Price$17.00
Media TypeTrick
CategoryClose Up
Date AddedJul 23, 2003
Meteor Paddle
(Based on 1 review)
The handling is so clean that your audience won't be able to tell which is dancing more-the dots or their eyes! Easy to perform, the Meteor Paddle takes the paddle effect to a new dimension
Comes complete with the paddle, sleeves and detailed instructions
Reviews
(Top ▲)
This is a difficult trick to review. While the trick itself is good, or should I say the trick on which this version is based is good, that which you are buying leaves quite a bit to be desired.
The trick itself goes back at least to Ian Adair's Paddle Waddle. At least, I believe that's what it was called. There were at least two other versions in the interim, most notably one by the legendary paddle maker Eddy Teytelbaum.
What we are given in the Meteor Paddle is a slightly less well thought out version of the other works. Also, the quality is grossly inferior.
For your money, you receive a black plastic paddle (Lucite perhaps) that might be described as a craftsman's nightmare. The scoring marks on the edges of the paddle are hideous, and the joint with the handle is crude at best.
The "leather" sleeves are nice, but not necessary. The originals used sleeves of other materials which worked just as nicely, if not better. The Meteor paddle sleeves are lined with felt to keep them from flying off. This was never a problem with the old paddles. Sadly, the materials used create a distinctive "left" and "right" side to the sleeves. It's unfortunate that this happened. Not an insurmountable obstacle to the performer, but one that needn't exist.
Finally the dots are adhesive. Compare this to the Teytelbaum model with inlaid spots. Also, the original versions used multi colored spots. These are all yellow. The colors offered more patter possibilities and I think made the trick more deceptive.
But is the trick a good one? Well, that depends. You are given what may be the worst set of magical instructions ever printed on the planet. If Geer had tried to make them more worthless as a teaching tool, I do not think he could have succeeded. "Fortunately", one can BUY a video tape which teaches you how to perform the trick.
This is downright creepy. The right thing would have been to release a DVD, VCD, or video free with the trick. I don't know if it was intentional, but this smacks of something akin to a scam. "Here buy this product. Oh, you actually want to be able to use the product you just bought? Send me another $20."
This is wrong, no matter how you slice it.
(The creator of Just Passin Thru included a free DVD with each release in order to supplement the instructions. While I thought his instructions were fine, others had problems. Russ handled the problem correctly. He empowered the purchasers, not stiffed them for more dough.)
But yes, the trick is clever. Sadly, it's not Mr. Geer's and nowhere does he give the credits which are properly due. (In truth, he might on the video tape, I stopped watching when he went into a rather laborious explanation of the paddle move).
In good conscience, I cannot give this anything above 1 and a half stars. If the quality were there, I might give it a 3. Had he added anything original or gotten permission from the creator, a 5. Good trick, not his, bad quality, impossible to learn as bought.
The trick itself goes back at least to Ian Adair's Paddle Waddle. At least, I believe that's what it was called. There were at least two other versions in the interim, most notably one by the legendary paddle maker Eddy Teytelbaum.
What we are given in the Meteor Paddle is a slightly less well thought out version of the other works. Also, the quality is grossly inferior.
For your money, you receive a black plastic paddle (Lucite perhaps) that might be described as a craftsman's nightmare. The scoring marks on the edges of the paddle are hideous, and the joint with the handle is crude at best.
The "leather" sleeves are nice, but not necessary. The originals used sleeves of other materials which worked just as nicely, if not better. The Meteor paddle sleeves are lined with felt to keep them from flying off. This was never a problem with the old paddles. Sadly, the materials used create a distinctive "left" and "right" side to the sleeves. It's unfortunate that this happened. Not an insurmountable obstacle to the performer, but one that needn't exist.
Finally the dots are adhesive. Compare this to the Teytelbaum model with inlaid spots. Also, the original versions used multi colored spots. These are all yellow. The colors offered more patter possibilities and I think made the trick more deceptive.
But is the trick a good one? Well, that depends. You are given what may be the worst set of magical instructions ever printed on the planet. If Geer had tried to make them more worthless as a teaching tool, I do not think he could have succeeded. "Fortunately", one can BUY a video tape which teaches you how to perform the trick.
This is downright creepy. The right thing would have been to release a DVD, VCD, or video free with the trick. I don't know if it was intentional, but this smacks of something akin to a scam. "Here buy this product. Oh, you actually want to be able to use the product you just bought? Send me another $20."
This is wrong, no matter how you slice it.
(The creator of Just Passin Thru included a free DVD with each release in order to supplement the instructions. While I thought his instructions were fine, others had problems. Russ handled the problem correctly. He empowered the purchasers, not stiffed them for more dough.)
But yes, the trick is clever. Sadly, it's not Mr. Geer's and nowhere does he give the credits which are properly due. (In truth, he might on the video tape, I stopped watching when he went into a rather laborious explanation of the paddle move).
In good conscience, I cannot give this anything above 1 and a half stars. If the quality were there, I might give it a 3. Had he added anything original or gotten permission from the creator, a 5. Good trick, not his, bad quality, impossible to learn as bought.