Product description : A clipboard which will allow you to secretly get the information a spectator wrote down. It could be a drawing, word or number (even if I wouldn't do it with words and numbers due to the nature of the peek). This routine is designed to be performed on stage rather than in a close up setting. So, is it worth the price asked and is the peek good ? Let's find out !
Price and where to buy it : This is sold at $45 and you can find it in nearly every Murphys Magic partner shop.
What you get : You get a very nice carboard box with inside : the DVD, it is fairly well shot and you get to learn what you have to learn. Nothing exciting about it, just a good DVD. You get the clipboard, it is very well made and with proper care, it will last a long time. I can't say it is gimmicked but it is made in such a way you can achieve the peek very easily. The gimmick provided help selling the whole thing and makes it more believable. You also get a papercraft envelope so you can put the clipboard inside for the routine. The whole thing smells quality and you feel they put time and efforts into it.
The pros and the cons : Here is the core of my review, let's begin with the cons, as I will usually be doing, I prefer to keep the good things for the end.
THE CONS :
I wouldn't do this surrounded, I know when you're on stage, it's not often you will be surrounded. But I'm thinking about adapting this for close up since the clipboard isn't that big but you will have to block some of yours angles.
I wouldn't peek words or numbers since it's easier to peek drawings. But with small words or numbers, it wouldn't be such a problem.
THE PROS :
It's a very affordable trick ! And when you see the quality of the whole thing, it's a very fair price when you think about it.
You can build a big routine around this item and the peek of something. You will have to think about how you will introduce it but I think that, with a little bit of imagination, you could build a 5 to 10 minutes show about it. For $45, I think it's a steal.
The psychology behind the peek is genius ! It's like being a step ahead and when you got the peek, you can delay the moment you will reveal their thought. And you will have to build the way you will reveal it, think about paperboard, colours.. There are many ways you can do it and it will be very important because it will sell the fact you can actually read minds !
The envelope isn't gimmicked and I think it's the first at which will look at and the fact is ungimmicked sells everything.
Overall rating : I won't be performing this since I don't do stage magic and I think there are better ways to achieve a peek in close up. However, this will stay in my case in case I do stage magic in my life. 3/4 hearts.
As for the difficulty level, just be confident with the gimmicks and you should be fine, no real manipulations needed, 2/5 stars.
Similar products : There are many ways achieving a peek but this one is very good on stage because people in the room can all see what is written or drawn down