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Chad Long: Scratch Review
One DVD, three effects, 96 scratchers and $20 bucks. Is it gem or is it rubble? Stay tuned to find out.
Effect/Method
What you're really getting is a whole bunch (96) of stickers that you can stick on whatever you want. The stickers are like lottery ticket scratch-off stuff. So what you can do is write something on a piece of paper, playing card, dollar bill, etc. and cover it with the scratch-off sticker. Then you can incorporate it into your routine where the audience scratches off the sticker to reveal a prediction.
The example in the trailer was a five dollar bill that "happened to have" a scratch sticker on it. The bill is folded up so that only the scratch sticker is showing. The spectator scratches it off with a penny. Underneath the scratch is the number (written in sharpie) 50. Then the five dollar bill is unfolded to reveal that it has changed to a $50 bill.
In one of the effects, a freely named number (truly free, no force) is found under the scratcher. The scratcher is on a "homemade lottery ticket" inside of a sealed envelope. The spectator names any number between 1 and 100. The envelope is then torn open and a "lottery card" is removed. The spectator removes the card and scratches it off to reveal their freely named number.
There are a total of three effects taught on the DVD, all use the scratcher, and very simple methods that are common and legitimate, and very doable.
Ad Copy Integrity
What you see in the trailer and in the written ad copy is what you get. 100% accurate.
Product Quality
The DVD is relatively well produced. The teaching is excellent. Not too much; not too little. The included gimmicks are perfect, and the whole think only costs $20 bucks. Plus, you can get a refill pack of 100 scratchers for only $10 bucks.
Final Thoughts
The bottom line is this: if you even sort of like this idea, it's a no brainer. Just get it. If you have even the tiniest creative bone in your body, you'll find plenty of uses for this.
Final Verdict:
5 Stars with a Stone Status of GEM!
10 Comments
Am hesitant to recommend this review (at least at this page) on FB or elsewhere, because it exposes the not-that-complicated-but-why-didn’t-I-think-of-this method of Chad’s. Am gonna listen to your YouToob review to see if it’s a little less how-it-worksy. Then again, with the average attention span of a YouTube viewing person, there may be no real probl—LOOK! A bird!
On the other hand, your review makes this sound SO simple, SO delightful, and SO magical that I think even my 7-year old granddaughter (Who asked me to teach her more magic, ever since I got her a Hello Kitty magic set) could do this at school. And, yes – she loves the attention!
Looks like Chad may get another couple of tens from me.
To me, the greatest thing about the gimmick is that it fits on the back of a business card.
Once I realized that I stopped watching your review and order the dvd. (Then I went back to watch the rest of your excellent review. )
As always, thank you for your efforts.
@Bob – As funny as it seems, it never occurred to me to put it on my business card! What a great idea. Thanks for sharing, and thanks for watching the rest of my excellent review. 🙂
Jeff let me know that what I feared was exposure, is actually in the advertising copy. Therefore, it’s not exposure. Thank you for clarifying that, Jefferoni. I’ve come here to apologize in public, hanging my head in shame, and surrendering to the authorities to be sentenced to the Arizona State Home for the Rude and Ill-Mannered.
@Chetly – Whapssssshhhhhhhhh . . . Jeff cracks the whip.
Where is that Pay Pal button? This is already giving me ideas,I nearly bought it last year but the clear review by Jeff has convinced me
@John – I’m not sure where to buy it. Probably any magic dealer should have it.
Here’s a really good place for it:
http://chadlongmagic.com/page8/page6/tricks.html
You might even beg Chad for further tips, hints, and perhaps a monogrammed copy with circles and arrows and…
I bought these from Chad a couple of years ago at his lecture, and I always keep one in my wallet on a bill.
Great effect, and now I will be using them on my business cards after reading Bob’s comment!
Thanks, Bob!
Thank you Mark.
Another suggestion is to change slightly the props used in the “Bill” routine. I don’t wind up with a large bill because I don’t like having to both retrieve it from the spectator and having to peal off the used scratcher. Instead, it ends with a $1,000,000 bill. I have the word “WIN” appear under the sticker.
That may seem an extravagance except they can be bought for next to nothing (in bulk) and I use them for all sorts of routines. In this case it means the spectator is left with something more memorable than some sliver flakes on their clothes.
Bob