Magic Tricks

I finally couldn't resist the temptation--what better collection of tricks to add to one's repertoire than psychokinesis, mentalism, a dose of the unexplained? Well, I must say that I have very mixed feelings about this kit.

The magnet itself is stronger than anything I have purchased from any independent magnet dealer. It appears to be nickel coated, which is a huge bonus, since an uncoated magnet is prone to oxidation and erosion. I feel safe with this magnet.

Don't worry about its size. It is small enough to lay inconspicuously under a loose sleeve, a pant leg, or inside any one of several possible hiding places, such as a deck of cards. With this magnet, you'll have versatility and power.

You also get, as stated, a handful of other items. Of them, I like the "brass" rings, which offer some nice possibilities on a table, in your hand, or in the spectator's hand, and the hollow shell penny, which makes a cool penny-to-dime transformation possible.

I'm not as happy with the two steel core pennies, which are printed with a pre-1956 design that alerts some people that something is afoot. They would trust a modern penny a bit more. (I admit, the majority of your spectators won't necessarily notice, but it's nice to be safe.) I also am disappointed by the "custom strap," which is really just a wide piece of elastic with a three sided pocket sewn into one end and a safety pin to hold it to your wrist. Definitely not professional quality.

Now for my biggest complaint of all, something I hope Penguin Magic (and perhaps Chazpro, the package's maker) will fix:

The documentation is completely unprofessional. It contains many misspellings and errors, mentions illustrations that don't exist, and repeats several of the same tricks and tactics. The "manuscript" is one page, also consisting of mostly repeated material. If you are looking for subtlety in the instructions, detailed presentation advice, or step-by-step suggestions about how to pull off the kind of tricks you're interested in, this documentation does NOT have it. Instead it basically contains a list of ideas--most of which the average hobbyist magician can probably discover on his or her own.

So, the verdict? Powerful tools, poor documentation, mixed results, and the temptation to look elsewhere for better notes.