Magic Tricks

Knock Knock
Oh, man, it is the housekeeper! Karen stops by once a week not because I am a rich snob but because I am a slob. This week I don't have time for the usual chit chat. I have a gig to get to. But it strikes me just then that it will give me one last test of Sealed before I dash off to a gig. So I go into “Punk Magician” mode.

”Hi, Karen, pick a card,” I blurt out as I open the door.
“Hi...ahhh...Okay”
“Sign it”
“Sure”
“Watch this,” I say while folding her card. “Bam!” I actually said Bam! Not my best performance for sure but Karen rocks back a bit in stunned silence as she stares at the card that has now melded through the cellophane.
“Oh wow! That is a great one, Erik!”
I smiled internally and resisted the temptation to flip two birds and say “F*%# YOU ITS MAGIC!”
My Punk Magician impersonation aside, the short exchange gave me all the confidence I needed to head out to the restaurant gig with confidence in Sealed. I wound up performing it nine more times that night and I can say with a great deal of confidence that Sealed has been an impressive addition to my repertoire over this week.

Now I realize that not all of you are destined to master some tricks. (after all true punks just stick to power cords and loud vocals) In order to not waste time I will just tell you who this is not for before we get into the gritty details. If you do not like to build stuff...stay away. If you are pretty new to magic ...stay away. If you hate practicing magic... Stay away.
So,now for the rest of us. Intermediates and above who don't mind assembling gimmicks and enjoy practicing as well as performing here is what you need to know...

Impromptu? - YES: As long as you have your cards with you.

Reset? - SECONDS: With practice and a casual demeanor you could probably reset in front of your spectators and they would not notice.

Angles? - 270: For the basic handling there is one bad angle that can easily be covered. Advanced handlings are more clean and impossible looking but also have more angles to cover.

Impact?- HIGH: Super visual, especially if you do more advanced handlings. I recommend putting more into your performance then the ambush I sprung on my poor cleaning lady but you don't need to over think this one. People get it ...and love it!

DVD quality?- GOOD: There is one glitch. For about a minute or two the audio continues but the film jumps to the wrong scene. Not sure about other sellers but Penguin magic has this glitch corrected already.

Gimmick quality?- GOOD: Before you build it you might be suspicious but after everything is assembled it should be pretty durable. I estimate busy pros who make this a center piece will get months out of the main gimmick. Semi-pros maybe a year and Amateurs it could last indefinitely so long as it is not mistreated. (And yes...mistreatment does include forgetting it in a pants pocket and running it through the wash)

Difficulty to build?- INTERMEDIATE: About as difficult as building a plastic model plane or car. I recommend watching the DVD all the way through once and then again while you construct it.

Difficulty to perform and practice required?- EASY IF YOU PRACTICE A LOT: Any intermediate should have no trouble but I do recommend lots of practice just to familiarize yourself with the gimmick. Along the way don't be afraid to make minor adjustments. Don't assume your gimmick is broken unless you have practiced over 100 times without improvement. A lot of problems you will encounter will be solved with minor adjustments to the gimmick(s) and the way you handle them. When getting into advanced handlings you will need yet more practice. This time it will be less of familiarizing yourself with the gimmicks and more practicing timing. The good news is the basic handlings should blow away laymen. Just focus on advanced handlings if you want to use it for filming or to impress other magician friends.


What is included?- Everything but common household supplies.

Pocket management?- GOOD: Fits in a pack of cards but takes up some space in there. You might need to carry an extra deck if you plan other effects that use a full 52 deck stack of cards but for most “pick a card” effects you should not have a problem.

Overall thoughts: I LOVE THIS! Is this for beginners? No. Is this for magicians who do not practice? No. Is it fun to practice? DEFINITELY! So practice won't be a problem for most because you will have fun playing around with this anyway. Do spectator's react? Absolutely! Both in my professional work and casual work it has been a big hit over the last two weeks. The practice required could be a turn off for some but it is honestly one of the most visual effects I have seen all year. Combine that with the fact that it is easy to carry around and it resets fast and you have an effect that should tick off a lot of boxes. Whether you are impressing your next client or ambushing the cleaning lady Sealed comes through for you!