Agreed Christopher...too bad Gared won't release it!
Adam
It is a shame...i will say this again as i think it is an important thing to remember. Cards are signed primarily for one reason, to get rid of the thought of duplicates in a deck, because there is only one card which has their signature on, where they wrote it. If the effect is so clear, that only one card, and one card only is being used, and that there aren't duplicates etc, then there is no need for it to be signed. Like 'The signed card' by Bro John Hammann...there MUST be a signature for people to believe that the card which was on the table from the start, was their card.
In a torn and restored card, if you are so fair and open, like in Bits and pieces and Seamless, then there should be no reason for it to be signed...else you are just bringing in the factor that it could be switched if they don't sign it. Torn Asunder HAD to be signed. Why? A) Because it added fun due to the fact the card cost about $500,000 i think B) To show there were no duplicates of the card. However, Copperfields fingers always covered the restoration etc, so therefore it had to be signed to prove it was the same card. But if he was more open, there would be no need for it.
Ambitious card must be signed to eliminate the thought there could be more than one of the chosen card etc.
An effect like Triumph doesn't need to be signed, or even card under drink in my opinion. The fact is you are getting a card under a drink without beign seen, and it is the same as the selected card. If they believe the selection was free enough, and that it is the only one, then why should they think a duplicate could be involved.
A Cards to pocket, live Travlers should be signed, else they will always think duplicates are involved. I have always loved the Travelers plot, and due to my signing theory, i created a version which i believe is so clear and clean that there is no possibility of duplicates. Guy Hollingworth also has a lot of effects where cards DON'T need to be signed because the effect is so clear.
So, with Mathieus, there are two effects, a T & R, and a colour change. Because it is so clean and clear, there is no need to sign the card. Then the colour change becomes such a surprise, because they are so much in belief that there was only one card involved, that the card changing comes as such an amazing shock!
Lecture over...