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Astor Mental



Mentalism effect


Available from: www.astormagic.com

Price: €149

Video: Click here to see how it works

Difficulty: (1=easy to do, 2=No sleights, but not so easy, 3=Some sleights used, 4=Advanced sleights used, 5=Suitable for experienced magicians only)
1-2 out of 5


They say:
For this trick the magician uses a transparent perspex board, five E. S. P. cards with blue back and five E. S. P. cards with red back. Every blue backed card has its matching red backed card. You will have the same E. S. P. symbols on the faces of these cards. Let's say the spectator chooses red. Then the magician slips the blue cards into their slots on the board in an order only he knows. The spectator chooses one by one, in which matching slot the red cards should go, but he only sees the back of the cards. When the magician turns the board around, the blue back and red back cards are in the same order (top to bottom). You can show the trick twice and the order of the cards won't be the same. The cards are not specially prepared.
Invented by Astor

What Lennart Green has to say about Astor-Mental:
This item is just a 100% hit in Mentalism! Clear, safe, quick, practical and just incredible. I was completely stunned when I saw it, fallen in love and bought it immediately. If you want to be a guru in this new-age society, just do the same!
Congratulation Astor!
Lennart Green

Review:
I saw Astor performing this in London, at the International Magic Convention. I thought it was very good, but I was trying to keep clear of CUPS, so I didn't buy it there and then. But then after thinking about it for a while, I entered his website and ordered it. I was so surprised that it arrived at my doorstep a week after I ordered it. Very well packed, in bubble wrap and ready to try out. Keep in mind, Astor Magic is in Hungary. I ordered it on a Friday, it was sent on the following Monday, it arrived on my doorstep around 6PM on the following Friday. Fantastic!

I examined it for mere 5 minutes and immediately tried out on a friend that was over for a visit. It blew his socks off! It was a 100% success and he was amazed.

I showed him the board, both sides. Then I let him choose which deck he would use, he picked the blue. I took the red deck, and carefully choose which card went where, showing him only the back side of the cards. Then I paused, looked him deep in his eyes and decided to swap 2 cards and told him I suspceted him to try some funny business. Then I let him spread his cards out, facing down of course, and he then pointed at a card from his blue deck, I picked it up and he then selected a number of the slot for it to be put in. When all 5 cards were in, I turned the board around to reveal all the ESP pictures were the same, besides each number. On the cards I had picked and on the cards he had picked.

Then I took all the cards out again and mixed them up. He got another try. He choose blue again. When I had put all the red cards in, on one side, he picked the first card and I picked it up and looked at the face. Then he picked a number and the first number he picked was 5. I looked amazed and immediately looked at my card in slot 1. I asked him: Ah... number 5? He said: Yes, 5. I said: Eh... are you sure? He smiled and said very confidently: YES! Then I moved the card towards slot 5, but quickly moved my hand up and started to put it in slot 1. He said: No, no... I said number 5!!! I sighed and put it in number 5, and looked a little disappointed. He was thrilled. He was positive that he had "ruined" everything for me. Then he picked the other 4 slots for the remaining cards and I asked him: OK, do you want to swap any cards, like for example 1 and 5? He said: NO! I asked him: Are you positive? He said: Yessss! Absolutely!!! And he looked very pleased with himself. Then I said: Phew! That's good, otherwise you would have messed everything up for me, and turned the board around to show him that again, all the ESP pictures were the same, by each number.

His jaw dropped on the floor!
And he rememberd at least 2 of the places the first time were different now. Actually they all were!

Rating:
Value for money - 9/10,
Delivery - 10/10
Workmanship - 10/10,
Routines - 10/10,
Ease of use - 10/10

Overall: 10/10

Thanks for the review gunnarkr

I bought this at blackpool last year and have to agree with most of what you said.

There are obviously many items for this particular effect on the market, but this one is the best one I have personally seen.

When I bought it one of the advantages I saw with it was that itr can be repeated, however I have to admit that I have never actually done this. I have used it as a stage and parlour piece, but have always only ever performed it once.

It is well made though and (fairly) easy to use. I would have dropped a point for ease of use though as it does need a small amount of practice to use it comfortably and I can think of ways it could have been made easier to use. In fact I remember emailing Astor at the time, but I never did here anything back from him. (-1 for after sales).

Value for money? Well it isn't cheap, but it IS something that a stage/parlour mentalist can and I suspect will use. I have no problem with paying extra for good well made props, and this is certainly such an item.

Thanks for the review. I am looking at this now and considering making a purchase but I have a couple of questions I was hoping one of you could answer:

- Does it require batteries?
- Does it come with Bicycle cards?

Thanks.

Bicycle808 wrote:- Does it require batteries?
- Does it come with Bicycle cards?

No batteries and it comes with cards with ESP signs, like you can see above, made of plastic. 5 of the cards have red bicycle backs, the othe 5 have blue bicycle backs.

Thanks for that. I am going to order it when I get paid.

I will post my thoughts when I've had a chance to try it out.

By the way, what are the p&p costs to the UK? The website is not very clear and I can't find shipping info.

Hello !

Did you buy it since ? What are your thoughts about it ?

Thanks

Nope, didn't get round to ordering it in the end (primarily due to the cost). However, it's still on my wish list so I'll no doubt get it at some point. Will post my thoughts when I do.