Video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wLqZWZXI90

Brybelly Elite playing cards are expressly designed For Players with Passion. With artisanal attention to fine detail, Brybelly Elites are printed on heavyweight, casino-quality card stock imported from Germany and made from real wood pulp, and are adorned with crisp, sharp custom card art updated to modern standards but inspired by vintage designs. The card backs feature our striking, serpentine Medusa designs, covered in scales and snaking, intertwined curves.

Deck of Elite Medusa Back Premium Poker Playing Cards
Quality plastic coated PREMIUM paper playing cards
Poker size, regular indexed
For Poker, Blackjack or any other casino games

Get yours from Amazon in 1 of 4 colors: https://amzn.com/B013J5496S

Video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwDoV5nNWFU

Designed by Jared Hansen and printed by the Expert Playing Card Company, the Architect deck is truly a sight to behold. The stunning tuck box is crafted from a heavy-duty deep blue matte paper that's adorned on all sides with intricately applied silver foil.

The cards themselves have the look of a blueprint, featuring a beautiful blue & white back design with fine line work. The faces are Expert Standard with a custom DaVinci-inspired Ace of Spades and identical drawing compass Jokers. The handling is superb thanks to Damask finish, which has a medium thickness and snap with an exquisite embossing pattern and texture.

Only 5,000 of these beautiful decks will be printed.

-Designed by Jared Hansen
-Printed by EPCC
-Limited Print Run of 5,000 Decks
-Damask Finish
-Detailed Blue & White Blueprint-Style Design
-Matte Blue Tuck with Silver Foil
-DaVinci-inspired Custom Ace of Spades
-Identical Drawing Compass Jokers

Buy yours here: http://www.penguinmagic.com/p/7292

Video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTBjHJT952g

Whenever Peter McKinnon and Daniel Madison work together, waves are made and a unique creative vessel is opened. The Kings deck is the ultimate representation of their joint creative forces.

Peter and Daniel spent a lot of time brainstorming, designing and creating their ideal deck of cards… Cards that would be fit for Kings.

Readily stacked in Mnemonica AND fully marked so that not only would the performer be able to identify every single card in the deck by the back alone, but also have the ability perform instant Mnemonica miracles. They added a double-backer and two unique and personalised jokers, and on top of that, they lost the ad-card and replaced it with an Angle Z Gaff card.

Everything you loved in the White Edition has been kept in this Limited Edition, with only 5,000 decks printed. Traditionally cut, Mnemonica Stacked and including the Angle Z Gaff Card, this is one of those rare occasions where the temptation to use the cards in a rare deck may just get the better of you.

video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fknbi6O9lXg

Buy yours here:
http://www.ellusionist.com/bumblebee-playing-cards.html

Cut, Stock & Finish: http://tinyurl.com/USPCCcutandfinish

How does this deck feel? http://magicorthodoxy.weebly.com/magic-reviews/card-thickness-how-will-these-cards-feel

#Beemageddon

10 Million Hives wiped out in the past 6 years...

You need to see Bees exactly the same as crops.

Bees are more necessary to growing food than tractors are. We are dependent on their ability to pollinate the food we need to eat.

video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F501KGKgSzM

Buy yours: http://www.ellusionist.com/the-keeper-deck.html

How does this deck feel? http://tinyurl.com/playingcardfeels

Cut, Stock & Finish: http://tinyurl.com/USPCCcutandfinish

Keepers are the lighthouse and saviour to your work with cards.

Conceived by Adam Wilber and brought ashore by Oban Jones, Keepers are possibly the rider-backs of the future.

A beautifully classic design that stays quiet while your magic does the talking.

Title: Dream Act
Creator: Shin Lim
Publisher: Murphy's Magic
MSRP: $ 200
Skill Level: Intermediate to advanced
DVD Run time: 2 hours and 43 minutes

Type of effect: Award winning magic routine

Manufacturer's Write Up:
 
In the 2015 FISM World Championships of Magic in Rimini Italy, Shin Lim was crowned the FISM World Champion of Close Up Card Magic. 2 weeks after Shin was featured on Pen & Tellers Fool Us, he immediately became a worldwide phenomenon, his YouTube video being viewed millions of times in just under a week. This was all because of his Dream Act.

The Dream Act is much more than a mere "trick". The Dream Act transcends the act of trying to fool a spectator, into becoming an artistic expression.

In this 3.5 hour long tutorial, Shin Lim reveals every aspect of the Dream Act. Not only does he teach every effect, method and action but goes much deeper by delving into the concepts of atmosphere, timing, theory, music, and movements in creating a silent synchronized (non-speaking) routine.

To date this is Shin Lim's most prized performance piece, a creation that took over six years to develop, and it can now be yours to learn.

Learn the Magic Behind the Magic...
This product is limited and will never be reprinted due to keeping this routine exclusive to only a few magicians.

How accurate is the ad copy?
 
It can be performed live. The version sold is basically the Fool Us version with a couple upgrades, which aren't very useful in a live performance, but he does give alternates. There are more gimmicks to be bought or made than I had anticipated. And I, for one, can imagine that some parts that could be learned and performed without doing the whole act.
 
If you have a reliable classic force, you can perform the routine much more easily than Shin teaches it, but you can never miss or you'll have a disaster on your hands.

It's definitely not a routine that you watch a couple times and then you can do it. There is a lot of content, and much of it is specific to the routine. Knowing its secrets, I actually like the routine better, now. There is even some misdirection in it that is specifically designed to mess with the heads of magicians.

What's in the box? All gimmicks are included (including: custom smoke gimmicks for card + smoke to mouth) Assembly is required. DVD has over 3.5 hours of in-depth teaching. Also included are the USB charger + 90mah automated battery + 1 atomizer strength (0mg) PLUS A BONUS: Download Video of "SSS" the 2015 Edition
 
How are the production values: I've owned a few Shin Lim products and this is hands down my favorite video and I wish more creators would make videos like this, there is so much I liked about this - from having a fellow creator give his comments has Shin Lin taught the routine, to ending with Shin Lim give director's commentary about his own "Fool Us" routine.
 
Is it well made: You get some quality products with this, however, I sort of wished you got just a little bit "more" for your money. I would have included an entire deck with box in this that consisted of half double facers and half blank cards (but that's just me)

Is it well taught: Very well taught, Shin goes over this over and over until you get it. He covers more bases than an aggressive short stop.  In fact, I loved this video so much because it really teaches how to craft a routine, not to mention how to incorporate effects together into a working cohesive story.
 
My thoughts (what I personally liked/disliked):  Now, I feel that this whole act is worthy of study of anyone who really wants to learn on how to build an act and put it together, learn some new moves and routining to add to your work, and in some cases, even people that want to take on the task of learning the act in its entirety, I feel that the asking price is right, since you are getting a lot of value for lots of advice.
 
Storage? Does it "pack flat?" Uh no, in fact to do this routine in it's entirety you need to be loaded for bear. You need to be strapped in. You need pretty much everything you saw Shin do in his act. The Dream Act is like a Darcy Oake dove act - hit after hit after hit.
 
Does it "play big?" This act plays so big Shin Lim won the close up category at FISM!
 
Difficulty / Skill level required: I'd say intermediate to advanced, but I wouldn't want to scare off any beginning magicians who love Shin Lim - I say, if you want to learn this - buy it.
 
How much arts and crafts are involved? There is more arts and crafts here than a week's worth of vacation bible school. (especially if you decide to build the SSS gimmick)
 
How practical is this in the real world? (can it really be done?) With tons of practice, the skill and panache of Shin Lim, a table, a close up mat, a few other things and the express written consent from the creator - then Yes... it can be done.

Overall score: let's toss out the traditional score of 1-10 and make this something that we all can appreciate and understand.
 
   X     Very Satisfied
_____ Somewhat Satisfied
_____ Neither Satisfied or Dissatisfied
_____ Somewhat Dissatisfied
_____ Very Dissatisfied
_____ No Opinion
 
This was a roller coast of emotion for me, before it came, I couldn't wait to see it. When I opened it, I was disappointed. When I watched the video all the way through I was in love. Thank you Shin Lim!
 
+ Hey do you want to see my full review with even more of my opinions and ideas? Visit this link for my video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMPLIVXTIpg

Title: Clign
Creator: Anthony Stan
Publisher: Magic Smile
MSRP: $ 19.95 / if you choose to build the gimmick it's $10
Skill Level: all
DVD Run time: 50 minutes

Type of effect: Color Change

Manufacturer's Write Up:

Learn how to do incredible card changes without touch! A card is inserted in the middle of the deck. Now, it's impossible to manipulate the cards.

You just put your hand in front of the card and it changes to the chosen card (as an example). You can give the card and the deck out for examination.

Clign is simple, visual and practical. Anthony teaches everything you need to know: including 7 effects, extra variations and ideas.

Clign allows you to achieve a lot of powerful effects:

Appearing card, vanishing card, color change, transposition, cigarette penetration, prediction change, trick with a borrowed smartphone, etc.
Easy to do
Visual, Simple, and Practical
Over 40 minutes of detailed instructions (English / Français)
7 powerful effects ( Print, Card to pocket, Under the cello, Photo, Cigarette through card, A-cross, Moving ink)
Variations and bonus ideas included
Endless possibilities

How accurate is the ad copy? Well, I don't know if the possibilities are truly endless, Anthony does seem to exhaust quite a few of what could be done with this. I also would not say this is "practical" - the trick involves a gaff which you need to set up and ditch, so it's actually very gnacky.

What's in the box? "gimmick" and download code to instructional video

How are the production values: The video had medium production values with multiple angles

Is it well made: You make it, but only through a small amount of arts n crafts.

Is it well taught: No, and the video takes a hit here for me, the teaching is all done with subtitles with absolutely no thought to patter or story - several of the effects were too difficult for me to figure out through pantomime. I had to go back and watch them again to figure out what was happening.

My favorite effects were the two card transposition and the jumping ink effect.

Storage? Does it "pack flat?" gimmick is a standard playing card thickness - it's very small and would easily store away in your tuck box with your cards.

Does it "play big?" It is a very unusual and original looking color change that I think will grab people's attention.

Difficulty / Skill level required: it's fairly simple after practicing it a few times.

How much arts and crafts are involved? very little

How practical is this in the real world? (can it really be done?) I still think it's too dirty to perform in a real world setting, the movement can even have an audible sound not to mention that your body gives away other "tells" as to what is happening. Great for video or television though.

Overall score: let's toss out the traditional score of 1-10 and make this something that we all can appreciate and understand.

_____Very Satisfied
_____ Somewhat Satisfied
X Neither Satisfied or Dissatisfied
_____ Somewhat Dissatisfied
_____ Very Dissatisfied
_____ No Opinion

In the end, you should watch the trailer a few times and listen to other reviews, decide for yourself if you think this is a worthwhile color change for your routining,

+ Hey do you want to see my full review with even more of my opinions and ideas? Visit this link for my video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry42GijM2h0

Video deck review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_p7ObSFUYY

MANTECORE PLAYING CARDS - INSPIRED BY A CLASSIC, DESIGNED FOR THE MODERN GENERATION

Magicians, cardists or poker players-Mantecore Playing Cards will suit your needs. Mantecore sports an original and striking tiger inspired back design with custom aces, pips and court cards.
These cards will also last longer than your average deck as they are printed by the good people at the Legends Playing Cards Company.

Mantecore was named as a tribute to magicians Siegfried and Roy's famous tiger. The tiger was chosen as the main theme for the deck because of my love of these majestic beasts.

* I give away free cards & magic on my channel every month

video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzpHc9czjUM

Buy yours: http://www.penguinmagic.com/p/2951

+click to enlarge

A NEW versatile method that requires no sleights using a simple and incredibly powerful routine that leaves audiences astounded at the miracle they just witnessed.

Poker Test 2.0 brings new life and possibilities to the original Poker Test trick by using a NEW and versatile method that allows you to fully customize your routines without limitations.

This new and versatile gimmick allows for ANY cards to be the “prestige” cards. You can choose a different poker hand, use it for a multiple card revelation, or to produce a four of a kind. The choice is YOURS

nobody goes to the contest thread - so I am posting this here (sorry admins) I am giving away a free deck of Mantecore cards in this month contest https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Kdk4uhOgSc

Title: REM
Creator: Dave Forrest
Publisher: Full 52
MSRP: $ 30
Skill Level: All
DVD Run time: 1 hour 23 minutes

Type of effect: Photographic prediction effect

Manufacturer's Write Up:
 
7 years ago, Dave created an effect called 'The Man Who Paints The Future' and released it to the magic community on my 'Radio Rental' DVD.

This parlor mentalism piece found favor among magicians and mentalists worldwide who added it to their professional performances.

Dave has used it in two major magic competitions and closed his parlour act with it during his engagement at the world famous 'Magic Castle' in Hollywood.

In the 7 years since it was released to the magic community, Dave has been developing a close-up version. His aim was to provide the same 'stun factor' as the original while making the whole effect portable, practical and easier to perform. Given that 'The Man Who Paints The Future' utilizes SEVEN multi-colored decks and an actual painting on a large canvas, this was no easy task.

Never-the-less, he got there in the end and is delighted to finally be able to present: 'REM'. 'REM' will allow you to have anyone describe, with unfailing accuracy, the details of the performer's recurring dream. Your participant, using free will and their own imagination, will conjure an image in their mind, deciding for themselves on the pertinent details of your dream.

Without switches or multiple outs of any kind, they will remove a single, un-gimmicked photograph from an envelope that has been in full view throughout and find that it depicts EVERY part of the dream EXACTLY as they imagined it!

And then comes the final kicker...

A spectacularly memorable revelation of a card the participant is merely THINKING of in their mind. Having told NO ONE the name of that card - it only exists IN THEIR MIND - you will prove that, somehow, your dream actually centered around that very card!

This effect has literally been years in development. It is accomplished via layered, time-tested methods, woven together to produce the most direct effect possible while trading off as little of the magic that made it's large scale predecessor so memorable.

'REM' is very easy to perform, requiring only basic card handling skills. It is completely customizable and includes all the required digital artwork in a variety of sizes. And, there are several different ways to handle the final revelation so different artwork is provided for each scenario.

'REM' is a killer! Multitudinous revelations, all merely imagined by your participant, followed by a knock-out finale that will leave them utterly speechless.

How accurate is the ad copy? no deception

What's in the box? DVD with instructions and printable pdfs

How are the production values: The DVD appears like he filmed it himself, steady cam in the living room, and one over the head shot for the explanation. There are a few live performances but they appear to be in a controlled environment with no microphones.
 
Is it well made: only a DVD is included, you will have to make all your props using the downloadable PDF files

Is it well taught: The trick at the beginning takes 9 minutes and 21 seconds to run through (seemed kind of long to me). This trick was originally inspired by a stage trick "The Man Who Paints the Future" (from Radio Rental) which is also based on another effect - "Photo Future" by Jay Sankey
 
My thoughts (what I personally liked/disliked): Watching David do the trick I was able to see what he was doing through every step, not because he was a poor performer, but because each phase is based on a series of forces & each of the forces are well known in the magic community. Then I could argue that you could perform any "force" you like best - you just have to arrive at the same finale.
 
Storage? Does it "pack flat?" most of it is mentalism, but you will need a deck of cards and the paper products seen in the video (nothing else)
 
Does it "play big?" I guess it could have a stronger punch if perhaps there was less hoops to jump through and the routine was a little shorter.
 
Difficulty / Skill level required: this is a very simple effect, if you follow the routine correctly it will require very little skill other than a few card controls.
 
How much arts and crafts are involved? you will need to make several items, but most of it requires writing and printing
 
How practical is this in the real world? (can it really be done?) It's a practical effect, but it's just long and I would wonder if your spectator wouldn't get lost in the entire thing (remember David's performance is over nine minutes long) .... you're putting a lot on your spectator to remember, and so you are constantly reminding them of their decisions (constantly recapping the effect back them).

Overall score: let's toss out the traditional score of 1-10 and make this something that we all can appreciate and understand.
 
_____ Very Satisfied
_____ Somewhat Satisfied
_____ Neither Satisfied or Dissatisfied
_____ Somewhat Dissatisfied
    X    Very Dissatisfied
_____ No Opinion
 
The trick is too long for me, and the DVD was too long as well (ha ha). The entire presentation felt like a series of hoops I was making my spectator jump trough.
 
+ Hey do you want to see my full review with even more of my opinions and ideas? Visit this link for my video review:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9C-MAR4nro

video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aW2YwUsAS8

Purchase yours: http://www.penguinmagic.com/p/7116

Westminster playing cards are the ultimate collaboration between England and the US. Designed by Phill Smith (creator of Stegosaurus and the DMC Black/Gold Marked deck), the Westminster deck is inspired by the gothic architecture of Westminster Abbey and offers a timeless look combined with a premium feel.

Printed by USPCC on high-end Bicycle stock with top-of-the-line finish, traditionally cut, and with metallic green ink on the back design, these cards are just as amazing to handle as they are to look at. The deck features a custom Ace of Spades, custom gargoyle jokers with a built-in reveal effect, as well as a duplicate 2H and a versatile gaff card.

Classic enough for any poker table or magic routine, yet beautiful enough for cardistry with its intricate design and metallic backs, this is a deck that you will love to use!

-Limited 1st Edition
-Designed by Phill Smith
-Custom Back Design in Green Metallic Ink
-Custom Ace of Spades
-Custom Gargoyle Jokers with Reveal Effect
-High-Grade Bicycle Stock & Magic Finish, Printed by USPCC
-Traditionally Cut for Easy Shuffling
-Duplicate Card and Gaff Card Included

Giving away the prototype deck for SISTERHOOD OF THE BLOOD from 52 Ravens  - contest rules here: https://youtu.be/3VnXyG-cxb8