Sweetch (pronounced switch) by Gabbo and manufactured by Vanishing Inc, is a Card to Impossible Location utility device. Amongst the dozens if not hundreds available, what makes this one different you ask? Good question, first the prop is organic. I like organic looking props that don't seem out of place. One has to wonder how it is perceived by the spectator when a card is lost in the deck, completely disappears and the magician takes a a small plexiglass box he has had in his pocket or a massively big magic marker and lo and behold the card is in that very peculiar item. Do they wonder why anyone would carry such a odd thing? I wonder!

Sweetch appears to be an ordinary gum package and for good reason, it is. The Sweetch gimmick is a hand made device, albeit not complicated, but will last dozens of performances. Eventually you will only have to replace the outside box. When that time comes, run down to you local supermarket and buy a similar box of gum. The mechanism that does all the work is transferable. You get a new box and some gum to chew in the process.

Another thing I like about Sweetch is that is it inexpensive. It is well worth it to purchase this vs. trying to make it yourself because the cost of purchasing the requisite materials is about what you will pay for the entire gimmick already assembled.

The tutorial by Kyle Marlett that comes with Sweetch covers just about all you would need to know even if you were new to card magic. I hate it when you buy something and the tutorial says something like "bring the card to the top using your favorite method". Everything is covered including controlling the chosen card to the top, the required Mercury card fold and the production of the chosen card from the box. All in all a great value for what you get.

If you are looking for a natural card to impossible location with an organic prop Sweetch is something you should seriously consider.

WHAT YOU GET

You get a gimmicked gum box and a streaming video explanation by Kyle Marlett.

WHAT I LIKE

The effect is a card is selected and lost into the deck. It appears in a gum box. I know, I know, there are a million different card to impossible locations. Do we really need a new one? Of course we do! Having several options for where a card might appear seems like a real plus to me. Imagine if you are armed with a few different card to impossible location options, including this one, and someone you are performing for just happens to have this very gum box in their purse or pocket. The card is vanished into the deck and you ask to see their gum box. You switch it for your gimmicked gum box and produce their selected, signed card. Kyle doesn’t explain how to switch a regular gum box for the gimmicked one, but see the suggestions section for a simple explanation. The point is you have options to make your magic seem even more impossible.

Kyle thoroughly explains various ways to use this product.

The quality of the prop is very good and the method is excellent. Everything comes ready to perform. The gimmick is all made and you don’t have to make anything.

Kyle Marlett provides excellent instruction on how to use this product several different ways. He teaches you how to appear to pull their card from the gum box, how to dump the card from the gum box into their hand, etc.

The ad copy is accurate. If you like the trailer, you are going to like this effect.

WHAT I DON’T LIKE

There really aren’t a lot of negative with this. However, the effect packaging says you can download the explanation video and it seemed to me that you could only watch a streaming video and not download it. I understand that many magic creators are subject to piracy and theft, so I completely understand, but personally I like to download the explanation so I can view it anywhere, even if I don’t have internet access. That is a minor point, as I really love the product and the excellent explanation.

AT A GLANCE

Skill level required: 2 of 5. He teaches a variety of relatively easy slights, perhaps some easier than others.
Audience management skill required: 3 of 5. There is some audience management involved as you are doing a mercury card fold and some sleight of hand with the gum box and their selected card.
Performance angles: 360 degrees
The reset time required: One second. You can reset right in front of your audience.
The DIY time involved in advance: None, you are ready to go.

VERDICT

Even though there are hundreds, perhaps thousands of card to impossible location effects out there, I really like this one. I think new and innovative card to impossible location effect just give performers more options.

Suggestions

If you carry this around with you and you notice someone else with the same brand of gum box, you have an even more impossible magic effect on your hands. Do the card routine as Kyle explains, but don't bring the box out right away. Once you have their card ready, say: "Your card has vanished from the deck." Point to the person with the gum and say: "Where do you think it went?" They might say "In my pocket?" in which case you say: "Yes, empty your pocket." and they pull out the gum box. They might say: "I don't know." to which you say: "I'll give you a hint. It's on you. I haven't touched you have I?" Have them remove the contents of their pocket. If it is a woman with it in her purse, say: "What do you have in your purse." Take some time to narrow it down to hand you the gum box. You could do a magicians choice on several items in their purse. As they are getting things out of their purse or pocket, you reach into your pocket and grab the gimmicked gum box. Place the deck of cards on top of it. Take the ungimmicked box in the hand that is not holding the gimmicked box covered by the deck of cards. Transfer the cards to the other hand, on top of the ungimmicked gum box and it will look like you traded places, the cards for the gum box. Hand the gum box to someone close to the hand that now has the gum box, which justifies the transfer of hands. Ask them to hold it for a minute. Place the cards and their selected card into your pocket and come out with your hands empty. Make a point of showing your hands empty and take back the gum box. Open the lid, showing the folded card inside. Turn your body so the pocketed card is away from the audience and the gum box is close to them as you show the contents of the gum box to everyone. As you do this, reach into your pocket and remove their card. Reveal their card with any of the methods Kyle teaches on the video.