WOW! Review

[Binary]

Manufacturer's Description

This is HOT and brand new from Masuda. You will say "Wow" when you see this one!

A spectator freely selects a card, signs his name on the face and returns it to the deck.

An indifferent card is slid into a paper-thin clear plastic sleeve just large enough to hold the card.

While the sleeve is held between thumb and forefinger, and with no hand movement of any kind, the indifferent card slowly and visibly morphs into the signed selected card!

The spectator can remove his card. There is nothing else in the sleeve! It looks like real magic!

Where I got it

In the UK there is one distributer - Alakazam. After they failed to deliver WOW when they said... 4 times... I decided to switch to a US store, and ended up getting it from MJM Magic in the US, who had it to me within 4 days. They are highly recommended.

My Review

Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiccccccceeeeeeeeeeeeee - This really is something that I will use... a lot.

The sleeve itself is beautifully made - My only gripe is that it looks like it may scratch easily, so I may make a sleeve for the sleeve. But its beautifully deceptive and simple. When the trick starts, its clearly transparant - same as when it finishes.

The change itself is beautiful - it looks like real magic. The card just blur's and fades, visually morphs into their selected card. Using it in your current ambitious card routine may require a certain amount of reworking it, but believe me its worth it.

Reactions

Phenomenal. I don't think I have to go into any further detail. There is never any heat on the sleeve as long as the change is in the middle of an ambitious card routine, and it hits hard, very hard.

Overall

Yes, at $55 / £40 its expensive, very expensive.

With the reactions it gets however, its one of, if not the best thing I have bought recently. Its fighting for its place with prohibition.

10/10 - There is no credible flaw, its brilliant, i'm pleased, wow!

[Christian]

Thanks for the review! I just have a few questions. Is the sleeve clear on both sides and does anyone ever question the sleeve? Just one more, how durable is it? Can it be left in a pocket or exposed to water? Thanks!

[Binary]

The sleeve is clear on both sides before and after the effect. The sleeve itself is pretty durable. It can definately be left in a pocket, and I can't imagine that water would damage it.

As for if the spectator questioning the sleeve, strangely enough, no, and I have no idea why!



Christian, if you want more details on the sleeve I can give you them in a PM, but I wouldn't want to post anything more here for fear of exposure

[luva74]

I heard the review of WoW! on the podcast.  I am surprised that the guys didn't think this effect was practical.  I use it in my restaurant work every week.

I tell the spectators, "I like to give out my business card becuase it has my web site listed on it, and I like for people to see the neat stuff I have on the web; but I always feel awkward giving it out after performing an effect.  So, I asked a magician friend of mine named 'Scott' what he does.  He told me that he gives out his card before performing an effect.  I told him that is just as awkward.  He said 'Do it like this: Pull out your business card holder [This is when I pull out the WoW! gimmick with my business card in it] take your business card out and lay it on the table [I go through the motions as I am supposedly quoting Scott] and then use your business card holder as part of the effect so that it makes sense that you brought it out.'

"I told Scott that was a great idea, but what if I mess up the effect?  Then you will know my name already and I can't tell you that my name is Scott.  He then told me to be sure to do an effect that I can't mess up.  So, I will do a card trick.  I've been doing card tricks since I was seven years old.  I can't mess that up."

I then proceed to have one of the spectators sign a card with a Sharpie.  I control their card so that I know where it is.  I tell them, "I am going to find your card, but first I want to narrow it down to three possibilities."  I take their card from the deck along with two indifferent cards without showing any of them.  I simply lay the cards face down on the table.  I then slowly wave my hands above the cards as if I am getting some sort of sense from the cards.  I take their card and place it in the WoW! gimmick as I say, "I think that this is your card.  To make sure that I don't do anything funny or try to change my mind, we will isolate this card by placing it in my business card holder.  [long pause]  See how I worked that into the trick?"  That line always gets a laugh or smile.

I then say, "This is very dramatic!"  I then turn over one of the indifferent cards as I say, "This is not your card!"  After a pause I say, "Dramatic point number two!"  as I turn over the other indifferent card, "This is not your card!"

"Therefore, I was right and your card is right here. . ."  I then interrupt myself as I turn over the WoW! gimmick and act as if the spectator did something wrong, "I wanted you to sign your name on the card.  You didn't sign it."

Of course the spectator says that they did sign their card and that I have the wrong card.  A look of fear comes over me as I say, "Oh no!  I messed it up.  And you know who I am already!"

"Well, I guess that I better find a way to fix it."  That's when the WoW! gimmick does it job and the spectator not only sees the card's value change but also watches their signature appear on the card.  I remove the card.  I don't say anything, but I do wave the card behind the gimmick to show the spectator that they can see all the way through the gimmick and that there is not another card.  I then hand them their signed card.

The heat is never on the gimmick at this point.  The simple wave of the card behind the gimmick after the effect is over is a good enough convincer.  What everyone at the table wants to inspect is the card that the spectator signed.  Everyone is still passing the card around, rubbing on it, blowing on it, and tapping it long after I have put away the WoW! gimmick.

I have simply taken a great device with the one drawback that it screams "Magic Prop" and have worked it into a funny story by calling it my "business card holder".  The whole story sounds so goofy that the audience really thinks that I am just trying to find a funny way to give them my business card.  When it appears that the trick has gone wrong, no one is expecting what is seen at the climax of the effect.

Trust me on this:  the audience gets as much enjoyment out of this routine as all of us do when we are alone at home playing with our WoW! gimmicks, giggling like Andrew and Keith.