Inspired by the legendary Anverdi Key Box plot the Apex Key Box has been re-imagined and re-engineered with a completely new mechanical method allowing the performer to remain entirely hands off throughout the routine and with an instant self reset.

With the performers hands staying in clear view through out the entire effect. The result is a cleaner, fairer, and a more impossible experience for both performer and audience.
 
THE EFFECT
A lock box along with 5 keys are presented to the audience on a table. The performer steps back. 1 Key is shown to work with the box while 4 keys do not. Something of value is placed into the box and a spectator is asked to lock the box and then mix all the keys together so that they loose the one working key. A spectator then randomly picks 1 key to set aside as the magicians key. The other 4 are split between the spectators. 5 keys, 1 that works, no one knows who is holding it.
 
One by one, each spectator steps forward and attempts to unlock the box with their key —each given the choice to use their own key or switch with the magician’s.
 
Every decision and attempt builds tension… yet none succeed. Then, without the performer ever touching the box or the keys, the last remaining key—the magician’s key—is placed into the lock by a spectator… and it opens.
 
METHODOLOGY
Beneath its elegant exterior lies a deeply deceptive & diabolical mechanism. An entirely new mechanical system engineered for certainty, clarity, and total audience immersion.
 
Every phase has been designed to be foolproof in performance while maintaining the illusion of complete freedom.
 
Audience Experience & Fairness
Participants can handle all components throughout
The performer never needs to come into contact with the box or the keys
The entire sequence happens in clear, uninterrupted view
No key changes or hidden moves — the process remains completely transparent
 
Method & Construction
Built on an original, self-contained working principle
The box can be examined both internally and externally
Nothing added or taken away
No Magnets
No Electronics
 
Performance & Handling
EASY, straightforward to learn and perform with confidence
No sleight of hand required at any stage
Allows you to focus entirely on presentation rather than method
Resets immediately, ready to perform again within seconds
 
BUILD
Handcrafted with rich Jarrah eucalyptus accents and precision components, the Apex Key Box delivers both durability and tactile satisfaction.
Each spectator feels the weight of the moment as they handle the keys—genuinely feeling they might be the one to unlock the impossible.
 
DESIGN STYLE –  MAGICS GOLDEN AGE ~ ART DECO
The Apex Key Box Series will grow into a range of boxes with different styles to suit different performers needs, all based on the same mechanism and principle. For this piece the design style has been done with inspiration from Magics Golden Age and the Art Deco theater designs of the time to create a classic yet minimalistic box that could suit any occasion.
 
Material: Crafted from luxurious Australian Jarrah Eucalyptus hardwood & Eco Friendly Bio-Plastic.
 
Size approx.: 11.5cm Wide x 8.5cm High x 8 Deep – A perfect size to place inside a roll of cash, a spectators watch, keys, rings, etc.
 
Video Tutorial Link Included: A link and password to a video tutorial is included along with your items. This video features Anthony Yap walking you through the effect, history, method, explanation, and some helpful tips on learning this effect.
 
Mad Rabbit Magic is proud to be one of the select authorized dealers carrying Retro Rocketeers creations. I currently have several of Anthony’s creations available—each one recognized for exceptional craftsmanship, quality, and clever engineering. They’re the kind of items that collectors prize and that display beautifully in any magic collection.
 
Add one of these exclusive works to your collection today!
 
Anthony Yap is an Australian artist with a passion for visual oddities, magical history and the esoteric arts. Influenced by a wide range of genres from mystical ancient cultures to Steampunk & Retrofuturism, Anthony’s creations are highly visual, and usually a lot more than what they seems at first glance.
 
Some artists naturally take to drawing, others modelling clay, for Anthony the virtual world of 3D Sculpting has been his medium of choice for over 2 decades and remained mostly contained to the virtual world until the rise of 3D Printing and additive manufacturing. Here Anthony saw an opportunity to rapidly take concepts and almost like magic to see those creations manifest over night into reality. While a big step in the right direction simply using 3D printing or CNC wasn’t enough, the result still felt unfinished and looked like a toy. Instead, a process and style was developed that uses 3D Printing & CNC as a base to start from with all of the individual pieces then undergoing a long process of hand work, assembly, hand painting & lacquer finishing to bring further quality, depth and feel to the magical creation. Through this process of mixing modern technology and classic hand crafting a unique characteristic is given to each of the items sometimes making the final piece feel as if it was just dug from an ancient tomb or discovered in the archives of some long lost traveling showman.
 
Due to the hand crafted nature of each of the pieces Anthony and his team can only produce a limited number of items each year with majority of the pieces going to collectors and enthusiasts from around the world.