Reviews of products by Dave Arch
3 ★★★★★ reviews
3 ★★★★★ reviews
5 ★★★★★ reviews
Number Nonsense
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Brad Smithart (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Sunday 11 May, 2025)
These are not magic tricks, but tricks in the sense of stunts or puzzles. Nevertheless, they are entertaining. The inclusion of the PowerPoint file makes it easy to present the first surprising demonstration.
Scientific Cold Reading Intro
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Brad Smithart (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 02 April, 2025)
This video was not at all what I expected.
Dave Arch, rather than being a mentalist, has a background as a pastor, an executive coach, and a magician. So he approaches cold-reading skills from the perspective of making everyday connections, rather than as entertainment.
As an introductory video, it doesn't actually get into cold reading, but rather provides an overview of additional products.
Suzy the Psychic Fish
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Brad Smithart (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 11 December, 2024)
This is a VERY short routine which is dependent on a hard-to-find commercial product.
I assume this is for a very limited audience, even as a free product.
A Proven Junior Magician's Curriculum
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Brad Smithart (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Sunday 08 December, 2024)
I **love** this small curriculum. It literally has everything you need you teach an entire introductory class for children.
It is not only focused on the magic but also on building confidence and social skills.
The use of the plastic cups from the "cups and balls" included in virtually every children's magic kit to represent each level of achievement (similar to the use of various colors of belts in martial arts) is genius. As the students earn each cup, they also learn new tricks they can do with one, two, then finally three cups.
Each trick is taught through an accompanying video, and several printable props are also include. I haven't been through all of the videos yet, but they seem well-made. These are clearly intended as examples, and it would be preferable for the teacher to teach the tricks live, when possible.
Five stars is not enough; this is an invaluable resource for anyone who is interested in teaching a beginner course in magic.
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.
A Proven Junior Magician's Curriculum
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by James Capobianco (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 20 March, 2024)
This book is fabulous! IBM Ring 6 meets at the Community Arts Center (CAC) in Wallingford (a suburb of Philadelphia) PA. Each year, the CAC hosts a Summer Camp for children. Students from kindergarten through high school attend; the classes are divided according to age brackets. The curriculum includes dance, music, sculpting, painting, acting, etc. Basically, the various art forms are taught. Last year, the CAC hired our Ring to teach magic as part of the course offerings. It was a huge success, and we have been invited back again this Summer. This book will be invaluable in structuring a curriculum for our upcoming Summer Camp.
Thanks so much to Lybrary and the author for making this available for free. This book will prove most beneficial as we pass on our beloved art form to the future generations of magicians. If just one child out of the many whom we taught takes up the art and goes on to become a good magician, then our effort was worthwhile.
Craft Store Conjuring
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Winton Gibbons (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Tuesday 05 March, 2024)
Sooo…disappointing. Mostly just feels like a walk though Hobby Lobby or Michael’s. I don’t need this book to do that and see all the potential. What I would like is how to go beyond these initial thoughts I’m self would have to fully fleshed out tricks. This book does not provide this, despite a long list of potential. I would have given it one star, but sometimes the author does make a real suggestion. However, that is rare and nothing special.
Turning the Tarot
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Brett McCarron (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Tuesday 27 September, 2022)
Short and sweet. This is something that I'll have in my back pocket just in case I'm called upon to show something when I'm otherwise unprepared. Priced right, too. Thank you, Dave! It's appreciated.
Tic Tac Toe Top Secret
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Don Jarrard (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Tuesday 06 September, 2022)
Nice idea. It seems like the stunt where a number on a grid is circled. All the others in that row and column are crossed out. It is repeated until only 4 numbers remain. A 1-16 grid will always add to 34. I don't like the process even though spectators do have 4 choices each step. It is like the T.V. tricks David Copperfield performed years ago where people touched the T.V. screen. It may go well with a memory trick or add a number routine. If you do it make a cue list. Slightly recommend.
Interactive Matrix Formula
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by samuel thielman (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Sunday 09 January, 2022)
Nice trick, but there's no formula. Just a set of directions to be used to move around the matrix during the trick. I bought this looking for an actual explanation of how the trick works.
Giant Balloon Reindeer
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Dave Sickelsmith (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 01 November, 2021)
This was a BIG disappointment. It only gets one star because I can't get it to not highlight the last one. When I do a review I will give my honest opinion. I hope this helps in your decision to buy or not. Looks nothing like a reindeer. Doesn't even look like a dog. Save your money.
Flea Circus
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Brandon Owen (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Tuesday 02 April, 2019)
This is 7 pages of a very basic script that uses specific props that need to be purchased in addition to this script. It mentions having a Walt Noon Flea Circus, which I also am a fan of, but this script isn't strong. You would be much better off buying the Tom Palmer Flea Circus booklet, or basically anything else besides this. It's unfortunate this is an ebook, thus preventing me from passing the buck to a different sucker or returning it.
My recommendation is to pass on this. I don't believe it's worth the $5 price tag. This should be ¢ instead of $.
Magic Tricks For The Visually Impaired Part 1
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Michael Lyth
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Tuesday 19 February, 2019)
I don't own as yet but what a wonderful way to give something back to a visual impaired person. Without purchase I would still give a five star ratting for practicality
A Kid's Lie Detector Routine
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Matthew Arnold (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Saturday 06 October, 2018)
Must agree with the first review that this is "nothing spread thin." If you are interested in putting together a "lie detector" routine, you should check out "LIAR: The Ultimate Comedy Lie Detector Routine" by Robert Baxt.
Baxt's DVD delivers the goods. You get DIY instructions for making up a number of variations on the prop for different types of shows/audiences as well as footage of multiple performances, and a PDF file that's six times longer (23 pages) with bits and lines and suggestions for routines, etc. Baxt's DVD also goes into the history of the "lie detector" bit and shows how it has been used in comedy outside of magic. All this PLUS the gimmick. If you're seriously interested in actually performing the routine, you owe it to yourself check it out.
A Kid's Lie Detector Routine
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Greg Phillips (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Thursday 04 October, 2018)
Save your money. There is absolutely NOTHING here. Only 2 pages. 1 page description of the device used. 1 page of sample questions. NOTHING NEW, Earth shaking or unique for those who have used/researched Lie Detectors. Wish I could get my $4 back.
Flea Circus
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Troy Murphie (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Thursday 21 May, 2015)
Well worth the admission price!! Some useful ideas for the aspiring Flea Circus entrepreneur.