5 Stars

Perfect Match – Every Time!

I love this effect! It is based on the same principle used in one of the phases in Larry Becker’s Casino Royale, but this effect is much more impromptu.

You basically talk about how you’ve been collection matchbooks for each hotel you stay at and clearly show a bag full of different books. You pull out a few of the books to show they are all different and to wax and wane fondly about what you did at that hotel! The spectator then has a free choice out of any of the matchbooks and of course it matches the door key that you were left with.

Reset is instant and it is very easy to do. There is no switching of matchbooks or using clear forcing bags or any such madness! This makes a lot of sense and is a wonderful effect.

Highly Recommended!

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This had me fooled!

This is a clever little miracle from Wayne Dobson and I love it!

You show a domino with 6 dots that can freely be moved around and ask a spectator to position them in any combination they fancy. Then as a gag you talk about how magicians use mirrors all the time in their acts. You bring out a mirror and explain how you had made a prediction of the domino they would create – just look in the mirror and there is the reflection of their chosen domino!

Of course they are not impressed, so then the magician turns over the mirror and their is there choice printed on the back!

This is a very sweet fool proof prediction, with instant reset and very easy to do. It will fool you too!

This is my favorite of the Wayne Dobson miracles I recently purchased. Keep an eye on this guy – he has some wonderful magic!

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Wow! This is Amazing!

This effect is beautiful, clever, and convincing, but does require getting very comfortable with the method by practicing it enough so that it is automatic – it is not hard and the impact is so huge the effort is more than worth it. In fact the more convincing your presentational skills are the easier you will find this.

Once you get it smooth I defy you to find a more convincing piece of mentalism. Now factor in that it costs less than $50, packs flat and doesn’t need any pesky batteries (as so much "mentalism" does these days), you just can’t go wrong!

As for the method, you will just die when you see it – very clever indeed. I believe you can fool anyone who is not in the know with this. But you do need to spend a few hours so that it is second nature.

I am sure you will not be dissappointed with your small investment on this one.

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Different from Douglas-Wayne Illusioneering, But More Practical!

Ok so if you have ever seen the Douglas-Wayne Illusioneering version of this effect you will at first be a bit disappointed. The Douglas-Wayne Illusioneering version is a faithful reproduction of the drawings in Hoffmann’s Modern Magic. It is smaller, particularly the tower the coin rises up on, and it is slightly better made. However, it is quite a big pain to set-up and how the coin rises behind the window can be seen in certain lighting conditions.

With the Mikame version, reset is much, much easier using a clockwork mechanism and the coin rises in broad daylight with no clue as to how even with bright lights shining on the tower. It is also wide enough so that the coin rises without touching the sides so it really does look like it is rising unaided.

The kicker of course is that when it gets to the top you hear it hit the top and then find it in the little box that is locked and on top. The coin can be signed if desired.

To the audience this Mikame version probably looks better and since it is much easier to reset, I believe it is more likely to be actually performed, rather than sitting on the shelf looking cool.

The collector will certainly prefer the Douglas-Wayne Illusioneering version, however if you really want to perform this more than once a year I think you are better off with the Mikame version. Although the craftsmanship doesn’t quite measure up to Douglas-Wayne Illusioneering Quality it is still a very nice piece and something you will be proud to own and perform.

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Osterlind rules!

I just love watching Richard Osterlind! With almost no special props he performs clean and incredibly powerful mentalism right before your very eyes. When he takes you through the explanations your respect for this man contines to grow. He just nails the effects with the simplest of methods and techniques.

The 2nd volume which is exclusively on his stacked deck (the Breakthrough Card System) is one of my favorites as he performs a whole act using the same stack each time, and each effect is wildy different. He also explains in detail the stack itself so you don’t even need to buy the book!

This is very practical mentalism from one of the best performers in the business. Highly recommended!

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