Random I-Tunes Song of The Moment: Never Say Goodbye by Bon Jovi

Well . . . for $25 you get a remote control worm . . .

Basic Effect:

A card is selected. Several (8 to 10) cards are spread out on the table. A toy mechanical worm is placed on the table. It starts moving all over the table and the cards and finally settles on one card and stops there. The card is shown to be the selection.

Pros:

The effect is cute, funny and has a fair amount of presentational possibilities. The worm is very well made with a very strong motor, and the way it's animated it kind of looks like the worm really is looking for the card. It's funny, and I think people will enjoy the experience. The package comes with the worm, the remote control and the batteries needed.

Cons:

I think the method is relatively transparent. The spectator's will likely think along these lines: "somehow the magician figured out which card was mine, and he used a remote control to stop the worm on my card." That's pretty much it. The so-called instructions are very minimal, just one side of one sheet of paper. Also, the instructions warn that the battery life is only 20 minutes. So every 20 minutes of use will cost you about $6 bucks or so - the batteries are about $1.00 each and it takes six to run the toy. Additionally, the directions tell you to secretly hide the remote while you're using it. That makes for a bit of an awkward performance. Standing there with your hands in your pocket seems a little suspect. Having your hands under the table . . . suspect . . . having your arms folded . . . maybe. Having an assistant in the crowd . . . best solution.

Final Thoughts:

Frankly, I don't think that the fact that the spectator's kind of know what's going on is really that big of a deal. I still think that most people will just enjoy the novelty of it. Considering the fact that the batteries are $6 bucks, the toy itself is worth a few dollars, the cost isn't too bad. The bottom line is this: would you do this effect? If so, then it's worth it. If not, then . . . duh!

Weighing the pros and the cons, this ones somewhere in the middle.

Final Verdict:
2.5 Stars with a Stone Status of gem with a really, really, really small "g."