I JUST ORDERED MINE! I can't wait till it gets here!

You can get it for 35 bucks on Penguin Magic and they don't charge for shipping in the U.S.

boy the price for you US guys seems to have gone far too low

I received my UK 50p version this morning and overall I am impressed (I have just one issue with it and this only applies to the UK 50p version.

I (and probably Keith/Steve too) will say more once Keith/Steve have had a chance to read my email).

My first idea is for a cleaner looking, sleight free version of Richard Busch's A Coin In Mind...

I was impressed by Keiths service, the documentation (several effects) and the fact that you get the necessary to maintain the item too (not that it should need it for quite some time) !

Where did you order a UK version from ?

My paypal account was down so I rang Arlen studios...very nice chaps...and ordered with a card...

What Sludge is refering to is the fact that the 50 P I now am offering to the GB base is the older larger 50 P. It is no longer in circulation. I am waiting for a sample pack to pick another coin in curculation to offer as well. I do have the older 50 P avalible now and will continue to offer it. It is a very cool looking coin and the perfect size. The newer 50 P seems to small. Will keep you updated.

Arlen,

Just took a look at the Arlen Studio magic site

http://www.arlenstudio.com

I've not purchased from you before but judging from the product images the items you offer look to be of the highest quality. Congratulations.

As a UK magician and regular purchaser of magic gismos, I have become extremely interested and intrigued by this Silver Shifter product of yours. After so many positive reviews, this is obviously a product worth checking out.

You are currently advertising a UK 50p coin. As a UK magician, UK coinage is the only workable solution for using the SS in the real world, without the need to elaborate with unnatural patter to explain the use of a foreign coin. (incidentally, if anyone has some SENSIBLE patter for using foreign coinage apart from saying something like "I went to the US on holiday last month and noticed something odd about their 50 cent pieces..." I would be interested to hear from you).

Since you have decided to manufacture the SS in UK coinage (a marvellous idea) why have you manufactured the older, out of circulation and therefore completely useless (in my humble opinion) coin? Please do not think for a minute that I am saying anything negative about the effect (Again I stress to those reading this that the effect has received praise from every magic review site or publication that I have so far encountered), instead I offer a solution which would no doubt bring you a greater number of sales of the SS from magicians like me here in the UK.

I would very much like to get my hands one of these little beauties but will be holding out until a coin of current UK circulation is produced. Surely the new and current 50p is not too small to manufacture? I look forward in anticipation to the production of the effect in the new 50p denomination, which I trust you are already looking into. (That said, a £2 coin would be really really nice though I appreciate that two tone coins are causing you difficulties.). Do you have a release date when UK SS coins of current circulation will become available?

Good luck Arlen you're obviously on to a winner with the SS.

Regards,

A future purchaser (I hope)

Hello,

I was asked by quite a few UK Magi to do the older larger coin as an SS. Many seem to use it still there. Though I appreciate not all. The new 50 P as well as the copper 2 P and an old large English Copper Penny will be ready in two weeks. So all problems are solved on the UK end.

For the US users, we now have the SS in Kennedy Half's. Liberty Half's, Franklin Half's, Morgan Dollars, Liberty New Dollars and Eisenhower Dollars. A Quarter version will be ready in two weeks.

For Canadians, we will have Canadian dollars available in two weeks as well.

For all countries in between, Most likely, we will stop at these currencies. I do have Brass Keys now available as SS. This was in response to the fact that I will not be able to do every currency in the world. Also, the mentalists have been asking for them.

That is it. That is all I can think of to bend. I think I covered it all.

I believe the old 50p coins are used by those too cheap to buy a new 'coin in bottle' coin - so continue to use the old one

-- ws

Mmmm...I guess that you could also do 'The Mystical Growing Coin Trick'!

When I first started doing magic I vowed that I'd rather starve than do anything other than magic...now I do both! But I still don't use out of date coins unless there is a VERY VERY good reason.

If a trick's worth doing then make sure you use the best quality prop to do it with (which can be applied to other areas of life too, but best not go into those here!!).

Personally I'll wait for the release of the new 50p version.

I'm really surprised you won't be doing a 50 cent Euro coin. I think there are currently 14 countries that use the Euro with 13 more to come soon. I think the market for a Euro version would be much larger than U.K. version. Most people think that at some point even the U.K. will switch to the Euro (even though they are very reluctant to do so).

I personally ordered a U.S. version (Kennedy half), but if a Euro was available I would have purchased it.

Hello,

Well, a Euro coin would be nice and I would like to do one. I can not settle on the best coin though. It has to be a large coin about the size of a US half and a one color coin. It needs to be one everyone is familiar with.

Also, we are making the newer smaller 50 P coin as I write this. It will be available in a few weeks. I will continue to make the older larger 50 P as well. It is the better looking of the two. The size is just right. We are not able to cash Morgan dollars in the US any more either, but we all still use them in magic. Why? Because they are showy coins and have a good size and weight. Same goes for the older larger 50 P.

Will you be creating other English coins which are in circulation (e.g. 2p etc)? If so, when will they be available for purchase?


David.

I have ordered my Silver Shifter and am now in the long wait stage of shifting my coin work into high gear.

I will post an honest review when I receive it.

Jakks

Just received the SS today ,

Yes, it's a well made gimmick

Just took me a while to find the first page of the instructions

I saw this at the Hank Lee convention and I must say, the method was quite obvious. The "gimmick" was awful dull/drab/ not shiny, and the bent coin was bright as anything, with a few visible marks where a machine gripped to bend a coin. My question is this: Will the SS coins be made a little brighter? The effect did look alright I suppose..just needs a little better switch I think. I probably wouldn't use it for a bend, but use it in a Garrett Thomas routine (that's on his video "Any Questions?"). Who, besides Scott Keith and Steve of course, highly recommends one? I'll be sold if the "gimmick" coin is a little more real.

Ian

Hi all,

Anyhow, I wanted to remind you that I started a thread in the secret sessions area to discuss the SS workings a bit as well as offer some tips on handling and maintenances.

The idea of a demoer doing the SS effect over and over at a convention dose creep me out a bit. Let me explain as best I can. The SS is a device that needs to have a bit of easy maintenance after quite a few uses. Not ideal in a repetitive demoing setting. The coin can become dull if not taken care of properly.

Also, I have run into some pretty bad demoers. I admit, that I tend to be able to figure out the best tricks after a few times of seeing it done. I always go on my first reaction after seen an effect as that is what the spectator will do.

Also, effects should only be done once. Seeing an effect demoed a few dozen times at a convention makes it convenient to call "I saw how you did that". Again, I am not in the business to make real fairy tail magic here. I am offering solutions to help create the best illusion possible. I try to make the best prop I can to go with it as well.

Now, that said: We did have a few coins in the beginning, that had not been coated properly. We really worked hard to go back through and think we weeded those out. It may be that a few of these coins got past someone. If so, not that many.

If you have a coin that seems too dull or sparkly, let me know. I'll be happy to look at it and if need be, replace it to make sure you have the right coin.

Also, I sent out quite a few prototype coins in the beginning to various persons to help in the testing. It turns out some of these people sold there SS or put it up on ebay before the release date. A very uncool move. "O" Well, you know who you are and obviously will not be involved in the next test. Non of our pro's did this. It was a few of the random people we selected from the Café and elsewhere. I thought it was a good way to do a fair test. Unfortunately a few took advantage of the situation. Thanks to these people, testing will be limited to a few pro's only in the futuer.

Also, I would remind all that if you purchase the SS from the http://www.arlenstudio.com site, and do not like it, send it back for a refund of your purchase price. You just can not do better than that.

If you have SS questions, please email them to me at arlen@c-zone.net . I'll do my best to get you sorted out ASAP. I hope I addressed what was needed here.

PS. Ian,

In response to: "Who, besides Scott Keith and Steve of course, highly recommends one?"
Have you gone through and read the threads on this? You will see the SS is highly recomended by many known and unknown magi. It is all there.

Keith- Thanks for the informative post. It was one of the demoers main effects I THINK, because he had it out on his table, whereas everything else was elsewhere. I think you got me sold... lol. I'll buy one once I'm not so broke (convention). Thanks again.

Ian

p.s.- I looked at some of the coins on your site- look better than the demoers. You must be right, he must not have been doing the maintainence thing.

Dear all,

I just want to know will Steve and Arlen make some foreign coins besides UK and US ones? I really want to perform with coins in my own country, do we need to find enough magicians, say 10 or 20, to order together?

thanks,
Hirase

I am not impressed. Yes I'm sure it is not easy to make something out of that material that can bend and yet still look like a real half dollar. But I think the so-called stealth is anything but. It is an interesting idea and I like Peter's Liberty handling the best but I don't like the bend at all as the switch just screams well, switch!

As good as Peter's handling is it still doesn't look natural. People ask me why my fingers are together. That's right, laymen (not just magicians) have called me on it. I like to think that coins are my strong suit but this was a disappointment for me. If the color of the back was a little better then I would probably keep it but this will be for sale soon.

As to the comparision with the TT, it is unfair. The TT can be hidden with your other fingers. I got a lot better reactions and use out of "Now U C It Now U Don't." Interesting idea, just not for me.