5 Stars

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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This is more like it!

There are way too many locks and key effects on the market. This one from David De-Val has gone straight to my favorite list because it is so clean.

It can be used to lock a ring on the hasp, a box, bag, etc. The genuine, heavy, brass padlock is made in England by Squire. Of course after showing only 1 of the 7 keys unlocks the padlock, the performer or spectator can always choose the correct key.

What makes this method so clean is that at no time whatsoever does the magician need to touch the padlock or keys – either during the testing phase or the final choice of the key that opens the padlock. Once the effect is over the magician does need to briefly touch the padlock to reset it – but this can be done after the performance or just in the process of handing the padlock out again (if desired).

There are also no external pins, magnets, batteries or gimmicks to worry about. Truly the best version of Annemann’s Seven Keys to Baldpate type effect that I have seen.

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How does he do it?

I don’t know how CardsByMartin (Neil Lester) creates his double faced cards – but they are as good as factory printed cards, making them perfect for card effects relying on specially printed cards.

This effect by Derek Dingle is a wonderful effect and now I have the perfect cards for it, what is to hold me back!

You can find out more about card splitting here and details of this effect here.

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Better than Twisted Sisters!

This is one of my favorite packet tricks of all time! I got my original one from Ron MacMillan in the UK over twenty years ago. Recently, I managed to remake it in Bicycle stock using some cards from Daryl. To my mind it is more impressive than Twisted Sisters (which is a great trick too), and is particularly convincing if you perform it 3 times in a row.

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This is Wonderful Mentalism!

Heirloom is a wonderful piece of clean and easy mentalism based on Kenton Knepper’s Kolossal Killer. The presentation makes sense and if presented with a modicum of acting ability is not only plausible, but truly unnerving. It does not require any sleight of hand or moves, and is very clean to the audience.

In the original version of Heirloom, the creators (Jamie Badman and Colin Miller) say that you don’t need a "special" wallet for this effect. This might be true, but finding one that was easy to set-up and use was quite a task until the Heirloom Wallet came out. Now this wallet is not as slick as The Predator Wallet neither is the mechanics the same – but it is 5 times less money and really works well for this particular effect. The wallet is a bit larger than a normal hip wallet, but it is not too thick and compared with some wallets I’ve seen is fine. For the price it is impossible to beat! It certainly makes it easier to present Heirloom, without even thinking about it.

The basic effect of course is as simple as asking a spectator to think of any card, and showing a single photo in your wallet with their card on. But with the presentation included it adds a lot more to the impact on the audience.

I had just finished buying all the wallets I needed, until this effect and wallet came along. This one is also certainly a keeper!

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