Price$35.00
Media TypeDVD, Trick
CategoryMentalism
Date AddedJan 23, 2014
Page: Voucher
Tsai, Will
SM Productionz
(Based on 4 reviews)
Your spectator selects a random page and think of anything. From a number, a shape, to the taste of an item the smell of an item, or even movements. Anything your spectator is thinking of, you look directly into her eyes and tell her. It's a mind blowing miracle that works 100% of the time, extremely easy to d, and fits in your pocket.
What are you waiting for?
Reviews
(Top ▲)
This is a very sweet ‘presentational based’ effect that you will essentially learn in minutes. What you see and what you get is exactly what is in the promo video and really does pack small and play big. It is very versatile as it can be performed for close-up strolling, parlor and even stage shows if you so desire. The Coupon Book is very well made of high quality paper that will last a long time for many performances.
If you have been in magic for some time, once you receive it you will quickly identify the principle so you know that there is no slight of hand required, no fancy moves or angle issues involved. Excellent for someone new to magic or even a pro wanting to demonstrate your amazing ability of some great mind-reading or for that matter some cold or hot reading. The presentation in the promo video is very good but be creative, use you imagination, personality and your own presentational skills to make this even more unique. The DVD you receive is very well produced, sharp and clear audio which will offer some great performance hints as well and a very unique alternate handling. Please know that this effect will not be repeatable to any of the same audience members and cannot be handed out.
I really like this one and will definitely be using it but think it is a little pricey at $35 (you can find it cheaper) even though you receive a very well made and looking prop, a DVD and some amazing entertainment for your spectators. All is all I think the effect is a 5 but taking off 1 star for the price, it can’t be repeated and the book cannot be handed out.
If you have been in magic for some time, once you receive it you will quickly identify the principle so you know that there is no slight of hand required, no fancy moves or angle issues involved. Excellent for someone new to magic or even a pro wanting to demonstrate your amazing ability of some great mind-reading or for that matter some cold or hot reading. The presentation in the promo video is very good but be creative, use you imagination, personality and your own presentational skills to make this even more unique. The DVD you receive is very well produced, sharp and clear audio which will offer some great performance hints as well and a very unique alternate handling. Please know that this effect will not be repeatable to any of the same audience members and cannot be handed out.
I really like this one and will definitely be using it but think it is a little pricey at $35 (you can find it cheaper) even though you receive a very well made and looking prop, a DVD and some amazing entertainment for your spectators. All is all I think the effect is a 5 but taking off 1 star for the price, it can’t be repeated and the book cannot be handed out.
(Top ▲)
PROS
This is a nice piece of magic built into something that people are very familiar with, a coupon book.
I really enjoyed the presentation at the beginning of the DVD. It was humorous, engaging, and the participants seemed to really get into it. It really didn’t look like a staged presentation. The performer really had a perfect mix of humor and what appeared to be genuine mind reading.
The explanation was good. They covered not just the mechanics of the effect, but what you need to do to sell the magic.
The method is good. It is based on an age old method, using a different application.
The product is true to the ad copy. As the ad says, you show various pages from the coupon book to show they are all different. the participant then selects any page from the coupon book and they look at it while you look away. You then close the book, put it away, and begin to read their mind.
This is an effect that can be done completely surrounded. It could also play for close-up as well as for a larger audience. I really like how the performer in the live performance had an entertaining premise. This sort of intro could play well for small or larger audiences.
The product quality is good. It looks very much like a coupon book. However…
CONS
Several of the coupon pages have names that are similar, but not the same as well known store brands. Examples are Darnie & Mobie Book store, IBOP Restaurant, and Burger Queen. I think that was a big mistake. They should have used names that would not appear fake. This has a big impact on how you present this. You must be careful to not pause too long on one of these businesses who’s name closely resembles a recognizable brand.
VERDICT
Excellent little bit of mentalism built into a recognizable coupon booklet.
This is a nice piece of magic built into something that people are very familiar with, a coupon book.
I really enjoyed the presentation at the beginning of the DVD. It was humorous, engaging, and the participants seemed to really get into it. It really didn’t look like a staged presentation. The performer really had a perfect mix of humor and what appeared to be genuine mind reading.
The explanation was good. They covered not just the mechanics of the effect, but what you need to do to sell the magic.
The method is good. It is based on an age old method, using a different application.
The product is true to the ad copy. As the ad says, you show various pages from the coupon book to show they are all different. the participant then selects any page from the coupon book and they look at it while you look away. You then close the book, put it away, and begin to read their mind.
This is an effect that can be done completely surrounded. It could also play for close-up as well as for a larger audience. I really like how the performer in the live performance had an entertaining premise. This sort of intro could play well for small or larger audiences.
The product quality is good. It looks very much like a coupon book. However…
CONS
Several of the coupon pages have names that are similar, but not the same as well known store brands. Examples are Darnie & Mobie Book store, IBOP Restaurant, and Burger Queen. I think that was a big mistake. They should have used names that would not appear fake. This has a big impact on how you present this. You must be careful to not pause too long on one of these businesses who’s name closely resembles a recognizable brand.
VERDICT
Excellent little bit of mentalism built into a recognizable coupon booklet.
Suggestions
I think this would be a perfect prop to build a comedy routine around. Think about jokes that relate to how people shop or how people hold up the checkout line with coupons or how we purchase junk we don’t plan on using because of the coupon, etc. So, for example, after talking about what a pain it is to have someone in front of you in line with coupons, you take out the coupon book and talk about what great deals it has in it. You can talk about how much you paid for the coupon book and how much you will save. Of course, it will cost ten times more in junk you don’t need, but think of the savings! I also think that if you have any artistic ability at all, or perhaps even if you don’t, it could be entertaining and humorous to focus on the logo and you attempt to draw it on a large artists pad. If you mark the spot where they stopped, after you make the drawing, you could open the page again and take a photo of the page to compare to your drawing. Also, onsider doing this in conjunction with other mind reading methods, such as secretly getting a persons name beforehand.(Top ▲)
Review of Page Voucher from SansMinds
$35 bucks, one coupon book and 15 minutes of instruction . . . should you? or shouldn't you?
Effect
A spectator "selects" a page from your pocket coupon book. You read her mind and tell her details (as much or as little as you want) about her "selection." The effect shown in the video demo is exactly what it looks like. It's very clean and very fair seeming.
Method
The coupon book does all the work for you. You just have to bring your best personality/presentational skills. The book allows you to very clearly show all the different coupons. Yet, the spectator will still be "under your control." The method is super simple, and one that you're familiar with. Anyone can do this. Further, there's a nice built in subtlety that further sells the "fairness." After the book is opened to the place the spectator chooses, you clearly show them their chosen coupon. Then you can riffle the rest of the book to show that there were tons of choices. It's very clean and very convincing.
The hard part of the method is bringing your personality to it. You've got to really sell it as mind reading and surprisingly in the very short 15 minutes, you are given some really good tips on how to do this. It's nothing new for mentalism veterans, but for anyone else, this is invaluable information.
Ad Copy Integrity
The ad copy is legit. I should clarify one point, however. It claims that they can think of "anything." That's true as long as it's anything on the coupon that they "selected." The video trailer is very honest and accurate. 100% score here.
Product Quality
The coupon book is well made and looks like a real coupon book. However, none of the coupons are for real businesses, so when flipping through the coupon book, there is a possibility that this may be noticed. It's particularly a problem if they happen to look too closely at the coupons and discover "Burger Queen" and "Benny's" and "OrangeBees", etc. Many of them are parodies of real restaurants and businesses. The gimmick itself works beautifully, and the illusion is perfect.
The DVD is very short, but well produced and covers everything clearly enough . . . almost . . . There is an alternate handling explained. It was a bit confusing to follow, but still followable.
Final Thoughts
All in all, not too shabby. If you like the idea of carrying around a coupon book to be ready to perform this, then you'll be glad you got this. Keep in mind that this kind of thing is probably better suited to a more informal performance but it could also work in a more formal setting. You might need a little more justification for the prop in a formal setting, but not much. Everything's well made, well taught and well put together, so if you like the effect and can see yourself performing it, I'd definitely recommend it.
Final Verdict:
4 Stars with a Stone Status of Gem
(Top ▲)
This is like a mini book test you can carry in your pocket. I think it’s an elegant solution for “SEEMINGLY” impromptu mental routines.
A few notes to keep in mind:
You can’t let the booklet be examined
You can’t repeat the effect with a different outcome
You can only use the prop for one effect or routine.
The coupons are not “name brand” coupons.
If those are not issues for you, and you want a nice quick mental effect, this is worth your consideration. I can see myself using this as the first phase of like a “one ahead” type routine, for pre-show work, or keeping it in my shoulder bag for a quick, seemingly ‘improvised’ mind reading effect. I can imagine someone asking me to do something, and I pretend not to have anything on me, and then I ‘find’ this in my coat pocket.
The DVD is standard high quality from SansMind, and the teaching is very clear. There are also some good tips for ‘selling’ the effect. While the coupons aren’t name brands, this looks like a regular coupon book, and shouldn’t arouse too much suspicion.
All this said, I’d like to bring up another point. A regular deck of cards takes up the same amount of pocket space, can be examined, and can be used for an unlimited amount of effects. A regular deck also has ties to fortune telling and are used by top ‘psychic’ performers like Chan Canasta, Max Maven, T.A. Waters, and Al Koran.
If you absolutely want or need a prop that will force something OTHER than a card, then this is a decent, quick and dirty option! I’ll be keeping this around in my ‘toolbox’ just in case.
Three and a Half Stars
A few notes to keep in mind:
You can’t let the booklet be examined
You can’t repeat the effect with a different outcome
You can only use the prop for one effect or routine.
The coupons are not “name brand” coupons.
If those are not issues for you, and you want a nice quick mental effect, this is worth your consideration. I can see myself using this as the first phase of like a “one ahead” type routine, for pre-show work, or keeping it in my shoulder bag for a quick, seemingly ‘improvised’ mind reading effect. I can imagine someone asking me to do something, and I pretend not to have anything on me, and then I ‘find’ this in my coat pocket.
The DVD is standard high quality from SansMind, and the teaching is very clear. There are also some good tips for ‘selling’ the effect. While the coupons aren’t name brands, this looks like a regular coupon book, and shouldn’t arouse too much suspicion.
All this said, I’d like to bring up another point. A regular deck of cards takes up the same amount of pocket space, can be examined, and can be used for an unlimited amount of effects. A regular deck also has ties to fortune telling and are used by top ‘psychic’ performers like Chan Canasta, Max Maven, T.A. Waters, and Al Koran.
If you absolutely want or need a prop that will force something OTHER than a card, then this is a decent, quick and dirty option! I’ll be keeping this around in my ‘toolbox’ just in case.
Three and a Half Stars