talkmagic.co.uk

I deleted a post in the other thread about this product and reposted here.

As I'm planning a CUPS attack in a couple of weeks, I'm drooling over this and have a few questions about it...

Can it be used as a normal wallet or is it really only of use for effects? I'd rather not carry two wallets around with me if poss, hence question three.
Are refills available for it?
As I'm a complete noob with wallets and am too scared to spend £70+ on one just for CUPS, what other products should I look at with similar features?

I have read reviews of several products ranging from £30 for this, right up to £100 and still can't decide. Too much to choose from. I know the Mind Reader Wallet is considered a rip off, but what about the Thought Reader Wallet? This looks the sameish on the pics. MagicNevin have one for £26. I'm soooo confused about which to get.

PM on the way...

I'm sure the bearded one will chip in here too once he's back from his day trip to London (which, I might add I should be at too, enjoying an ice cold pint of beer if it wasn't for stupid south west trains and their silly machines!!!grrr...I'm not at all bitter! ).

I have the Telethought and it is two thumbs up from me in terms of what it does. The handling and peek are completely justified. However, it can't be used as anything else and is made from nothing but the finest plastic.
There are some other much more functional items out their. The Stealth Assasin, The Hideout (which has an incredibly fair peek), The SUC business card case (which I'm still looking for if anyone has one or knows where I can hunt one down from), and fingers crossed, The Showdown, if it ever turns up! (I have received the pdf of its workings and it looks pretty good).

Its personal preference at the end of the day and you will probably get through a few before settling on one you like, but all those mentioned above don't require any 'refills' and apart from the SUC, they can all be used as an everyday wallet.

At the moment I'm carrying The Serpent from Docc Hilford. I wasn't overly impressed with what it was, but after getting the sewing machine, scalpel and fabric glue out, I've pretty much turned it into my idea of mentalism sex in a wallet!lol

Thanks for the PM Mandrake - I replied

I'm pretty much sold on this I think. I'll probably upgrade to the more expensive wallets as I get used to using the cheaper one to begin with. I'm not going for a himber or Balducci style until I'm more confident with this. I do have a Sanctum card I may try to tie in with this wallet, being as it's perfect for predictions.

Thaumaturge - I now have a mental picture of you beavering away (fnar) with your Singer sewing machine hehe! Thanks

Oh, and I found a sales vid on youtube for this very wallet. There are a couple of things in the vid that answered more questions I had thought of. It does look very natural now I've seen it done:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rV1JhzWC-A

That's part of my CUPS list sorted.

I took delivery of a Thought Transmitter today thanks to the very kind Keith Atkinson.

It's a nifty little thing and the gimmick part is really cleverly designed. As this is my first wallet type effect, it's understandable why some of the more complex ones are so well thought of. I am really impressed with this and can see it being used quite a lot.

The symbol card it comes with is a nice addition and has got me thinking about how I could incorporate the Sanctum card for something a bit different.

Brill

Have used this effect on numerous occasions and had a great response every time. The only note of caution is if you are using this in a dark bar or on the street at night be a little bit careful of the angles - things can show up and give the game away. Overall a deviously little effect that will simply fry your audience!
TGR

This is a fantastic prop, and I have owned several. However there are 2 hugh disadvantages
1) The B******* do not last very long and
2) They are expensive to replace

If you have enough bookings that warrent its use a couple of times a week then = good value, but if its just occasional then perhaps not.

The Thought Transmitter is probably the best gimmick I have ever brought. Cannot recommend this effect more strongly. I perform it on the fly as much as possible. Every gig I do it's in my pocket. No drawing a circle for them to put their drawn picture/symbol in for me. I just slap the post it note in and ask them to draw a simple, basic picture, anything at all.

It's amazing how many men draw houses, cars and stick men. Women will draw their pets if they have any, or flowers or love hearts. At least that's what I've found.

One word of caution, don't do this if it's a bright sunny day and you're outdoors. Like I did at a Birthday Party once. I was hired to do a party in the hosts garden and it was a bright evening. I couldn't see what they drew, not for the life of me! I managed with cold reading to whittle it down to a bird or a cat. I said it was a bird, but it was a cat! Silly ol me!

I owned one of these four or five years ago. Although the gimmick was clever, the quality of the item was horrific. People would wonder why I, a man of at least some quality (I'm no James Bond but I'm not Catweazel either) would wander around with such a shoddy object, magical or otherwise. Has the quality improved since then, I wonder.

The Devil's Tailor wrote:I owned one of these four or five years ago. Although the gimmick was clever, the quality of the item was horrific. People would wonder why I, a man of at least some quality (I'm no James Bond but I'm not Catweazel either) would wander around with such a shoddy object, magical or otherwise. Has the quality improved since then, I wonder.

I suspect not. It's definitely not going to be mistaken for an Outlaw wallet in terms of build quality. I'd much prefer something nice in leather, but this doesn't look too bad.

I cant begin to tell you how many times ive used mine. And not once has anybody looked at it and said " whats that piece of CrAAP?"

daleshrimpton wrote:I cant begin to tell you how many times ive used mine. And not once has anybody looked at it and said " whats that piece of CrAAP?"

I agree 100%. The thing wouldn't work anyway in leather

I find the fact that it looks like a crappy notebook/pad thing works in it's favour. Any magic gimmick that is pristine, gleaming, made from the finest leather, or buffed and polished by scantily clad virgins that glistens when the moonlight hits it, screams: THIS IS A MAGIC PROP!

Far better a gimmick looks like a tatty notebook, because then it reinforces the fact that it is a harmless notebook.

Have you seen Paul Daniels Chop Cup routine? Notice the cup he uses, it's not a gleaming 'Bazaar De Magica Polished Brass Cup' it's a tatty looking plastic beaker.

Starving Stu wrote:buffed and polished by scantily clad virgins that glistens when the moonlight hits it

Hits what exactly? Do they have factory tours??

Absolutly...why do you think Elusionist's so popular with the pubescent neubie?