See it here: http://www.penguinmagic.com/p/S24423

Anyone have this that can offer a review?

I grabbed a few on Facebook after asking for feedback:

"The Thrift Store is such a fun little effect. I had the privilege of learning it from Phill Smith last year at Blackpool and it's charmed me ever since!" Looch

"A wolf in sheep's clothing, an amazing effect that looks so innocent, don't be fooled by its simple looks. A great ice breaker that will fry peoples minds." Chris Rotchell

"It's the best trick with cards, dice and a little red plastic thing that I've ever seen." Graham North

"I have no idea what it is or what it does, but it has an awesome name." Josh Janousky

I think the takeaway from this is don't ask for reviews on Facebook.

Phill

I'm so honored you included my quote Phil!

Like everything Phill Smith does, this is a beautiful product with a unique approach. You receive a made-up game presented as a nostalgic thrift store find complete with a carrying box, some small cards, a game piece, and a 20-sided die. Nothing is gimmicked. Phill is a professional graphic designer, and it shows.

The cards are laid out, and your spectator rolls the die to genuinely select a number. (They can actually just name a number out loud, but the die is a better approach for several reasons including the board game plot.) Based on the number, an initial card is arrived at. Each card then directs what happens next, until the final reveal that predicted everything in advance.

Having performed this several times now, it's been somewhat more charming than amazing. Think "head scratcher" more than "pants wetter." I'm going to play around a little with the patter to see if I can punch up the reveal. And despite being presented as a board game that "works every time," it can't really be repeated for the same audience. (To be clear, though, it does work every time. It's just that repeating it would likely tip a key part of the method.)

I think this is a great trick to use as a change of pace in a close-up performance or an informal gathering, especially to transition from magic to mentalism. It's participatory (spectators roll the die, move the game piece, and turn over the cards) and suspenseful, easy to do, completely examinable, and you could even carry the cards in your wallet if you wanted to do without the box.

The method is based on Phill's published work, but even if you're familiar with it this is an application with high quality props. So you're also essentially getting a method that can be applied in many seemingly unrelated effects without using the board game props or plot. If you want more explanation of the method or lots of other effects, the book (mentioned in the tutorial video but not named here to avoid exposing the method) is well worth it.

Given the combination of originality, production quality, charm, utility, portability, and ease of performance, this gem is well worth the price.

Thanks for the detailed and thoughtful review.

Looks quirky and fun, can I buy it from the UK?

I wondered the same. It is not showing up on Phill's site.

My friends at Alakazam have got it in stock I think.

Thanks for the good vibes Novasteeple. You are right about it not being repeatable without tipping it to observant audiences, I've pondered making up a second set of cards as an additional bamboozler but the problem is that if you do it n times, they'll want to see it n+1 times to figure it out. When people have asked to see it again, I usually explain that it works every time but only if you only do it once, which gets a laugh, and I tell them to try it to see if I'm right. You're also right that the reveal is more of a puzzler than a smash hit, because they have to walk back through what happened a little to unpick exactly how weird it is. It leans a lot on the story - it's one of my faves at the moment, but I'd be interested to see what you arrive at in terms of being able to punch it up.

A couple of people have mentioned that they have it just on the side at home for when guests come round, they inevitably notice it and it's a perfect little piece to do some magic without being LET ME SHOW YOU SOME MAGIC. Mentalism usually eschews unusual objects but, like with HUMINT, I've found that something peculiar and visually interesting can be a good way to organically build intrigue.

Phill

I was actually going to say exactly the same thing, but I thought it would be selling the effect short to suggest that it should be confined to the home. I changed the reference to "informal gatherings."

This is a fun trick super easy to do. Nice props. The only negative is the trick can only be performed ONCE. Everything else is awesome.

I really like this. I seriously bought it for the name alone, not knowing what the effect is and was pleasantly surprised. Intelligent and captivating.

I like that this is presented as something other than a magic trick. It's left as something that not even the presenter (magician) knows or can explain how it works.

Phil has the psychology down to all the minor details needed to sell the mystery, even burying any name reference which would allow a spectator to Google or find the effect online. Genius.

I would avoid making up your own patter or presentation. What sells it to the spectators is the charming backstory and being played out as something other than a trick or a gotcha. Everything can be examined before and after too.

I also like the audience participation aspect of this. It's very cool and original. Recommended.

Hi all, just a quick one - this effect is on sale on my site for the duration of April, the price is knocked down to £15 - if you've wondered about checking this out, now is the best time.
http://miscellaneousmiracles.co.uk/itsf/

Phill

I agree with all of these glowing reviews. This is a delightful little trick. It is not mystifying. But it is baffling. And a lot of fun, too. Highly recommended.