What is this buffoonery?
It's a ‘NOT-so-Tenyo Tuesday!’ to round out the last several weeks of ghost-ish/invisible theme to celebrate the release of Theory11’s ‘Invisible Card’. I’ve dug deep and I’ve reviewed pretty much the gambit of Tenyo supernatural tricks (save for ‘Ghost Puzzle’, ‘Crystal Pyramid’ and soon to be released ‘Ghost Camera’).
So this week, we are reviewing a trick that comes from Milton Bradley’s: Magic Works line. Need an explanation? Here it goes: At one point, Milton Bradley had the legal go-ahead to release several Tenyo under the Milton Bradley name. Some of them had different names, different color schemes, some had actual prop redesign. Some of them were Milton Bradley original tricks that could pass off as Tenyo. Really. There wasn’t a dud in the bunch. And today's ‘NOT-so-Tenyo Tuesday!’ is a trick that wasn’t made by Tenyo, but rather one of the Milton Bradley originals. Because it had Ghost in the name.
GHOST DECK
Inventor: Mark Setteducati
Year: 1995
Cost: $9-$30
Type of Effect: 1st effect: Prediction Effect #2: Prediction
Skill Level: Beginner
CONTENTS:
- 1 plastic holder with a transparent window
- 8 modified cards
EFFECT #1: You, the magician, ask the audience to THINK of a card in a standard 52 card deck. You then present 8 cards that have a smattering of card numbers and suits on them. You, the magician, ask the audience (one card at a time) if their chosen card appears on each card. After going through all 8 of the modified cards, you are then able to predict their chosen card!
EFFECT #2: This is a prediction effect, but I won’t write it up because I believe it’ll give away the gimmick. The way it’s written, it has this tone of, ‘Well, since you know how it works for the first effect; YOLO! Here’s how to use the gimmick again!’
REVIEW:
Magic Works was my very first exposure of magic when I was younger. ‘Crystal Cleaver’ was the VERY FIRST trick I ever received and it got me through the door into the magic world. The gimmick for ‘Crystal Cleaver’ was so incredible and so genius, that every trick that preceded after it; well, pretty much sucked. I ended up burning out rather quickly.
I have this ‘love/hate’ relationship with ‘Crystal Cleaver’. I just can’t quit you!
So when my kids got into magic, the first thing I started researching was the entirety of the Magic Works line. I ended up finding ‘Ghost Card’ on Ebay, but the guy had it to where everything was visible. I did a little figuring out and went into this obsessive ‘gimmick-hunt’ for the next…I think 4 days that the auction had left. So yes, I put myself ‘on the clock’ to figure out ‘Ghost Deck’. I wish. I REALLY WISH, I still had the In-N-Out Burger lapmat from those 4 days of obsessive research. It seriously looked like the scrawling of a madman. Pictures, numbers, arrows, diagrams, routine work, scripting; EVERYWHERE.
I did mention I was institutionalized at one point, right?
I did figure out the gimmick on my own (proud moment for me) AND wound up winning the auction for it on Ebay for a whopping $9. Usually is goes for $20, but that’s because it comes with the box. Ooooooh, the almighty box that you’ll probably throw away anyway!
Not like there’s a market for it anyway. Except for maybe that crazy magic art box collector in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
So yes, inadvertent exposure led me to willingly purchase a trick. You can call me weird, you can call it a stroke of luck. Once I knew what I was working with, I KNEW I would be using it for a long time.
Let’s find out what we’re working with, shall we?
You get: Instructions (because without them, you’d be scrawling notes like a madman too!), 1 plastic holder for these modified cards (for the record, each card and the holder is about as long as a hot dog. Not sure if other countries use a different food for measurement. But in AMERICA, we use hot dog lengths), and the aforementioned 8 modified cards. Each of these cards has 52 spaces, representing a standard 52 card deck. Each row is 13 spaces for ace through king. And you have 4 columns, representing the 4 suits. It’s about as organized as you can possibly get with it.
But here’s the thing, each of the 8 cards has SOME of the 52 spaces with their number/letter and their corresponding suit filled in. Other spaces are left blank. And each slide is different, but necessary.
So if you happen to lose a ‘Ghost Deck’ card, have fun finding another one on Ebay!
Let’s get down to business: Is it durable?
It was made in the early/mid 90’s. So it’s OLD. In fact, it’s old enough to drink, smoke, and gamble. But not old enough to get a rental car. Sorry, ‘Ghost Deck’.
The slides I have look pretty good! No flaking. No discoloration. Mine was kept in great condition. AND the holder wasn’t cracked or split. That’s PRETTY GOOD considering mine didn’t come with a box and how old it is.
My daughter loved me performing it and wanted one of her own. So I ended up acquiring a second one through a Tenyo collector I knew; same thing! No discoloration, no bends or splits. It’s a bit tough to tell if I managed to find a couple of collectors who really kept them in good condition, And/or 'Ghost Deck' is able to stand the test of time.
Durability: You have to REALLY wing on the cards to permanently damage them. Not that I’ve ACTIVELY tried, but you can feel it. I’m convinced that you could spill some coffee or ‘Daddy’s special drink’ on them and the cards will make it out just fine with no damage at all. I think the actual printed part of the ‘random card smattering’ is encased INSIDE the plastic. SMART! Which explains why NONE of the print on the cards show any wear or tear. GREAT DESIGN! I believe that, if anything, the card case…sleeve…thing, would be the first thing to show wear or cracks or splits. And it’s an oddly shaped thing as well.
Unless you NEED the transparent window for your performance, you could make something out of cardboard or cloth. Or buy a second copy and just have more ‘Ghost Deck’ than you really need. Good luck keeping both card sets separate from each other because they'd be a DOOZY to separate again.
How’s the gimmick? Is it inspectable? Presentation. How does one make presentation?
Too many questions, chuck-wagon!
The gimmick is GENIUS. Enough to make you worry about the creators sanity. However, the gimmick is the MOST fragile part of the trick. And that’s a problem because the audience may want to inspect the cards. You don’t want that. I even use the card holder in the performance (HIGHLY recommended that you do so. Keeps the audience off your tail). I even use a deck of cards and have the audience ‘commit’ to a card instead of trying to screw with me and 'imagine' another imaginary card at the last minute.
I’m paranoid and have trust issues with strangers, so what?
Inspectability? I have tried several variations. Honestly, don’t give them anything to inspect, just put everything away and go right into the next routine. If you present it right, they won’t know how you did it, but give them a closer look at it and they’ll come up with assumptions.
The biggest problem I have had is going over all 8 cards individually. This process gets B-O-R-I-N-G fast! It’s like a magic Rorschach test. So when you are thinking of how to make a routine with it, you have to make EACH slide presentation fun and interesting. Otherwise it turns into: ‘is your card on my card?’, ‘Is your card here?’, ‘How about here?’, ‘How about there?’
It can get kind of sucky.
To be upfront and honest about it. I’ve only been called out once, and it was my first time doing it. It doesn’t help that my wife is unregistered MENSA material, but she deduced the gimmick.
Since then, I did an overhaul on the presentation and haven’t been called out on it since. Again, presentation saves the day. But honestly, when is presentation NEVER important?
I have had several ‘assumptions’. Now, I don’t let them look at anything and go right into the next effect. It’s worked better since then.
The presentation I use, is that I WANT to be a ‘real magician’ (like Pinnochio!). And I’m practicing by learning the magician’s calling card: predicting a chosen card.
I tell them that the secret to predicting a card is a ‘complex algorithm’. I have 8 note cards that have the complete algorithm and I want to make sure I have my notes right so I can start studying it.
Then you go into it.
Can I recommend this?
Biased opinion aside, I would say, ‘yes’. It’s great for impromptu and a close-up for both young and old. It’s a fun one. I can guarantee that much. It’s my favorite of the Milton Bradley: Magic Works originals (2nd favorite being ‘The Invisible Hook’. It’s a Prayer Vase IN THE SHAPE OF A FISH!)
‘Ghost Deck’ is compact, but it’ll stick out of a regular pocket. So if you have a coat or a jacket, put it inside there. Or have it in the breast pocket where a handkerchief/pocket square would go, but have the black back end of the card holder showing. Literal pocket square. It’s basically a slightly larger packet trick.
The biggest problem is that it CAN be boring presenting each card individually and the cards aren’t inspectable. Adults would be more than obliged to kick you in the goonies for a boring presentation after card #3.
Call it strange, but I’ve performed this for family and friends of all ages and it hits rather hard. That’s pretty good considering that it was marketed as a TOY back in the early-mid 90’s. And I’m a rookie at the whole ‘magic thing’ (with a bit of a writing and scripting background from 3 years of open-mic stand-up comedy). On a plus note, you certainly would be performing something that no one has really seen before. However, it is a bit of a bugger to find, but I’ve never seen it go for a lot--even ones that were new-in-box. I just think that no one really knows what it does.
Fortunately, NOW YOU DO!
It's a ‘NOT-so-Tenyo Tuesday!’ to round out the last several weeks of ghost-ish/invisible theme to celebrate the release of Theory11’s ‘Invisible Card’. I’ve dug deep and I’ve reviewed pretty much the gambit of Tenyo supernatural tricks (save for ‘Ghost Puzzle’, ‘Crystal Pyramid’ and soon to be released ‘Ghost Camera’).
So this week, we are reviewing a trick that comes from Milton Bradley’s: Magic Works line. Need an explanation? Here it goes: At one point, Milton Bradley had the legal go-ahead to release several Tenyo under the Milton Bradley name. Some of them had different names, different color schemes, some had actual prop redesign. Some of them were Milton Bradley original tricks that could pass off as Tenyo. Really. There wasn’t a dud in the bunch. And today's ‘NOT-so-Tenyo Tuesday!’ is a trick that wasn’t made by Tenyo, but rather one of the Milton Bradley originals. Because it had Ghost in the name.
GHOST DECK
Inventor: Mark Setteducati
Year: 1995
Cost: $9-$30
Type of Effect: 1st effect: Prediction Effect #2: Prediction
Skill Level: Beginner
CONTENTS:
- 1 plastic holder with a transparent window
- 8 modified cards
EFFECT #1: You, the magician, ask the audience to THINK of a card in a standard 52 card deck. You then present 8 cards that have a smattering of card numbers and suits on them. You, the magician, ask the audience (one card at a time) if their chosen card appears on each card. After going through all 8 of the modified cards, you are then able to predict their chosen card!
EFFECT #2: This is a prediction effect, but I won’t write it up because I believe it’ll give away the gimmick. The way it’s written, it has this tone of, ‘Well, since you know how it works for the first effect; YOLO! Here’s how to use the gimmick again!’
REVIEW:
Magic Works was my very first exposure of magic when I was younger. ‘Crystal Cleaver’ was the VERY FIRST trick I ever received and it got me through the door into the magic world. The gimmick for ‘Crystal Cleaver’ was so incredible and so genius, that every trick that preceded after it; well, pretty much sucked. I ended up burning out rather quickly.
I have this ‘love/hate’ relationship with ‘Crystal Cleaver’. I just can’t quit you!
So when my kids got into magic, the first thing I started researching was the entirety of the Magic Works line. I ended up finding ‘Ghost Card’ on Ebay, but the guy had it to where everything was visible. I did a little figuring out and went into this obsessive ‘gimmick-hunt’ for the next…I think 4 days that the auction had left. So yes, I put myself ‘on the clock’ to figure out ‘Ghost Deck’. I wish. I REALLY WISH, I still had the In-N-Out Burger lapmat from those 4 days of obsessive research. It seriously looked like the scrawling of a madman. Pictures, numbers, arrows, diagrams, routine work, scripting; EVERYWHERE.
I did mention I was institutionalized at one point, right?
I did figure out the gimmick on my own (proud moment for me) AND wound up winning the auction for it on Ebay for a whopping $9. Usually is goes for $20, but that’s because it comes with the box. Ooooooh, the almighty box that you’ll probably throw away anyway!
Not like there’s a market for it anyway. Except for maybe that crazy magic art box collector in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
So yes, inadvertent exposure led me to willingly purchase a trick. You can call me weird, you can call it a stroke of luck. Once I knew what I was working with, I KNEW I would be using it for a long time.
Let’s find out what we’re working with, shall we?
You get: Instructions (because without them, you’d be scrawling notes like a madman too!), 1 plastic holder for these modified cards (for the record, each card and the holder is about as long as a hot dog. Not sure if other countries use a different food for measurement. But in AMERICA, we use hot dog lengths), and the aforementioned 8 modified cards. Each of these cards has 52 spaces, representing a standard 52 card deck. Each row is 13 spaces for ace through king. And you have 4 columns, representing the 4 suits. It’s about as organized as you can possibly get with it.
But here’s the thing, each of the 8 cards has SOME of the 52 spaces with their number/letter and their corresponding suit filled in. Other spaces are left blank. And each slide is different, but necessary.
So if you happen to lose a ‘Ghost Deck’ card, have fun finding another one on Ebay!
Let’s get down to business: Is it durable?
It was made in the early/mid 90’s. So it’s OLD. In fact, it’s old enough to drink, smoke, and gamble. But not old enough to get a rental car. Sorry, ‘Ghost Deck’.
The slides I have look pretty good! No flaking. No discoloration. Mine was kept in great condition. AND the holder wasn’t cracked or split. That’s PRETTY GOOD considering mine didn’t come with a box and how old it is.
My daughter loved me performing it and wanted one of her own. So I ended up acquiring a second one through a Tenyo collector I knew; same thing! No discoloration, no bends or splits. It’s a bit tough to tell if I managed to find a couple of collectors who really kept them in good condition, And/or 'Ghost Deck' is able to stand the test of time.
Durability: You have to REALLY wing on the cards to permanently damage them. Not that I’ve ACTIVELY tried, but you can feel it. I’m convinced that you could spill some coffee or ‘Daddy’s special drink’ on them and the cards will make it out just fine with no damage at all. I think the actual printed part of the ‘random card smattering’ is encased INSIDE the plastic. SMART! Which explains why NONE of the print on the cards show any wear or tear. GREAT DESIGN! I believe that, if anything, the card case…sleeve…thing, would be the first thing to show wear or cracks or splits. And it’s an oddly shaped thing as well.
Unless you NEED the transparent window for your performance, you could make something out of cardboard or cloth. Or buy a second copy and just have more ‘Ghost Deck’ than you really need. Good luck keeping both card sets separate from each other because they'd be a DOOZY to separate again.
How’s the gimmick? Is it inspectable? Presentation. How does one make presentation?
Too many questions, chuck-wagon!
The gimmick is GENIUS. Enough to make you worry about the creators sanity. However, the gimmick is the MOST fragile part of the trick. And that’s a problem because the audience may want to inspect the cards. You don’t want that. I even use the card holder in the performance (HIGHLY recommended that you do so. Keeps the audience off your tail). I even use a deck of cards and have the audience ‘commit’ to a card instead of trying to screw with me and 'imagine' another imaginary card at the last minute.
I’m paranoid and have trust issues with strangers, so what?
Inspectability? I have tried several variations. Honestly, don’t give them anything to inspect, just put everything away and go right into the next routine. If you present it right, they won’t know how you did it, but give them a closer look at it and they’ll come up with assumptions.
The biggest problem I have had is going over all 8 cards individually. This process gets B-O-R-I-N-G fast! It’s like a magic Rorschach test. So when you are thinking of how to make a routine with it, you have to make EACH slide presentation fun and interesting. Otherwise it turns into: ‘is your card on my card?’, ‘Is your card here?’, ‘How about here?’, ‘How about there?’
It can get kind of sucky.
To be upfront and honest about it. I’ve only been called out once, and it was my first time doing it. It doesn’t help that my wife is unregistered MENSA material, but she deduced the gimmick.
Since then, I did an overhaul on the presentation and haven’t been called out on it since. Again, presentation saves the day. But honestly, when is presentation NEVER important?
I have had several ‘assumptions’. Now, I don’t let them look at anything and go right into the next effect. It’s worked better since then.
The presentation I use, is that I WANT to be a ‘real magician’ (like Pinnochio!). And I’m practicing by learning the magician’s calling card: predicting a chosen card.
I tell them that the secret to predicting a card is a ‘complex algorithm’. I have 8 note cards that have the complete algorithm and I want to make sure I have my notes right so I can start studying it.
Then you go into it.
Can I recommend this?
Biased opinion aside, I would say, ‘yes’. It’s great for impromptu and a close-up for both young and old. It’s a fun one. I can guarantee that much. It’s my favorite of the Milton Bradley: Magic Works originals (2nd favorite being ‘The Invisible Hook’. It’s a Prayer Vase IN THE SHAPE OF A FISH!)
‘Ghost Deck’ is compact, but it’ll stick out of a regular pocket. So if you have a coat or a jacket, put it inside there. Or have it in the breast pocket where a handkerchief/pocket square would go, but have the black back end of the card holder showing. Literal pocket square. It’s basically a slightly larger packet trick.
The biggest problem is that it CAN be boring presenting each card individually and the cards aren’t inspectable. Adults would be more than obliged to kick you in the goonies for a boring presentation after card #3.
Call it strange, but I’ve performed this for family and friends of all ages and it hits rather hard. That’s pretty good considering that it was marketed as a TOY back in the early-mid 90’s. And I’m a rookie at the whole ‘magic thing’ (with a bit of a writing and scripting background from 3 years of open-mic stand-up comedy). On a plus note, you certainly would be performing something that no one has really seen before. However, it is a bit of a bugger to find, but I’ve never seen it go for a lot--even ones that were new-in-box. I just think that no one really knows what it does.
Fortunately, NOW YOU DO!
