Reviews: Read What Others Are Saying
172 ★★★★★ reviews
121 ★★★★★ reviews
78 ★★★★★ reviews
123 ★★★★★ reviews
The Pitchman's Svengali Routine
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Dana Perkins (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 24 July, 2024)
I've seen and read different Svengali deck pitches performed, and what I like about this one is that while it shows a variety of different tricks that can be done with the deck, it never reveals how the deck actually works. Yet the words and the handling steadily move the spectators in the direction of "I need to buy one of these decks!"
The Little Green Lecture
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Ridgely Hunt (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Tuesday 23 July, 2024)
I bought this for just one thing: Clocking the Deck. Obviously, there is way more here. Glad I have it.
Flea Circus
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Louis Lepore (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 22 July, 2024)
There are better ones on the market.
Crazy 8, Crazy Cash
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Louis Lepore (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 22 July, 2024)
Great stuff as always.
A Very Great Deal
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by hal barlow (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Thursday 18 July, 2024)
The method and effect are good, but nothing new. It is the presentation and funny tag lines that make this a five-star. You will actually want to perform this just as it is written. It is not hard to do, and very entertaining.
Across the Bridge
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Bastian Meitner (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 15 July, 2024)
I really like this trick, the principle does most of the work and you can focus on the presentation. I say "most" of the work because you'll have to get used to it...
Only downside is that you need a bit of space on the table.
The Gimmick MagiZette: Volume 4, Issue 2 (Oct - Dec 2014)
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Chet Cox (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 15 July, 2024)
Solyl and I are friends, separated by an ocean and a common disrespectful relationship with the English language. I doubt this would prejudice my opinion of the Gimmicks MagiZette.
This review is applicable to almost every issue of the MagiZette, as the quality, education level, and entertainment levels are of consistently high value, lessened perhaps by my inability to provide a column on a punctual, consistent basis. Blame a nomadic lifestyle, which has only recently settled.
Besides the columns that review magicians and their magic, various magic “tricks” of good quality and fairly simple skill, there are the occasional and clever comic panels and interviews. Where the Gimmick MagiZette truly shines, is with the priceless background and history of one of the birthplaces of our crafty art/artful craft. It would be a great benefit to see these articles bound into a compilation of the origins of effects and styles of the wizard’s craft, which includes some very important, yet little-known biographical stories and interviews of giants of magic. —- All this for only two bucks an issue makes Solyl’s magazine a bargain and a historical treasure! Highly recommended for those winter reading hours!
The Ultimate Magic Square (King of Hearts)
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Alexander Shulyatsky (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 15 July, 2024)
This is a very clever trick!
Magic with Faucett Ross
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by David Nethery (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 10 July, 2024)
The content of this book gets FIVE STARS. It's a great, classic book, full of practical material and some interesting historical tidbits about famous magicians who Faucett Ross befriended and rubbed elbows with (Dai Vernon, T. Nelson Downs, etc.)
I would probably rate this edition lower in terms of the quality of the photos in the e-book edition. I had this book for many years in hard copy form, the original book as published by Supreme Magic Co. (alas, I no longer have that hard copy, but am seeking out another) and I remember the quality of the photos being much better. The original book's photos were not exactly high-resolution photos by modern standards, but pretty good. The scanned photos in this e-book look harsh and low-resolution. It's difficult in some of the scanned photos to tell what it is you're supposed to be seeing. I know because I had the book at one time, but for someone seeing this book the first time in e-book form they may find some of the photos difficult to understand.
Aside from that I would highly recommend this book.
Dieversion
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Ray Jack (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 08 July, 2024)
Pollyanna is a new thing I discovered after I read this pdf. Very nice presentational hook. I especially enjoy performing Wax Novelist and Conjured Tomb - they create a big impact with almost nothing - all you need is a single die, either with you or with your participant, in person or online. This is top level thinking. The card reveal in the 3rd routine is real cool. The routines using colors and planets are a great combo of simplicity and impact - all using a single die. And the acaan idea using just the single die and a deck of cards looks good, although I am yet to try it out. Overall a great set of routines using just a single die.
Balloon Detective
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Joe Libby (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Saturday 06 July, 2024)
I bought the physical version of this effect when it was first released. Then I sold it not too long after. What was I thinking? Now I've rectified that by buying this ebook.
This is a great mentalism effect for kids (and adults). If you do advanced balloon sculptures, you can use these balloon menu cards and the instructions as a model for making your own unique set. You can even use this effect if you don't do balloons at all.
The personality reading effect Devin describes is a good use for these menu cards too.
TCF: The Counting Feint
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Yukishige Kadoya (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 03 July, 2024)
While the first edition was very informative, including historical credits, this revised edition is even better. "Capehart Countdown" and "EL PREDICTO MYSTERIOSO" alone are worth more than the price of this book. The list price of $10.00 is a perfect bargain. If you want to learn about self-working masterpieces with cards, this book is for you.
Bammo Mojo Vudu
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Rafael Moral (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Saturday 29 June, 2024)
I absolutely love this effect! It is very ingenious and simple, however, it opens up a lot of room for actual presentation. Bob Farmer also provides a brilliant idea for patter and using a clever story to provide a reason for every part of the trick. Thanks Bob, for sharing this gem!
Your Secret Weapon: The Corner Short Card
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Christian Mach (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Friday 28 June, 2024)
This eBook is clear, well-written and includes well-chosen photographs.
The technical part is complete and suitable for beginners. I did not find any routines that I will do. One star less because the price is too high for a subject already dealt with several times otherwise.
The Gambling Magician
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Dan Sherer (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Tuesday 25 June, 2024)
It's mostly fine, though it's not really an act per se, (the first section is a "Card Shark Routine" which I assumed was meant to be a full act, but I suppose that I may have made an assumption). The explanations are at times incomplete (I don't understand how the second trick in the routine is meant to work). I do wish that more of the book was workable with a standard and unprepared deck, but there are some decent tricks and gags in there. Ok for the price, but if you want to do what seems to be the main draw of the book (a gambling expose-style act), there's better material out there.
Your Secret Weapon: The Corner Short Card
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Ben Williams (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 24 June, 2024)
I knew a little about corner short cards but didn't realize just how much of a game-changer they could be. This eBook breaks it all down - the two types of corner short cards, how to locate them in the deck, and even how to make 'em, which turns out, is super simple. Follow what's in this book, and I swear your card magic will be taken to the next level. You will always have a secret weapon in your deck that you can use anytime to create miracles. The photos are top notch. They really help you understand what the author is saying. If you're into card magic like me, you gotta get this eBook.
Free Will Switch
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Gregg Webb (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 24 June, 2024)
The first person I saw use everyday objects for this was Charles Reynolds, Doug Henning's consultant. Not the dealer item, which used wooden discs with symbols which were marked adding an extra layer of deception. I also heard that it was in Greater Magic. Anyway, this version has a clever handling which favors which item gets left behind during the first choices, and some interesting switches at the end where the spectator can exchange the positions of various items.
I have written about this trick several times in my newsletters, but this one is not a bad way to learn the trick. I even came up with a stage version called Freed Will which uses 3 young ladies and a chair and a spectator does the choosing and holds the prediction about who will sit in the chair and who will hold your hand and who will hold the spectator's hand. The chair takes the place of a little box used in Charles Reynolds' version.
I think the objects used are open to more variation. Charles used a little ivory skull, a die, and an unusual old and foreign coin. Why not learn this trick, but feel free to experiment with various items.
The Exception
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Darren Purshall
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Friday 14 June, 2024)
I want to preface this by saying that this routine was taught to me by the creator. So, while I did not purchase it, I am in possession of the method. The creator provided me with a review copy.
And it most definitely is the “The Exception.” This trick fooled me so badly. I spent about four weeks on and off trying to crack it, with no avail. When the creator finally taught it to me, I thought to myself, “I’ve never seen anything like it”. Even though part of the method isn’t new, I’ve never seen it used like this before. It’s an exceptionally fooling card trick with lots more potential making it more fooling than it already is. I’ve already added bits myself to make it even stronger and easier to perform for me. The Unnamed Magician is definitely on top of the game with this ingenious gem. So so fooling.
- The best impossible card location I’ve ever seen.
- Great method and a well thought out routine.
- Easy to perform.
- In the PDF you get a second effect and a bonus effect.
- Great Value for the money.
- What more could you ask for?
You will enjoy reading and performing this effect, which will fry the brains of all the onlookers.
Palm Reading for Magicians
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Curtis Foster
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Thursday 13 June, 2024)
I’m scheduled to do a corporate event next month with up to 400 people attending. I’ve posted this before elsewhere, but I feel compelled to again. Thanks to Paul Voodini and his Palm Reading for Magicians, I’m more than prepared to do quick, punchy, entertaining readings for many people without props.
Having read a couple of dozen books and watched many videos on palm reading, Paul’s method is the only one that really stayed with me enough to capitalize on and use. I am prepared to do a reading anytime, anywhere as long as the sitter has at least one palm and speaks English.
Thanks to Paul, I have a priceless talent and ability that will pay dividends for the rest of my life. I literally cannot put a price on this and what he taught me from this video and book. Am I excited beyond belief that I can finally read palms after years of trying and failing?
You bet. ✋
The Exception
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Chris Chambers (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 10 June, 2024)
This trick is a great combination of ideas, but only under very specific circumstances which the creator does a reasonably good job of explaining, but not quite well enough IMHO. I am an enthusiast, not a pro, so was very intrigued by the intro and video and subsequently bought the product. About a third of the way into the document I realized it wasn't suited for the way I perform. I do close up card tricks where I am often surrounded by people or outside. This trick is not good for those scenarios. It is best on a single person, or small group who are in front of you, ideally seated. It may be great for others, but isn't for me.
Infinity
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Unnamed Magician
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Sunday 09 June, 2024)
While I don’t own this effect, I did manage to work out the method. There is a performance video provided in the other reviewer’s (Anthony Bianco) review, so check that out.
And I must say it’s an absolutely phenomenal effect. It’s a “selected card at predicted number” effect. It uses a very deceptive method and would fool just about any lay person (and even some magicians).
For $5 it’s definitely a big steal. If this were my effect, I would sell it for $15 or $20.
Highly recommended.
Magic Digest
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Charles Mahenski (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Sunday 09 June, 2024)
In my opinion, this is one of the best if not the best beginning book for anyone interested in magic. In fact, forget 'beginning'. This is simply a wonderful book for anyone at any level. It contains something for everyone. I love it.
ESP Cards with Bicycle Back Marked
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Sean Hoade (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Friday 07 June, 2024)
Absolutely terrific cards with plain markings you can't miss -- but that they'll never notice.
Puzzle Mania
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Joe Libby
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Thursday 06 June, 2024)
This is one of those rare mentalism effects that is suitable for kids and for adults. Devin used to sell this effect through magic dealers, but in this ebook he explains how to easily make it up yourself. I recommend checking sites such as Temu or AliExpress for the appropriate puzzles, since those should be more cost effective than retail sites such as Amazon. You'll also need a clear force bag, which is available from many magic dealers. There are a lot of jigsaw puzzle effects available right now, and Puzzle Mania is a strong addition to that category.
Russian Roulette
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Bastian Meitner (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 05 June, 2024)
Nice little trick, easy and fun to perform! The method is sneaky and can probably be used for other effects.
Psychic Sniper
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Ray Jack (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 03 June, 2024)
This is so very good. Kind of overwhelming for me. At its heart this is a force matrix. But I never could've imagined that it can be presented in such a clever and diabolic manner. Performed it a few times so far and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Free Will Switch
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Dave Arch (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Friday 31 May, 2024)
Very pleased with my purchase. Of all the Free Will versions I have read this one is equal to them all and the easiest for me to remember. Thank you Dustin for releasing this.
DJ in my Pocket
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Paul Budd (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Thursday 30 May, 2024)
I take reviewing very seriously -- many people don't. As such, I don't like Hot takes (writing them OR reading them); to that end, let me clarify: I have not put into practice a lot of the suggestions/guidance the author makes in this book -- but I did read it quite carefully.
From a formatting standpoint, the book is fine. One can tell (and he admits) that English is not his first language. Length-wise, it isn't 'War and Peace' or anything, but he gets down to business pretty fast on the topic at hand. He doesn't point you to some super rare, super weird piece of technology. What you are essentially getting here is a guy telling you how to use an Android tablet, some Bluetooth gear and a few other bits and baubles to handle the music for your magic show. He seems to take this book seriously and I will probably put some of his advice to use. I would really like to give this book 3.5 stars -- I would do 4 stars, but $8 is a bit high for what you are getting here.
There is some solid info here, but in May 2024, much of what is here could maybe be found on YouTube with some patient, focused searching. If you are impatient in that regard: buy this book for certain!
Infinity
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Anthony Bianco (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 27 May, 2024)
For $5 dollars this is a steal. Throw in a false shuffle in the beginning and you have a miracle, and you really don't have to, a false cut is fine. The thinking behind this is ingenious and for a self-worker you have an easy 5-star rating. I have also done a demo of this on my you tube channel if you want to check it out at abcardmagic
Don't pass on this. For a price of a coffee, you have a trick you can show that's easy to do and is a really great trick. GREAT BUY
The Gen Volume 21 (1965)
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Amado Narvaez (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 27 May, 2024)
This issue contains some great information about Horace Bennett that should prove useful in an article I am writing about this creative Richmond, Virginia magician.
ESP Cards with Bicycle Back Marked
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Gregg Webb (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Friday 24 May, 2024)
These cards are the best I've seen lately. You get a red backed set and a blue backed set. They are also marked. Include some ESP card effects or "experiments" in your psychic act or set.
3 Disk Monte
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Gerry Neitsch (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Friday 24 May, 2024)
Sehr gute Erklärung des 3 Disk Monte. Sehr umfangreich - besonders die PDF. Leider beinhaltet das Video nur die Grundlagen, ist eine Fortsetzung geplant? Besonders beeindruckend ist die detaillierte Darstellung und Beschreibung der einzelnen Moves.
Magnetic Coins
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by John Cheek
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Thursday 23 May, 2024)
Mark, your reputation for making quality effects is un- surpassed. I remember reading ads in the Linking Ring since oh the late 80's. This was just beautiful
California Gang Knives
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Richard Southall (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Thursday 23 May, 2024)
This is a great Colour Changing Knives Routine. The theme is not only original but very interesting. So interesting, in fact, that it would entertain the most difficult of all magic audiences, adolescents. It is made all the more entertaining due to the topical humour and the well thought out sequence of effects. If all of this wasn't reason enough to buy this routine then we are also given two new Colour Changing Knife moves. These moves alone are worth the price of admission. So if you have any interest in the Colour Changing Knives buying this should be a no brainer!
Wildcard Miracles
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Amado Narvaez (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Saturday 18 May, 2024)
This book is a wonderful history of a packet card trick that took the magic world by storm in I think the 1960's. It found its way into the repertoires of many magicians--including the legendary Channing Pollock.
Helicopter Card
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by John Midgley (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Friday 17 May, 2024)
The details that are provided in this explanation I think are crucial to be successful in this rarely performed card effect (and one of my favorites). Bravo to D. Angelo Ferri for this lesson!
The Exception
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Richard Weber (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Friday 17 May, 2024)
I am familiar with many methods of working with cards, and locating a card, but the method used in this effect is one that I had not come across previously. I purchased this on the first day of release and have enjoyed reading the pdf. The method is indeed devious. The author goes into interesting discussions of why the method is so fooling, and how it compares to other effects using tangentially related ideas.
The effect is primarily designed to fool magicians. Lay spectators would perhaps not appreciate why the conditions are so much more challenging as in a run-of-the-mill card location trick (Dai Vernon's Emotional Reaction, for instance). However, I performed it today for a nonmagician friend and he was greatly entertained. He has seen many of my tricks and told me this is one I should definitely include in my repertoire when performing for friends. He truly believed that I must have been able to divine his card in an extra-sensory manner, especially since I revealed it just after saying "I hope you are still concentrating hard". The video of course only shows the bare-bones procedures of the effect. It can be dressed up to be more entertaining than the video might first suggest.
Stunners! Plus! Two Decades of Mental Magic
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by James Lazzarini (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Thursday 16 May, 2024)
Amazing! Worth Every Cent!
Slydini's Newspaper Tear
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Steve Shufton (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 15 May, 2024)
There is no finer teacher of the magic of Slydini, then D. Angelo Ferri. He learned directly from the master over an eight-year course of intensive study. He understood Slydini and includes every subtlety, psychology, and minutia as he was taught. Be prepared for a fabulous lesson. If you are interested in learning the magic of Slydini, D. Angelo Ferri has many more excellent lessons available. I make sure to have them all! I highly recommend that you do, too.
Ice Peek
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Gabe Abelson (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Friday 10 May, 2024)
Very, very clever peek.
Paper Folding Giveaways For Magicians
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Joe Libby (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Friday 10 May, 2024)
While these aren't magic tricks, they are magical. And they are great to use as a promotional tool. While these are geared toward magicians, other variety should be able to adapt the presentations and use these too. As far as my rating goes, I have to knock off a star because the ebook mentions jpeg files that are not included. But it isn't difficult to convert the PDF images to jpeg or png files that you can then import into a graphics program. Use these to promote your entertainment services and make yourself memorable!
Binary Bucket List
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Christian Fisanick (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 06 May, 2024)
The two techniques used in this three-phase routine are as old as the hills and are well known to mentalists. The routining, however, is original, and I like it a lot. Each phase is handled identically (always a good thing) and the third phase, where the volunteer says absolutely nothing about which of your bucket-list items he chose will blow the minds of laypeople. That phase is a more reliable version of To-Do Voodoo, a Rick Lax effect that I've been using for years to great effect. At $8, if you like tricks using the binary method, this is a steal!
The Gambler's Palm Revisited
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Eddie McColl (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Sunday 05 May, 2024)
Great book for a great move and applications.