Reviews

One of my favorite Ben Stone effects!

I have always liked Delben’s Magic Blotter by Ben Stone – this is the third one I have owned now and let’s hope it hangs around for a while.

Apart from the sheer elegance of the blotter itself, what I like so much about this is how smoothly it operates. Even very close-up and watching intently, you really can’t see how it changes … the blotter just blots away the blank bill and there in its place is a crisp new bill.

If only making money were this easy!

BTW, if you have ever been tempted by that awful copy that was released by Magic Makers, don’t be. The mechanism is not even close to the action on this baby. Shop around and find the original.

If I had one criticism of the Magic Blotter, it would be that it is a one time only deal – once you’ve blotted the first bill it’s all over. The problem is easily solved if you make it as the end of another routine with money. Something like Ron Bauer’s Xerox Money would be perfect as you try to iron out the mixed up notes at the end. Just something so you don’t need to use the blotter more than once.

In any case, this is highly recommended as a great collectible and a great prop!

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Truly a Wonder!

Tommy Wonder really makes you believe in magic! His performances on this DVD are just beautiful. I normally stampede to the explanations, but with these DVD’s I just prefer to watch in awe as this perfect performer does and says everything so smoothly. You can’t help but like the guy too, as there are no heirs or pretentions – he is just the nicest peformer you will ever meet, and totally brilliant to boot!

If you see Tommy perform you will want to make yourself better. You may even practice more. It is so clear that Tommy spends years refining his routines.

Some of the highlights for me were his Wild Card (Tamed Card), The Ring, The Watch, and The Wallet, Magic Ranch, Through the Eye of the Needle, Two Cup Routine, … hang on this is everything he does! Yes I really loved every performance of his.

Some DVD’s you buy to learn new tricks, and others like this one and the the Fred Kaps one, you get to remind yourself why you got into magic in the first place. You will believe in magic again after you see these performances!

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Clean prediction with beautiful Props

As I slowly, but surely, add a few items back to my once huge Alan Warner collection I find time to play with each piece more than ever before. There has never been any doubt about how beautiful Alan’s work is, but where he equally scores top marks is how he thinks through all the nuances of a relatively simple effect.

With this beautiful prop the spectator is asked to select any one of the 4 colors shown on the front of the fine teak holder. Then without any strange moves you simply take all 4 dominoes out and there predicted is the one chosen by the spectator. The dominoes can be replaced and are instantly ready for the next performance. It must be noted, that although there is no force of the colors the seemingly clean method of revelation of the color does not bear repeating to the same audience.

What strikes me with all of Alan’s magic is how he makes use of every chance to help the performer. In this case, the holder itself with the layout of the colors provides a subtle reminder how to remove the dominoes.

This is a very clean prediction effect and is beautifully made. If you have not seen some of Alan’s work up close and personal I suggest you head over to his wonderful website and see for yourself why he is clearly the king of mini-magic. If you get a chance to own some of his magic I strongly urge you to do so – in a world of mass produced items Alan stands out as one of the remaining true craftsman in our art.

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Forcing a Color with Style!

Here we have another return visitor to my Alan Warner collection – Colourama. If you want a clean force of a color then this is the one.

You show an elegant teak holder with 6 small tablets. Each of the tablets has a recessed spot on its face, and each spot is a different color. You lay the tablets out in front of the spectator face down and they can choose any one with no force. You place the one they chose off to the side and now show that each of remaining tablets are clearly a different color. The spectator can then turn over the one they selected and it will always be the force color (in this case red).

As with all of Alan’s work he goes the extra mile. In this particular case he added a feature that enables the spectator to pick-up the force tablet without any fear of the secret being found.

The other neat feature about this effect is that reset is as simple as dropping the chosen color back into the holder along with the other tablets and you are ready to roll again. Alan will make up custom colors for you if you ask so if you want to force different colors you can.

BTW, I must note that although I am British, since moving to the USA in 1990 I have tried to spell color the American way without the "u". However, since "Colourama" is the name of the effect I keep the "u" in there. I don’t mind admiting I get very confused when I spell color when describing this effect! I blame it all on the Americans (of which I am now one) for taking a fine language and destroying the spelling!!!

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Have you ever been Gypped?

Ray Piatt really has some nice effects using his Gyp principle. This one is still my favorite and I’m glad it is back in the Collection. I like it because the wallet is very straight forward and normal looking, and yet you can do some wonderful effects.

You can really talior this to your own needs but one effect is where you say you are going to have a game of POKER without any cards. You go ahead and write the word POKER on the pad in the wallet and then put a check mark next to any letter. You now give the spectator a chance to guess any letter that you did not check. Of course they always pick your checked letter. This effect can be repeated without any fears.

It can be used to predict names, colors, places, etc – in fact anything you can write on the pad. There are no nail writes or other such devices and it is a wonderfully clever method.

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The Perfect Alan Warner Strolling Magic Effect

Although Alan’s magic is beautiful and clever, for the most part I would not say it fits well in the category of Strolling or Walk-Around Magic. The props either require a table, have a fairly complicated set-up, or are simply too ornate to put up with the rigours of this type of Magic. Not so with this lovely piece.

I think this is a bit of a Warner Sleeper. The basic routine that Alan supplies works well, reset is a easy and no table is required. However, with a few extra color-changing knife moves you can extend the routine and really have a beautiful miracle on your hands that is always ready and is easy to do.

I would like to thank Doug Gorman for reminding me how great this little gem is and am glad to see it back in the Collection.

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Thumb Writer for People who Hate Thumb Writers!

Ok, so as much as I have seen some incredible routines with Thumb Writers, Nail Writers, Swami gimmicks and all devices for making some incredible predictions right under the noses of the spectator, I have just never been comfortable with them.

This Super Sharpie from Chris Smith really is an amazing device and if you have never felt comfortable with any of the other methods before I feel quite confident that you will with this one.

Chris has blended all the moves into very logical handling using the Sharpie – it is not messy and it is always ready to work. You really can do this under their noses with almost no balls at all.

Thanks Chris!

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Wow this is an Impossible Rising Card!

I’ve always been a Devano rising card type of guy – with pins not sticky tape. However, I must say how impressed I am with Gary Plants’ Impossible Close-up Rising Card. It really is amazing and clean.

The deck appears ungimmicked and can be used before and after the rise as a normal deck of cards and can be examined. The case can also be examined if required. And yet even right up close two selected cards rise from the deck when placed inside the case. It looks amazing and quite different from any other rising card I have seen. You can show all sides of the case and there is just no explanation how the cards can be rising.

What is really amazing is how close the spectators can be and they can even take the cards from the case after they have risen and are still sticking out of the top, and you can then go straight into another card effect.

Very Impossible!

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Beautiful, Clever, and Simple – Jerry you’re a marvel!

Ok, I was hoping I wasn’t going to have to say this ever again, but this new wallet that I just received from that Crazy, British, Leather Craftsman, Jerry "Lock up your Daughters" O’Connell is my new favorite! Of course like all magicians I got hung up on the pocket on one side of the wallet, but once you hold this baby and read the routine Jerry has for Shaxon’s incredible Confabulation effect, you don’t give it another thought – just like every single person who sees you perform. They don’t care about the pocket and neither should you.

What has become very clear to me after chatting with Jerry a bit and reading some of his routines is that this is a funny man, who is very serious about making props that work for real performing magicians. When you take the O’Connell Plus Wallet and add the new marvel Jerry calls "The Unit", you have an incredibly clean, easy, and oh so fooling method for doing Confabulation like effects – where 3 totally different items, colors, dates etc are chosen with zero force. (BTW, Jerry does not include the actual Confabulation routine since that is not his and it is assumed you are familiar with it, just in case you were worried!)

Jerry really thinks through his routines and then makes props that work perfectly. Reset is a snap too. He has streamlined it as far as anyone can take it. Anymore simplifying, and it won’t actually require a magician!

Although, next Christmas is not here yet, I already have my closing effect that will blow them all away.

Of course this wallet, without the addition of the Unit, is still the ultimate wallet with the Card To Wallet, Card to Sealed Envelope, and No Palm Card to Wallet features all built into the same beautiful wallet.

Jerry is Number One when it comes to wallets. Period.

Most highly recommmended!

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