SansMinds Archives - Bicycle Cards

SansMinds – Holely Change – review

Phil Sweeting — Sun, 25 Feb 2018 00:01:24 +0000

There’s something disarming about holes. And Holely Change is both disarming and visual and dramatic. I still don’t know whether SansMinds were being serious or tongue in cheek in their product description (“with the help of 2 mysteriously holed cards…”!) but either way, this is a nice release.

Perhaps the most annoying thing about this is its name. I repeatedly failed to find it on the site of one “well known dealer” since I was searching for Holey Change – which makes sense to me. It’s real name is to my mind wholly inappropriate! Now I’ve got that off my chest, let’s get on with the review.

The Effect

Holely Change is exactly the kind of effect I like – simple, direct and visual. A spectator chooses and signs a card from a Red backed deck. It is isolated between two blank cards with holes in them. As the card is pushed into the ‘sandwich’ the back of the signed card visually changes colour to blue. And the signed card can be examined. Neat!

What do you get?

You are supplied with some specially gimmicked cards and you will need to supply a matching bicycle deck (or more likely two since you will lose a signed card every time). Your gimmick matches the colour of the deck you are using. And you will need the card they will sign in a different colour. You also receive a short (14 minutes) instructional DVD.

What do we think?

I’ve not always been overly impressed by SansMinds releases in the past, but I have to say that Holely Change really appeals. The simplicity of the gimmick and the ease of the handling are both great strengths. The magic is very visual and re-set is very quick. There’s no craft work to do. There’s a lot to like here.

The teaching is very clear – and is no longer than it needs to be. There even feels to be less of the typical SansMinds bombast – which I was pleased to see.

Although you could achieve a similar effect with sleight of hand, I really like that the hole cards make the change appear to be visible. You may need to work a bit on ‘framing’ the routine so that the hole cards don’t seem too odd – but I think that could be done with a simple sentence or two focusing on the way they let you see the magic happen.

So Holely Change is a surprise hit and comes recommended.

It is available from MagicShop.co.uk either in red or in blue for £29.99 (at the time of writing).

Review copy kindly provided by Murphys Magic to whom dealer enquiries should be directed.

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Sans Minds Wallet – review

Phil Sweeting — Fri, 20 Oct 2017 14:18:29 +0000

Of the making of magic wallets there is no end, but what makes the SansMinds Wallet different is that they have boldly forsaken the traditional bi-fold style wallet design and gone for a more contemporary ‘street’ style. I should say at the outset that I am probably not the target market – since I am in my 40. That may colour my remarks.

The Innovation here is not in method but style. These smaller wallets rather than classic UK bifold are becoming much more popular. (I’ve been using a Trove as my every day wallet for a couple of years because I was fed up of the enormous bulge in my pocket with a conventional wallet).

What is it?

To start off with, it is worth saying there are two models. The 2-part ‘formal’ wallet, and the 1-part ‘street’ wallet. They are fairly similar to look at, but the ‘formal’ wallet (which we were sent to review) has a zippered ‘purse’ which slots into the main credit-card holder part. If I’m honest, I didn’t even notice that mine was the 2-part wallet until it was show on the DVD. I now realise that it can easily be visually distinguished by the excessively long strap on the zip of the ‘street’ wallet.

The wallet(s) is gimmicked to enable you to perform a no-palm card to wallet effect (or indeed, anything else you can introduce into the wallet – see below) – and also enables a few other moves/techniques. The formal wallet functions somewhat like a Mullica wallet.

The design is clearly motivated by a desire to be more contemporary. I have seen some wallets in this kind of style – though most people I know do still use a bi-fold. My wife is normally more ‘on trend’ than me and her opinion was that is looked ‘cheap’ – but you will draw your own conclusion on that. I was certainly disappointed that they didn’t utilise real-leather – since there are so many beautiful leather wallets being made today.

The routines

The wallet comes packed in a heavy card envelope in which there is also a teaching DVD (more about this below). It explains a number of different effects and techniques. The explanations are primarily geared at the ‘street’ version – but then include a brief explanation of any differences in handling if you are using the 2-piece wallet. I can see why they would do this to save time and money, but it does make the ‘formal’ wallet feel like a poor relation.

Card to wallet – A signed card to wallet routine is taught. The presentational premise – for me – was a bit cheesy – but you can easily adapt your own. But this is your bread and butter card to wallet routine. Given that the ‘technology’ for no palm card to wallets is pretty standard, you could easily adapt your existing C2W routine to work with this.

Mystery Card – this is essentially the same as the C2W routine – but you first demonstrate that a card is inside the wallet at the beginning of the routine. It becomes a different effect as the mystery card is shown to be the spectator’s chosen and signed card – which was chosen after the card was already shown to be in the wallet! I have always loved the mystery card plot and this is a nice and simple solution.

Card Steal – this is a nice two-card transpo effect. The spectator chooses and signs a card, which is zipped in your wallet for safe-keeping. They then choose another card from the deck – and in an instant the two cards change places – so the signed card is in your hands and the second card is zipped in the wallet. The main move in this can be used in many other routines. The move here is slightly trickier – but still pretty easy. [Strangely this item doesn’t appear on the DVD menu so I guess you can only view on play all]

Peek – you can use the wallet for a basic peek function for anything that will fit inside the wallet. I think it’s fair to say this isn’t really the primary function of the wallet – so although you can use it in this way, there are many more elegant solutions which have been specifically designed for this function. I definitely wouldn’t buy this primarily as a peak wallet. In some ways the two part wallet makes this function easier. But at the same time the whole procedure then feels a bit illogical. As ever, presentation is all.

Mind Read – this is simply an application of the peek – using blank cards and a straightforward mind-reading presentation.

ACAAN – I admit I was surprised to see this on the DVD menu. A red backed card is show in the wallet. Spectator shuffles the deck of cards and then says stop at any point as you deal through the deck. Then the wallet is opened and it is seen to be the very card stopped at. This is a lovely bit of lateral thinking which makes for a super easy and pretty clean looking version of this classic effect. I have a half-inkling that I’ve seen this kind of idea before – so I would have liked to see some crediting here.

Business Card Switch – a fun little idea where you look at their business card and then give it back to them to hold – at which point it switches places with your business card inside your wallet. I can’t work out what I think about this one. It could be a great way of getting your card into their hands and theirs into yours. But it almost feels like a non-effect. With the right presentation it could be more than just mildly confusing.

Object to wallet – of course you can get other things into the wallet This may or may not appeal to you. When I use a gimmicked wallet (or other prop) I quite like trying not to draw attention to the wallet itself. So I’m uncomfortable with using some of the more ‘impossible’ objects (like a sharpie too big for the wallet) since they seem to do just that.

Wallet Management – I couldn’t get this section to play – nor the final thoughts. But how much more is needed to say at this point?

Overall I was impressed with the teaching which was clear and thorough. All the necessary moves (forces controls, DL etc) are taught at a good pace and from helpful angles.

I was very pleased to see a DVD supplied instead of being bound to an internet connection like so many modern releases. However, (and this may just have been the disk I received) had problems reading the DVD on two different computers I tried. It was more successful on a blue ray player – but even that got stuck at some point. I hope this is a one-off – but it may be a function of the storage of the DVD in heavy card packaging which a bit tight with the wallet in there too and is perhaps more prone to scratch?

What did we think?

If you like the style or are keen on the size then this is well worth a look. It is well-made (though I would have liked to see real-leather) and should last well. I was pleased with the thought which had gone into the teaching DVD which gives the newcomer a good number of different effects to get going straight away. And if you’ve been performing this kind of magic for a while you will no doubt already have many other ideas for how to use it. Definitely one of the better SansMinds releases.

The SansMinds Wallet is available in the 2 piece style for £65.99 or in the 1 piece street style for £49.50 direct from MagicShop.co.uk.

Review copy kindly provided by Murphys Magic to whom dealer enquiries should be directed.

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Sans Minds – Tunnel – review

Phil Sweeting — Tue, 05 Sep 2017 23:01:35 +0000

Rarely do I review a product about which I know nothing, but all the hype that normally seems to accompany a new release seems to have passed me by on this occasion. Given that Tunnel is a Sans Minds release that may be just as well, since as you may have noticed, I have rarely been impressed by their earlier releases. But as a reviewer you always try to keep an open mind – and as it turned out, Tunnel was a pleasant surprise. Let’s get into the review.

The effect

If you, like me, have missed the hype, the effect is simple to describe. Two spectators each sign a different value banknote. These are then placed in a double ended envelope (which has been shown empty) with the ends of the note sticking out and clearly visible. The spectators both take hold of a note – but in a flash they visually swap places.

This is a strong effect, since it happens in their hands with signed notes.

What do you get

Tunnel comes with an instructional DVD (which runs to about 45 minutes) and the necessary materials to make your envelope. Uh oh, I hear you say, another Sans Minds DIY project? It is true, you do need to assemble the gimmick yourself. But they provide all the materials, apart from some ‘tools’ (Scissors!) and the adhesive. It sounds a little bit like they have shares in 3M since they continually promote their adhesive!

The construction is extremely straightforward. I’m no craft ninja, but this is well within my capabilities. The explanation took about 14 minutes – but I’d be surprised if it took you half of that time to actually make it.

After a mercifully brief introduction, a live performance and a talk through the basic method, there are very detailed instructions for making the gimmick and performing the effect. I was impressed by the amount of detail they went into on performance – but could have done without the annoying background music which was on loop.

What do we think?

For me the great strength of this effect is its simplicity. The gimmick is very straightforward – there’s nothing really to go wrong – and it is easy to do. Like many of their releases it is very visual, and the reset is also very quick.

You could argue that it is an inherently odd process – why would you put a note in each end of an envelope? But all magic relies on such oddities, and in its defence the envelope is a disarmingly ‘ordinary’ gimmick. They also lose a point for using an incarnation of the hackneyed ‘no the clean hand’ gag in the performance.

The envelope is perhaps a trifle large – but if you are really bothered you could easily make a (slightly) smaller one. They also provide the materials to make a matching but ungimmicked envelope – but I personally think this is overkill. With even a modicum of performance skill and audience management everyone’s going to be looking at the notes. And in a funny way, the fact that they are signed is what sells it.

All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by this release, and would recommend you have a look at it if you perform street/walkaround magic.

Tunnel is available from MagicShop.co.uk for £27.99 (at the time of writing).

Review copy kindly provided by Murphys Magic to whom dealer enquiries should be directed.

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Trick of the Month – May 2016

admin — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 23:01:56 +0000

The first suggestion this month was the easiest recommendation we’ve had in a long time. Priceless, by Michel Huot and Richard Sanders, looks to be just about the perfect walkaround effect (though it would also play on stage on cabaret contexts too). In essence, any price named by your spectator can be found on a security tag and price tag attached to your jacket! It’s got interaction, humour and great magic. What more could you want? £42.99

Here’s a good looking deck from the folk at Theory 11. Designed in the US (and so a token hat tip to my extended visit here) the Citizen deck has a beautiful intricate design and comes in a fine embossed tuck case. We haven’t handled them in person but they look as if they would bring a bit of class to any performance and for the collectors you may be able to get hold of one of the wooden collectors boxes. £9.50. (If you are a collector or a serious magician, you may also like to take a look at the Royal Zen Playing Cards at £18.99)

I’ll be honest, I still usually vanish a ring in a handkerchief, but SansMinds seem to have produced a superb new way of vanishing a ring – in an innocent looking ring box. There is a clear logic to using a ring box – and it may be more reassuring for the spectator than your (snotty?!) handkerchief. This looks super. Now you just need to think about how you’re going to reproduce it! The Vanishing Ring box is currently reduced to £99.99. Well worth a look.

(By the way, if you don’t yet have a way of reproducing it, the Rolls Royce of the impossible location options is Dave Bonsall’s superb Ring Flight Revolution. You may also consider the excellent Departure Ring Flight.)

That’s all for now. We have some really exciting news about the future of this site which we hope to announce in the next few days…

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Pocket SansMinds Sharpie – review

Phil Sweeting — Mon, 22 Jun 2015 23:01:26 +0000

Last time I reviewed a SansMinds effect I complained about their over the top introductions which may work in the US but not in the UK. I need to apologise – I realise they are actually a Canadian company. But I still find their introductions over-hyped. And I can’t quite get over the fact that their name seems to mean ‘without minds’. Anyway, what about the Pocket SansMinds Sharpie?

I didn’t see the original Sharpie but it appears that this is literally a pocket-sized re-release of an earlier effect. Given the nature of the effects you can perform with this pen, it makes a lot of sense to have it in a portable size. They say it allows you “to perform impossible ink moving effects on the fly” – and to some extent that’s true. But to be honest I haven’t been that impressed with this.

First of all the effectiveness of the ‘moving’ part of the effects relies much on the surface you use and other variables like your skin type. In my experiments I rarely got as ‘clean’ an effect as on their videos (though they have a ‘tip’ for this – based on the fact that no one has ever seen moving ink and so it is entirely logical for there to be residue… really?!).

Secondly, I think that for many spectators the method for these effects will be fairly obvious to re-construct. Again, this may be cultural – perhaps in the UK the ‘permanent’ nature of Sharpies isn’t so well established – but I just think that most intelligent spectators will get right there.

And finally, the I am slightly underwhelmed by the effects on the DVD. There’s a moving symbol effect – on a table. A prediction effect, where the ‘wrong’ prediction magically changes to the right one. A symbol prediction. A routine where a coin drawn on the table disappears and re-appears in an empty mug (a bit of preparation needed – but some nice moments). An effect where a symbol drawn on the back of a spectator’s hand ‘penetrates’ to the palm of their hand.

For me the strongest effect is the one where a picture of a coin turns into a real coin after being ‘dropped’ into the pen lid – this has a nice ‘organic’ feel to it and has potential. Apparently there are more ideas on the original SansMind Sharpie DVD – but I won’t be rushing out to get a copy.

It was disappointing that there were no ‘live’ performances – and I think that is in part because the pen requires very specific performing conditions to work right. Many of the routines needed a glass table-top which isn’t that common in the sort of places I normally perform. And I’m still not convinced about the etiquette of writing on your spectator’s hand – especially without much warning.

I don’t want to become a grumpy old SansMind man – but I’m underwhelmed by this – and really hope they put something out I enjoy soon!

If you want to make up your own mind, it is available at MagicShop.co.uk for only £21.99.

Review copy kindly provided by Murphys Magic to whom dealer enquiries should be directed.

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Unboxing – Review – Nicholas Lawrence

Phil Sweeting — Fri, 08 May 2015 23:01:52 +0000

SansMinds have put our some interesting effects over the last few years – but someone needs to tell them to chill out! The introductions to their DVD may work well in the US but feel completely over the top to our quiet reserved UK populace. Phew. Needed to get that off my chest. Now on to the Unboxing review…

There have been a number of vanishing card case effects released in the last few years. Their popularity is obvious – what better or more visual way to start a card routine than to have the box disappear? From the trailer, the visuals on this looked spectacular – so how did the reality measure up?

What do you get?

A DVD and all the materials you need to construct your own gimmick. And there’s the first and really important thing you need to know if you’re considering buying Unboxing. It is quite an intensive craft project to make your gimmick. In fact, I would say you need to be a bit of a craft ninja – since there is precise cutting, glueing and sticking involved, some of it a little fiddly. You’re provided with most of the necessary bits, though you will also need a couple of extra cards you will probably already have lying around.

We’re not done on construction yet. The explanation takes about 20 minutes on the DVD – I say explanation, but it is a silent video (well there is some background music) with no verbal instructions apart from the odd sentence on screen. So I think you’re going to need a lot longer than this to check you’re doing the right things and get the bits together. And did I mention, it’s quite fiddly.

I also think the advert video is slightly misleading. It shows a move which isn’t possible with the main gimmick but requires the construction of a second (much easier) gimmick.

On the plus side

Once you’ve constructed the gimmick, the effect itself is self-working and very visual. Depending on how good your craft skills are, this may be more or less convincing. Even on the teaching videos there are some ‘flashes’ which expose the gimmick. In the real world, if you keep things moving, this shouldn’t be a problem – and some of the live performances show the strength of reactions possible.

On and on

I found the rest of the DVD rather tiresome. They go into a slightly laboured amount of explanation about how to set up and clean up. I couldn’t decide whether to feel patronised or thankful for the endless detail on presentation and minor variations – not far short of an hour!

The credits section is not really a proper set of credits but rather a short history of versions of this kind of effect – without attributing particular inspirations, and more importantly failing to include a number of modern versions.

If I’m honest, I feel like this is on the one hand over-engineered, and then alarmingly reliant on our own construction. If it was over-engineered and professionally built, I might be less concerned, or less complex and self-constructed – but this feels like a worrying combination – and I would have some concerns about the gimmick in operation. I understand that providing an assembled gimmick would have massively impacted the price, and perhaps I’m just not crafty enough, but for me this is a concern.

It feels a bit like the desire for the amazing visual has over-run itself. And I think I would be happier using the lower tech, but not much less visual and substantially easier to assemble Travelling Deck 2.0 (see our review here).

Unboxing is available from MagicShop.co.uk for £17.50 at the time of writing.

Review copy kindly provided by Murphys Magic to whom dealer enquiries should be directed.

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