This “method” has claims like most of the others you find in magic, that this is the easiest way to learn to memorize a deck of cards and that you won’t find their secret “anywhere”. I’m about to break our rule about sharing actual secrets here because, and I can’t stress this enough: It. Is. Not. A. Secret. To. Anyone. And. I. Mean. ANYONE. Well, I don’t know what their “big secret” is but the secret behind this whole system is the same as almost every other memorized deck system: The Memory Palace, which is most definitely NOT a secret to anyone, not even laymen because if you search Amazon right now you will find tons of books about the subject and they aren’t remotely directed at magicians. Whatever little fact they have to share as their “secret” isn’t nearly as important as the fact that if you have never had any luck with a “memory palace” then you are gonna have a crappy time here. They promise to refund “double your money” if you can’t use this system and I suspect they’ll go broke if anyone holds them to it. This is why people are pirating magic books and videos like crazy. The field is full of just outright liars and scammers that are propped up by their friends as “legit”.

I recently spoke with Jonathan Levit, and he shared something that struck me: he has semi-recently stopped developing The Stranger for Android devices. At first glance, this might not seem like a big deal, but there’s more to it. Unlike many apps, The Stranger doesn’t run on a subscription model. Instead, it relies on a significant amount of server power to create its unique effects, and managing its complex network of VOIP and SMS systems requires serious resources.

My guess is that Jonathan realized this setup isn’t sustainable in the long term and to keep profits stable, he had to make a cut somewhere, and it seems logical to focus on Apple users, who tend to spend more. This choice suggests a financial strategy that could feel risky—new purchases are essentially funding the app’s ongoing development. If the influx of new users slows down, so does the funding, and the system could potentially collapse. I predict The Stranger might only last another couple of years, so anyone who’s spent $1,000 on it might want to get the most out of it while they can.

Interestingly, a friend of mine announced he’s working on a more sustainable, Android-only alternative. We’ll see where that goes.

The method of this really shines. Why did anyone let the creators get away with this nonsense? I’ve told you all you need to know for why you should avoid this and even how you might be able to make your own.

Daniel Madison’s card marking series falls short of offering anything truly innovative to the field, aside from suggesting a new placement for the markings—which is hardly groundbreaking. It’s disappointing, and it’s surprising no one advised him against releasing something so lacking in substance. You’re better off skipping this and opting for “Marked For Life” by Kirk Charles, which provides a far more concise and valuable lesson on card marking.

I’ve now seen at least 3 devices that claim to put a voice in the spectator’s head. This thing is a device that anyone can buy but some unethical “magicians” have decided to repackage it for hundreds of times more than they are worth because of their “secret”. If you could turn anything into a speaker then you now have all the keywords to search for the device and save yourself a thousand freakin’ dollars. Hell, an expensive device will still only be $50 at most I think.

It’s disheartening that I even have to pen a review for this, but alas, another imposter has surfaced in the magical community. Yet again, we’ve got someone attempting to sell an illusion based on a method that’s probably older than Houdini himself.

Here’s how the trick plays out: The spectator is asked to write something, anything at all, on a Post-it note. This could be a word, a phrase, or perhaps even a simple sketch. Afterward, they are instructed to adhere it onto the magician’s forehead. Now comes the “magic” element. The magician then arrogantly claims he can deduce precisely what is written on the note without asking anything more than one solitary question — something he believes will establish his illusionistic prowess and leave spectators in awe.

So what’s the secret behind this supposedly mind-boggling trick? How does he manage to do it? Well, brace yourselves because it couldn’t be more predictable or cliched. Admittedly disappointing and far from magical — yes indeed! That first guess that just popped into your head is most likely spot-on correct. On paper (literally), it might seem intriguing. An average Joe may perceive this as something extraordinary or even supernatural. However, anyone with even an inkling of knowledge about magic tricks would realize straight away that this act is nothing more than smoke and mirrors. The sad part is not only its predictability but also the audacity of such magicians trying to pass off age-old tricks as fresh content and charge money for revealing these “secrets”. It does little more than expose their desperation and lack of creativity in conjuring up truly original magic tricks. So there you have it – an overview of yet another blip in our enchanting world of magic which falls way short of real illusionary talent or ingenuity; just another wanna-be making strides against authenticity and innovation within our beloved field.

Our host had a massive database corruption issue that managed to corrupt even the backups but we can somewhat scrape most of the text from the database. We have a few reviews coming soon.

It’s discouraging to see a recurring trend of magicians repackaging old tricks and methods as something new and innovative.The recent release of Gravity Band by Arnel Renegado and RMC Tricks is just one example of this trend, and it’s clear that the trick is not as new or groundbreaking as it’s being marketed. In fact, this particular method has been around for over 20 years, which begs the question of whether or not it’s worth investing in a repackaged version of an old trick.
It’s understandable that magicians may want to put their own spin on classic tricks and techniques, but it’s important to do so in a way that truly enhances the trick and provides a fresh perspective. Simply repackaging an old method and presenting it as something new and innovative does a disservice to both the performer and the audience.
Moreover, this recurring trend of repackaging old tricks and methods can erode the integrity of the magic community and harm the art form as a whole. By prioritizing profit over creativity and originality, magicians run the risk of devaluing the importance of innovation and discovery in magic. It is time well past time for the predatory “inventors” to be called out and shunned from the magic community as a whole.
Ultimately, it’s important for magicians to invest in tricks that are truly original and offer a new perspective on traditional methods. By doing so, they can elevate their performances and contribute to the ongoing evolution of the magic industry.

If you watch the demo for Room 66 you will see a move that you recognize and that’s 99% of the trick. No seriously, it’s given away with the demo if you watch carefully. I thought it was another, much more clever method at first but, nope, it’s painfully obvious. Simple? Yes. Clever? Not really. Worth it? Absolutely not.

The magic trick known as “Contactless,” developed by Peter and Harry Nardi and sold by Alakazam, is built on a methodology that is far from novel. In fact, it’s so antiquated that it’s almost laughable.

This trick is essentially a slight variation of the Color Prediction trick – a classic in the world of magic that has been around for years. The Nardi brothers have merely added their own spin to this age-old trick with different outcomes or “outs.”

What makes this particularly noteworthy is the fact that the Color Prediction trick is incredibly simple to recreate yourself. It doesn’t require any complex materials or intricate sleight of hand techniques. With just a few everyday items, you can perform this trick and amaze your friends and family.

Considering these factors, spending money on the Contactless trick may not be the wisest investment. Instead, you could save your hard-earned cash and create your own version of this timeless magic trick. Remember, while new versions of old tricks can be entertaining, they’re often not worth purchasing if you can create them yourself at no cost!

Jonathan Royle (real name: Alex William Smith) is a controversial figure in the magic and hypnosis communities. A few people appreciate his contributions, while many others criticize him for various reasons.
There have been accusations and discussions regarding Royle’s marketing practices, course content, and general behavior in the industry. He started spamming “USENet” newsgroups in the early 2000s advertising his garbage to everyone and thankfully nobody took him seriously. When confronted about his spamming, he threatens lawsuits but they are only threats as his bite is impotent at best. I personally have a CDROM of “psychic and cold reading effects” that he sold on ebay that was utterly full of pirated material. When confronted about that he claimed he had the rights to republish the books but then promptly stopped including all the pirated material after he was reported to ebay. That’s not suspicious at all.
Some in the hypnosis community have called out his methods as either derivative or questionable, and somehow he convinced someone at Magic Seen to give him a second chance after they gave him a bad review on “his” products.
Here are some articles that illustrate his behavior.
https://web.archive.org/web/20140209210356/http://www.magicleaks.com/people/alex-smith-jonathan-royle-reveals-himself.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20140209204229/http://www.magicleaks.com/people/jonathan-royle-dangerously-misleading.html
It is the opinion of this author that Johnny is a scammer and a spammer and lacks any morals that would make him trustworthy either as a teacher or a performer.

This effect is as old as the hills and easy to find. Jay, I love your work but pretty much everything you’ve ever sold that hasn’t been a book or video seems like it has been repackaged, and some of it was of your own damn work. This effect can be found in Barrie Richardson’s Theatre of the Mind, IIRC, and I’m fairly certain it’s much older than that even.
I was very disappointed to discover that Jay had taken an effect that wasn’t his own and hyped a damn paperclip but he’s done this many times in the past unfortunately.

Ellusionist, a leading name in the magic and illusion industry, has been dealing with a recurring issue related to crediting the creative minds behind the effects they publish. This problem has been persistent for many years and has raised eyebrows in the magician community multiple times. One of the most notable instances was their release of the Ninja 1+2 DVDs. These DVDs were packed with exceptional magic tricks and illusions but lacked proper acknowledgement of their creators. It seemed that unless a trick was explicitly named after its creator, it was highly likely that it didn’t get credited at all. The absence of sufficient credits turned into a major point of contention among professionals and enthusiasts alike. The company did take note of this criticism and assured its audience that it was making efforts to improve its attribution process. They made promises to be more diligent about giving credit where credit is due, which brought some relief in the community. However, despite these assurances, changes appeared to be short-lived as suggested by a revelation from The Amazing Johnathan, an acclaimed magician known for his unique blend of comedy and magic. He voiced out his concerns not too long before he died about Ellusionist’s tendency to slip back into their old practices. According to him, there were instances where Ellusionist once again failed to give due credit for published effects. His statement brought up fresh discussions on this topic while casting doubt over Ellusionist’s commitment towards rectifying this issue. It’s worth noting that in an industry built on creativity like magic and illusions, crediting is not just a simple courtesy but also critical for maintaining trust among creators. This controversy around Ellusionist’s alleged lack of proper attribution raises significant questions about ethical practices within the industry. This situation underscores the importance for all companies in similar fields – not just Ellusionist – to ensure they maintain rigorous standards when it comes to acknowledging original creators’ work. Only then can they cultivate an environment that truly respects and nurtures creativity.

Magicians repackaging old manuscripts is becoming a quite tiring trend, and this manuscript is no different. While it’s a good read, there’s an important point to be noted: The significant work behind this manuscript was done by Robert Nelson, not “B.W.” who only seems to have rebranded it with his name. Instead of aiding such practices by wannabes, consider buying works from Annemann, Osterlind, or even Docc Hilford. You’ll find similar content to what’s offered in this manuscript. The trick used in this booklet isn’t a secret – it’s outdated and comes with more issues than suggested. Interestingly, one element that McCarron states is not used as the trick would actually make a much better trick than what they’re trying to bring back. If you’re genuinely interested in this manuscript, look for Bob Nelson’s original version without McCarron’s lame stank. You’ll get everything you need there.

If you add John George’s Beyond Perfect ESP with a little cold reading, you have The Oracle System in a nutshell. Ben’s system is alright but costs way too much for what little it actually is. Save your money and get John George’s effect and you’ll be well on your way to accomplishing some amazing effects.

Today’s magic ads are disappointing, primarily due to overwhelming music, poor edits(I’m looking at you specifically Egyptian Ink), and exaggerated claims without substantiation. A recent ad for a “bill in lemon” trick exemplifies this issue. The ad makes numerous assertions but fails to demonstrate the trick itself. Nowadays, it’s prudent to steer clear of any new trick without an uncut demonstration video; lack thereof implies that the so-called ‘invisible move’ isn’t as invisible as touted. In earlier times, magic shops provided live demonstrations, aiding purchase decisions. But with these shops dwindling rapidly, the onus is now on magicians to craft compelling performance videos for their tricks. If the demonstration doesn’t impress you, there’s no need to purchase the trick.

This effect is a horrible reworking of a coin nest of boxes. It’s cheap plastic and utterly not worth $5 much less the $50 they charge for it. Get a real brass nest of boxes and use that instead.

Wow, folks! I just realized that Nick Brown and Meir Yedid are offering their versions of a magic trick that’s been around for ages. It’s so old that tracking down the original creator might be tough. What surprises me is they’re selling it for as high as $30.

The effect is that you have a “door” cut into a dollar bill and the spectator holds onto this door while the bill mysteriously flips over so that instead of you looking at the front of the bill, you are now looking at the back of the bill. Shame on you Nick & Meir for pretending it’s your own creation.

In the intriguing world of illusion and sleight of hand, this blog serves as an illuminating guide for all magicians who have experienced the frustration of being misled by over-hyped magic tricks. These tricks often turn out to be nothing more than repackaged string and bubblegum, leaving a bitter taste in the performer’s mouth. Here, we strive to equip magicians with the knowledge and understanding to differentiate between authentic magic tricks and those that are simply a waste of their time and money. This way, they can avoid falling into the trap of investing in ill-conceived gimmicks. Remember, magic is not just about pulling rabbits out of hats or sawing an assistant in half. It’s about impressing your audience with skillful trickery that evokes awe and wonder. Therefore, discernment in selecting your magic tricks is key to elevating your act from ordinary to extraordinary. Consequently, our aim is not just to shield you from unscrupulous trick vendors but also to aid in refining your repertoire so you can captivate your audience like never before. In summary: – Know how to spot genuine magic tricks – Avoid falling for over-hyped gimmicks – Understand that quality trickery is at the heart of impressing audiences – Use discernment when selecting magic tricks – Refine your repertoire to captivate audiences better.

If you want to know more about us, check out Our Mission.

Stay tuned for some scathing reviews.

I know that there are going to be a lot of upset magicians when we post this but there’s nothing to defend here. Dean Dill’s Box is one of the most expensive props in the world. There is nothing special about this box other than the craftsmanship. The only thing that separates this box from pretty much any other is a magnet. There are no other gimmicks and to sell this thing for $300, and for magicians to defend Dean for doing so is a crime in and of itself.

This is a prop and nothing more. There is no gimmick, you can search online and find your own tiny plunger(the author has seen one for sale as a wine stopper). If they hadn’t stopped selling the gimmicked version of the plunger along with this trick, then Tiny Plunger wouldn’t be listed here because the gimmicked version is a bit of a fooler even when you know it’s gimmicked. How’s that for ironic?

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