Reviews of products by Aldo Colombini
5 ★★★★★ reviews
4 ★★★★★ reviews
Color Changing Knife Routine
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Thomas Glaser (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Friday 01 August, 2025)
Sehr schöne Routine und wirklich einfach.
English translation: Very nice routine and really simple.
Aldo on Trost Volume 10
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by raphael czaja
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Tuesday 08 July, 2025)
Intuition is one of the best effortless card tricks and is worth the price of the download.
Impromptu Gambling Routines
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by raphael czaja
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Friday 06 June, 2025)
For EXCHANGE POKER alone, this is a must buy. I don't perform gambling routines much but this is certainly one I'll add to my repertoire.
The Card Magic of Peter Duffie
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by raphael czaja
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Sunday 01 December, 2024)
Those tricks used to be sold independently. Obviously, you have to provide your own special cards (blank backs, blank faces and so on). To perform Thunderstruck, you'll have to make the special cards by yourself. Tricks like A Free Choice, Bleached, Ghost Flight, Point-Blank Assembly are classics. They are worth the price of this ebook.
Pre-Deck-Ability
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Robert Merrill (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 30 September, 2024)
One of the best $10 I've ever spent. Simon's trick 'Shuffleboard', is great and Colombini's approach is clear and easy to understand. The download is less than 9 minutes in length, short and to the point with no fluff.
ESP Card Magic Vol. 2: Nick Trost Part 2
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Gregg Webb (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Saturday 04 May, 2024)
This is exactly what I was looking for. Nick Trost was a great name in ideas with regular cards, but also here with ESP cards. And Aldo Colombini is a great name in magic and it is he who delivers the little video teach-ins in this package. This stuff is doable. You'll want this one if you like ESP card routines.
ESP Card Magic Vol. 2: Nick Trost Part 2
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Seth Beeler (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Saturday 27 April, 2024)
It's not difficult finding books/DVD's/downloads for effects using an ESP, there just aren't a lot. This is Volume 2 of a much larger series of effects using the Zener deck. This is one of those "I hope nobody else finds out about this" kinds of instruction with this collection that features Aldo Colombini. In this volume, we learn some amazing effects from Nick Trost via Aldo using only the ESP deck. This is just what you need if you are looking to add any sort of ESP effects using the standard Zener deck - every single effect is just as great as the next. I immediately added two as a go to for a fast close-up test. I'm not good with cards and you don't have to be with these. Again and again, a great set of effects with ESP cards.
Calendario Cartomagico
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Salvatore Lazzaro (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Friday 02 February, 2024)
Molto bello, anzi bellissimo.
Calendario Cartomagico
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Alessandro Marino
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 24 January, 2024)
Al mio avviso il calendario è stato fatto con i piedi ci sono errori gravissimi che saltano nell'occhio, ci sono alcune carte in tutti i mesi che nello stesso mese si ripetono, sono carte che non fanno parte della routine e si ripetono più volte, faccio alcuni esempi nel mese di gennaio giorno 2e13 gennaio si ripete la carta 3 di picche, un altro esempio nel mese di dicembre abbiamo nei giorni 1,12 e 28 si ripete la carta il 3 di cuori. questi sono alcuni esempi ma in tutti i mesi ci sono questi errori gravissimi, va bene che le carte sono 52 ed i giorni sono 365, 366, quindi per logica nei vari mesi si ripetono ma avere la stessa carta che si ripete nello stesso mese come negli esempi che ho citato fa capire che non è stato costruito con precisione, c'è stata troppa leggerezza. Con un calendario così dopo che uno spettatore nota questa cosa,(perchè salta parecchio nel occhio) come dovrei giustificare una cosa del genere? Quindi non solo che ho pagato soldi per l'acquisto, ma con fatica ho dovuto sistemarlo. Poi per quanto riguarda le routine conoscendo la grandezza di Aldo Colombini sinceramente mi aspettavo meglio su 8 routine quelle che sono state diciamo di mio gradimento sono solo 3, fortunatamente con la scusante che ho risistemato il calendario ho aggiunto 2 routine che sono state considerate migliori...
Tricks and Treats
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Peter Bernard (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Saturday 20 January, 2024)
$10 for 10 tricks taught by the late great Aldo Colombini - such a fantastic deal.
ESP Card Magic Vol. 20
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Francesco Nicolo (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Friday 19 January, 2024)
Probably one of the best DVDs of this series. I liked it a lot. Highly recommended.
Ken Brooke's Okito Box Routine
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by CARLO ALBERTO MENONCIN (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Friday 05 January, 2024)
Stupenda routine con la scatola Okito!
Packet Trick Treasures
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Peter Bernard (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Saturday 16 December, 2023)
Aldo Colombini does an excellent job showing both the complicated moves and the easy ones. I have learned a few moves and a few tricks. It's well worth the cost for this intermediate magician.
Un Taglio Profondo
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by CARLO ALBERTO MENONCIN (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Saturday 09 September, 2023)
It's a very interesting card technique.
Ancora in Giro
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by CARLO ALBERTO MENONCIN (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Saturday 09 September, 2023)
Very interesting: they're more beautiful tricks. All right!
Fireworks: 12 card revelation routine
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Dan Sherer (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Tuesday 14 February, 2023)
If you want to start from nothing and learn a multiple revelation routine, this is excellent.
Fundamentally, you learn 3 things: a control, a bunch of revelations, and a routine.
The control is very good. Easy, effective, deceptive. I use it a lot even though I don't do most of the revelations anymore.
The revelations are all good, and would stand alone as one-off reveals. Good to have in the arsenal.
The routine is excellent, not because you should do it (though there's no reason you shouldn't), but because it shows you how a multiple revelation should build and how to keep track of all the moving pieces throughout. If you want to build your own longer or shorter routine, this is a good basis. If you want to do what Doc Eason does and vary the number according to how many people are in the room, well, at least you have a bunch of revelations and a control to be ready.
Highly recommended.
What's Up Deck?
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by David Dunlap (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Friday 13 May, 2022)
I have owned the hardback copy of this for years. I bought it from Aldo at one of his lectures. I bought the PDF version so I could take it with me on trips. It is one of my most favorite magic books. Incredible magic. The hardback version is out of print, so I would definitely recommend buying this PDF version. You will have hours of fun with it.
The Magic of Rachel Colombini
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by David Dunlap (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Friday 13 May, 2022)
I always loved Rachel’s magic. This book has got some great magic in it and is very easy to do. I actually bought this book to get her “Elimination” effect. Great little piece of mentalism.
Aldo on Trost Volume 7
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Scott Weilblood (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 14 March, 2022)
Nick Trost was a genius. 3 great effects and some really great principles here.
Packet Trick Picks
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Phillip Dennis (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 02 March, 2022)
Great set of packet tricks. The outstanding "Ghost Flight" by Peter Duffie is worth the $10 by itself, and the others are very good too. A bargain at $10.
Aldo on Trost Volume 6
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Scott Weilblood (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Sunday 06 February, 2022)
Excellent. There are 3 great effects on here that I'm going to adapt and start using. Great value. Trost was a genius.
Colombini Magic Farewell Tour Lecture Part 2
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Bryan Hall (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Tuesday 25 January, 2022)
This is the second half of the lecture filmed November 1, 2010, three weeks before Rachel's open heart surgery. Her participation is somewhat limited, and to help her rest Aldo covers one of the tricks in this lecture (Nick Trost's "Three Way Miracle Prediction") that Rachel would normally have performed and explained.
As with the first half, the overall production quality isn't particularly good. It's a single camera (camcorder?) positioned at audience center, slightly elevated, with a single microphone at the same location. The performances and explanations are generally clear enough, though you can't make out specific cards when they are on a table. The audio is a bit distant and audience noises drown out parts of the performance at times.
If you'd like a lecture from Rachel and Aldo with far better video and audio quality, try their Penguin Live lecture, which I believe was filmed in February of 2012. Most of the tricks in both parts of this lecture were also covered in that later lecture.
Here are the effects that are covered in Part 2 of this lecture:
Cutting A Rope In Three - from Rope Confection
Ring From Rope - from Rope Confection
Three Way Miracle Prediction - from Card Carnival
Animal Capers - from Card Capers
A Mental Effect - from Stand-Up Cards
Jumbo Prediction - from Card Carnival
Cone-tact (PDF)
Animal Capers and Cone-tact were not in the Penguin lecture, making them automatic highlights for this video.
Animal Capers is performed and taught by Aldo, and then Rachel gives another presentation using Paul Curry's "switchless switch" technique. Aldo's presentation uses two spectators, making it an improved performance over the one in "Card Capers" (where he mentions that he usually uses two spectators rather than just showing it to Rachel and the camera), and Rachel's extra presentation isn't covered in "Card Capers" at all.
Cone-tact is Aldo's presentation of Dai Vernon's classic "Ball, Cone and Handkerchief" routine. The Colombinis had a DVD version of Cone-tact on their website, but it is long out of production and difficult to find. The PDF is available, but this lecture might be the only video available to see Aldo performing it for an audience. He doesn't teach the full routine in detail, but he covers what he calls the key move (repeated as needed) that would enable you to perform a good portion of the routine.
I'd say the other highlights from this half of the lecture are Three Way Miracle Prediction and A Mental Effect. (The "Stand-Up Cards" video lists the trick as "A Mental Effect", while the Farewell Tour lecture notes PDF calls it "A Mental Trick".) Both are easy to perform and potentially very strong effects.
Aldo noted that Restless Colors was a brand new product for them and that this was the very first time he had performed it in a lecture. It wasn't included in the lecture notes they offered at the time (this was actually before the Farewell Tour, and the notes offered then were different from the later Farewell Tour notes). Unfortunately, the instruction was a bit rushed, otherwise Restless Colors would be THE highlight trick of this video.
(The trick is similar to Alex Elmsley's "Dazzle", but without gaff cards. Along the same lines, John Bannon's "Sizzle" works with a smaller initial packet, and you can assemble your own set of cards if necessary from just five different decks where eight decks are needed to assemble the packet for "Restless Colors".) The rope effects are covered in much greater detail (and with better video and audio) in the Penguin lecture, which also adds another ring/rope effect.
Jumbo Prediction requires a gimmick that is difficult to find. But if you do purchase a jumbo deck to make your own gimmicks (most likely by simply pasting jumbo cards together), you can make many of them based on different cards to have a broad selection of cards to use whenever you perform the effect.
If you are trying to choose between the two parts of this lecture and the Penguin lecture, go for the Penguin lecture first. It has a few items not covered here (Contact Colors, the extra ring/rope effect) and has better instruction with better audio and video for several of the other tricks. If you find you still want more, each half of this lecture has two tricks not covered in that one, plus additional stories and other humor from the Colombinis. And of course, the humor and entertainment were what Rachel and Aldo were all about. Thanks for the memories, and rest in peace.
Running time 59:23.
Colombini Magic Farewell Tour Lecture Part 1
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Bryan Hall (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Sunday 23 January, 2022)
Let's get the negative points out of the way. First, the description is somewhat misleading. This isn't their last filmed lecture. This one was filmed on November 1, 2010, three weeks before Rachel had her open heart surgery.
More importantly, the filming is NOT high quality. It's a single camera, fixed position at audience center. You can see the performance clearly enough to learn the tricks and hear most of the jokes, but the camera position isn't high enough to make out specific cards when they're on a table. Audience (in particular one of the host's children in the earlier parts of the lecture) and other noises sometimes drown out bits of the performance.
If you want a later lecture from them with FAR better production quality, try their Penguin Live lecture, which I believe was filmed in February 2012. Most of the tricks taught are the same between the two lectures. The explanations are usually clear enough in this one, but the better camera work and better audio in the other one helps.
The host had asked Aldo to open with roughly a 10-minute performance, so a few of the early tricks are performance-only. Part 1 includes:
Vanishing thumbtip (gag, not really a trick) - included on Gagbuster
Six Card Repeat, which Aldo jokingly calls "How To Kill A Classic" (Performance only at first, but later in the lecture he notes that it's Senator Crandall's handling and gives a basic explanation including the one key move needed to perform his version. He also said that a DVD with that version was put out by Teddy Langsford, but I can't find any references to it.)
Rope In (not taught - perfomance only) - available on Roped In.
Fireworks (not taught - performance only) - available on Fireworks 12 Card Revelation Routine.
Zodiac code - included on A Host Of Surprises.
discussion/brief explanation of the earlier Six Card Repeat
Comedy Six Card Repeat - included on Gagbuster.
Punch His Match - this lecture is the only video source I know of for it, but it's available on several PDFs:
news brief gag - included on Gagbuster
Baffling Book - included on Wild About Harry.
Even if you already have the Penguin lecture, this is worth the extra $10 for Punch His Match and the Crandall version of the Six Card Repeat. I do not know of any other video sources with Aldo performing either of these tricks. (The explanation of Punch his Match also has some performance tips, including some interesting ideas from audience members.) I'd say the video earns four stars for these two tricks alone.
Beyond those two items, I'd say Rachel's three performed tricks (Zodiac Code, Baffling Book, Tri-Color Cups And Balls) are the highlights of this half of the lecture, though all three are also covered with better audio and video in the Penguin lecture. This also has a few extra stories if you want more of their humor - and of course the humor was half the fun of any Colombini performance.
Running time 74:55.
Anytime Anyplace Anywhere: with a deck of cards
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Jonathon Allwood
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 07 June, 2021)
This is a booklet that has so many different types of effects within its pages. You can say each of the effects is one big student's class study that can open up a new level of understanding. Fantastic close-up with cards. At any time anywhere at any place! A lot of super cool friends within the art of magic are now in this fantastic booklet! When you read this book. You will find a new level of understanding and thinking about what you can do with it. Just a deck of cards. The late Aldo Colombini his some collections card effect when you are asked on the spot with the knowledge and skills you learn from others who have helped Aldo to become the master of cards you will find some light classic effects. Some that may have forgotten about but when you start to study them you will see a new way of working each of the effects in different ways that you can never have thought of.
Rings and Things
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Sarin Suriyakoon (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Sunday 12 April, 2020)
Nice idea about ring tricks but there is no full routine here. I give it four stars because even though the trick is not very strong but the explanation is in detail.
Standing Room Only (download DVD)
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Sarin Suriyakoon (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Sunday 12 April, 2020)
Worker material for a walk around with variety of props. There is one really good mentalism material in there.
Roped In
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Sarin Suriyakoon (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Sunday 12 April, 2020)
I love this download. The teaching and routine are easy to follow. 3 solid routines which are Rope In, Professor Math, Tighter Rope. The mechanic is not complicated but you need to work on your own patter because Aldo has a unique one.
Contact Colors (Italian)
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Simone Scaravella
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 25 November, 2015)
Salve,
Il gioco è molto Bello !!!! Io già lo conoscevo, da COMPRARE !!!!!!!
ma....non era meglio forse lasciare l'audio in Inglese ed aggiungere i sottotitoli in Italiano ????
Hello, The Trick is very Strong !!!! I already know, all magicians need to BUY !!!!!!! but .... it was perhaps best to leave the audio in English and add subtitles in Italian ????
Calendario Cartomagico
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Simone Scaravella (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Thursday 19 November, 2015)
Si sperava che un' Opera Del grande Aldo avesse una traduzione curata come meritava.
Su ogni pagina appare scritto Calendario "CARTROMAGICO" ( PAROLA SBAGLIATISSIMA )
nel primo gioco si parla de 4 di Cuori ! ma invece la carta interessata è il 4 di FIORI !!
ergo la traduzione di Alex Borsci è stata fatta frettolosamente e con i piedi.
La cosa più fastidiosa è che ho stampato il libro.
Invito l'autore a rimediare !!
It was hoped that a 'Opera Of great Aldo had a translation prepared as he deserved. Calendar appears on every page written "CARTROMAGICO" (WORD totally wrong) in the first trick you talk of 4 of Hearts! but instead the card in question is the fourth of CLUBS !! ergo the translation of Alex Borsci was made hastily and with his feet. The most annoying thing is that I printed the book. I invite the author to correct !!
Hungary for Cards
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Paul Lelekis
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Sunday 23 February, 2014)
Jozsef is a very talented magician with an extremely creative mind! His card magic is exemplary and if you want a beautiful variety of effects with clever presentations - then definitely buy this download DVD! I'm very "picky and critical" about much of the card magic out there...but Jozsef Kovács is the real deal!
In Bocca Al Lupo
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Simone Scaravella (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Saturday 24 August, 2013)
Il Libro è buono, ma la veste tipografica NO ! vi sono diversi errori : lettere scambiate con numeri e fonts microscopiche
What's Up Deck?
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Don Bursell
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 08 April, 2013)
I purchased this as a hardcover book when it was first released, after seeing Aldo perform two Oil & Water routines from it.
I really like this book for two reasons: First, nothing is left out. If a routine calls for a move or sleight, it is taught, and never leaves you running to other resources to learn it. If you look at the table of contents listed here on Lybrary.com, you will see how "full" this book is with sleights and variations. Second, the routines taught in here are not difficult at all, but have a strong impact from a visual and "astonishment" perspective.
The two O&W routines I refer to are "Nice Salad" and "Italian Dressing". One uses just 8 cards, and is very visual. The second uses a 9th (hidden) card, but allows even more visual astonishment.
$10.00 is a steal of a price for the amount of material contained in this book.
So, oddly enough, two of my favorite books on card magic have bright yellow covers: "What's Up Deck?" by Aldo Colombini, and Richard Kaufman's book on Bro. John Hamman's card work.
Don Bursell Mora, MN
Nick Trost's Trick Kards
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Paul Hallas
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Saturday 22 December, 2012)
This is one of Nick Trost's best packet effects, wringing the maximum from what is now almost a standard twisting sequence.
Can the cards be examined afterwards? No, but then, you've been telling people the cards are trick cards all along. Well thought out routine with more changes than most and an ending they don't see coming. It's a fun routine, better than some later variants.
Contact Colors
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by David Kay (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Thursday 19 January, 2012)
This is an amazing, almost self working card trick. There is minimal setup, but enough that you couldn't do this impromptu, however the resulting effect is worth it. The dirty work, which is next to nothing if you have any experience with cards, is done at the very beginning, and allows you to focus your attention on giving a good performance. It is a magician fooler too, as I couldnt see anyone reverse engineering this. A MUST BUY!
Self-Working Packet Tricks
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Michel Wermelinger (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 31 January, 2011)
I bought this video not because of the tricks, but to see how a professional magician would present them, what patter he would use to make such tricks -- which often are obviously self-working and not too exciting due to the counting, spelling, and back and forth dealing involved -- more entertaining and less obvious.
Unfortunately, Mr. Colombini just explains the tricks, he doesn't perform them. In some cases the trick is so simple and automatic that he basically just goes through it twice, saying in words what his hands are doing. A bit redundant. He says at the start that this DVD is a visual book. But given that self-working tricks are not hard to follow from the written page, there is not much added value in having them filmed. I was expecting to watch what is usually not written in self-working trick books: the script.
On hindsight, I should have bought instead Mr. Colombini's Simply Impromp2 book: not only does it contain 10 times (!) more tricks for the same price, it also includes 5 of the tricks shown in this video.
Comedy Mind Reading Act
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Carlos Negron (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 08 March, 2010)
Mind provoking act that could provide ideas for your own act. Some may already know the gags used in this act but for me it was mind provoking and provided ideas for my
own act. For $10.00 it is worth the price.