Well, we’ve survived another Black Friday week. My thoughts about the shopping extravaganza haven’t changed since last year’s post. Once autumn arrives, it’s best to hold off purchasing any magic items as some are offering great discounts or free stuff.
Two items caught my attention; although I didn’t purchase either as I’m in the process of downsizing some of my collection. Both were released by Vanishing Inc.
- Notion of Motion Angelo Carbone: Over the years, Carbone has released several very clever items. All look very magical and all have performance considerations. Notion of Motion is no exception. I appreciate the FAQ that VI includes on the webpage: It’s important to note that all of the variations require decent eyesight. As a reference point, if you can read the markings on a marked deck, your eyesight should be good enough to perform this. This rules me out as my vision is not good enough for most markings as I’m on the slow march towards cataract surgery. Maybe after that? We’ll see. (Pun intended). However, the reviews are extremely positive and it looks great.
- Mortenn’s Jumbo Card Trick – Mortenn Christiansen: Christiansen is a FISM winner and extremely clever. The effect is straightforward and very clean. It’s a “packs flat, plays big” effect. Again, the reviews are extremely positive. During the Black Friday sale, it was $29.95 – a good price. However post-sale, it just to $39.95. Maybe I’m wrong but that seems high for two playing cards. I hope that most purchasers don’t mimic Mortenn’s presentation as it fits his style and others will come off looking like a jerk.
Speaking of Vanishing Inc., they’re offering a livestream of their London based convention, the Session. It will be interesting to see if it pays off and they try it with the MagiFest. One thing that will be lost is the chance to meet people who may become lifelong friends as well as those moments that a livestream misses. It’s one of the reasons I will never attend a Magic and Meaning conference again. Sitting in front of a computer screen is not the same experience.
One final reflection is that I was amazed of the number of sale emails I received from people pitching products that I had forgotten that I was on their list. It was a great opportunity to unsubscribe.
