Can anyone direct me to reviews of -- or personal experiences with -- an effect called "Keyed Up" by Anthony Miller? I'm having search problems. Thanks.

Complete rubbish

Misleading description. People actually select things from an extremely limited list that you show them.

Total dissapointment.

Nice idea though. Someone should think of a proper way of doing the same effect. Why not just force the car from a huge selection and then take your keys out? You could have three different forces and three different fobs so you could change every now and again.

IMHO

Actually, it's not rubbish at all. The effect, as is, isn't much - I agree. The concept is quite wonderful.

I reworked the list and use it for another effect entirely.

Kindest Regards,

George Tait

I just wish ad copy for effects would mention that there is a list etc 'Not' mentioning that there's a list I find misleading. That's kind of why I was cheesed off with it so much.

Let me go and dig it out to make sure I didn't miss something cool (I like being proven wrong, it means I get a new effect!)

Hehe!

Groan. Of course I mean the idea of having something on your keyring is a nice idea LOL and not this way of doing it

Ok, I've just had a look. This is what the ad copy says:

"A spectator randomly selects the characteristics of your dream car. Color, model and body style. You show that the spectator's choices match yours!"

This would have you believe (well, it had ME believe anyway, call me gullible) that it would be a totally free choice.

This is not the case. It is from a list.

Mental Yarn uses lists. It says so in the ad copy. It doesn't say "A spectator randomly selects..." etc and then miss off the fact that there's a list.

Hey, if I'd known there was a list then I would have known what I was getting. No, its NOT a list like Mental Yarn and does not use the same method, but it IS some stuff written down that the spectator choses from.

The working idea behind the effect may as George says be better off used in another stronger effect or as part of a different effect.

However, as it stands, I found it a disappointment and so did quite a few other people I have talked to about it.

The only real drawback I found was that the effect CANNOT be shown one-on-one. It needs TWO spectators in performance.

And yes, initially it does all seem a little weak; not too many choices abound. However, if you reiterate what they COULD have chosen, then there's still *something* there - not much - but something.

The first thing I did was to laminate the list. Next up was to buy a more substantial acrylic fob. And finally purchase a genuine car key.

My routine goes thus;

Show the car key hanging on the fob. The key is UNCUT. Say to them that you haven't quite made your mind up about a car yet, although you have written some thoughts down - on the reverse of the fob.

Put the key and fob into an envelope, seal it and leave in full view.

Go through the selection process with the spectators.
Remark that great minds think alike etc., rip open the envelope, lift out fob and show your prediction.

Of course, now you have your car decided upon, a blank key is neither use nor ornament. Continue pulling the fob with key from envelope. The key is now CUT. Close by saying "...now if my Yellow VW Beetle Cabriolet was here now, you would find the key fits..."

No threads, no magnets, no writers (I do however like the above idea posted though.)

Dr. Zordas

...What sort of nonsense statement is that, Shrink? 'An outright lie'!?

If you bought the classic sawing-in-half then realised you were a person short would you then claim the ad was an outright lie because your assistant was not physically mutilated? I think not.

Just because there is no mention of a list does not imply lies. The ad. also doesn't mention it can't be done one-to-one, this was a downer for me, but I wouldn't demand a refund and claim lies had been told.

As you are fully aware, this business is full of distorted ad. copy. The trick was a few quid. Live with it.


Dr. Zordas.

(Shrink seems to have deleted his post!)

I deleted my post as decided its not worth posting negatives.

However since you remarked on it:

some ad copy that lead you to believe that there was a free choice when indeed there is none to me is closer to lying.

From how the copy read I was lead to believe it was closer to a confabulation routine. I almost bought it.

If I had I would be extremely ****ed off as I once bought another effect almost the very same misleading ad.

IE there was a choice from a list when they claimed it was free. They even said nothing was written down.

I don't care if its a few quid or the most expensive effect in the business its misleading and should refund the money of anyone who feels they were lied to .

It would've been totally useless to me..

I would have felt really ripped off for a second time.


Advertisers should live with the cosequences of their misleading ads and be prepared to refund when they fail to deliver what they implie.

Aaaaaaah. But you've bought a SECRET. Not a crappy key fob. Not a shorter-than-short list. A SECRET.

And on this principle there aren't many dealers who will refund yer money. So vote with your wallet. Either stay away from the dealer or boycott the publisher.


Dr. Zordas

I understand and agree with both sides of this

Recently there was an incident where several Café members voiced (wrote?) displeasure at what an ad promised vs. what was delivered...and the website changed the ad to better reflect the working limitations of the method.

And Dr. Zordas...welcome to the forum

- Greg Owen

Thats well and fine but choosing objects from a list isn't a secret method. The participant knows that so its no good to me.

The only problem with what you say is it would be too late as I would've already bought it. but now I know I shall certainly stay way from the publisher.

As I have with the previous dealer.

To me I would've bouight the secret to a different effect described in the ad therefore money should be returned in this instance..

Sorry, you're wrong. Choosing the objects from the list *IS* the secret.

Buy it and see....


Dr. Zordas

I myself bought the effect last summer based largely on the above description of it from the ad and, like others, was very disappointed when I realized that, contrary to what the ad claims, there;s no "random slection" involved whatsoever.
Suffice it to say that I won't be buying anything else by Anthony Miller.

Yeah and they keep that a secret in the ad copy for a good reason.

A secret is something that no one can see in an effect. The ad describes a different effect than what is sold.

Oooooooh! Seems as though all the 'real serious' people here are upset over a £12 trick. What-on-earth did you expect, seriously?

I think a Confabulation went for hundreds of dollars on eBay recently.

Looks like we'll all have to agree that there isn't much to this 'mental' effect and that's why if you do/did purchase it then you'll have to start thinking. This is exactly why I added the self-cutting key ending to my routine. Of course this does now turn into 'mental magic' - still, *I* like it...

Dr. Zordas

If you get use out of the idea then it was a good buy for you. More power to you.

I guess at £12 it is more of an irritant than anything else. I guess we we should know by now.

Perhaps you are right DR Z..

...Who knows, once the novelty has worn off then 'Keyed-Up' may be dragged kicking and screaming into a dark, dank and lonely place, The Krypt-of-Krap.

Well, not too lonely - there are others already down there, been there for years, rotting in their fancy art-work and snap-to bags. They promised the earth and delivered nothing. All they do now is wait for the Stench of Death, or eBay as its sometimes called...


Dr Zordas

LOL . . . indeed.
In fact, it's said by some old timers at The Mentalists Retirement Home that when the leaves have fallen off the trees, and the moon is full, and the midnight hour has long passed, if you listen closely you can hear the agonized cries of The Killer Red Caps and Keyed-Up . . . "I'm sorry for the hyyyyyyype, I'm sorry for the hyyyyyyype, I'm sooooooorryyyyyyyyy . . . "

I've reposted my alternate method in Inner Thoughts.