talkmagic.co.uk

Name: Crystal Switch Box

Price: 199 EUR

Where to buy: http://www.my-magicshop.com/magic-trick ... ch-box.php

Creator: Pro Magic

Packaging Quality: The whole package comes in a thick cardboard box.

Instructions Quality: You are supplied with 2 x A4 sheets of instructions including illustrations.

Contents: You are supplied with the Crystal Switch Box, instructions and a special reset key.

Prop Quality: The box looks really slick and has a long red ribbon attached so that you can hang the box up, or around a spectators neck.

Initial Thoughts: The box itself operates very fast and invisibly. You can instantly switch billets, bank notes, cards, predictions, etc. personally I prefer mentalism to be as organic as possible so introducing a box like this would not suit my performance.

Having said that there are plenty of performers that this would suit. It certainly allows everything to seem clean and away from the magician’s hands.

After Playing for a while: I have come to the conclusion that this will not suit me for mentalism effects.

However I have come up with a few simple presentations that allow me to use the crystal switch box for magic effects that don’t seem to be linked to the box. For example:

A picture of a snow globe is placed in a box by the spectator. The spectator then gives it a gentle shake. The spectator opens the box and finds that the snow globe now has snow fluttering around inside the picture. This is simply using the box to switch two pieces of paper.

First Performance: A good friend of mine has a passion for gothic and dark art and literature. I drew a picture of a gravestone which I asked him to fold up and place in the box. I then told him to cover the box with his hands to envoke the power of darkness, (I know, I know). He then opened the box to find that a skeletal hand was now coming out of the ground in front of the gravestone.

Overall Audience Reaction: He really like this and he’s begging me to tell him how I did it.

Pros: Cool looking box, very fast mechanism.

Cons: Wont suit everybody, (but what does).

Value for Money: Worth it if you have a practical use for it.