Random I-Tunes Song of The Moment: The Ride by David Allan Coe
Review of Polyester by Zivi Kivi:
255 gimmicks, 2 audio (music files), 1 other "gimmick", and a 34 minute DVD all for $30 bucks . . . is it gem or is it rubble?
Effect
The effect is simple: Your stickers can read minds. You place a sticker on your iPhone (or some other glass surface). A card is "selected." The sticker is then peeled and re-stuck, and an image of the selected card is seen to have appeared on the sticker. There is no switch.
Method
Basically, a gimmick does all the work for you. You get enough gimmicks to perform this 255 times. Each time, you give away (or throw away) the gimmick. Each gimmick can only be used once. The method is self working. You just need to know how to force a card, and that's it. When you stick the sticker on any glass surface, and then peel the sticker and re-stick it, the image appears. There are 5 possible cards you can reveal. You get 51 stickers for each card you can reveal. With the DVD, you get several presentations and ideas for performing this, but ultimately they all use the same method: force a card; stick the sticker on a hard surface; remove the sticker and re-stick it for the reveal.
Included with the DVD is also a small piece of plexi-glass that's about the size of a credit card. You can use this to stick the sticker on during the performance if you have no other surface available. A method and handling for this is taught that I think would be pretty effective.
Ad Copy Integrity
The ad copy is pretty solid, but there is one big claim that is not true. The claim is that you can do this on a business card or a book cover. It will not work on a business card. I tried. Instead, it rips the paper from your business card when you peel the sticker. As for book covers, it depends on the book cover. Basically, you need a hard and smooth surface that a sticker can be stuck to and then removed without damaging the sticker or the surface. So anything that's paper will not work unless it's super glossy stock. So if you have a glossy stock business card or a glossy book cover, then this will work. However, it still looks much better on glass surfaces.
The ad copy also claims that this is like a mini stage performance, and this claim is also made on the video. However, nowhere is this explained or taught. On the DVD, Livi claims that this uses the principles of stage illusions, light, staging, etc., but he never explains what that means or how it applies to this.
Product Quality
The stickers are very well constructed and can be examined until the cows come home, and nothing will ever be detected. They are completely self working, and can be given away to the spectator after the effect is over. The DVD is well produced and does a pretty good job of covering everything for the most part. The menu is simple and easy to navigate. Overall, it's a very well made product. Further, you get two download-able music files. For one of the presentations taught, you use a combination of background music, and a free APP that adds a little something extra to the performance.
Final Thoughts
My only issue with this product is the peeling and re-sticking of the sticker. There's really no good reason that I can see for doing this. However, that doesn't mean this is a bad product. The appearance is a bit surprising and there is nothing to find or hide. Overall, I think the premise isn't horrible (a mind reading sticker). But there is a very clever idea taught in one of the segments that gives the whole thing credibility that makes perfect sense. It's an excellent presentational premise that I would personally use if I did this effect. However, even that presentation as good as it is (10/10) doesn't justify/explain the peel and re-seal of the sticker.
It's hard to give this a bad review, however, because you're getting a lot for $30 bucks. Solid quality and quantity. Just because I may not see the logic or the justification of the peeling and re-sticking, doesn't mean that others won't see that potential. I can only give my final verdict based on how well made the product is and if it does what it claims to do. It's up to you to decide if "what it does" is for you.
Final Verdict:
4 Stars with a Stone Status of Gem.
2 Comments
It’s been my experience that people are highly and sometimes freakishly protective of their phones. I’m thinking have it already placed somewhere where a sticker would naturally be. Perhaps the cellophane on a card box? Do some kind of psychological force then show how you don’t even need the cards and when you break the ‘seal’ on the cards you already know… IDK just spitballin’ here.
@Jay – Thanks for being an active participant round these parts. 🙂 In the DVD, he actually performs it on his own phone, and then lets the spectator hold it. He offers as a suggestion, a presentation for a borrowed phone as well, but it can definitely be done with your own phone.