Andy Martin

Just my cup of Tea!

When Doug first showed this to me it held great promise and after a bit of tweaking with Doug it was smoothed out into what I feel is a very clean, visual and entertaining routine.

A red deck of cards is shown to be all different and a prediction is placed face down in front of the spectator. Next a card is selected. The card that they selected is placed on the table face up. You then turn over your prediction and mention "Well the back of the card matches." This is not too impressive, until you spread the full deck and show that they are a mixture of colors. At this point you confess to being prepared in that instance too and spread your prediction card to show that you in fact have 4 cards each with a different back. However, when you turn them over they are all the same except for the red backed card which matches theirs.

Now, the finale comes along as a real kicker and you turn over their card to see the color is a totally different color from any of the other cards – and magically your prediction card has changed too!

What I particularly like about this effect is not only is it visually appealing, but there is plenty room for the spectators to feel you have failed and each time you surprise them by correcting the problem. It also has a very simple and quick reset, so it is great for restaurant work.

I really like the way Doug routines his effects and this is no exception. This is also a great lead in to the Magic Chameleons released by Doug and Paul Mims last year.

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True Love Indeed!

Ok, so I’ve been holding back from buying Richard Gerlitz’s beautiful magic for a couple of years now. But when this beauty appeared on Richard’s site I decided it was high time I indulged myself again. Richard’s magic is the most ingenious and intricate available today – bar none. It also turns out to be hugely collectable now too. Because of the small runs that Richard does if you are ever lucky enough to get in early you will have a solid investment.

This new item from Richard is as close to perfection as you can get. It is small, clever, beautiful, easy to do, easy to reset, and easy to understand! Now you won’t be doing this during your walk-around gigs, but in your den and for those special close-up shows it will fit the bill very nicely. It is truly a magical piece.

Sea-Ling’s True Love is an expensive item, but when you receive it you will instantly appreciate its value. It works flawlessly the way you would like it to work. There are no funny moves or awkward pauses. One minute the ring is off the next it is on.

When I look at all the pieces of Richard’s work that I have been lucky enough to own I feel quite sure that this is my favorite thus far.

Thank-you Richard for continuing to produce incredible and beautiful magic.

You had me when I saw the very first photo.

Most highly recommended if you have the spare cash!

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Wow, this is Incredible!

When I first recieved my calculator it was slightly out of sequence and so I was unable to use it. Luckily John Mendoza was just an email away and he quickly told me the keys to press to turn the calculator back into: Al Stanger’s Miracle Poker Machine. And boy is it a miracle!

Before I go futher let me say how these days I am less and less interested in any sort of electronic magic. I have had way too many issues with things breaking or running out of juice at the wrong time. So when I first purchased this beauty, I did so with some reluctance. However, I am so glad that I did. My greatest passion in life, next to my wife and kids of course, is developing software. Magic is great fun, but for me writing software is my true joy, and this clever little machine is a very fine piece of programming. I had no idea how it worked until I read the clear instructions by John Mendoza. Once you understand the basic principle you can’t help but appreciate the thought that Al Stanger put into the programming of this clever machine.

All this being said, without the routine by John it would be just a good Poker Machine, but when you work with John’s incredible 4 phase routine you really do move into the miracle class. Each phase builds on top of each other to end up with an incredible climax.

This calculator is not for everyone. It is not hard to use or learn, but it does take some practice and patience, and you should be comfortable with technology – the order of buttons that you press is very important, and if you don’t press the right buttons you can find yourself in quite a different place than you expected! However, for those magicians who want something a bit different that will fool them all, I could not recommend this more heartily. Soon John will have a new DVD out which will have his performance of the routine on it and I have no doubts that this will cause a bit of a stampede for this device.

I suggest you get yours now before they all go!

Most Highly Recommended!

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What A Heavy and Unique Chop Cup and Routine!

When I first saw the photos of these on Chance’s site I actually thought the Champagne Bucket was plastic, but it is not at all. A heavy chromed metal cup that looks and feels great. With this item Chance continues to demonstrate that he not only has the skills for building great mini-magic items, but also has the ability to create original and entertaining routines too.

In a world where we get used to paying high prices for inferior props, Wolf’s Magic is showing that you can actually buy high quality props and routines for very reasonable prices!

Highly Recommended!

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What a Fabulous Peek Device!

Ok so you know how much I love Jerry’s leather work, and particularly his marvellous Himber wallets? Well, with this item he takes one of his beautiful mini himber wallets and turns it into a Peek wallet to end up with a great utility prop!

If you use Jerry’s Gesture Change the move almost happens automatically, and because of the wide area for the peek it is easy to read anything they write on the whole business card area. Also, because the himber wallet is so flat and thin it is easy to show the wallet all around before you peek should you so desire.

As with all peek devices it is typically the performer who gives away the peek, not the prop. With Jerry’s Peek-It Himber I’d like to think that you feel so confident about doing it that you won’t in fact give it away at the crucial moment.

What a fabulous utility item for the mentalist or magician.

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Great Magic and a Great Case!

This is a wonderful triple climax effect by Joe Riding and Jerry liked it so much he built a case (made of leather of course) just for the effect. The use of Jerry’s case really enhances the effect since it allows each of the climaxes to be hidden until just the right time.

In essence, you show two half decks of cards and have one half card chosen from each pile. Not only do the half cards end up matching the prediction both front and back, they are chosen from on one side cards with rainbow backs, and on the other side cards with blank faces.

It is a great routine with moments for laughter and entertainment builit in until you reach the final prediction. Jerry’s leather case not only makes it easy to carry, but also enhances the impact of the effect.

Highly Recommended!

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Time to Celebrate with Jerry O’Connell!

This is a wonderful bit of business designed primarlly for the table hopping magicians. In essence it is an electronic device that plays Kool and the Gang’s "Celebration" on demand.

The device is loud and cleverly hidden in the sleeve. It can be turned on and off very easily using the precise pressure switch that Jerry provides. It comes with a great routine using a mini desk, leather holder and a mini laser pen. You can even take your jacket off since it has been designed to have no attachments to the body.

This is different from Jerry’s usual straight leather offerings, but like all of his magic it is very well thought out and works perfectly. Jerry also includes a page of other ideas for using this wonderful device which will surely get your creative juices flowing!

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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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