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The Effect
I'm going to assume you all know the effects possible with an ID, so this is more a review of the DVD and the particular deck you get with this magic makers ID and DVD package. But for those who don't know it here's an example of David Blaine performing with his ID: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3EjAjPY4kw

Cost
Around £10

Difficulty: 2/5
(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)

My Rating: Deck: 7/10, DVD: 2/10

Review
What you get: A boxed DVD and a red bicycle rider backed deck in a standard (rider backed, not text-backed) bicycle box with an opened blue sticker. To me it's a shame they couldn't supply it either without the sticker or with an un-cut sticker, but that's just because I'm the fussiest guy I know. Also the design on the back of the box is slightly blurry when compared to my standard bikes, I guess the finish made the ink run slightly. It's not a biggie.

The deck contains all 52 cards, plus 2 jokers and 2 promotional cards, all with the finish applied. The back of the box has also had the finish applied which is a great touch - you can tell just by feel which boxed deck is the invisible one.

The cards are all just standard bikes, nothing remarkable there. The finish, I'm not so sure about, it feels a little powdery to me but it's my first ID so that may be normal.

Durability of the finish - I don't know, only had the deck 3 or 4 days. I did rub one of the promo cards against my jeans to try to remove the finish and it still works when paired with a non-rubbed finished card, so I guess that's a good thing.

The cards are paired up like this: AC/KD, 2C/QD ... AS/KH etc. So you add up to 14. I think that this is not the normal ID layout, but it's simple enough to reset the order (or devise your own ordering).

But the deck works, there's really nothing wrong there, very pleased with it.

The DVD: Running time 42 mins

Here are some clips from the DVD (uploaded by the manufacturers):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCdM3tIME5Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlxZY2jsLQg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_s2tZuCrXQ0

- yeah that music gets irritating, believe me, and the acting doesn't improve.

So, erm, yeah, the DVD I'm really not sold on. It doesn't help that one of the first things you're told is that the ID is a 'last resort', feels a bit deflating!

There are six standard and three bonus routine ideas on the DVD, Some of these are pretty innovative, but none really come with a good backstory. For instance there's a routine called "The Prince's Card", but no story about why it's called that? - Surely there was originally a tale to tell alongside this trick which would make for a good routine?

The final three 'bonus' routines all require something extra. The first requires that you write on the back of all the cards and I guess what you'd call a bit of 'pre-show' work, the second involves two IDs (although I think you can do it with just one, but that's not the method they show you), and the third requires a marked deck and an ID.

Finally, most of the methods you can work out just by knowing there's an ID and watching the performance, so the explanations are kinda unnecessary and just serve to stretch the running time out.

Overall
The deck's great, but the DVD didn't do anything for me. Watching the dice prediction performance did give me an idea on how to do a nice trick with an ID and a pool table (spread a standard deck, have a spec shoot the cue ball, whichever card it lands on, you pull out of your ID) but that's about all I got from it. I'm really glad I managed to only pay £7 for this, which means the DVD only cost £1 more than just buying an ID on its own.

My first review, hope you found it a good read!

Followup after a month and a half of using the deck lightly (three times a week if that) - just to say the finish on the ace of spades pair is wearing pretty thin now, and the finish on the pack is almost completely gone now, so while it was a nice idea to be able to tell by feel which pack was invisible, in practice after a few outings in my jeans pocket it's almost all gone, and that which remains is pretty dirty (perhaps that's just me not treating my cards nicely....)

Get a proper ID then. By the sounds of it they have given you a cr@ppy deck. As a worker who uses the ID in every set as my opener, I normally go through about one ID a year - and that is using it a hell of a lot!

Go to alakazam and order yourself a brand new Bicycle ID - You'll be amazed at the difference if yours is wearing thin after but a few weeks!

Yeah I wasn't sure if this was typical with IDs or not (I did just go for the cheapest I could find on c4m so it's no surprise).

Thanks for putting me straight! I'll get meself a decent one

Even so, you might have to re-treat an ID from time to time to refresh the R&S aspect.

Mandrake wrote:Even so, you might have to re-treat an ID from time to time to refresh the R&S aspect.

Due to it being once a year for me, I just buy a new one! I know a lot of people do make their own, however

The words "magic makers" should now come as standard as a warning of inferior products!

I agree with points of both Mandrake and Le Beard. An ID can do with a touch up now and again though at the point you start wearing the cards you're best of buying / making a new one. Old worn cards hardly sell professionalism for a cardie (though do for some mentalism)

For tips on R&S or if you need me to make you a deck up PM me

I use my ID around 6-7 times a week and have had the same one for two years with no problems. My other one had last a long time before I left it in my jacket pocket and washed it lol. They are cheap enought that the low price should be better then the trouble making your own.

Just to balance my post above, I bought a couple of Lawrence's IDs some time ago, they only get used three or four times a year but are both still in perfect condition - I haven't had to re-treat them at all. In fact, the quality was far superior to the commercially made reputable quality ID I bought in 2004 where the treatment was only applied to small areas of each card. I guess that shows the difference between magic made for magicians and magic made by magicians .

kalen7791 wrote:I use my ID around 6-7 times a week and have had the same one for two years with no problems. My other one had last a long time before I left it in my jacket pocket and washed it lol. They are cheap enought that the low price should be better then the trouble making your own.

What Trouble?

And thanks Paul, glad to hear they're holding up.