Reviews of products by T. A. Whitney
1 ★★★★★ reviews
Best Tricks with Invisible Thread
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by William Steele (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 18 July, 2022)
1-star review as no 0-star option - Ordered to expand my repertoire of options using IT which I have been working with for around a year now. This booklet contains no actual instructions whatsoever but only a very brief outline of each trick telling what it is but not how it’s done. Each outline is usually no more than a paragraph or a few sentences long. Utter waste of money and while it might cost only the equivalent of a cup of coffee. Go with the coffee as then at least you will get something for your money other than disappointment and a feeling of being ripped off!
Best Tricks with Invisible Thread
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by James "Gaddy" Gadbois (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Sunday 01 May, 2022)
Very nice old book. Everything in it is still usable today. Due to the sub-standard materials of the day they had to work with, everything in here is essentially "bulletproof" with today's miraculous IT resources. The co-author, T.A. Whitney has added new material to supplement UFG's mid-twentieth century text.
35 Miracles with a Mirror Glass
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by David Nethery (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Thursday 13 August, 2020)
This is a useful reference book on various uses for this classic prop. I would recommend it.
Something that would improve this e-book would be to update it with recommended sources to purchase a good well-made tumbler or goblet that has been gimmicked in this way. Sadly, there are many cheap, poorly made versions available, but not many good ones. Most of the models currently available are not very deceptive looking; these cheap versions use a plastic glass and a piece of polished metal (a highly polished piece of stainless steel can be very effective, but many of the cheaper glasses on the market don't use highly polished stainless steel.) One of the common mistakes made in these type of glasses (both older models and current models) is to have the edge of the gimmick extend to the very top edge of the tumbler. This makes it too likely that the edge will flash at some point without very careful handling. The best versions are made in such a way that the top edge of the gimmick is lower than the edge of the glass. Some types of acrylic or lucite tumblers or goblets are appropriate for making this prop, but it's hard to beat the use of a heavy, fluted real glass for disguising the presence of the gimmick. Even if some good versions of this prop could be recommended for purchase, magic props tend to come and go - example: a few years ago there was an excellent version made by Steve Dick called the "Diamond Cut M***** Goblet" , but this has been discontinued and is hard to find - so perhaps another valuable way to update this e-book would be to include instructions on how to make your own, with suggestions for appropriate types of heavy fluted glasses or glasses with a "diamond" or "waffle" cut pattern that could be used (antique markets or websites dealing in antique glassware are a good source), also the right kind of material that can be used to make the gimmick. Many of the effects with this kind of glass use a gimmick that is removable, but it would also be useful to provide instruction on how to permanently mount the gimmick with the right kind of clear-drying waterproof adhesive for effects that involve the use of liquid. Some of this may be covered (?) in the e-book Magician's DIY Tips and Tricks by Chris Wasshuber also available here on Lybrary.com, which I don't own (yet), but if not then a section on how to make this sort of prop might be a worth addition to 'Magician's DIY Tips and Tricks' as well.
Top Secret
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Dave Arch (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Tuesday 23 April, 2019)
A most excellent method(s) for the headline prediction. I have used the method(s) described to great effect but never knew of their origination. My preference is the USA Today for it's colorful appearance, its brand, and the fact that it's daily. Those who read this will understand the benefits of all three of those qualities. Highly recommended.