And I’ve ordered a copy.
Not because I plan on doing a Miser’s Dream…
but because like Tarbell, and Bobo, Rice, and Fitzkee,
this belongs in every magician’s library for reference.

Magically,
Walt

Just received mine and am almost finished with CD#1. It is as expected, more than remarkable. I don't believe that you will find a more comprehensive treatise on the subject anywhere. In Levent's typical style as exemplified by the Roy Benson book, Salt pour video et.al, you are going to be given an exhaustive lesson on the topic covering everything possible and more. And yes, Walt without a doubt it will be a reference on the topic. Thank you Levent! Money well spent. Hey that rhymes.

Dear Magic Friends:

At present I am on tour until April 14th.

The Misers Dream DVDs were estimated to ship on April 15th. The shipping department scheduled vacation from April 5th - April 10th. However, the DVD's arrived ahead of schedule on April 3rd, and all orders that we received at that time were then sent out on April 4th.

The shipping department will send out all orders that have come in since April 4th on Friday, April 11th.

I want to thank those of you who have ordered or expressed interest in the "Ultimate Guide to The Miser's Dream" DVD set. I hope that it lives up to your expectations.

Levent

I'm not so sure that's really true. last time I did the misers dream I used palming coins from hank lee's

some people after the show make remarks about the "quarters" some about dollars, and a few about halfs.

people can easily make a mental connection between coins and money. just don;t say what it is. don't pull "half-dollars from the air" pull "coins" or just say money.

Hi Joshua:

I have a good friend who does the Miser's Dream in her kid shows. The other day she told me that in her experience, most of the children have heard of half-dollars. But when she refers to a silver dollar, the kids sometimes proclaim that there is no such thing and often she must show them the coins up close to prove that the dollar coins actually exist! Funny isn't it. I guess it might be best to just refer to them (as you suggested) as just plain coins or money especially when performing for children!

Levent

This is fabulous! I am about halfway through disc 2 right now, and this is the most singlemindedly comprehensive piece of work on any magic effect that I have ever seen. The research is exhaustive, the explanations are clear, the depth of thought is truly impressive, and the video and sound quality are excellent.

Congratulations, Levent! This is a fantastic legacy. Thank you for helping us to stand on the shoulders of giants.

Yours,

Paul

Wow, I'm getting excited to receive my copy.

Me too. I love the miser's dream. Actually I love any trick that has a very simple plot and allows it to become a personality piece. they take more work but there's a pot of gold at the end if you work hard.

"Every time it rains it rains
Dollars from heaven
Don't you know each cloud contains
Dollars from heaven.
You'll find your fortune falling
All over town.
Be sure that your coin pail isn't upside down."

(As I wait for my DVD to arrive)

To those who have received their copies, what is your favorite part of the DVDs and what do you think will you use in your shows?

Dear Lou,

The most amazing piece of magic in the entire five hours of video is Levent's Coin Catcher. This is just brilliant, and I will definitely incorporate it into my routine.

The coverage of all of the techniques is so solid, and the thinking so good, that it has really got me thinking about how to set up an original routine. I have started by writing the script of the way I want the routine to look, with no thought as to how any individual piece will be accomplished. Then I have looked at prop placement, big movements, and the moments of relaxation, and have thought about how those will provide opportunities to accomplish the magic. The DVDs and references cited in them provide plenty of choices.

I have not performed the Miser's Dream prior to this. I have been working on coin sleights for several months now, after a long period in which I did no coin work. I have used Jeff McBride's Manipulation DVDs as a starting point. I got off to a slow start, but I carry coins all the time now, and have practiced the key sleights dozens of times every day for several weeks. Recently, I have seen a sharp improvement.

This has been a very rewarding journey. Thanks again Levent!

Yours,

Paul

I'm going to order a set next week ..I can't wait ...I use half dollars in my kids show ...and I tell them they are the coins my granddad would give me once a month ...which is true ... they never say a word but when I am done with my show the parent all ask me where to find them so they can do the same ..... the magic keeps going .......

My favorite part was the explanations of the various routines by the past masters. This is especially true of the Flosso routine which Levent has closely examined and deciphered. It is beyond brilliant!

Ditto on the Flosso routine, which I'm sure took quite a while to deconstruct. It's always illuminating to see how some of the past masters approached the trick and how they solved various technical problems. I particularly loved the vanish of all the produced coins as a surprise finale, which came from a 1902 article in Stanyon's "Magic" magazine. I also liked the "slick coins" idea, which definitely does make the opening production a lot easier. The research and thought that went into this DVD set is just amazing.

My only (very, very small) criticism is that no mention was made of the Viking "coin gondola," or "coin dumper" as it is commonly known; click HERE to view. This is the best device I have found for almost noiselessly putting a dozen half-dollars in your palm. It has just one moving part, is gravity-powered and completely reliable, doesn't require a threaded stack, and loads in a instant. Although Levent does cover another dumper (a tube model), it seemed much more involved to load and use.

My guess is that because he works coatless, Levent doesn't prefer body loads, which is the main drawback to this type of gimmick. However, with a little ingenuity, it's possible to use a body load without a coat or vest. For example, I wear a black 3-pocket waiter's apron, and am able to hang two Coin Dumpers behind the apron, on my blue jeans, one on each side. The dumpers clip to my front jeans pockets with small spring bulldog clips. The gimmicks are completely covered from all angles by the apron, can be attached or removed in seconds yet are totally secure, and are instantly accessible from below the apron with a very small upward hand movement. This is a simple and easy way to triple the amount of coins produced in very short order. But if you still don't want or can't use a body load, the dumper could easily be attached behind a chair, table or other piece of apparatus. Take a look at this little gimmick, I think that you will like it -- and for $15, you can't go too far wrong!

But as I said, it's a very minor quibble, and sort of like criticizing one brushstoke on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel! I'm sure there are still plenty of other good Miser's Dream gimmicks and bits of business out there, there was really no way to include everything, and Levent certainly did a yeoman's job of assembling a great deal of excellent information. SETH

Thanks Paul:

Originally, I had scheduled a friend with a lot of professional video experience to shoot the Miser's Dream DVD. Unfortunately, due to a sudden family tragedy, she had to cancel. And as a result I was left to light and shoot the whole thing all by myself! So, your comment means a lot to me, Thanks!!

For those of you who are familiar with video, I must tell you that I really could not have done this DVD without a piece of software called Scopebox (version 1.1.1). This application allowed me to use a MacBook Pro Laptop as a Waveform Monitor, VU meter and as an overscan broadcast monitor, complete with adjustable Zebra patterns and Safe Action Area overlays. It was really worth the $400 I paid for it, because this software replaces professional broadcast television hardware that normally costs thousands of dollars.

At the present time I am among the Beta Testers for the soon to be released Scopebox 2.0

The new version has a number of cool improvements and I really can't say enough good things about it.

Levent (Back home for 30 hours before I must go back on the road!)

Ah ha ha ha hah hha ha ha ha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I got mine!!!

woo hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let's see, I could keep working or I could......
I'm off to the DVD player!

Well, I spent far too long watching these DVDs when I should have been doing other things. The material and ideas and bits of business are more than enough to put together a wonderful routine and then add to it for many years.

One of my favorite DVDs of all time. Very well done Levent.
Production was fantastic. I'm surprised you got this put together so quickly.

I meant to mention one other thought about this DVD set.

In the sleights section, Levent gives the standard method for the thumb palm. But there is another equally good method, particularly for slightly arthritic or klutzy folks like myself. It seems a little easier, because it doesn't involve bending the first two fingers in quite so far. It keeps the coin in contact with the thumb at all times, because it is slid into position along the inner side of the thumb (pushed by the tips of the first two fingers). For me, this way also appears to be quicker and results in a more secure placement of the coin. Meanwhile, production of the coin can be accomplished in the usual way.

I'm pretty sure this variation on the thumb palm is demoed on Volume 1 (Basic Coin Magic) of the David Roth "Expert Coin Magic" DVD's, click HERE to view, that's where I believe I first learned it. SETH

All-righty-then,
Let’s talk about first-class Customer Service…

My Miser’s Dream DVD Set arrived,
but the case was shattered into pieces with the disks banging about.

I wrote to Levent just to let him know,
no big deal, it was just the case that was damaged.

Before I could say “abracadabra” I got a return email….
saying that a replacement was on the way.

I emailed back saying no need for a full replacement,
but they emailed back again that it was already in the mails!

Not only a state-of-the-art and
exhaustive examination of this classic effect,
but great care for their customers!

When you get yours you’ll sit up all night watching so be warned,
compulsively detailed and fun as heck to absorb.

What more could you ask???

Magically,
Walt

Levent, just like to publicly thank you for producing these DVD's. Just finished re-reading Art of Magic and Modern Coin Manipulation. It was great to see these manipulations in action on the first DVD. I have used the Misers Dream in my act for over 5 years and feel the material on the first DVD is more than worth the purchase. Thanks again.