Review by Andy Martin for Matrix Poker by Jim Steinmeyer, Alan Wakeling
4 out of 5
Clever effect, Good Value, and Easy to do.
This is a clever little self working effect. The price is right and you get a lot for your money: specially printed cards, purse, stage money, and routine.
However, I think it would be better without the specially printed cards – it would be much better if you pulled out a deck of cards and just wrote on the back of them the numbers – or affixed them with labels. I think that way it would seem even more amazing. In fact if you pulled out a deck, did some false shuffles and cuts, then dealt out 16 cards on top of the numbered cards (or numbered them as you laid them out), you really would have a miracle!
Review by George Guerra for The Stones of Tutankhamun by Doug Gorman, Jim Riser
5 out of 5
Great Title..Great Routine
Finally picked up the parcel from Doug this morning and found inside No.4 of this little series and it’s a very impressive item! Jim Riser is to be commended on the props. I have yet to be disappointed with his workmanship and his stuff is truly collector quality. The routine is enlightning and entertaining. Doug gives you a professional quality video guide to the routine along with a booklet, but it’s the DVD-ROM disc that gives you the details. It was fortunate that I gave my wife for Mother’s Day yesterday a new Apple iBook, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to play the disc!
As already mentioned this is an all sleight of hand routine but as Doug commented in the video it does blow away at one point in the effect those who suspect a shell. It’s pricey but considering the props, the instructional media, and professional quality of the routine, I would say it’s money well spent..well, at least, I am happy and I tend to be rather picky in selecting magic for my collection as Andy will attest.
Review by George Guerra for Marakesh Mystery by Collectors' Workshop
5 out of 5
Think of a Card..CW Nova at a Bargain
One of the most interesting concepts in card magic with a mental twist has to be the "Any Thought of Card Rise". Dr. Hooker’s model, unavailable at any price, depends on a method that simply doesn’t make sense today. Other attempts include the Joseffy Rise, the Neyhardt model, and the current wonder, Collectors’ Workshop Nova, which sells for $12,000..Oh, would I love to own this treasure!
Marakesh Mystery was created to fill the void at a very affordable price, but it still required very tedious handcrafted work to accomplish the effect. It was advertised in both the 1987 and 1990 catalog, but was already gone when the 1993 CW catalog was released. Nick Ruggiero realized that it just wasn’t practical to continue making this item and keep the price reasonable, so it was discontinued.
The method apparently wasn’t original to CW as I have seen "older" versions of this particular effect appear on ebay, though the CW version was likely the "Rolls-Royce" of the bunch. A spectator thinks of a card and writes it down on a slip of paper. A solid brass case with a simple "skeleton" brass frame shown; frame is withdrawned containing a deck of cards. Both sides of the frame can be shown as in the images. Without removing the deck, the frame is held up with one hand only and the thought of card just rises out of the deck. It’s beautiful magic at its best. One limitation was that the deck will rise any pip card called for, but not the face cards. This was not a problem as the suggested patter easily eliminated the face cards in the spectator’s choice. That is still 40 different cards under your control! Amazing prop and stunning magic.
Review by Andy Martin for Mini Mental by Alan Warner
5 out of 5
Still one of Alan’s Best!
I have reviewed this wonderful effect before and I still love it! I recently acquired another because I noticed how the colors match perfectly those of the light bulbs in the Wellington Mini-Magic Switchboard. This made me realise I could use it in conjunction with that prop as a wonderful way to predict the order of the bulbs at the end for a kicker finish!
Until recently I had every single piece of Teak Mini-Magic that Alan Warner had created, but I sold them earlier in the year due to a cash flow crisis! As things are improving again for me you might find me re-purchasing the odd Warner effect, but this time I am not buying just to have it as a beautiful collectable but to use them in my close-up show.
Alan’s Magic is wonderful and its kind of a shame that its so valuable as it means less people actually perform it. But his magic is very performable and if you can get over the value part try and perform some of it – I believe you will be very happy and get even more out of your investment.
Review by George Guerra for Blasted by Bob Swadling
5 out of 5
Always loved this one!
Blasted is one of those effects you just have to love it when you see it performed for the first time. It is dramatic..Copenetro without the fancy mechanics. This is particularly true when you are an adolescent, many years ago, new to magic, and a demonstrator at Hollywood Magic brings this out to blow your mind. It was then made by Tannen’s and somehow it left my collection many years ago.
However, recently Mario Carrandi put this beauty on ebay, a mint Blasted made in the 1960’s by England’s Harry Stanley and I went for it. Oh, what nostalgia!
Tannen also released in a "smaller" version, Blasted Jr., using a simple low plastic cover instead of the glass goblet, The coins were a dime/penny instead of the larger English coins (though Tannen’s used a Kennedy Half for the English Silver in their version of Blasted).
The effect is two contrasting coins are shown. The Silver one is placed on the metal tray and covered with the inverted glass. The copper is held above on the glass, then suddenly and visibly, it appears inside alongside the Silver coin. Glass removed and the coins freely showned. Beautiful magic!
Review by MagicBill for Dream Bag (Jumbo) by Mak Magic
5 out of 5
A real crowd pleaser!
I have this trick and have personally used it. It plays well with crowds and leaves them mystified as I showed them the bag before I pulled out a box. Using different color silks and pulling out a box with a flower the same color as the silk really gets the audience thinking. and then in the end when I stack all three boxes and they’re taller than the bag really blows them away. It’s easy to do, no special skills required which is good for me.
Whether you’re playing to adults or children, either should enjoy this trick. Enjoy! MagicBill www.high-techmagic.com
Review by MagicBill for Mirror Penetration by Howard Schwarzman
4 out of 5
Keep it clean or else!
I have this trick but mine is painted red. It looks a little more Chinese than this one. Mine also has an automatic silk winder in the back and the clockwork mechanism will pull the silk through the glass unattended. You must be near the mirror when it starts to wind the silk on the mechanism and also before the silk disappears else you’ll see the secret.
But the biggest complaint with this product is keep it clean. One person was performing this trick and had some pretty big prints on the glass and the audience could see the gimmick moving. In fact, one loud mouthed kid was reported to say: "Look Daddy, the fingerprints are moving!" which brought a chuckle from the audience and killed the magic for the trick.
So keep the glass clean. That’s what the silk is for, to polish the glass!
Review by Anonymous for Anverdi Spirit Bell by Anverdi
5 out of 5
Anverdi Rocks!
Anverdi was a genius, period. And nothing brings about the magic like the spooky Anverdi Spirit Bell. On mine, I had to play with it a while because you set up a momentum and a rocking motion for the clapper. With practice, you can have it chime out numbers, 1 for yes, 2 for no, etc.
The wise ones will figure this out with inspection, but as a stage, parlor, or even close up it plays well and packs small. With a few other tricks of a spiritualistic nature, this could be a showpiece for spirit type tricks…
Review by Anonymous for McBride's Candle by Jeff McBride
4 out of 5
Good effect if you do Fire Magic
McBride’s Candle is a good effect for performers that want flashy fire magic at a (relatively) low price. If you look hard enough in this photo, you can see the drawback with this candle. It is strictly stage or maybe parlor magic. Close inspection will give it away unless you keep it moving…
McBride’s Candle is unique in the way it lights and then can keep going far longer than just a butane lighter could go. McBride solved a lot of problems with other designs and this candle plays big and packs small. Add it to your bag of tricks…
Review by Andy Martin for StackoMagic Dice Cups by Frank Starsinic
5 out of 5
What a Great Package!
Ever since I saw Fred Kaps do some dice stacking on his new DVD I decided it was about time I tried it myself! This little package from Frank Starsinic is pefect: it comes with a beautifully made leather cup, 4 dice and two chop cup balls all in a nice drawstring bag.
If you can’t do the dice stacking you still get to use this very functional Chop Cup. This is great value and I look forward to working up a routine with this.
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