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Of course I don’t own it. I know exactly how to do it anyway! I have also seen people produce EXACTLY the same effect before the RFC was ever produced. I fail to see the value in it.

I would however consider buying the Sankey DVD. He may be using moves derived from existing methods but he teaches good applications and knows his stuff inside out.

If the RFC people were to produce a video on floating in general using their expertise and hard-earned knowledge of the subject to illuminate us then I’d look at it. But they are selling it as an Effect – how to make a card float. That’s not the same thing.

If Sankey tried to sell me a video of him doing an existing sleight and called it “The Real Coin Vanish” then I’d be similarly unimpressed.

I would also consider a good Zarrow shuffle DVD if the teacher was good enough, as long as he called it a Zarrow teaching DVD. But if someone were to produce a DVD called “The Brand New Real Shuffle” which was merely a Zarrow shuffle with one inconsequential change to it then it’s just silly.

Neil wrote:Of course I don’t own it. I know exactly how to do it anyway! I have also seen people produce EXACTLY the same effect before the RFC was ever produced. I fail to see the value in it.

OK.

That answers my question. Thanks.

Therefore, folks—if you're considering buying this and DON'T know how it's done... Neil's words may NOT be of use to you, as he doesn't own it anyway—and therefore is unable to comment on the product with any weight or credibility.

A valuable lesson learned here, methinks.

There is a valid point being made here though. A lot of people are excited to recieve their brand new effect only to find out that they already new it because it is a repackaged version of something else. It is good to know these things beforehand.

OK I was completely wrong. It's a fantastic piece of original work that you definately WON'T find in about 1001 other books. Not only is it worth every penny as a groundbreaking new piece of magic but you will be aslo nurturing the very valuable practice of repackaging commonly known methods as something new.

Please buy it immediately.

nickj wrote:There is a valid point being made here though. A lot of people are excited to recieve their brand new effect only to find out that they already new it because it is a repackaged version of something else. It is good to know these things beforehand.

A reasonable point... However...

If an effect called 'MAGIC-CARD-FX' appeared on sale, which turned out to be nothing more than a reworking of an old principle such as an Erdnase change, should the WORLD be told how it's done, so they can avoid it? Surely that's exposure?

I find absolutely NO problem whatsoever with resurrections or reworkings. Everyone has to start somewhere. And if your point is right—then I would imagine that most magic shops would go out of business pretty quickly.

We are capable of making our own decisions. We are MORE than capable of reading between the lines. However... we are NOT in a position to spread the word on this. And by this, I mean that just because ONE person knows how an effect is done, they shouldn't be so keen as to steer people away who don't.

In fact, to steer people away in this manner would practically border on exposure.

So what? The REAL floating card is nothing new?!?!? But for the benefit of those who DON'T know how it's done and DON'T own any other resources and would LIKE to be able to perform it, the DVD is beneficial.

End of story.

Neil... your last post demonstrates the throwing of one's dummy from the pram. You are entitled to your opinions, as are we all. However... it would be probably just as well to be open minded before making such childish comments.

I understand your point... and I have tried to see your reasoning... but remember that there are others in the magic community who are obviously less knowledgeable and intuitive than yourself.

We all had to start somewhere with magic... and in my day, it was mostly learned by getting my nose into a good book and learning the stuff in the wee hours. And I, like everyone here, went through the learning curve of suddenly being able, through knowledge, to work out how a trick was done.

However, if we follow your rather blunt and blinkered view, then all magic stops at the source... and a couple of books is ALL the magician needs to survive in his career. After all, who needs to buy new effects when their methods and bases are already covered by the Royal Road to Card Magic???

I am not asking you to retract your views. I am merely commenting that for a person who does not even OWN the item of which a review is being requested, you are in a very weak position to offer advice.

Neil wrote:you will be aslo nurturing the very valuable practice of repackaging commonly known methods as something new.

People have been doing this since the first packet trick, 70% of them use no more than an elmsley or jordon count. I have yet to see a packet trick that offers anything new. In most cases you are paying for the handling, not the "method" Hell I could tell you 50 ways to do Oil and water but I would still pay for something like David Solomon's Technicolour Oil and Water even though neither the trick nor the method is new, his handling is still better than many. It's still nothing I couldn't get from a multitude of books though.

Mark

Neil wrote:If the RFC people were to produce a video on floating in general using their expertise and hard-earned knowledge of the subject to illuminate us then I’d look at it. But they are selling it as an Effect – how to make a card float. That’s not the same thing.

It's not the same thing, but I'm sure it doesn't take a rocket scientist to be able to apply what this DVD teaches you, method-wise, to other situations? In this case, the DVD is indeed about 'floating in general,' and is therefore a good buy, even by your own standards.

Books, DVDs and vids, even if they are about only one named trick, contain the workings and mechanics for an effect that can be used many, many times over.

A good example for me has been the Goshmann's 3-D Rabbits routine booklet. I now vanish and appear many small items, thanks to the one or two sleights that this taught me. As a sponge routine in itself, I now find it very basic and not challenging at all. However, applying the mechanics from the handling to other situations, the booklet is now more valuable to me than the rabbits themselves!!!

At the moment, I have no experience whatsoever of 'floating' magic, but I know that if I were to purchase this DVD, then I will have not just the floating card trick, but the potential to perform dozens more tricks using a similar method.

To be honest, applying the knowledge you've learnt to different situations gives me more of a buzz than performing the original trick - applying it to something different makes me feel more like it's 'my' trick.

sorry about that guys, i got my tricks mixed up i thought it was one called magicians levitation or something. becaude i have seen it named that. sorry i canto judge this efect as i dont own it sorry.

ok - here's my 2 cents:
I don't own the real card float thingy, but I think the same principle applies: I was doing a bit of 'floating' work using a method I was taught by someone. I heard about the LeClair animator and it sounded good so I bought LeClair's book. The method he described was exactly what I'd been using. Was I disappointed - no way! The book is excellent and it teaches a wealth of information that would have taken me years to learn just from experience. The same goes for a lot of things I bought - in fact a friend explained to me Banachek's fork bending routine. I still bought the dvd - cos I wanted to hear it from the man himself - and it was worth every cent. The list could go on. My point - well nothing more than what Seige and Mark and some others have said - but i've been following the conversation and I wanted to have my say

All 'floater' fans should have a look at http://www.allmagic.com/magicshow/cards ... edeck.html

Thanks for that Mandrake. don't you just love that site...

I'm totally gobsmacked at all the freebies there - and it's all new stuff as well!

Is there an archive of the old effects that have been published on there anywhere? I have had a look and can't find one but I can't imagine that they would write all those articles just to chuck them away when they've been there such a short time.

nickj wrote:Is there an archive of the old effects that have been published on there anywhere? I have had a look and can't find one but I can't imagine that they would write all those articles just to chuck them away when they've been there such a short time.

In a nutshell, no.

Which is why I now love my new Apple Safari browser, which has a 'print to PDF' facility. WOOOHOOO

There's been so many things on there that I look at during work hours and think WHOOOHOOOOO and try accessing at home a couple of days later and have gone.

Damn!

If it's of any interest, I bought BVRP Quick PDF for £19.95 from Staples and this makes it very easy to create PDF files even from other PDF files. Well worth it!