, as Pat Carter would call it.
But… *sighs * He’s SO COOL!
Since this is a review of sorts, allow me to comment a bit on the Seer’s overall quality and construction.
Let me put it simply – this thing is barely worth $100. Now, hang on, I’m not contradicting myself. I just mean that the workmanship isn’t that great. Not considering the outrageous price I paid for it. It’s made in China (what isn’t, right?) and it’s obvious. The body of the Seer has some imperfections that show through the red paint. Some warps, ripples, dings and divots here and there. The painted-on sign also has some rough spots and scuffs.
The fortune-dispensing mechanism required a little fiddling to make it work properly. And the cards have to be perfectly flat (which they weren’t when I first put them in) in order to get them to pop out the front slot. And after about a month of not using the Seer, I had to once again take all the cards out and give them a little twist to flatten them.
There is a removable panel on the back where you insert the cards, and it comes with a key to open the change drawer in the front. And it actually holds napkins on both sides. (Not included, of course. What? You didn’t think that they’d include a whole dollar’s worth of napkins, did you? You only paid $400 for this thing! At that price, they can’t afford to be handing out freebies! Sheesh.)
The Seer’s bobbling head is nicely modelled though, (but not exactly as the original), and even has a rhinestone eye, just like in the episode.
However, it’s little details like the all-important devil’s-head that take a product from good to amazing. And more importantly, from $100 to $400. This Mystic Seer claimed to be a “super deluxe replica” featuring “excellent, series-true detail”, but there are a number of (to me) major design deviations from the original that left me stinging with disappointment. The devil’s head is one difference. But the fonts on the sign are also a bit off. And on the replica, the stars are sculpted onto the body of the Seer. As you can see, the stars are just painted on the original, and have a nice drop shadow and elongated appearance. Also, the spring holding the head onto the Seer is grossly oversized compared to the original, which kind of hurts the overall appearance, in my opinion.
I’m a perfectionist myself, and I crave originality in things, so as I said, I was a tad disappointed at such seemingly unnecessary deviations from the original Seer. But, it’s still a wonderful replica and I don’t regret buying it. I can (reluctantly) let these detail faux pas slide.
However.
There is one inexcusable, unforgivable, major screw-up. The cards. Or lack thereof, to be more specific. Check it out.
There are 24 cards in total. Eight different fortunes, 3 of each, which is nice because when shuffled, you stand an equal chance of getting each one. They look good. The font is… close enough to the original. They’re a heavy cardstock, so they’ll stand up to usage. What’s wrong with them then? The answer can be found in a previous post, “The Mystic Seer’s Words of Wisdom“.
In that post, you’ll find a list of all the fortunes Don Carter gets from the Seer in the episode. The problem is this: There are 15 fortunes in the original Mystic Seer. Not 8. 15. My $400, “series-true detail” Mystic Seer doesn’t even come with all the fortunes it’s supposed to have to be truly authentic. I was NOT impressed to discover this. I mean, come ON, guys. The fortunes are such an important part of this piece! Why would you cut corners here, of all places? This I simply can not overlook. The manufacturers really screwed this up, as far as I’m concerned — whether it was a cost-cutting measure, or whether no one bothered to watch the episode and count the fortunes.
But not all is lost, fortunately. As long as you’re willing to do a little work. On Entertainment Earth’s website, you can download more cards. Either the same 8 designs that came with the Seer, or blank front cards where you can write your own fortunes (which is what I’ve been doing to make my Seer a little more authentic). I do wish that they’d been kind enough to mention what the font used on the cards is though. But with a little trial and error of my own, I found a close, acceptable font. I used Georgia and stretched the letters vertically. I also had to enlarge the first capitalized letter separately from the other letters to make it match the existing look a bit better.
Since I had to do the work anyway, I’m going to do a favour for any other Mystic Seer owners who might stumble across this blog in a search for more cards.
Updated January 2020: Previously I had included here the blank card template sheet that Entertainment Earth provided if you wanted to make your own cards. I thought it was sized properly to match the existing cards. Spoiler alert: It wasn’t. I had never finished my project of making and printing out a full set of the missing cards, so I had never used the provided template as I was printing my tests one at a time. After discovering that here was yet another inexcusable error on the part of Entertainment Earth, I have removed their template and instead will share the NEW template which I made myself. It WILL print Mystic Seer cards that are the correct size to match the existing ones. This is a .jpg file, 8.5″ x 11″, saved at 400 dpi to preserve quality. Please feel free to save the image and make up your own cards.
Here’s my certificate of authenticity:
But it was another little piece of paper that would prove to be the highlight moment for me as I became acquainted with Don. (Yes, I’ve named my Seer Don.) Feast your eyes on this instruction paper:
“IMPORTANT: ACCEPTS U.S. PENNIES ONLY!”
Uh… pardon me? Qu’est-ce que c’est, s’il vous plait? >-/
. . .
*stares at Don*
. . .
Wendy (out loud): “Do you mean to tell me I bought a $400 napkin holder that isn’t even going to tell my fortune because I’m a Canadian!?!?!?”
I had some American pennies handy, but of course I did try the Canadian ones too. I mean, they’re pennies. Aside from a different picture, they’re the same size, shape and weight. And sure enough, the Canadian ones work just fine. (Damn you, instruction paper, for making me so upset over nothing!)
Crisis averted! Although there is still the small issue of no more pennies in Canada. Can’t even get a roll at the bank. I’m telling ya, you just can’t win sometimes.
Should you want to get your own Mystic Seer, you can order one from Entertainment Earth at this link. It’s a major purchase, but if, like me, you’re a huge fan of the Twilight Zone, then I assure you, it’s worth, well, every penny. I’m completely tickled to finally own my own piece of history. Don now has a permanent home in my studio and we’re getting to know each other, one penny at a time.
We’re getting along great, aren’t we, Don?
*pulls card*
Er, okay, Don…
We’re friends, right, Don?
*pulls card*
I’m asking you! *looks around warily*
*raps fingers nervously, puts in another penny* You mean… we DON’T get along great…?
*pulls card*
O-kay.
Anyone want a slightly used Mystic Seer…?
Seriously, I’ll throw in the pennies.
——————————————————————————————————————-
How about you? Want your fortune told by the Mystic Seer, dear readers? Leave your questions in the comments section below and I’ll ask Don!
Seeker of Truth 
An expensive purchase, yes. But frivolous, GF? No way. Especially since you’ve turned the experience into one of the most enjoyable blog posts I’ve read in a long time. Seriously, this one is FUN. I predict that this baby is going to sell a few Mystic Seers. Entertainment Earth should pay you royalties, or some sort of finder’s fee. You’ll have earned it!
In a more serious vein, I am hoping EE sees this post and does something about the defects and deficiencies you so studiously pointed out. They should at least make sure the “thing” comes with all the fortunes! I mean, come on — when someone drops no fewer than THREE C-notes (or more, for our poor, gouged friends north of the border), you deserve nothing less than an exact replica. And clearly, that’s not what you get here.
Which is really a shame. I can’t think of a “Nick of Time” fan who deserves an authentic MS more than you do. Heck, my Gal Friday deserves the actual prop (er, CHARACTER) from the episode itself! Especially after all of your stellar promotional efforts. I still consult your first “Nick of Time” post when I want to quote the Seer’s answers. That’s right, me, “Mr. Twilight Zone”!
As for your instance of “artistic license”, wellllll … normally I DO frown on mixing TZ references like that. But you know what? I’m inclined to give this one a pass. Partly because it works, and partly because anyone who’d go to this length to obtain and review a Mystic Seer purchase deserves a fair amount of latitude! Besides, you’re my GF. ;)
I was really pleased to see that, in true GF fashion, you didn’t just complain about the card problem. No, you added value, like you always do, and now anyone who wants to can create a complete set of MS fortunes. Sure, it’s useful for anyone who buys a Seer, but it’s also something that would be fun to print and have on their own.
It’s great to see this post finally appear. It’s been many moons since you first told me how much you’ve been wanting your own MS. I well remember you telling me in breathless tones that your Seer had ACTUALLY ARRIVED. So I’m naturally delighted to see that it yielded a fun blog post. I can personally attest to all readers that not a DROP of enthusiasm in this post is exaggerated or manufactured. You were — and remain! — just this excited about it.
*slips a penny in the Seer* Is Wendy going to continue being the best blogger in the blogosphere? *pushes lever, pulls card* “There’s no question about it.” *nods* Of course, I could have told you that for free. ;)
It IS fun, isn’t it? :)
Thanks, Boss! This was a fun one to write. You of all people know how thrilled I was to finally get a Mystic Seer. As you said at the end there, I WAS breathless when I told you about it arriving. You know how impatient I got as the months passed and passed and PASSED. I thought it was never coming! But I’m happy to say that it was worth the wait!
And you’re right about EE. I really wish that they’d put just a BIT more time and effort into making the Seer more authentic. And you pointed another error to me today that I’m ashamed to say I missed: One of their cards is wrong. We’ve both checked the script and the episode, and the correct fortune is “It all depends upon your point of view”. The cards that came with the Seer all say, “It all depends ON your point of view”. Now sure, not a HUGE difference — “upon” or “on” — but come on. That’s just being sloppy with your research, I think. I’ll be making replacement cards to fix that for my own Seer for sure.
And “the best blogger in the blogosphere”? Aww, you’re just about the best friend a GF could ask for, Boss. Thanks! :)
I love the pictures of you and “Don” at the end – so cute!
Thanks, Mandy! I couldn’t resist having a little fun with him. Shatner is just so expressive in the episode. Wanted to pay him a little tribute as well!
If I were you, I’d be thinkin’ GOOD thoughts…that it’s a GOOD napkin holder (with a bouncy head on a spring—do you need Anthony to remind you about bouncy-heads-on-springs?), and that it’s GOOD you paid $400 CA through the nose….
No, NO. No reminder is necessary, Frank. It’s ALL GOOD. It’s all very, VERY GOOD. I’m GOOD. You’re GOOD. Don is GOOD. My empty wallet is GOOD….. O_O
Good!
It would be interesting if you could contact fellow Canadian William Shatner.
He might have an insightful comment or two about his experience with the
Mystic Seer on and off the set.
Shatner’s character was an intelligent successful young man.
He did however have a weakness. It was superstition.
If it wasn’t for his loving, supportive wife, he could have lost everything.
We need more women like that.
I’m sure you are one of them.
You’re aware of the proper perspective involving these things.
However there are many that aren’t.
The couple at the end of the episode remind us of this.
Thank you, Barney! You’re right. Without Pat by his side, poor Don would have gone down a very sad, lonely and frankly somewhat dangerous path. What a terrible thing to be so consumed by an idea that it can take over your life. I wish that everyone had a Pat in their life to keep them from stumbling into such situations. In some ways I think that couple at the end are the most important part of the episode. It’s fine for us to see Don slipping further and further into the depths of his obsession, and then to see Pat help pull him out of it, but without that little kick at the end — the “This is how it could have turned out for Don”, and by extension for any of you watching — then we really wouldn’t feel the message hit home. That couple makes it REAL for us.
But in essence, that’s what the Twilight Zone is, isn’t it? An important, forever-relevant lesson wrapped up in an entertaining package. Much to be learned from the tales of the Fifth Dimension. As always, thanks for commenting!
Testing comments…
Yah! Having a conversation with myself on my own blog! Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
I’m not sure how I missed this post. I blame the WP Reader so I’m signing-up for email notifications now. As I read this, I was saying “I’ll bet she printed the missing cards” It looks like a great thing to have, but I might get scared if I saw it in the dark. I’m also pretty sure my wife wouldn’t want it on the table. Then again, if I could be warned to avoid a day full of horrible meetings, it might be worth it :)
Thanks for the review, this was a fun read.
Ha! Thanks, Dan, glad you enjoyed it! And I’ll try to write only interesting posts so that you don’t regret signing up via email! I won’t lie, Don CAN be kinda scary in the dark. And he’d certainly be an interesting conversation piece on the kitchen table during the holidays! “Don, is Grandma’s Christmas cake edible this year?”
*pulls card*
~ Do you dare risk finding out ~
O_o
How did I miss this the first time around? Glad you tweeted about it – I enjoyed it! I especially liked this gem – “…come Howling Man or Bewitchin’ Pool…” Ha! Nicely done!
I am impressed at how you noted all the tiny differences between the original piece and the replica… I am not sure I would have. And you discuss them very entertainingly!
As for the Mystic Seer being the Zone’s most recognizable character, though… it’d come close, but I dunno. It would be interesting for you and/or Paul to conduct a poll on your blogs about that topic: Who is the most recognizable Zone character among general audiences?
Hope you are still enjoying your Seer (love that you named it Don). Just don’t feed it too many pennies (US or Canadian) for its thoughts! ;)
Glad you liked it, Mike! And thanks so much!
You’re right, it would be interesting to poll TZ fans on who the most recognizable Zone character is! Great idea! I’m sure Paul and I will be looking into that!
And yes, I’m still enjoying Don very much! But I’ve put him on a strict 3-pennies-per-day diet. He really does talk too much sometimes! ;D
Wendy, you’re a godsend! (Ironic, considering I found this blog while looking for a way to print cards that a demon will dispense….)
I used your template as a “background” image in a Microsoft Word file, and with a little tinkering was able to create a table template that allows me to type out messages on each of the eight cards per page, for as many pages as I want. They cut to size great and look fantastic when printed out on my laser printer, but I must ask you — what CARD STOCK do you use? I’m going nuts trying to find something that will work…
My first attempt was a fairly light card stock (60lb, I think), and the mechanism in the Seer wouldn’t even grip it well enough to dispense the cards. Then I tried 110lb stock from Staples — and at first that seemed to work, but every third or fourth try either the card doesn’t come out at all or I get three of them at once. I’ve got to find something smoother, I’m sure, something where the paper won’t grip to the cards below it, but rather than drive myself crazy (and spending $19 a ream on paper that doesn’t work), it occurred to me to ask you!
I hope you have some advice for me. I’m planning a Halloween night game party, and what I’d really love to do is have each guest drop a penny into the Mystic Seer at the end of their turn and draw one of my custom-made cards (e.g., “Get another guest to switch seats with you, saying nothing but “BRAAAINNS!”) as part of the fun. Thanks!
Hi, Bill. That sounds like such a great idea for Halloween! I think the Mystic Seer was tailor-made for such fun.
I’m glad to hear that my post was of some benefit to you. I do have a suggestion for your card dilemma. Try 65 lb cardstock paper (I got my package of 100 sheets from Walmart — I can’t remember the price, but I know it was less than $10). The catch is, you’ll need to glue two pieces together. Even bristle board was too thin, but two pieces of the 65 lb cardstock stuck together works just fine in my Seer — either on their own, or mixed with the original cards.
It’s a bit more work, but totally worth it in the end. I hope this was helpful. Good luck with your cards and your party!
Thank you, Wendy, for getting back to me so quickly! Was it a particular kind of 65lb card stock? (Glossy, matte?) My big problem is that the cards stick together in the Mystic Seer and either don’t come out at all or come out three at a time….
Since I posted my question originally, I’ve checked out a kind of “playing card coating spray” that people use to make their own playing cards, a coating that helps them slide easily out of a pack when drawn. If you tell me you haven’t had that problem with yours, that’s one step (and expense) I can skip…. Thanks again!
I think your cards are sticking together mostly because they aren’t the right thickness. When I tried cards made with a single layer of cardstock, sometimes they’d come partway out of the machine, not come out at all, or they’d come out stuck to another card. But once I hit the proper thickness (two layers of the cardstock), I didn’t have any more sticking — either in the machine, or to each other coming out. There’s no special coating on my cardstock, and this was the ONLY cardstock I could find at the store. So it should be pretty run-of-the-mill stuff.
Hmm, I’ve been searching around online, I can’t seem to find this particular brand of paper on the American Walmart’s site (I’m in Canada). But here’s a link to the product anyway: http://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/theoffice-card-stock-white/6000036006052 That’s not the best pic, but all it says is “Super-heavyweight paper eliminates show-through; Smooth finish ensures crisp, clear results; Designed for printing ease.”
I really don’t think you need the fancy spray. I’d definitely suggest you go ahead and sacrifice a sheet of whatever cardstock you have on hand (because who knows, two sheets of 60 lb may work too), cut out two Seer-card-sized pieces, glue ’em together, stick it in the machine and see what happens. Good luck and let me know if you’re successful!
Thank you, Wendy, for your help — but I must let you know I tried it (albeit with 65lb stock purchased from Staples here in CA). Two sheets printed and cut together into cards, thin coat of rubber cement as glue, X-Acto knife, cards sliced perfectly to size… but NONE of them will come out of the machine!
My previous attempt using 110lb stock (single sheets, no glueing) at least dispensed cards most of the time — the problem there was they’d come out sometimes three at a time, often two at a time, and sometimes not at all.
After the last try with the two-sheets-and-glue, I’m about ready to give up, but there’s still a week left before Halloween. I might just go with the version that dispenses cards unreliably but at least dispenses them, and come up with some rule for what to do when you get more than one card or no card at all….
How many cards do you load into the machine? It comes with 24, but seems to have the capacity for many more… maybe that’s a factor, how many cards you load?
Oh, no! So sorry to hear that the double-layer cards didn’t work for you. How unbelievably frustrating. :( Truth is, I haven’t made myself a full set of ALL the cards yet. I just have a few “test” cards that I did to see what would work and what wouldn’t. So the most I’ve had in the machine at one time is 30. The number of cards would be easy enough to test though — replace a few of the originals with your customs and put in just 24 at a time. But I don’t think the number should matter. There’s plenty of room in the back card compartment.
The only other thing I can think to suggest (but I haven’t tried this personally) is dusting your custom cards with a little talcum powder. Sprinkle some on both sides, dust it off, and see if perhaps that will help.
Also, I noticed that the original cards are very similar in thickness and feeling to my business cards. So… perhaps a decent quality business card paper? If all else fails and you really want the cards to work properly? Take an original card to your local print shop and just ask them to match the paper. I’m sure they’d have an idea of what would be a good match.
And make sure your stack of cards is as flat as possible before you load them in the machine. As I mentioned in the post, I had to remove and twist my original cards to make them dispense correctly. When I first put them in, no cards would come out at all.
I really can’t explain why my double cards work. If worse comes to worst, I think your idea of making special rules for multiple/no cards sounds like it would be a lot of fun too. Sorry I couldn’t be more help to you. :(
I just Purchased Nickey … and he performs at the Night of the Paranormal in Daytona tomorrow at the Museum of Arts and Sciences. Massive difficulties reproducing the cards. An actual failure to make working replicas and custom sayings. Perhaps some more tips?
Nickey — what a great name for your Seer! As for some tips, well, first I’d say that if you haven’t already, check the conversation I’ve been having with the previous commenter, Bill. If nothing there is helpful, then please be a bit more specific with what issues you’re having and I’ll see what other tips I can offer!
I found the two layer cardstock method to work great in my MS… let’s call him Kirk. Also used a little baby powder to ensure they wouldn’t stick together (Magicians do this with playing cards). Pulled off a great Christmas Eve prank with Kirk. I made up 8 specific cards for all 8 who would be attending. Inserted them into Kirk knowing their order. I then sealed playing cards with Ace (1) through (8) into Merry Christmas envelopes (The kind gift cards are usually given, perfect fit). Prior to unveiling Kirk I announced I would attempt a little magic for all in the room. At this time I produced the eight sealed envelopes and offered them to the biggest skeptic to shuffle & mix up to his hearts content. I then instructed him to send the mixed cards with a person of his choosing to join me alone in the adjacent kitchen. When this person arrived with the 8 envelopes he/she was given a choice and asked to not break the seal. This person returned and sent in the next to choose from the remaining 7 envelopes and so on until I returned with the 8th envelope to give to the remaining attendee.
I proceeded to unveil Kirk & with my intro (complete with TZ music provided by a Hallmark TV ornament I’m sure all you TZ fans already have or should have) I recited (in my best Rod Serling voice imitation) You’re traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound, but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That’s the signpost up ahead. Your next stop… the “Twilight Zone”.
Behold the Mystic Seer. A Twilight Zone prop/character from Season 2 Episode 7 “Nick of Time”. William Shatner and Patricia Breslin star in Rod Serling’s 43rd collaboration. Shatner’s future roles include those of Star Trek’s Captain James T. Kirk, T.J. Hooker and Boston Legal’s Denny Crane to name a few. Pat Breslin you may know better as General Hospital’s Meg Baldwin or as Laura Brooks of Peyton Place.
The Mystic Seer routinely subjects you to a gift most humans never receive in a lifetime. For one penny you would be able to look into the future. In “Episode 7” the Mystic Seer’s uncanny predictions threaten to rule their lives. Fortunately Shatner & Breslin were able to move forward and face the future with confidence, narrowly escaping one of the darker places of “The Twilight Zone”.
But a little known phenomenon has recently been discovered. On Christmas Eve it seems, this “Mystic Seer” can recognize a little more than just a fleeting, random comment on the future. For a Penny inserted this Christmas Eve he may reveal more than one could expect.
With a free choice you have each taken an envelope and asked not to open it until instructed to do so. Each envelope contains a different numbered card. These cards, we have yet to gaze upon, will determine who will confront the Mystic Seer first. Ace will go first, #2 will be next and so on. Random choices. Random numbers.
Let us observe the Mystic Seer’s Christmas Capabilities.
Don’t be afraid, step up, it’s only a Penny.
You can imagine the looks on their faces when MS made it known he knew exactly who inserted the penny with cards that revealed personal descriptions and even dropped a few names here and there.
All worked perfectly. Luck was on my side I guess. Shortly after the presentation when Kirk went back to “standard card mode”, a nephew seemed to simultaneously drop penny and push lever and Kirk hasn’t worked since. He was a little rough but I should think the mech. would have held up. Now with standard cards flat and inserted correctly nothing is coming out.
Any hints or instructions on adjustments before I attempt to operate on this out of commission MS? Sure glad he spit out all eight special cards before shutting down. Hope you enjoyed reading about my prank as much as I did preparing & performing it.
Finally I found others with the same concerns about the mystic seer.
I also tried printing the missing fortunes. and found standard card stock too thin.
Put the standard cards back in , worked for a short time . then stopped.
I considered opening it, to see if it could be a simple fix.
but it seems the lever handle would prevent sliding the mechanism out of the back for inspection.
On one hand, I Dont want to open it since it is only a couple days since delivery. I have contacted EE to request a repacement.
On the other hand
Its pretty upsetting to have something so expensive stop working all of the sudden.
so I am anxious to hear from Chas if he was able to repair his.
Not exactly a quality build. all palstic mechanism
I’ve been shopping e bay for a swami fortune teller. The machine used by TZ to make their mystic seer. All metal, 60 years later still working. They sure dont make them like they used to.
I could not agree with you more, Fred. The machine is very cheaply made and certainly doesn’t warrant its gigantic price tag. Plastic is cheap, sure, but not at all durable. And if you’re going to use inferior materials, then the price had better reflect that.
I hate hearing that yet another person’s Seer has stopped working. If your Mystic Seer is this new, then yes, most definitely press Entertainment Earth for a replacement. Don’t take no for an answer if you can help it. They should certainly replace it for you. But they won’t take it back if you fiddle with it. So I’d hold off on any MacGyvering.
I hope you can get a new one and that it’s better than the first. I also wish you luck finding one of those vintage machines. I’m willing to bet those have worked for the last 50 years and will probably work for another 50. Unfortunately everything seems to be made disposable these days.
Just got of the phone with EE. They said they will repair the mystic seer (havent named him yet).
I also asked about the proper card stock to print out the missing fortunes. They said they would look into it and get back to me.
I’ll be sure to share whatever I hear.
Was advised to use standard business card stock, or have a printer, match card. But avoid glossy finish…which happens to be what I used.
Thanks for the update, Fred. I’m happy to hear that they’ll at least repair your Seer. I hope they cover the shipping costs and it doesn’t have to come out of your pocket. As for their advice about standard business card stock… well, I think all of us here in this thread have proven that THAT doesn’t work, glossy or not. :P
I could have sworn I replied to your comment, Chas, but sorry, I guess I didn’t! :P
I very much enjoyed reading about your Mystic Seer adventure! What a great and fun idea! I’m so glad it at least worked long enough to pull off your surprise, but boy, what a bummer to have it break!
I wish I could offer you some advice, but I’m afraid I can’t think of any way to fix the mechanism without taking apart the machine to examine it. If you’re careful taking it apart though, I have a feeling you’ll be able to service it. Everything that goes together will come apart. And if it’s already broken? Then my philosophy is that you have nothing to lose. Might as well see what you can do!
I wish you the best of luck. If you discover anything, please feel free to come back and share. And thanks again for sharing your fun story!
here is my swami fortune teller. this is what they used to make the mystic seer for TZ.
Too cool!!
I’m coming late to this thread, but I think I’ll leave a few notes for the record. I own a Swami fortune vending machine, a similar Madam X machine, a Jewel IQ machine and a Wise Owl Quizette vending machine. All were used in the 50s in U.S. restaurants to dispense napkins and fortunes or IQ questions. I obtained these machines in order to understand the vending mechanisms. The components for the most part are metal and are rather simple in operation, so it is not surprising that they are working 60 years later.
As I understand it, the mechanism of the Swami machine was used in the original Twilight Zone episode. As a point of interest, this machine requires there to be a hole at the end of the card and that hole has to be broken with a slight cut in the thin newspaper-like paper fortune slip in order to allow the slip to be dispensed.
It is interesting that in the Twilight Zone episode only the first fortune slip is clearly shown and this slip has a hole at its end. But, this hole does not have the required cut, so it would not work in the Swami machine. Apparently this pictured slip was just a prop that was photographed for the show, but was not actually dispensed from the machine and they cut a hole in it because no one understood the purpose of the hole. The other slips that were dispensed in the episode are never clearly shown, so you can’t see the end holes. And, as you know, the plastic Mystic Seer machines don’t use cards with holes.
But I digress. The point is the old Swami mechanism is very different than the dispensing mechanism of your mystic seer machines. Those machines don’t have the edge hole and use much thicker cards. So I can’t offer any advice regarding what is going on in the plastic Mystic Seer machines. I never obtained one because the plastic workmanship is obviously of relatively poor quality and the price is, in my opinion, unreasonable. If I ever break down and buy one of these machines, I will take it apart and will figure out how it works.
From a price standpoint, the old metal machines are not cheap, but they have historic and engineering significance and that is why I acquired them. Swami machines can be obtained on Ebay for about $250, the similar Madam X machines in good condition (i.e., shiny chrome) may cost about $500. But, as noted, the construction of the sturdy metal machines is irrelevant to the construction of the Mystic Seer plastic machines.
I will note one thing. In investigating the metal machines, I noted that if the internal paper cards are a little too wide, their edges rub against the walls of the dispensing mechanism and prevent cards from being dispensed, even if the card pushing mechanism is working. I found if you shave off about 1/32 inch from the side edges of the cards, they will slip more easily from the device and will be reliably dispensed. Otherwise the over-wide cards will be stuck in the machine and nothing will be dispensed. It is a small change, but it works for the old machines.
Of course, if the dispensing mechanism is broken, no adjustment of the size of the cards will work. Sorry I can’t be of more help. I really need to take apart a plastic machine.
As a side-note, I really enjoyed your blog. Your facial expressions at the end of your article are really amusing. You should consider acting if you get tired of writing, in my opinion.
Although you may not be able to see the slit cut into the hole of the cards. As Shatner reads them you can see printing on the opposite side of the card. a clear indication the fortunes were authentic swami fortunes being dispensed
Agreed. There is no doubt that the slips of paper popping out of the machine in the episode are real Swami fortunes and Shatner (Don) and his wife were just pretending to read them with the messages noted in the episode. So there would have been holes in those actual Swami fortunes and those holes would have slits in order to be dispensed.
But the closeup shot of the very first card in the episode is shown held in a man’s hand and I’m saying that card is not a real Swami fortune. It is too thick and it’s hole has no slit. I therefore surmise that this one card is a prop that was never dispensed from the Swami machine.
This is like talking about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin,. Of course, it means nothing, other than that the prop guys on the Zone were apparently not sufficiently skilled to produce a prop card that matched the actual newspaper-thin slips that were dispensed by the Swami mechanism hidden under the Nick of Time bobble-head cover. This is somewhat surprising as I heard the designer of the Swami machine was a consultant on the Nick of Time episode and he would certainly be smart enough to produce a close-up card that matched what was being dispensed by the machine.
Anyway, this is trivia in the extreme. The more interesting thing is to figure out why new plastic Nick of Time machines are apparently not reliably dispensing cards.
Are you familar with the term “hero” as it relates to props.
Maybe its a hero card. Made to look perfect for a close up on screen. Maybe Detail that isnt relative maybe dismissed in favor or a pristine look. Since i think you can see the hole but not the slit on the fortunes
Yes, I’m familiar with TV props and the use of hero props for close-up shots. I have collected many such props from a British science fiction show called Red Dwarf.
As props go, I agree the displayed card for the Nick of Time episode is fine. I suppose they included the useless punched hole so on casual inspection it would look like the slips coming from the machine, in case anyone noticed that these slips have holes. They didn’t bother to add the slit for the hole, because as you suggest, they knew most people would not notice it. I noticed it because I know how the machines work and therefore was instantly aware that the displayed hero prop card would not function with existing equipment. The hero card literally screamed “fake” to me.
I would have included the slit in the hero card and I would have used thin paper stock for the card as well, so even on close inspection it would look like the actual Swami slips, but I have a nit-pick personality and like everything to be just right. However, with that said, I admit you are correct in stating the philosophy “don’t sweat the details if the prop looks good” works for TV shows. If you were building a rocket ship, that attitude would probably result in a failed mission, but for a Twilight Zone episode the “looking good is good enough” credo works well.
Hi, Joel! Please forgive my delay in replying. I’m not always the best at staying on top of blog comments, unfortunately. But it’s never too late to join a thread on my blog.
Firstly, thank you very much for the compliment! I really wanted to do those fun pics with Don as a little tribute to Shatner and his stereotypical style of acting that we all know and love. And frankly, what fan of this episode hasn’t at some point wanted to have their photo taken with a Mystic Seer machine? It’s one of the neatest TV prop icons out there!
I think it’s fantastic how you’ve become so well acquainted with these types of machines. I’m sure it’s very interesting to take one apart to see just how it works. Those old metal Swami machines are SO cool. And yes, as far as I know, the TZ Mystic Seers were either based on, or were refurbished, Swami machines. Every time I watch this episode, I take note of just how many of those Mystic Seers are in the diner — on every table and a few on the bar — and I wonder whatever happened to them all. Can you imagine stumbling across a Mystic Seer graveyard? What a treasure that would be! There’s no question that my replica pales in comparison to the originals, but I do enjoy it just the same.
As for the cards, I hadn’t even thought about the fact that there were holes in the original cards shown on screen but not in my replica’s cards. Yet another slip by the manufacturer! *tsks* There are actually two different cards that are shown clearly (“It is quite possible”, and “It has been decided in your favor”). They both have holes, but definitely no slit. There is always a cut-away from the time when Don pulls the card to when we see the front of it. The close up cards are clearly on a much heavier paper than the cards that are coming out of the machine. (I just rewatched this episode so that I could better reply to your comment!) We do get some nice close up shots of the backs of the cards too, and these certainly appear to have a tear next to the hole. I was surprised to see just how flimsy these cards are. But you did describe the Swami’s fortunes as being “thin newspaper-like paper”, so this seems to fit. Until you brought this up, I had never really considered that the fortunes we see close-up are just props. For whatever reason, I guess I just always silently assumed that they’d gone whole hog and made their own fortunes and loaded the machine with them. But obviously that’s just not the case. So I thank you for mentioning this. I learned something today! Those are definitely authentic Swami machines, dressed up for the show, dispensing real fortunes, but with two close-up “prop” fortunes thrown in.
I would like to note that I deliberately didn’t read your exchange with Chas before I composed my own reply to you, because I like to have the opportunity to answer a new commenter one-on-one before joining a conversation that’s already in progress. I’ve read all the comments now though, so sorry for the overlap in conjecturing about the cards, boys!
I think I’ll write a separate reply for your final comment…
This is my last late comment for this thread. I finally obtained a Mystic Seer machine, took off the back panel and looked inside. The dispensing mechanism is different from other paper fortune vending machines.
Four internal springs push up a base that supports a stack of cards. The stack of cards is therefore pushed upward so the top surface of the top card of the stack is pressed into contact with the peripheral surface of a plastic dispensing wheel that has four resilient rubber-coated ribs that press against the card. When this dispensing wheel turns, the resilient ribs rub against the top surface of the card at the top of the stack and push that card out of the front dispensing slot of the machine.
The wheel turns a short radial distance and pushes out a card when the front lever of the machine is pressed down after a penny is dropped into the machine. When you pull the dispensed card from the machine you feel a slight resistance and hear a clicking noise. This is the card rubbing against the ribs of the dispensing wheel and rotating the wheel slightly as the card is removed.
This dispensing mechanism works very smoothly and it operated flawlessly as it easily dispensed cards from the machine. In looking at the cards I noticed the top surface of each card feels slightly rough when you slide your finger on that surface. On the other hand, the back surface of each card feels somewhat smoother with less friction as you slide your finger over it. This makes sense, as the top surface of each card should preferably have more friction to engage the dispensing wheel and move the card forward, while the under surface of the card should slide more smoothly with less friction against the card beneath it.
Still, I reversed the cards in the machine and found the dispensing mechanism works fine even if pushing against the smooth surface of a card while the card moves forward by sliding on its rougher surface. So it seems the machine, at least in new condition, is not particularly sensitive to small changes in the friction of the surfaces of the cards.
One thing, I would NOT put baby powder on the cards as this powder would probably coat the friction ribs of the dispensing wheel and would reduce the ability of the wheel to reliably grab and push cards out of the machine.
If machines are not dispensing cards, it could be that the internal mechanism is broken and the the dispensing wheel is not turning when the front lever is pressed down. Or maybe a card has a rough or crumpled side edge and is pressing back against the wheel and is therefore stuck in the machine. Alternatively, if the machine has been operated for a considerable time, maybe the resilient surface of the friction ribs on the wheel have worn down to the point where they no longer reliably grab each card.
This machine is not designed to dispense fortunes thousands of times over a multi-decade life in the manner of a restaurant fortune vending machine. Also, this Mystic Seer machine is not made for easy maintenance. The internal mechanism cannot be removed from the housing because the cap on the front lever is glued and fixed in place and therefore it holds the mechanism within the housing. Internal screws could be removed with some difficulty to possibly remove a stuck penny and maybe even access the internal dispensing wheel, but this would not be easy. And if the ribs of the wheel are worn down, there is no simple way to repair them.
Bottom line, this machine is made primarily for display and napkin dispensing and for only occasional use in dispensing fortune cards. I guess pushing it beyond its obvious design limits is not a good thing. Still, it looks very cool and it does work well for what I perceive to be its intended purpose, so I have nothing negative to say. It is an impressive machine realized in plastic and metal and seems capable of operating within its design limits. Gentle treatment would definitely be preferred.
So you gave in after all and picked up a MS! Just to sum it all up, I’m very happy that you took the time to comment so thoroughly about this topic, Joel. I love to learn something new, and I think that your information will surely be of help to someone. Thanks so much for stopping by and enriching my post!
Thanks for the info Joel. Have not gotten around to attempting a dissection of “Kirk” yet. Think I’ll quick try to wash the rubber coated ribs with a damp rag. I would think holding pressure upward on the rag while dispensing a dozen pennies or so should clean any talc from them. I will probably immediately follow that similarly with a dry one. Will post results soon.
Wendy, I totally enjoy your writing. Keep on Blogging!
Oh, I’ve been meaning to comment on “Penny For You Thoughts?” Very enjoyable read. I’m sure I was smiling throughout. I also took photos during the unpacking of Kirk. Why do we do this? For the archives I guess. I was so glad to here that Don does indeed ingest Canadian Copper. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Thanks, Chas, I will definitely keep blogging. Glad to see so much discussion on one of my posts!
Chas:
I think your proposed damp/dry rag will work to clean the dispensing wheel if powder on the wheel is causing it to slip against the cards. As you suggest, this could be done without taking the machine apart. It might also be possible to use a damp finger to clean the ribs on the wheel and to rotate the wheel by finger pressure alone without dropping pennies. Also press the base card support down a few times and watch it spring back to its top position to be sure it is providing ample pressure for holding cards against the dispensing wheel. Good luck with this.
Thanks again Joel. I’ll give it go.
Wendy:
Thanks for the kind notes. My interest in the Nick of Time Twilight Zone episode and all the associated machines only occurred about a month ago. I was reading a book on the history of production of the Twilight Zone and noted the Shatner (Don) episode.
I immediately watched the episode on my computer and was surprised that I did not recall seeing it when it aired so long ago. Also I was fascinated by the prop fortune vending machine and its internal mechanism which was derived from the Swami machines of the Erickson Company in the 1950s.
It amazed me that I could not recall ever seeing such fortune vending machines in restaurants in the 50s and 60s. I’m a geezer and have been on this planet for quite some time, yet I completely missed this little bit of fortune telling American history. I guess the political assassinations, wild parties of the crazy 60s as well as the Vietnam War held maybe too much of my attention.
Anyway, as we all do these days, I did some research on the Internet and ordered all versions of the old fortune vending machines on Ebay. As the machines were delivered, it only took a few hours to understand them and restore them to full operation. In the process of restoration, I improved the design of the fortune cards so that they could be more easily and reliably dispensed. I even produced a few hundred new-style cards (plastic laminated paper) and they work just fine.
At the end of this restoration effort, I was idly flipping through the Internet, looking at posts relating to Mystic Seer machines with the thought that maybe I would acquire one of these machines to complete my cycle of understanding on the technology behind the Twilight Zone episode. Well, I read your blog with amusement and noted the problems regarding dispensing cards with the plastic machines. So I acquired a Mystic Seer machine with the result posted here.
I’m now done with this little detour into the technology of the Nick of Time machine and I’m ready to move on to something else. This is my way. I get interested in something, investigate it in minute detail, and when I’m satisfied, move on to other things.
So I’m now riding off into the sunset. I’m right now thinking about why human beings in modern form have been on this planet for about 200,000 years, mostly living as hunters eating wild animals and plants, with little but stone tools to help them for most of that time. And then, only in the last 10,000 years, have we developed cities, agriculture and civilization. And much of our technology has been developed in only the last few hundred years, with the most significant discoveries occurring in my lifetime.
And now we’ve finally reached out and observed up close the tiny dwarf planet Pluto after nine years and thirteen billion miles of travel in space. With that done, the spacecraft has now moved past Pluto and will transmit to earth a wealth of data from its observations over about the next year.
This begs the question: Where are we going and why are we here? This would make an interesting Twilight Zone episode. I wish Rod Sterling was still around.
Joel
Wow, all of this in just the last month?? Very impressive, Joel! And that’s incredible that you had never seen “Nick of Time”. It’s definitely a top 3 episode for me. I’ve really enjoyed reading all about your Swami-surgery and truthfully I wish that YOU had written a blog post filled with pictures documenting your fortune telling machine journey. I know that I would certainly read about that!
I wish you much luck in your next intellectual endeavour. You’re right, it most certainly would make for an interesting Twilight Zone episode. And I too wish that Mr. Serling was still with us. I know there was so much more he could have said.
Yes, Serling had a gift for expressing his thoughts in a very compelling and colorful way. He combined that gift with unique insights into the human mind and spirit. And with all that he had a voice like pressed velvet. What a guy!
Best wishes for your blog and your writing. I expect to see your name acclaimed in the future in association with your writing projects and maybe even your Shatner-style acting.
Ah, “a voice like pressed velvet” — I like that! The man was one-of-a- kind, no doubt about it. And you’re too kind, Joel. Thanks again!
Nick of Time is one of my favorite episodes as well but I am torn between the cream or the red headed Mystic Seer. Why did you choose the cream and anyone else who bought one…which one and why? Thank you!
Well, for starters, Kyle, when I bought my Mystic Seer, they only came with the cream-coloured head. But you could get the body of the Seer in either red (like mine) or in a silver finish. The red-headed Seers were a later release and as far as I know, they only come with a red machine. There really was no contest for me when choosing between the red body and the silver — the silver was nearly twice the price. Too rich for my blood.
I think everyone wonders what colour the original Mystic Seer was. No one knows for sure, but we can get a pretty good idea if we turn colour photos of these replicas to black and white, and then compare them to images of the Seer from the episode. As much as I hate to admit this, I don’t think the original “Nick of Time” Seer had a cream-coloured head. But I also don’t think it was as dark of a red as the new red-headed replicas are. The body is a toss up. But in the episode, it does appear to have a finish that’s more metallic than painted.
So when choosing a Seer, if it’s authenticity you’re after, I’d say the red head is going to be closer to the original. But personally, I really do prefer the look of the cream-coloured head best. At the end of the day, no one can say for sure what the original colours are, and I find the red-bodied, cream-headed Seer to be the most visually appealing as a stand-alone piece. If someone set all three versions down in front of me and told me to pick one, I’d still go with the one I bought. He just looks better overall, I think. :)
Thanks for your quick response Wendy. I didn’t even know they made a silver one. When I first looked for a Mystic Seer many years ago, I found people online who were building and selling them. They were nice but they either wanted too much or it wasn’t functional (cards not dispensed) so I forgot about. My friend just purchased a Talky Tina doll and he told me eBay had some great TZ collectibles. I saw the official one from BifBangPow and wanted one but again, there were choices. The cream, the red, or the red “signature edition” signed by William Shatner. I was just outbid on eBay for the cream version so I will try again, maybe this time for a Red version. The Red signature version would be nice but it’s double the cost. If I get a regular Red version, William Shatner is coming to my area for a Wizard Con so I could make mine a signature edition of one to me and be the same or cheaper in price!
Oh, that would be the best of both worlds right there. A Shatner signature that you got personally? Wow, that would be fantastic. I hope you can get your hands on one, and I wish you the best of luck collecting the signature!
Wow, it’s been 3 years since I wrote this. I did FINALLY get a red headed Mystic Seer. It was a gift from my girlfriend for my birthday. Found one on eBay for alot less then they go for now. Anywhere from $1000 and up!
I live in South Florida and this weekend was SuperCon. Yesterday I FINALLY (two finally’s capitalized in the same response!) meet William Shatner and had him sign my Mystic Seer. I was thinking of getting the cream head version and having him sign both but as I said, they go for $1000 and up, that’s if you can find one! Loved your write up back then and still do.I’d post a picture but don’t see a way on here.
Hi, Kyle! Yes, it’s hard to believe that three years have already gone by — where does the time go? I’m so happy to learn that you did finally get a Mystic Seer (your girlfriend is obviously a keeper!), and wow, that’s awesome that you finally got a William Shatner signature too! I had no idea that the Seers had gone up that much in price. In fact, I had no idea that you couldn’t still buy them new from Entertainment Earth, but yeah, I see there isn’t even a listing for it now!
Thank you so much for coming back and writing an update to your original comment. I’m very sorry, unfortunately adding an image to a comment is only an option for Premium WordPress users (which I am not), so no, there’s no way to share your picture here. But I would LOVE to see it. If you’re on any other social media platforms and you are so inclined, please feel free to tag me with a pic. On Twitter, I’m @WendyLovesJesus, and on Instagram, I’m @ wendybrydge.
And hold onto that Seer — with Shatner’s signature, surely it’s worth oodles more than $1000 now!
I’m not too much of a Social Media guy. I have Facebook if you are on there but that’s it for now. If not, I can email it to you if you want to see the picture. This Seer is not going anywhere! I wanted one for years and now I have one with THE Don Carter’s signature on it…when it’s my time to pass on, I might bury myself with the damn thing!
Lol, I wouldn’t blame you a bit if you did bury yourself with it! xD No FB, but I’ve sent you an email which you can feel free to reply to with the photo.
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