Sorry, after readng that post it sounds terrifically negative, I didn't mean to sound that at all, I cant assume anything seeing as I know nothing what-so-ever about the method.

Im hoping one can give away the card.

Also if you feel that it gives too much away about the method please don't answer, or if possible a one word answer or pm.

I hope this makes me come across more civil!

Jon Hackett

Hello,

Thank you for your question.. no, you cannot give the card away as a souvenir. However, I personally have never been asked to, people in general are so shocked by the effect that they do not ever ask to examine the cards.

Its not about examination. Why would you write my name on a card, and thn not give it to me?

Im afraid that's my interest curbed, I mean couldn't anyone do this with a d***le lift or some w*x?

But I wouldnt want to produce this effect without the giving of the souvenier, but goodluck, great value!!

Jon Hackett

It's more than what you think it is... that is all I will say.

When handled with the appropriate spectator management skills, they'll know that the card being given to them isn't part of the effect.

I've never had spec say to me "hey, you didn't give me the card I signed, so I don't accept that you just showed me a magic trick".

The magician applies the conditions the effect takes place in, and in this case the signed card stays with the magician at the end of the effect.

I don't disagree really, in that 'the magician applies the conditions the effect takes place in' but everything else you say I disagree with.

It doesn't require that the spectator ever work out anything about the effect, for it to strike them, either immediately (which with this effect I find highly unlikely) or once they have left the performance. But not giving them something that is evidentley (and explained to be!) personalised to them by someone else will signal fire that something is wrong.

That is my logic,and never would one personalise something and not give it to the ricipient.

However, the effec sounds wonderfull, and a bargain!

Just, as I have explained, not for me.

Jon Hackett

Jon, I didn't really say much else but the part you agree with!

I should say that my post was more me thinking "out loud" than it was me disagreeing with anything you had said in your post Jon.

The only thing I could say about this is that it's not so much the card that's personalized as the effect itself. The spectator isn't signing their name on a card or doing anything that would make the card itself personal to them. And it's not as if the card has their full name, phone number, or house address on it. Hey, that'd be one heck of a trick!

To each his own of course - obviously you're entitled to be uncomfortable not being able to hand the card out, which is fine. We each have our own boundary lines that we won't cross when it comes to choosing the appropriate effect. I myself have some bizarre limitations, but that's neither here nor there..

Brian is absolutely correct! Since the card hasn't been personalized in any way by the spectator they should not feel the need to want to take the card home with them. (Even though the effect is quite personally and emotionally connecting, it lacks the one really personal element that would make spectators want to keep the object.)

The issue is not just whether or not the spectator gets a keepsake. We don't sign the card in an ACR or a card-to-pocket so they get a souvenir -- we sign the card so that a major suspicion can be killed from the getgo, namely duplicates.

The effect described here is thus. You name a card, it's removed from the deck, and your name is on the back.

Any skeptical spectator is going to have the following suspicions.

1. The choice of card wasn't free.
2. My name is on the back of all the cards.
3. Somehow he got my name on the back of the card I wanted.

The original method handles suspicions 1 and 2 fine. The original method doesn't handle 3, and it never will until they can inspect the card. They might not think DL, but they might think a personalized sticker of some kind. In fact, if they're not able to inspect the card, why not use that as a method anyway? It's all going to be the same to them.

This was a major flaw in the effect in the first go-round. If it was published with that flaw unaddressed, then that's a shame.

I cant understand how you people think the card isn't personalised to them.

What are the spectators going to say when the describe the effect?

"I thought of any card! And it had...?"

There not going to "four letters that spell out the same name as I have"

I think the word MY is going to be involved.

And if that aint personalised!

And Andrew I do agree to a large extent, but I'm just not sure that is whats going to affect my spectators in how would play the effect. Its not that they will 'figure' it out, nor perhaps (alothough likely) that they will find a false solution, just that something wont feel right to them, it breaks ordinary social laws. When someone else has premptively written YOUR name on something when don't you keep it??!!

But I stick to my guns, I think it sounds like a great effect, and my god, what a bargain!

Jon Hackett

Hey, to each his own .

Best of luck!

I really hope I don't sound like I'm complaining.

Jon Hackett

Not at all, you're free to express your own opinion. Thank you for the well wishes!

Is this 100% foolproof? For instance if you ask her name and it is lafawnduh or perhaps a unique spelling...etc...

No, if it's an obscure name you likely cannot do the effect... I can't say too much more without beginning to dive into the method, but I can say that everything is fully detailed in the ebook.

This is a very useful thread, thanks everyone. I had just checked an email account I don't check very often and got a message about Destiny. It sounded pretty good, but as its being supplied by eMagic I for some reason have a healthy skepticsm about the product, though I have never been too disappointed by any material I have purchased.

I think the price is ideal, and I like the fact that Michael has been available to respond to comments. It might be my next purchase, even though I am beginning to stay way from card tricks (mentalist in training ) but I am curious about the method.

This thread has definitely pushed me closer to a possible purchase. Thank you!

Well thank you for your interest. This IS a mentalist card effect so it may be right up your alley!

A simple point re the fact that the card can't be given away: I regularly perform Female, in which the card cannot be given away, but still Female produces some of the biggest reactions I get. I move right on to my next routine and the fact that the card is not given to the spectator never comes up. Isn't it the reaction that counts? Why philosophize about what is and what is not "personalized"? The *fact* is that the reaction is very big, that's all. With a big reaction, it's duck soup to finesse the fact that you don't give the card away. Actually, all the finesse comes to is moving on to your next routine. If Destiny gets a good reaction, that's all that counts.
Alan

Thank you for making that point Sir!