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Chocolate Coin by SansMinds Review:

One DVD, one gimmick and $30 bucks. Is it gem or is it rubble? Stay tuned to find out.

Effect

Borrow a quarter. Then immediately begin to "unwrap" it revealing a chocolate coin in the wrapper. Take a bite out of the coin. Then you realize that the coin tastes "like coin" so you "spit it out" and the chocolate coin is whole again. You then re-wrap it and immediately hand it back out to the spectator.

Method

A simple gimmick (included) that is a modification of a classic gimmick along with a simple "move" makes this effect possible. The gimmick is smart, simple and looks great. The "move" needed is super simple and can be done with a minimum amount of practice. The method is doable and 100% legit.

Ad Copy Integrity

Finally, a solid ad copy . . . probably because it's so short. One thing to consider, however, is the claim it can be done with any similar sized silver coin. I think that's a safe statement, but to be clear, the gimmick is made from a U.S. Quarter. However it's chocolate looking, and it's not close enough to the spectator for them to discern what type of coin it is, so I think this is a safe statement.

In the video trailer, you see two guys (Will Tsai and Herman) perform the effect. The performances by Will Tsai are un-cut in the sense that they don't cheat or even hide the moment when the "move" takes place. When Herman performs they did cut at a spot that I felt made the effect seem a little "cleaner," however, this effect is very clean. The coin is shown at your finger tips and with no funny moves, you begin to peel it; bite it; restore it; re-seal it . . . all at your finger tips and you immediately hand it out. It's very clean. The performances by Will Tsai are excellent and honest. Further, he is excellent at creating the illusion that he really did just take a bite of chocolate.

Product Quality

The gimmick is well made and sells the illusion of the coin being chocolate. The DVD was well lit, well mic'd, well shot, and (as with most SansMinds DVDs) was super short. But this time I think it wasn't a problem. You're supplied with the coin and the aluminum foil looking covers. I had a real problem getting the aluminum wrappers to stick to the "chocolate" coin. However, the briefly offered a simple suggestion to make it stick. The suggestion worked just fine.

Final Thoughts

If you're a regular reader of my reviews, you know that I often come down on SansMinds for dishonest demos and poorly taught, too short DVDs. This product, however, is a major improvement. First, the price is right considering that you get a "coin bite" gimmick. Second, the ad copy was pretty solid. They actually showed a real performance without any cheats. The effect really does look that good. Finally, though the DVD was short, it did cover everything needed to learn and do this effect.

Final Verdict:
4.5 Stars with a Stone Status of Gem

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