# Sale on Magic Wands! (AP story) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 31, 2003, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sale-on-magic-wands-ap-story/151896 "2003-01-31T16:58:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sale-on-magic-wands-ap-story/151896/1 "2003-01-31T16:58:25Z")
BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) – A woman who says she bought magic wands from a self-described psychic to erase negative thoughts says $5,400 of her money was all that disappeared. Joann Zansky, 57, said she paid a woman who claims to be a psychic $1,800 for each of three wands. Zansky said she contacted Bethlehem police Friday after she became suspicious about the effectiveness of the wands. —What I’m wondering is, why didn’t she just buy one magic wand, and wish for the other two? ---
**Author:** ![dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorkusmalorkusmafia/32/7266_2.png) [@dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorkusmalorkusmafia)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sale-on-magic-wands-ap-story/151896/2 "2003-01-31T17:10:17Z")
Well the first wand was obviously used. The psychic woman who sold it to her cast it on her causing the woman to compulsively buy more. Too bad the psychic women didn’t have a permanent wand of ignorance +1 to cast on the woman too. Looks like the effects of the impermanent wand of ignorance -1 wore off before she could get really milked. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Griffin-Kentzel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_griffin-kentzel/32/14787_2.png) [@Larry\_Griffin-Kentzel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Griffin-Kentzel)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sale-on-magic-wands-ap-story/151896/3 "2003-01-31T17:15:16Z")
> [@](#): > > —What I’m wondering is, why didn’t she just buy one magic wand, and wish for the other two? You can’t use a magic wand to wish for another magic wand any more than you can take one of you three wishes and wish for more wishes. Sorry . . . but them’s the rules. ---
**Author:** ![Gorgon\_Heap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f475e1/32.png) [@Gorgon\_Heap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgon_Heap)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sale-on-magic-wands-ap-story/151896/4 "2003-01-31T17:16:52Z")
This is really amusing. “Became suspicous about the effectiveness of the wands,” indeed. More amusingly, this is my home town, yet I’m certain none of my friends there will hear of this. ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sale-on-magic-wands-ap-story/151896/5 "2003-01-31T17:17:46Z")
I’d buy one if it were a [left handed](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=159766) one. 😃 _fixed link_ ---
**Author:** ![Gorgon\_Heap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f475e1/32.png) [@Gorgon\_Heap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgon_Heap)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sale-on-magic-wands-ap-story/151896/6 "2003-01-31T17:18:41Z")
[scoff] Good call, **Cajun Man**. See? I knew your being made a mod was a good idea. You know all the answers! ---
**Author:** ![Arden\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@Arden\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arden_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sale-on-magic-wands-ap-story/151896/7 "2003-01-31T17:48:03Z")
I think the funniest thing about this thread so far is **Cajun Man** ’s sig with this subject matter. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sale-on-magic-wands-ap-story/151896/8 "2003-01-31T17:50:22Z")
“Your honor, I move that the case be dismissed, because Ms. Zansky is dumber than a box of hair.” ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sale-on-magic-wands-ap-story/151896/9 "2003-01-31T17:51:49Z")
PT Barnum is once again proven correct. 😃 I wonder if she would be interested in some “Fairy Dust?” Got some dirt cheap. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sale-on-magic-wands-ap-story/151896/10 "2003-01-31T17:53:52Z")
It’s not the psychic’s fault that she got a batch of inoperative wands. Her supplier probably sent her some cheap knock-offs. Let’s lay the blame where it belongs - squarely at the feet of the owners of the third-world counterfeit-wand-knock-off factory and their distribution network! Damn them! ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sale-on-magic-wands-ap-story/151896/11 "2003-01-31T17:55:14Z")
Then again, were the wands clearly marked “Slightly Irregular” - did anyone even check? Ya gotta pay attention to what you’re buying these days… ---
**Author:** ![VenusProbe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e495f1/32.png) [@VenusProbe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VenusProbe)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sale-on-magic-wands-ap-story/151896/12 "2003-01-31T18:24:02Z")
My _Magic Wand_ must be broken, every time I get it out my SO gets a headache. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sale-on-magic-wands-ap-story/151896/13 "2003-01-31T18:49:31Z")
Well, you should have _three_ of them, then! ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sale-on-magic-wands-ap-story/151896/14 "2003-01-31T18:53:36Z")
Damn, I thought Good Vibrations was having a sale again, and it being so close to Valentine’s Day I was going to spring for a new…er…“toy” for the SO. Never mind. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sale-on-magic-wands-ap-story/151896/15 "2003-01-31T18:54:17Z")
I’ve got her magic wand hangin’ right here. ---
**Author:** ![Kantalooppi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a5b964/32.png) [@Kantalooppi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kantalooppi)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sale-on-magic-wands-ap-story/151896/16 "2003-01-31T18:56:31Z")
All she would have needed was a scroll of identify. Or possibly an altar to check it the wands were cursed. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sale-on-magic-wands-ap-story/151896/17 "2003-01-31T19:10:06Z")
For the full story just go [here](http://south.nj.com/news/expresstimes/pa/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1043748253140280.xml).Warning! 6’ long candle alert! ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sale-on-magic-wands-ap-story/151896/18 "2003-01-31T19:23:21Z")
How was her mom supposed to get to heaven with the six-foot-long candle? Climb it? ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sale-on-magic-wands-ap-story/151896/19 "2003-01-31T19:36:15Z")
“I can’t explain why I did this,” she said. “I’m a very co-dependent person and I worry about everyone else before myself. I guess that’s why I did it.” Orrrr . . . “I’m as dumb as a box of hair.” ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sale-on-magic-wands-ap-story/151896/20 "2003-01-31T20:33:19Z")
Anyone else suspect user error? I’ve never had a problem getting any of my magic wands to work. I suspect she’s one of those people who calls tech support because she instead of “swish and flick” she “fish and slicks.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sale-on-magic-wands-ap-story/151896.md?page=2)