Symbology 2

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Symbology 2

Postby Part-Timer » Jan 29th, '14, 02:35



The Effect

Symbology 2 by Sean Taylor

This is not an effect of itself, but a utility prop. For a description, see "Overall".

Cost

A hair under $40 (Australian dollars)

Available from http://www.taylorsmagic.com.au/

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)

1-5, depending on what you do with them!

Review

Many years ago (nearly ten - yikes!), I posted a review of Sean Taylor's Symbology (link below). I recently acquired the new version, which is only a couple of months old, and decided I'd review this edition too. For a bit of nostalgia value, I have largely adopted the same format for my comments as I did in 2004 when I wrote my original review. Where things have changed (either because the new edition is different or because my opinion has changed) I have changed what I said. Otherwise, I have tried to keep my wording the same! I have also realised that I never did review Sean's excellent Mindsights book...

This consists of a deck of 52 cards of symbols. 13 different types of card, in four different colours. Sean suggests downplaying exactly how many cards there are, to make the similarity with ordinary decks as small as possible.

The cards have playing card backs, which might will disappoint those of you who liked the back designs for the Beyond ESP cards. The backs are different from the original version. They look a bit more like generic playing cards that you might get in, say, a newsagent's shop. Obviously, the absence of Bicycle backs could be an advantage or a disadvantage to you, but again, there is merit in distancing these cards from playing cards, especially ones that might only be seen with gamblers and magicians in countries like the UK

The box has some pseudo-licensing/branding, which helps to make the deck look a little more authentic.

The cards are marked. Sean comments in the accompanying booklet that some people disliked the marking system used in the original version and so a new system is employed. I actually liked the original marking system and recently have discovered exactly how powerful it can be. I was looking forward to trying these new techniques out on Symbology 2, but it was not to be!

The new marks are very subtle and well-hidden. I genuinely could not spot them without guidance from the booklet. The marks are perhaps a little too subtle. I think that many people will struggle to read them (at least in a casual manner) and I suspect it will be quite easy to mistake some of the marks for others in the heat of the moment.

Overall, the positive points are that you can use this for many tricks which use a regular deck. In particular, you can use a stack, be it Si Stebbins or even the BCS stack. As pointed out in the booklet (a new edition for Symbology 2), the unfamiliar nature of the designs means that you can actually go for a very simple stack. There is a slightly sad anecdote in the booklet about a review that made a sarcastic comment about the original edition's claims that almost any card trick can be done with the deck. Apparently the sales dried up after this review. I don't agree that "almost any" card trick could be done (usefully) with Symbology 2, but a huge number of published card tricks can be.

Unfortunately, you no longer get a "key" card with the different symbols on it. I think this is a major oversight and indeed the booklet refers to this card at one point, when talking about getting a spectator to think of one of the symbols. The booklet suggests showing the key card or the box to the spectator, so they know what symbols exist. There is now no key card and the box only has a few symbols on it.

You still get a couple of "special" cards.

The booklet is new and, like the original, very good. Sean has stated that he intends to bring out some supporting material, such as books of tricks and other ideas. He again gives tips on handling the cards, so as not to make it look like a card trick, and also patter tips for distancing Symbology 2 from playing cards.

Now to the negative points. First is the backs. They are playing card ones and some of you still won't like that. They are also not Bicycle, although I have changed my opinion since the first release and think it would definitely be a bad thing to use Bicycle backs. As I stated above, the new design is more “neutral” than the old backs and I prefer them to the original version. The default colour is red, but Sean's site suggests blue backs will be offered at some point.

The biggest downside for me originally was the choice of some of the symbols. Unfortunately, these remain unchanged from the first edition of Symbology and you can read my views on the chosen designs here: ftopic4120.php

The designs on the cards are printed in four different colours. One of my original comments was that it would be nice to have a set with black designs and, again, Sean's site indicates that there might be such a product in the future.

The new marking system is pretty good, but having just come to understand the true value of the old one, I think it's a shame this has changed. You might prefer it, though!

Overall

8.5/10

In other words, the same as the original edition scored. The new back design is an improvement, but on balance I prefer the previous marking system and the lack of any way of showing a spectator what symbols are used is a big issue (although most effects will not require this).

I almost lowered the score for still not including the standard three wavy lines design from an ESP deck and for keeping the weird "design with no name" I took issue with all those years ago. Sean has taken notice of some comments made by people who bought the original edition, and I appreciate he couldn't make every alteration people requested, but I really can't think of a good reason these two things were not changed. I'm sure there were good reasons; I just can't think of them! In the end, I decided that the product was essentially as good as it was originally and that it was a little unfair to give it a lower mark simply because some of the things I didn't like were not changed.

I will also point out that Sean's website shop gave great service. I received my cards only a week after ordering, all the way from Australia to the UK. If and when further items are available (such as a set with black designs and, I hope, a key card with all the symbols on it), I might bump my score up a bit.

But I will never like the arrow symbol. :)

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Re: Symbology 2

Postby magicofthemind » Jan 29th, '14, 10:41

Thanks for that very detailed review. I have the original set and it sounds like I have no need to upgrade. I always had trouble with the original marking system but I don't think I ever needed to use it; for me it's just a pack of cards that doesn't look like one for mentalism use.

Barry

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Re: Symbology 2

Postby Part-Timer » Jan 30th, '14, 12:59

That's actually a very good point. I suppose that the new version will be welcome to anyone whose old packs are a bit tired, but if anyone has one that is still in good condition, there isn't much of a reason to get the new edition. That position might change if and when Sean releases the other options and things get a bit more versatile.

I have to say that I don't regret my purchase. I quite like the fact that I now have two different marking systems available to me!

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