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I bought the Illusionary Card Sleeve from Martin at International Magic a couple of weeks ago for £20, bought it on the spot after he demonstrated it for me in the shop!

It is absolutely brilliant and the booklet is great showing all the possible effects including a very helpful (for me!) section on forcing!

I have performed this a few times for friends and colleagues and it really blows them away! If you're in London get down there asap as it saves paying £34 from elsewhere!

the-harlequin wrote:For your info

International Magic are selling an independent version of WOW for £18 and it comes complete with a book of 25 ideas for tricks. I know Martin only has a limited number so hurry hurry if you want to get one cheap. It is called the ILLUSIONARY CARD SLEEVE if my memory serves me correctly.

Cheers,

The Quin

So...an 'independent' version basically means a 'Rip-Off' version, presumably?

Whatever happened to paying the originator for the effect?

...And I always thought that IM were quite a reputable dealership

Hi there,

Does anyone know if alternate inserts are available for wow? I'm thinking the 'morph' would be far smoother with a black card...

robstanley1 wrote:
...And I always thought that IM were quite a reputable dealership

Not particularly.

IM have sold me some c*** (not the best) in the past. Not only that, but when I was young and foolish, they sold me stuff that they must have known was not suitable for me. They may have improved since, though.

Wow - or perhaps their 'independent' version of it - was demonstrated to me on one of my recent visits to International Magic.

I won't name the shopkeeper in question, as my experience wasn't a good one, and I don't want this to be seen a personal attack...

I decided not to buy it, and he was absolutely livid at me - fine. go ahead and keep doing the same boring old stuff that you always do - and all these niceties despite the fact that I'd already piled up close to a hundred quid's worth of stuff at the till...

Why didn't I go for it?

It's a peculiar prop that does a colour change.

Yes it's very visual, but it requires a special sleeve that looks like nothing anyone has ever seen before, and is used purely for one purpose.

So, spectators will remember the fancy plastic sleeve above anything else.

And I also found the handling for the required substitutions to be a little contrived.

In essence, the same effect can be achieved with a side steal and a poncy wave of the hand. Fine, it won't look like a digital dissolve, but it doesn't require any additional whatnots and will - in my opinion - have exactly the same effect on the audience.

Anyway, given the reaction I received when I simply said that it wasn't for me, I was sorely tempted to walk out without the items I genuinely wanted.

Pete

I understand that in must be a royal pain in the backside when customers come in, stand around talking about products, asking advice, getting free tea etc and then walk out without buying anything, but they are very reluctant to talk without confirmation that you'll purchase. Too reluctant for my liking!

Lenoir wrote:I understand that in must be a royal pain in the backside when customers come in, stand around talking about products, asking advice, getting free tea etc and then walk out without buying anything, but they are very reluctant to talk without confirmation that you'll purchase. Too reluctant for my liking!

Thing is, I'd already stacked up a load of things that I was definitely spending money on.

Wow was demonstrated in the context of:

Will there be anything else?

Not unless there's something you can surprise me with...

Have a look at this...

Nah. Not for me, thanks.

[Cue irate grizzling]

I don't think I could have been mistaken for a time waster. Although on the few occasions I've been to International Magic, I've always thought I've been viewed as a faceless wallet with legs.

I won't make a special point of travelling to and from Farringdon on future trips to London.

Pete

Or Chancery Lane

But indeed, I know what you mean.

As much as people hate on Paul from Davenports, he knows his stuff and can hold a great conversation.
You just have to start the conversation. Half of the people on here who moan about him are probably only complaining because their social skills aren't up too much!

I've only ever met Barry and we just chat about the football, top bloke, really friendly

Barry is great - talk to him about Samurai stuff if you want to keep him sweet.

Marco is an acquired taste, but will give you a decent discount if you get on his good side.

Paul is 50/50 depending on his mood.

Davenports have a bit too much attitude sometimes, and not much stock compared to IM. And only IM give you free tea.

Davenports seems to be staffed with spotty teenagers, IM is staffed with cockney wideboy types or the ever delightful Jerry.

Alan Alan's used to be fun. Never knew if he was going to shout at you or not.

But as for WOW...it's just s***. Just the very worst self indulgent magical masturbation.

It looks pretty for the magician as he does it. That's all it is.

It's a top change, but with a stupid plastic wallet - as stated above.

Learn a top change, save the money and do a much better trick at the same time.

"Here let me put your card in this totally odd looking plastic sleeve thing"

or

"Let me just put the card on your palm, click your finger over the card...turn it over...was THAT your card?"

One is free and it BRILLIANT, the other is s*** and cost 35 quid. Or 20 if you buy IM's knock off version.

Durrrr

crispy wrote:I have been introducing mine as the latest James Bond type time machine, then preceeding with Jay Sankey's "back in time".

For those who know the effect the righting of all the cards and the card change seems to take the heat from the wallet.

I say mine is a mini transporter like they use in Star trek but on a much smaller scale. Just out on the market but very, very hard to get hold of. I say it will break down the molecules of your card and transport it to the sleeve at the same time doing the reverse to the six of hearts. Before all that I have done the Braue reversal on the Six of hearts on top of the deck so that at the end I can spread the cards on the table to show the six is back in the deck reversed in the middle of the spread.

Razz

Damian Jennings Wrote

and cost 35 quid. Or 20 if you buy IM's knock off version.

Or even £8 if you search the net.

Razz

I think some of you should stop thinking like magicians and start thinking like Spectators. The magic is for them not for the Magician. I get great reactions from it and thats all that matters. I couldn't give a monkey's whether it is a gimmick or not. Stage magicians use gimmicks for god's sake. Everyone knows that when the Magician puts a woman into a strange contraption on stage and makes her zig zag it is something to do with the prop. They don't know how but they know it is that. Otherwise the Magician would make her zig zag without it lol. The chop cup is a gimmick, the Boston Box is a gimmick. The WOW sleeve is a gimmick. Coin Unique is a gimmick, I could go on and on and on. Who cares, If it gets the gasps of the audience? THAT IS ALL THAT MATTERS.

Razz