Jim Gerrish, who authored the PVC Pipe Illusion Books (on my site) is now working on another series of books on making stage magic props from hardboard and duct tape. The fourth book of the series will be all illusions that fold down to 2 feet by 4 feet for transportation. At first glance at the Table of Contents posted on my site, the stage magic appears to be standard stuff, but then you read the descriptions and realize that while the prop may look familiar, more has been added that wasn't included on the original.
For example, soon to be posted on-line is Gerrish's "Chimney Screen," which he admits is a variation of UF Grant's 1944 Temple Screen. But Jim has added a fourth panel and some interesting ways to make it possible to have a spectator handle the empty screen BEFORE the production and then hand the empty screen to a spectator when the production is all finished. Because you make it yourself, the prop can be any size you wish, and he suggests variations where you make it a castle tower, or a small house, and so on.
Do you have Dollar Stores in Singapore, where everything in the store sells for $1 USD or at least a very low set price? I got an inquiry from someone in Singapore who is interested in my new articles at The Magic Nook (my Web site) describing Dollar Store Magic and great magic props you can make for one or two or three dollars.
Before you buy the plans you are given a list of what you will need to find at the Dollar Store (or whatever your local same-type store is called in Singapore). If you are able to find those items, then you know the plans would work for you and you would be able to make your own props.
One of my current favorites among USA Magicians is called the "Invisible Candy/Cookie Jar" and to make it you just need a round clear plastic cannister that we are able to find in most Dollar Stores in the USA or in Pound or Quid Stores in the UK. You also need a translucent bowl to make a candy dish. If you can locate those items, then you would be able to use my plans to make a great prop for kids shows where candy appears out of the air by magic into the sealed clear plastic jar. So what I and my other Singapore customers need to know is, where would you find inexpensive items like this in Singapore?
Well. Singapore used to have a $1.99 shop if my memory still serves me well. But it closed down a couple of years ago.
Guess the equivalent of such a shop would be the value shop? Quite a number of shopping centres contain the value shop, especially those shopping centres in the heartland. Not sure if they sell the things you described though.
You can find one in IMM. I think is the $2 shop. It is big.
You can find some simple magic tricks in Japanese language selling there.
cheers!
The one at IMM is called Daiso and like ThomasLim said, it's pretty big with a whole lot of items ranging from stationery to gardening tools etc etc.
The value shop commonly found at shopping malls in the heartlands should be ValueDollar (or something similar).
Sometimes there are those nameless dollar stores within the heartlands as well. Kind of provision shop style with items at low prices.