I just want to add that I won't buy that effect. There are far to many negative postings here, and 20 bucks are 20 bucks....

Magixx

Alym, your review is exactly what I wanted to write, but was afraid to tip the method used in Cosmos.

I don't feel like I tipped the method...
I just wanted to address my issues with the marketing.

Thank you for the honest and thorough review guys. I was going to purchase this, but I'll hold off now.

Jaybs: I don't mean to discourage your purchase - I didn't say COSMOS was not good. It *will* fool laymen and play very strongly; the problem I had was with the marketing of the effect which I do believe was misleading.

Funny thing is, if he had been more open about the conditions in the first place I still would have bought it.

Don't discount this just because of some slips in advertising. It's still a good routine.

Dave, it is a good routine, but for table hoppers, it doesn't work all that well. The shuffles that are required need a lot of space and although he was upfront about needing a table, I don't like the restriction of not allowing my spectator to do a riffle shuffle because that is what most spectators do! The tabled mix is just not condusive to the restaurant.

For 20 bucks you can get most dvds used, or you can buy half a book. I don't think it is worth 20 dollars on its own (and by this I include the bonus effects).

Hi calexa . . .

The reason why you are not seeing any positive threads is because the positive thread about COSMOS has been deleted by the system administrator of the Café.

In the last 3 days there have been 4 threads about COSMOS that have magically been combined into this negative thread . . Hmmmmm?!

I'm sure you've noticed all of the threads being shuffled around, why is that?

Why would the Café lock out a thread that now has 50,003 VIEWS? Hmmmmm?

Alym,

I put TWO version of COSMOS on the video, just for YOU. You've already said you like the "Gimmicked" version, why don't you try to use it. I think you'll discover it's a great trick.

ALL of my conditions satisfy ONE version of COSMOS. The first one in the video. I stand behind my conditions 100%. I'm certain ALL of my other customers who love COSMOS would also support me in this. I really don't appreciate people implying that in some way I've misled them, or lied to them, because I haven't.

If you are unhappy with or have some misunderstandings about COSMOS, you are welcome to PM me or send me an email . . . flaming ME publicly doesn't solve anything.

Greg Rostami

P.S. BTW . . . My life has turned into sitting in front of this computer answering an infinite stream of emails and defending my trick on the Café. I wonder how some of the other magic dealers do it . . . Do they (like me) just have NO life after they put out a trick?

Slips in ads are one thing. His ad, from what the people that have purchased the product say, is mis-leading. When I saw the ad I thought that it was for the product I would have been purchasing. I was impressed. I was ready to go. If I had've purchased it and found it was misleading I would have charged it back.

It wasn't a slip in advertising. It was a manipulation in advertising.

John

This is the WORST thing you wrote up to now in order to protect your product.

Blaming Magic Café staff when you are responsible for your fraudulent marketing hype is VERY LOW.

You know as me that the first reviews were not good. Actually the first two reviews were from myself and from Roya. And they were bad. Or did you "forget" that ??

You are twisting the truth, blaming others and looking for excuses for YOUR faliure.

That's VERY LOW !! You are lucky if people are not asking a refund of their money.

Greg, I don't understand something; why don't you answer the very simple question you were asked a million times:
Is the demo video Cosmos? (The Original, that meets all your conditions)
If not, why do I need this video as a customer?

That's all I want to know. Will never ask for a refund, promise.

Roya,

The demo video is not a demo video of COSMOS. It is a promotional advertisement video that is labeled as EDITED . . . the labeling is VERY CLEAR . . . at the end of the video it says WARNING . . . YOU ARE WATCHING AN EDITED VIDEO.

So Roya, the answer to your question is already in the advertisement video, right after the BIG RED WARNING sign. You are NOT watching the performance of COSMOS . . . you are watching an EDITED performance of COSMOS.

Since you already know how COSMOS is done can't you see the ORIGINAL version (read meets conditions 100%) of COSMOS being edited to show that ad video?

Greg Rostami

I did like the gimmicked version, but I was buying COSMOS because the advertisements led me to believe that this was a method far beyond what has already been done before. They led me to believe that the effect could be performed impromptu with an ungimmicked deck, and that Greg, is what I spent my money on; not the version I received.

The ungimmicked version does NOT satisfy all the conditions (see my above post). It does if you take the ambiguity of the way the conditions are phrased, but does not do so otherwise. I do not feel as though I have flamed you publicly, I have, however, given an honest review of what I felt was misleading. In the end I have said that it is a strong trick that will play fairly well for laymen but have repeatedly said that my problems are with the conditions and the way they are misleading.

Regarding the public "flaming", you either want honest reviews or you don't. You simply can't have it with "conditions". .

From what I've read, the majority seem to feel deceived by the video demo. If Penguin of all companies was able to provide an honest/quality demo of "Blizzard", which I consider one of THE best effects out there, without exposing that critical "moment", then I imagine others can as well.

Dave

Joggins,

I don't think there is anything wrong with someone posting a review that details why they like or don't like Cosmos. As far as "exposing" the method: I used to be Chief of Staff for The Magic Café, and I helped set a lot of the policies here. Regarding exposure, there is a very simple rule of thumb: If someone who DOES NOT ALREADY KNOW how to do this EFFECT can understand how by reading the post, that is exposure. If not, it isn't. I don't think anyone who doesn't already understand how OOTW works would be able to put it together by any of the posts in this topic.

Greg, I can guarantee you that the staff is not out to get you. You're to the point where you seem to be saying there is some kind of conspiracy theory going on. First, this topic was never deleted. It was moved so that the staff could delete some posts that were flaming you and send a PM to the people doing so--they were doing that for YOU, Greg. It was moved again because it was in the wrong section--this is not a DVD or video tape, it is a download. Ergo, it belongs in the download section. No malice, no desire to hurt anyone. Just doing what the rules and standards of these forums require.

I do think that several people are on the verge of flaming Greg, and I'd like to see that stop. If you have already made your point, you don't need to keep making it, and calling Greg's character into question is not helping anyone.

For the record (again): My take on Cosmos is that it is a good handling. Not the best, but certainly not the worst. He did a good job of performing and teaching it, and if you do not already have a version with which you are happy, this might be a good choice for you.

For people still considering it and are confused as which conclusion to come to, I'll try to make an attempt to summarize so far --

The trick itself is good and is of great value. You will use it and fool a lot of laymen with it. I think Greg put a lot of work into his product and he should be proud of it.

The marketing of the trick, however, is the point of contention in this thread (ie the conditions, 1 or 2 spectators). A lot of people feel manipulated, or misled. I, myself, felt a little misled about the # of spectators, as this topic was kept very ambiguous throughout the description of the effect and conditions.

BUT, this thread is for the review of the trick itself, and I feel that the product you are getting is worth the $20, as long as you don't have any problems with the distribution format and you're not really expecting to get the final word in color separation.

After watching the video, I am very pleased personally...I know nothing of "Out of this World", so in effect this is new to me...I love the trick, and cant wait to put it in motion.

Though some aspects of his advertising MAY APPEAR to be misleading, at the end of the day I am joyful to behold this secret.

Baba

Hi Scott,

Thank you for coming to my rescue . . . You're my HERO.

thank you,
Greg Rostami

Guys, give the guy a break! His thread in the secret sessions was called 'Need Help Marketing Out of this Cosmos', meaning he needed help obviously. He is new to this and didn't have to release it, it is another trick to which some people liked and some didn't, I agree with everything GKurtz has said on page 3. Greg put this method out knowing it would work for him and not for others, same with every trick. don't give him so much unnecessary hassle. You have made your point now leave it at that, this trick obviously doesn't work for you and that's fine, but don't damage it for those people who are still interested as it might just be the trick that makes their reputation. Greg, I think you have done a great job. I have seen good things said. I say the more people that don't like it the better, because then there will be only a few people performing this little miracle

Wrong! He may have needed help with marketing. But if I am purchasing a trick and I watch a video I TRUST that I am going to be able to perform the trick EXACTLY that way (providing I am competent). I don't go for the stuff about the video being edited etc. Maybe it was but it shouldn't have been if it was edited in a way that changes the sequence of events and alters the way in which the trick is performed or is actually a video of the BONUS trick. I am not buying the BONUS trick.

I have read from a few separete posts that the video is not the trick proper but a bonus version of the trick.

John