The man called at the address given, as arranged.
Even before he retired, he’d been doing party tricks for children for years. He knew lots of clever card tricks and he had a matchbox that could make a coin disappear. There was always blowing up balloons and making animals. The kids absolutely loved that. Anyway, he was intrigued by the tiny advert in the local paper saying that several bits of magical equipment were going for a song as the owner was trying to clear a room in his house. He rang the bell.
The owner came to the door beaming. “How’d you do, come in. It really is a case of first come, first served.” As he was lead the way to the back of the house the man kept talking. “I’ve finished with all this stuff; I have other interests now. You’ll find everything’s in perfect working order.”
He opened the door to what was probably a bedroom. He stood and pointed to the objects for sale. “In the corner there, that’s a cabinet for making people disappear. This piece of equipment here is a thought transmitting machine, and that large cubicle is a time portal.” He walked further into the room and lifting a sheet, he said, “This is a motorbike that levitates. As I said in the ad, it all has to go. That’s why I’m selling it off so cheap. I’m making room for a lodger, you see?”
The caller, although quite gobsmacked, managed to nod.
“Interested?” asked the seller.
“Well, um, yes.” He franticly took out his wallet and paid the man, saying he’d be back the next day with a truck.
He thanked him and left, knowing that his party tricks were about to move to a whole new level.