by Shufton » Apr 12th, '07, 17:49
I've been following this thread. Not only here, but on other magic chat groups as well; this effect has magically created (in addition to amazement and profit for the sellers) border line hysteria.
First of all, judging a trick by its method makes little sense to me. After all, our job is to fool the spectators, and if done well, they should not know the method anyway.
Second, there is nothing more disappointing in magic than the secret. Once the secret is known, the magic is gone. Of course, a good magician can sometimes fool you with an effect you already know. As much as a secret can disappoint a spectator, sometimes they disappoint magicians even more.
Next, many who buy this effect, buy it because the demo fooled them. Why should anyone, especially a magician, feel bad for being fooled by this? If it were not a decent effect, you would not have been fooled to begin with. Because of being fooled, we want to know how it's done, so we decide if the strength of the effect is worth whatever price we pay.
There are many magicians, since the very beginning, who have paid dearly for a secret. Not a prop or a gimmick, but just a secret! And, when that secret turns out to be something simple, sometimes we feel like a fool. Why? We should have known? Nonsense! Some of the best effects in the world have the simplest solution. That doesn't mean that it will be simple to discover it!
You will live without this vanish - after all, you have been doing ok so far. If you want to learn it, it will cost you. If you don't want to pay, enjoy the mystery.
The prices set for magic have a certain arbitray element to them. Do you have any idea that magicians of the past have paid a hundred bucks just to discover the secret was a DL? Think about the Vernon trick that "fooled Houdini". The poor chap was up for days and nights trying to figure this out - it almost drove him nuts. Do you think he was kicking himself when he discovered that he was fooled by a simple "trick"?
Aaach, us magicians! There are those of us who invent our own magic. Some do it intuitively (Jerry Andrus never studied much magic - just invented his own), and others who have gained enough insight and knowledge of principles, that they can go on to invent their own thing. Others of us get all our magic from outside of ourselves. Some go both ways. Some use other's tricks, but then invent a spectacular presentation (we should all be doing the "invent your own presentation" part).
So much of this is subjective and arbitrary.
For a worker, if you are able to use a move or effect to help earn a living, then 15 bucks in the long run won't matter. For an amateur, you might learn a lesson regarding the economics of buying a trick.
Most magicians have a closet full of stuff they don't use. It only takes 10 or so tricks to do a whole show! Is any trick you don't use a rip off?
Finally, my advice:
Study magic! Practice! Rehearse! The more you study, the better! You DON'T have to know EVERY trick to be a magician! Do you want to vanish a coin? We have been vanishing coins for, probably, thousands of years, and fooling spectators the whole time. A new coin vanish (or a dusted off old one) will not change the world!
So, either you want to know the secret or not. Either you want to add it to the repetoire or not. If you do, pay up! And don't complain when the effect is great, but the secret is simple - don't we want simple secrets?
To be a great magician, you need NEVER purchase an effect. But you know what, I ( I'm around 50 years old) have closets and drawers stuffed FULL of tricks - to the brim! But, typically when I leave the house, I leave with some coins and a deck of cards - I can perform for a very long time with only these props. Do I regret all the stuff I have bought? NO!!!! Magic is my passion!!!
Don't feel bad about being fooled. Don't feel bad when your money has only bought you a simple secret if you want THE EFFECT (not the solution -which is often very simple). If you want to be good at fooling audiences, make a study of it and practice, practice, practice. One more coin vanish will not change the world! I fooled them when I was a little kid with the french-drop, and yes, I have paid good money over the years to learn all sorts of sleights. Sometimes you will get a whole book (preferred!) and sometimes just a single move. I can do a lovely coin vanish and be clean at the end, and the spectators will have their jaw drop. Revolution is another way to do it, but certainly not necessary!
If you got this thing, enjoy it! If you aren't sure if you should - stop worrying! Do what you feel! You don't NEED it - so what? You might not ever use it - so what? Have FUN no matter what you do!
It really can be a killer vanish, though! The vanish isn't new - the cleanup is -sort of (Ross Bertram, among others, worked on this sort of thing). No matter - this thing can kill. It's worth it if YOU say so!
-Steve
:D:D
