It works great with Jumbo Lifesavers also. Then you can give them out as presents!

Oops, my bad. I had thought he said Sasco but I guess I was mistaken.

I just watched the DVD. The extra handlings are pretty nice but I don't think it's necessary to pay $30 for them. This is a routine that should have been on his other DVDs with these additional handlings rather then a stand-alone item. I love the trick and I've been doing it for 5 years but I get the feeling people are going to start doing this on a regular basis. Tim Trono himself is releasing a bill penetration effect that I'm guessing would have been fine as a single packaged effect yet it's being released with a DVD as well which of course raises the price of the effect. Of course he says it's incredible (I've never heard him say anything but that when it comes to selling magic though. Doesn't he sell magic for a living?)Tim Wenk's Misled is an incredible penetration of a pencil through a bill. Copperfield liked it so much he performed it on his special on TV and as good as it is, it's what? $20 or $15. This reminds me of the time after the Easy To Master Card Miracles tapes came out. They were a big success so every magician and his brother started releasing tapes in series of 3's.
The additional handlings are nice but I'm going to continue performing it the with Troy's standard handling.

Chris, how was Apollo Robbins' segment?

Andrew

Ixnay66 I should point out that in my job I see HUNDREDS and HUNDREDS (and hundreds LOL) of effects. What I mention is good is a VERY VERY small/minute fraction of these and what I say is good are items I truly believe in. I am not going to jeopardize the integrity of something I say to "sell" something. If I say it’s good it’s because it is my opinion that the item really stand out from the pack. I am not going to waste my time saying what is bad as I am not a reviewer but instead would focus my energy on the positive and impart my opinion on items that really STANDD OUT for me personally. Obviously you may disagree with some or all of my opinions. In addition to being the Project Manager and Purchasing Agent for a wholesale magic distributor (Murphy's Magic Supplies) I have performed professionally and semiprofessionally for about 22+ years. This last weekend, as an example, I did 6 walk around gigs and next weekend I have 10 gigs. So I am out there actually performing for money, for real people. I have been very actively involved in magic for about 28 years. So between my job, my performing, and my deep passion for magic I think my opinion has some validity. Anyone can take or leave my input as we all obviously have our own "styles".

Also, just to clarify things... the bill penetration you mention, "Just Passin' Thru" is not mine and I only produced it for Murphy's Magic Supplies as part of my job. The effect is the creation of Russ Niedzwiecki. I don't expect anyone to take my word on how super this item is... you can listen to the endorsements of thso gentlemen noted who typically refrain from endorsements but have praised and/or publicly endorsed "Just Passin' Thru" such as Michael Weber, Greg Wilson, Paul Harris, Ben Harris, Kenton Knepper, Chris Kenner, Dean Dill, etc. or you can check it out yourself. Also, I don't know why you assume the DVD ADDS cost or hikes up the asking price. From the get go it was agreed that it would retail for $20 and we worked VERY hard to minimize the production costs to be able to maximize the value to the customer (and we made a little less margin but felt it was worth it to provide a better product and a true bargain). In fact, a determination was made to essentially MAKE LESS per unit as noted and put out a truly incredible bargain... a great effect with great instructions, the DVD, a bonus routine, etc. I find it amazing someone takes a shot for trying to give consumers more for their money. I guess we can’t win. We figured we'd take the extra step also as it would help the end consumer to SEE exactly what it looked like. This helps many people to learn. Also, some people learn better through a visual medium such as video/DVD and some learn better through written illustrated instructions. So not everyone is necessarily out to screw the buyer. Some of us are trying to raise the bar and make magic better, provide better product, and give a great value.

I find it surprising that you obviously realize the strength of CCC since you have been apparently doing it for 5 years yet you wouldn't pay $30 for a piece that you USE and have apparently used for 5 years. Wow. I personally had seen this, played with it when I got the draft of DesTROYers prior to it being published, etc. yet it wasn't until I got this DVD that I really worked on it. It actually includes seven new handlings as you probably know. Is that alone worth $30 even if you are using it? In my opinion, yes. You obviously disagree and that is cool. I just find it surprising since you know the strength of this item. But hey, we all have different value systems. Troy's standard handling, as you noted is very good.

Tim Trono

Well Tim I don't want you to get all bent in the tooth over this. I just think it should have been put on the Destroyers DVDs rather then selling it as a stand-alone item. It makes me feel like Bob was thinking "Wow...this is awesome and a lot of people are going to love it. I better not put this on the DVDs." I was under the impression 3 DVDs would showcase his material yet here BKM is holding supposedly good material back. How many versions of 3-fly were on those, anyway? He shold have left one off and included CCC.

Also, nothing personal but I wouldn't go to a Chevy dealer and ask a salesman if Chevy's were good and expect anything but a "yes" from him since he makes a living selling them. I can't help but be a little wary from gushing posts over products that you make a living selling. "RUN, DON'T WALK AND BUY THIS!!!!!"

As for your comment "Also, I don't know why you assume the DVD ADDS cost or hikes up the asking price." Well...I got that from you. You said it in your post about Passing Through. Here's your quote: "but decided to go the extra mile and do it as a DVD though the cost was higher." I don't want to draw this thing out and my opinion has been stated so I'm stopping here. But seriously...relax and don't take everything so personally. My opinion isn't personal, just my own. And everyone has an opinion and that's what this forum and this PART of the forum is about.

Andrew, Apollo's move is very nice. I think it slows things down getting into it and the spellbound move is just as magical but I'm sure you'll get great reactions from it.

No, nothing bad taken and not bent out of shape (that's why e-mail sucks... it's hard to get the "feel" of a letter) LOL but just wanted to be clear that when I recommend a product it is because I have seen hundreds of others and feel this one stands out. It is most likely something I have started using. As noted there is a LOT of junk and since I am not in sales, etc. I choose not to focus on the junk (unless it has some personal special meaning to me personally such as it being a rip off of a friends item, etc.)

Also, just a thought/feeling I had and someone else brought up to me last night privately... it seems like in a lot of the posts where you believe in an item you kind of slightly put it down apparently almost hoping no one else will do it. Obviously that is just my feeling/opinion and the person I was talking with and we may both be totally off base. This in NO way is a dig or hit so hopefully it will not be taken as that. I can certainly understand this if it is the case. We all want to be unique, we all want to be different/special. Even if I am off specifically with you on this I think it brings up an interesting subject generally. The fact is that 99.9% of the people one performs for will never have even seen other magic. In literally thousands of performances I have never had someone come up and say can you do that thing where someone holds 3 coins at their finger tips and they visibly jump across? Realistically most people have not seen sponge balls, Invisible Deck, etc. Even if they have these are such classics that it has often become a special "event" in their mind and memory so by doing it you are not just being some "Joe" but you are kind of recreating a special moment. As a matter of fact, in a recent lecture, Andrew Pinard discuses this... kind of the romanticizing of magic, of seeing a performance, of what spectators think of magicians, etc.

Tim Trono

I remember seeing the original version of Troy's effect demonstrated some years back by Joshua Jay. I certainly liked it then. For walk around magic it certainly is more practical than a Matrix or Kennedy's "Translocation" as someone suggested, because there is no need to worry about available table space.

But, if going the extra mile in selling it as a stand alone item, it would make sense to include the relevant coins wouldn't it?

re;
"Realistically most people have not seen sponge balls, Invisible Deck, etc. "

You'd be surprised, how many times I get asked if I do the one with the red balls or where the card ends up on the ceiling

Paul.

Paul's right-audiences remember more than we think!!

Thanks for that great reminder!!!!
Chris

The CCC is really extremely good! I have seen Troy do it in numerous situations (Laymen and magicians) and it has ALWAYS gotten more than polite oooo's... Plus the routine is simply a blast to do... It flows so well...

Very good point Paul. Or at the very least some "practice" washers and a piece of ribbon.

I just had the opportunity to watch my DVD. This routine definitely has what it takes to become a classic. Sometimes a multiphase routine is just what the doctor ordered. I'm going to have fun (and so will my audiences) with this one!

By the way, Hocus-Pocus has sets of the coins on their website. Personally I think that there is a certain mystique and allure to using some beautiful brass and black Chinese coins rather than washers. I can see how a piece of string and some washers could seem more organic; yet I think that with the right rationale one could logically justify the use of the coins: On a recent trip to China I vistited the Great Wall which Copperfield walked through. Down the road a little old lady had some of these coins...or something like that.

Just a follow up from my previous post. I learned the routine (it's not very difficult, yet it has a lot of magic packed in) and have tried it several times. Good reactions.

I bought a holder, which was made to carry a nice lighter, to carry the coins. It's the perfect size to carry the coins and the ribbon. This makes performing the trick very practical.

I just posted an in depth review of this DVD at my website http://www.coinvanish.com

You do not need chinese coins,
just go to the home depot and get some large flat washers about 1 inch diameter with 1/4 hole in center .these work fine and you will save alot of money on expensive coins.
vinny

Yeah, but part of the allure and mystique of the whole routine is the fact that we're using, at least in the spectator's eyes, ancient Chinese coins.

We could also perform the cups and balls with styrofoam cups which cost 35 cents instead of using a $350 set of cups. The end result is the same: we're producing the large loads. However, there's something nice about using quality and interesting props. I really do think that many spectators pick up on these types of things.

I wasn't trying to down play the coins. my point was, buy the video and learn this excellent effect .One could practice with washers .( Not to be used in a performance).
If Im working on a cut and restored rope routine I will use cheap rope or even string to get down the moves, before (I use expensive rope..
vinny