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Andy Nicholls: The Undercover Wallet Review

One wallet, a 16 page pdf, a short DVD and $85 bucks. Is it gem or is it rubble? Stay tuned to find out.

Effect/Method

This is a combo peek and load wallet. It can be used as a Sight Unseen Case (S.U.C.) as well as a Mullica-like load. It can also be used to remove items from the wallet. Any effect where a peek is needed (e.g., Design Dup, Mind Reading, etc.) can be done with this wallet. Signed card to wallet (no palm) can be done with this wallet.

It contains two possible locations for the signed card to appear: 1) inside a zippered compartment in the main outer wallet's bill area, or 2) inside of the inner wallet that's inside of the bill compartment of the outer wallet.

If you're familiar with loading a Mullica Wallet, then you'll be familiar with the procedure here. However, it's a little bit more awkward with this wallet due to the fact that it's a billfold style rather than checkbook style. Flipping it open onto the deck in your hand is much more awkward and less natural looking for sure. It's still doable and a legitimate method, but just nowhere near as natural and smooth as a Mullica Wallet.

Regarding the peek methods, they are super easy. The card can either be placed inside the outer wallet or the inner wallet. In either case, you can easily peek the information. You can also easily steal out a card very easily.

There's a technique taught by Peter Eggink called Half In — maybe it was called Half Out — that is a terrible method for a peek. When he performed it for the camera, it was totally exposed an would fool nobody, so I would skip that handling.

Ad Copy Integrity

The written ad copy is basically a description of the wallet and not much more. The video ad copy is about the same. The problem is that in the video there is never once a clip of the wallet actually being used as claimed. The closest thing to a performance is a shot of two drawings on a table and a spectator gasping in disbelieve. That's it. The effect (or whatever that was) with the two drawings is never taught on the DVD. More about that below.

Product Quality

The DVD, hosted by Peter Eggink, was well shot, well lit, well mic'd and easy to navigate.

Teaching Quality

Eggink didn't really teach anything. He exposed a lot, but didn't teach a lot. There were no performances for real people, only quasi-walk-through performances for the camera that were mostly talking, not showing/performing. Very little details and pointers on the handling were given at all. Further, Eggink made several mistakes in the video.

For example, when describing the features of the wallet, he said that there is an outside pocket for loose change. Then he pointed out that inside the wallet is a zippered compartment that can also be used for more loose change. However, this zipper pocket is connected to the other pocket. It's not a separate pocket for more loose change. It's the same pocket for the same loose change.

The next blunder was the screen title showing "Sight Unseen Case (S.U.C.)" and Eggink saying that he's going to show us the S.U.C. feature. However rather than showing the S.U.C. feature he explains the Mullica-like loading procedure in very little detail.

Later, there is an effect that uses (secretly) a half card in the inner wallet. During the explanation, there is a segment that explains the reset. In this segment, he shows a double backer (red/blue) and how to double lift it with the selection and then put the double backer into the inner wallet thus resetting the trick. WHAT!? The effect didn't even use a double backer. The reset must have been for some other effect or something, but it had nothing to do with the effect at hand.

Much of the handling was brushed by and barely explained. To complicate matters further, he's left handed which makes handling the wallet quite a bit different from the way a right handed person would handle it. So if you're right handed or left handed, you'll have to stop the video multiple times to see what he's doing, but if you're a righty, you'll have to play around with the wallet and figure out how to adapt. Nothing regarding this was mentioned.

Overall, the DVD was a disappointment. It brushed over most things, did not cover the only semblance of a routine from the ad trailer and didn't really teach with much any level of detail or depth.

The reason I point out the mistakes that Eggink made (i.e., loose change pocket, S.U.C., etc.) is because it appeared that he was not very familiar with the wallet. Yet he claims that this is his every day wallet. Combine his confusion, the lack of performance footage and the clumsy and less than clean walk-throughs of the effects and you get an equation that certainly adds up to a real possibility that he has very little experience with this wallet.

The provided pdf had a little more detail and did briefly address the lefty/righty thing, but it was backwards. It was showing the handling of a right handed person and essentially said that lefties would just need to figure it out. There were also a few routines in the PDF.

Wallet Quality

The wallet is very well made and is roughly the size of a back pocket wallet. It's made of real leather and has a kind of sheen gloss to it. It's not too bulk and will hold six credit cards or gift cards/ID card, etc. One other nicety is that the inner wallet could be put into your own regular wallet, assuming your wallet's about the same size as The Underground Wallet. If so, then you can convert your wallet into a Mullica style wallet. Further, this inner wallet can be used for peeks, steals, loads and more.

Final Thoughts

Other than the small size making some of the moves a bit finicky and awkward, this is very good wallet that can be used for multiple things. Of course, you've got to manage how much you use the wallet as your method in one set, or as Boris Pocus would say, "something will smell like the fish."

If you're looking for a peek device and/or a load/unload wallet, then you may be happy with this product. However, due to the nature of the DVD and the awkwardness of the handling of the wallet, you'll have to do a lot of the figuring stuff out yourself.

Final Verdict:
3 Stars with a Stone Status of gem.