Worst trick you've purchased

[francismcallister]

I'm curious to find out what were your worst magic purchases ?

I bought An effect called The Creeps by Ben Harris. You get a matchbox and a rubberband. Absolutelty worthless!!!!!

I'm embarrassed I bought it ....

 

[Stu-pendous]

I wouldn't really day I have bought any "bad" tricks. But in terms of money and usage, the M5 system was one that I bought brand new and literally never used.
It didn't suit my style of magic, but the visual nature of it hooked me in.
Ended up selling it for $30 years later.

 

[kennethcmerrill]

The Gecko. I imagine some people could use it to great effect, but I couldn't fathom how to make any of it believable at all.

 

[kolebear]

I hated Ben Harris's other effect, "The Enlightenment." It was on sale (50 percent off), but still 45 dollars.
I also hated this not very famous book you guys have never heard of called Royal Road to Card Magic... (Just Kidding! My favorite purchase of all time was RRTCM)

 

[francismcallister]

Keep it going guys!!

 

[Tower of Lunatic Meat]

I haven't had a 'worst' purchase...yet.

The least effective magic trick I have acquired was Tenyo Magic's 'Ghost Card'.

Keep in mind, 90% of my magic inventory is Tenyo.

It's a neat trick, don't get me wrong. But it travels POORLY, which relegates it to parlour. But the effect is only good for close up because of its size.


So it's not really good anywhere aside from collecting.

 

[Stu-pendous]

The Gecko. I imagine some people could use it to great effect, but I couldn't fathom how to make any of it believable at all.

I had the gecko as well what a silly thing on the plus side I still to this day use all those sticky dots for fun sticking googly eyes to things

 

[Toby Langdon]

Mine is probably SpelloChange. It's a clever idea but really only for tv or online, I just hate not ending clean and close up you can kinda of see the method.

Or Fan2C I like the idea and the method I just think I would prefer Royal Flash. I don't like not ending clean and it's not as visual as royal flash. But really clever idea and I like it for the internet just not something I would perform live. Yet.

But to end on a positive note my favourite trick is probably Stand Up Monte.

 

[David Brooke]

Hologram.
On camera and far away it looks great, but close up you can easily see how it's done.

 

[TylerScottIllusionist]

For me it's between Change by Lloyd Barnes, Stay Cool by Tobias Dostal, or Cut by Ran Pink. All of those effects have misleading advertising, do not work like how they were shown, and are astronomically overpriced for what you get.

 

[Timewise64]

As a kid, 11 to 13 years old, I had been practicing magic for a few months and my best friend had a big brother in high school that was a very good magician (buy my standards at the time). I talked my friend into 'selling' me a trick I saw his brother perform that "Amazed" me. He wanted $5 for the trick! The trick was sticking hat pins in a balloon without it popping...it was simply amazing! Back in the early 60's $5 was a ton of money....but in time I saved the money and gave him the money. When he told me how to do the trick, I was REALLY disappointed.....the gimmick was simple stupid! Yet, when doing kids shows, I still use this trick! Go Figure?

 

[ParkinT]

the gimmick was simple stupid!

A piece of clear tape on the spot where you insert the pin?

 

[Timewise64]

A piece of clear tape on the spot where you insert the pin?

Most of us purposely never give a trick away! Even if it is an old classic known to most...

 

[francismcallister]

Killer Red Caps is another horrible product... maybe in the right hands it can have potential however I sold this on eBay the same day I received it . Very disappointing!!!

 

[Nurul]

Twisted Queens by SansMinds, really my own fault for not reading on the reviews.

 

[ParkinT]

Most of us purposely never give a trick away! Even if it is an old classic known to most...

Duly noted. Forgive me; I am new here (and that is a very, very, VERY old 'secret' that most school children know).

I know this because I am very, very, VERY old.

 

[DominusDolorum]

MOVE by Marc Smith. I felt cheated out of my money when I downloaded that trick because the advertising points did not match up with the product. The trick is good because it's the haunted deck but I will never substitute my Loops or Tarantula for this method.

 

[francismcallister]

Another honourable mention would be the haunted deck .... before you hang me for treason hear me out.....

For camera it looks fantasic, as well with stage .... but I'm all about close up performances ...

And when I recieved it for the first time I looked at it and said to myself " no one will be fooled by this "

In the right hands this effect is amazing but I feel like it's just not practical......

 

[timsilva]

Another honourable mention would be the haunted deck .... before you hang me for treason hear me out.....

For camera it looks fantasic, as well with stage .... but I'm all about close up performances ...

Haven't heard that before... I have performed the haunted deck in close up situations hundreds of times. You just need to have the right combination of lighting and distance for any unique setting. People completely flip out or are left speechless, especially if you use the turn over effect called the "Shadow Reveal" which Justin Miller helped to popularize in the Loops project.

As far as worst purchases... I'll have to think ponder about that.

 

[francismcallister]

I just feel I was never in the right lighting situation.I remember first opening the deck and my first reaction was

" seriously.... no one will be fooled by this !" Just my honest reaction. Who the hell wants a deck of cards that's intertwined in T#}{\d !!! I was very disappointed. In the right hands sure it can be amazing... but the IT I received with the deck you could see from a mile away.....it was fishing line absolute garbage !