Magic Fingers Magic fingers are often associated with a unique skill or talent possessed by certain individuals. The term refers to the ability of someone to perform remarkable tasks or achieve incredible results using only their hands. These individuals are often seen as having a special touch or a gift that allows them to excel in a particular field or activity. In sports, for example, some athletes are said to have magic fingers, enabling them to possess exceptional ball-handling skills or perform extraordinary feats with their hands. These individuals can manipulate the ball with incredible precision and finesse, allowing them to control the game and make impressive plays. Their ability to handle the ball as if it were an extension of their own hand has earned them the reputation of having magic fingers.

Magic Fingers still alive, but nearing its finale

Russ and Rusty Gill were once the region’s Magic Fingers kingpins.

In the late 1980s the father-son team from Spokane ran an 80-motel network with 2,000 of the machines, which vibrated a mattress for 15 minutes when a motel guest stuck a quarter into a coin box.

By many accounts, the Gills were the last active Magic Fingers operators in the country. In 2002 the Wall Street Journal wrote about the business and said the Gills were probably the last of “the Magic Fingers men.”

At this point, the Gills are writing the final chapter of the Magic Fingers saga. They have just one motel – the Flamingo, in Coeur d’Alene – that’s still using and promoting the mattress-vibrating gadgets.

Mead resident Russ Gill, 68, is keeping a stockpile of their last 100 working units.

His son, Rusty Gill, 46, who lives in Newport, sells some of those on eBay.

The two men have seen the rise and fall of Magic Fingers, a piece of Americana that makes people think of crewcuts and good vibrations.

The strange and unlikely success of Magic Fingers owes a lot to the creative flair of its inventor, a New Jersey entrepreneur named John Houghtaling, who created the device in 1958.

Houghtaling convinced motel operators that Magic Fingers was a health aid and comforter, and by the 1970s it was estimated more than 250,000 units had been installed in motels from coast to coast.

Russ Gill got into the business in 1983. He drove thousands of miles covering a route from Montana to Idaho to Central Washington, and said in his best years he did all right financially, pocketing about $30,000 a year. He always used the same formula with motel operators: He’d take 80 percent, they got the remainder.

But by the 1990s, the smaller motels that had Magic Fingers units were being replaced by corporate-owned operations.

Many of the national chains, like Motel 6, discarded the units because they saw them as carrying a seedy truck stop taint. Plus thieves began stealing the coin boxes, leading motel owners to consider them more a nuisance than an amenity.

As recently as five years ago, Russ Gill still hit the road, maintaining his route. He visited each motel, collected the quarters and serviced the machines, mounted below the bedsprings, that weren’t operating correctly.

“About five years ago, it just wasn’t worth the time anymore. It wasn’t worth the time driving and the cost of the gas you burned,” Gill said.

He removed the last couple hundred of his Magic Fingers boxes and put them in storage.

His only ongoing motel customer is the Flamingo, which has a unit in all 13 rooms.

Gill said he’d have pulled the units out there, too, “But Al Williams, the owner, told me to leave them there. He said they’ll stay there as long as he’s around.”

Williams and his wife, Shelley, see the Magic Fingers units as part of the motel’s retro appeal.

“It’s a big point of interest for us,” Al Williams said. “It’s something our guests come in and ask for.”

If any units break, Williams calls Russ Gill, who’s retired but doesn’t mind driving to Coeur d’Alene with his tool kit.

Rusty Gill works as a water systems operator for Pend Oreille Public Utility District in Newport. It’s his job to sell their remaining inventory of Magic Fingers units on eBay. He sells a couple units per month, usually for about $50 each, he said.

Those are authentic Magic Fingers units, Russ Gill said, identical to the one invented by Houghtaling, not a knockoff like those found online in the last decade.

Each sale sets off a little more relief and regret.

For Russ Gill, operating the Magic Fingers route is part of his family’s heritage. His wife’s father, the late Wade Brown, was the pre-eminent Magic Fingers operator in the region. Brown, a car salesman in Sandpoint in the 1960s, decided to go all-in and build a Magic Fingers franchise in the Inland Northwest.

His timing was right, because gas was still cheap and long-distance leisure and business travel created a sprawling motel industry. The Magic Fingers device was “probably the first guest-room amenity after the TV,” wrote Ed Watkins, editor of Lodging Hospitality magazine, in an article on the occasion of Houghtaling’s death in 2009.

Russ Gill wanted a piece of the action, and with $6,500 he persuaded Brown to sell him the parts of the route covering Montana and southeast Washington.

Over the next 15 years Russ bought the remainder of Brown’s route. It wasn’t always easy money. But it was his own business and he was in charge, Russ Gill said.

For Rusty Gill, the Magic Fingers story is about being with his dad as a teenager and young man, learning how to be a good listener.

“It gave me a lot of good memories,” Rusty Gill said about the years he spent helping his dad make his rounds.

From Ritzville to Ellensburg, and from Wenatchee to Walla Walla, they covered a lot of ground and saw a lot of people.

Mostly, the son saw his dad treat people right and be successful at the same time.

“He was born to do this kind of thing. He’s real sharp with business. But he’s also someone that people like to be around. He just has the ability to be easygoing, and people end up liking him.”

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Ampro Shine n' Jam Magic Fingers Setting Mousse For Braiders (12 oz)

This creamy, alcohol-free Setting Mousse is formulated to perfectly set your beautiful braids, prevent fly-aways and extend the life of your styles. Wheat Protein and Avocado help to strengthen hair while Jojoba Oil keeps your hair soft and conditioned. This is the perfect sister product to the Magic Fingers for Braiders

Extra firm hold

Directions: After braiding/styling is complete, apply product liberally onto the head and gently work over the hair. Apply a durag onto head and allow product to dry using a hand-held dryer or under a hooded dryer for 3-5 mins.

Ingredients: Aqua, Isobutane, Propane, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Polyquaternium-11, Polyquaternium-4, PEG-6 Cocamide, Methylaparaben, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Polyquaternium-10, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Oil, Aminomethyl Propanol, Fragrance

Their ability to handle the ball as if it were an extension of their own hand has earned them the reputation of having magic fingers. Similarly, in the realm of arts and crafts, there are individuals who can create masterpieces with their hands alone. They possess an innate talent for shaping materials and bringing their artistic visions to life.

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This creamy, alcohol-free Setting Mousse is formulated to perfectly set your beautiful braids, prevent fly-aways and extend the life of your styles. Wheat Protein and Avocado help to strengthen hair while Jojoba Oil keeps your hair soft and conditioned. This is the perfect sister product to the Magic Fingers for Braiders

Extra firm hold

Directions: After braiding/styling is complete, apply product liberally onto the head and gently work over the hair. Apply a durag onto head and allow product to dry using a hand-held dryer or under a hooded dryer for 3-5 mins.

Ingredients: Aqua, Isobutane, Propane, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Polyquaternium-11, Polyquaternium-4, PEG-6 Cocamide, Methylaparaben, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Polyquaternium-10, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Oil, Aminomethyl Propanol, Fragrance

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Magic Fingers

Once a popular vibrating bed system often found in motel rooms during the fifties and sixties, running on quarters which you fed into the metal box near the head of the bed, ostensibly for relaxation but more commonly understood by adults to be for enhancement of a woman’s sexual experience.

As a kid traveling from the mid west to California with my parents, I would always need at least ten quarters worth of Magic Fingers to settle myself down after the long and boring couple of hundred miles on the interstate each day.

Through their touch, they can transform ordinary objects into extraordinary works of art. Whether it be sculpting, painting, or crafting, these artists are often admired for their ability to create magic with their fingers. Moreover, magic fingers can also be attributed to healers or individuals involved in alternative therapies. These practitioners are believed to have the power to heal or alleviate pain through their touch. They can detect and manipulate energy fields within the body, promoting healing and restoring balance. Reiki practitioners, for example, use their hands to transmit healing energy to their clients, effectively promoting relaxation and well-being. In addition to physical abilities, magic fingers can also refer to people who possess an exceptional ability to type or engage in activities that require dexterity and precision with their fingers. These individuals have remarkable typing speeds and accuracy, allowing them to complete tasks efficiently and effortlessly. Their fingers seem to effortlessly glide across the keyboard, as if performing a magical dance. Overall, magic fingers encompass a wide variety of skills and talents possessed by individuals across various fields. Whether it be sports, arts, healing, or everyday tasks, these individuals possess a remarkable touch and finesse that sets them apart. Their ability to perform extraordinary tasks with their hands is often regarded with awe and admiration, making them stand out in their respective domains..

Reviews for "The Magical World of Magic Fingers: Exploring Different Massage Therapy Styles"

1. Jessica - ★☆☆☆☆

I was extremely disappointed with "Magic Fingers". The writing was lackluster and the plot was predictable. The characters felt one-dimensional and I couldn't connect with any of them. The story itself was unoriginal and felt like a rehash of other mediocre romance novels I've read before. Overall, I found the book quite boring and I struggled to finish it.

2. Michael - ★★☆☆☆

"Magic Fingers" didn't live up to the hype for me. While the premise was intriguing, the execution fell flat. The pacing was uneven, with slow parts dragging on for far too long and some action-packed scenes feeling rushed. The dialogue felt forced and unnatural, making it difficult for me to engage with the characters. Additionally, the romance in the book lacked chemistry and felt forced. Overall, I was left disappointed and underwhelmed.

3. Sarah - ★★☆☆☆

I have to say, "Magic Fingers" was not my cup of tea. The writing style was overly descriptive and flowery, which made it difficult for me to stay engaged in the story. The plot was convoluted and confusing, and I found myself getting lost and having to reread sections to understand what was happening. The characters were also unrelatable and lacked depth, making it hard for me to care about their fates. Unfortunately, this book just wasn't for me.

4. David - ★☆☆☆☆

I couldn't wait for "Magic Fingers" to end. The story felt disjointed and the plot twists were predictable and cliché. The dialogue was cringe-worthy, with cheesy and unrealistic conversations that took away from the overall experience. The pacing was also off, with long stretches of nothing happening followed by rushed and unsatisfying resolutions. I was left feeling frustrated and unsatisfied with this book.

Magic Fingers for Stress Relief: The Ultimate Guide to Relaxation