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The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Nothing up my sleeve... » » My thumbs up for THE THING THAT NEVER WAS holdout (31 Likes) Printer Friendly Version

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Patrick Demesse
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Don't get me wrong but this message sounds much like a free discrediting comment. So much energy trying to persuade people not buying the thing because is not sale by some magic sellers and asking to trust you.
But probably I'm wrong.
But still in love with the thing and the "homemade" work behind it.
countrymaven
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Hi Patrick, I appreciate your concern. I initially shared your joy in finding this as well. I felt the same way. This is no effort to persuade people. I have no agenda and will not sell my version, which actually works way better. I am merely expressing concerns which real magicians who perform, would have before deciding to buy this. I think it is very fair in saying that there is a certain "testing" process which many magic dealers use to eliminate some things which look great and fab on videos but do not work well in real life. Don't get me wrong; dealers could improve on this. But trust me, they do not want gobs of returns so they want something that is at least fairly reliable.

So let me ask you this, if you accidentally and lightly bump "the thing..... holdout" won't the coin/s fall out? Is this really what you want to risk wherever you go? At first I was excited about it, but the material, I realized was not grippy and was obviously the wrong choice even for this design. I custom build stuff all the time. But I realized, after extensive testing, that this design was not reliable and was risky as well. So my initial enthusiasm turned to disappointment. I in turn developed a superior holdout which works all the time , delivers coins in the same invisible way, and is a delight to use. But I will not sell this because it was inspired by this. I would suggest that if you perform paid shows, you develop a tough attitude with which to test and reject or improve products.
Patrick Demesse
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To be honest I had my doubts watching the video, even if I was really surprised by the idea. But after some try I knew it was the thing for me. Which doesn't mean that is the perfect gimmick ever, but I think the perfect gimmick doesn't exist. As far as I know. The coins are safe to me, obviously I can't pretend to go around all day with coins loaded, and would not be an intelligent thing to do. The coins can be loaded in a moment, but also going around with coins loaded while getting ready for a routine doesn't give me problem as far as I pay the right attention, same attention required by a great number of gimmick. The material is for me the best, I've tried to think of something else but still didn't came up with something better.
Not trying to convince anyone but still believe that is important to give space to homemade ideas like this. Not being sold as an object but as a video explanation is an honest choice that gives to me and to everyone who loved it a great space to improve it or find new way to make it works.
countrymaven
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My question to you is, do you think that the material used is grippy and ideal? I think just a little thought would let you come up with something better.
Also, do you really want to have something where if you or something taps it, the coin/s fall? No, right?
The perfect gimmick of this type does exist you just have to work on it. but if this is good enough, then you would love a lot of other
half decent tricks on the market.
charlie_d
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Imo Secret Servante is more secure, which for expensive gaffs and coins is important. Routining makes both invisible. The Thing requires less movement, which might help, depending on the routine, but the downside is the lack of security and ultimately you’re doing an extremely similar thing with an identical result.

Use both! Use The Thing when you have time to prepare and security matters less, and the Secret Servante if you’re doing repeat performances or using it as an everyday carry, always loaded.
kollo
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So much about this thing is magical - in many ways!

- It is something like a discovery of a function from an object that is many decades old. Pure magic by itself.

- Though being fascinated by it, my engineering-heavy mind started to think about how to improve this and that. All my concerns have been wiped away with just one kindly response from the creator, who seems to be a practical and as well a creative thinker. Magical.

- The marketing / production. Many short clips of the thing in use. You get a pretty good idea what you will achieve with the thing. A self-made instructional video that covers all. No trailer. No presale. No wholesalers. No special effects. Very fair price. Nowadays: Magical!

- Prediction: The thing will grow. I´m sure many users will have new ideas using the thing. The simple idea will get big: Magical!

- I was there (almost) from the start. Magically for me personally.

- Some handlings shown in the videos fool me again and again because the method is literally invisible, or, to put it better: magical.

Congratulations to the italian creator Livio Spalletti!
guazelli
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HI everybody, I’m the guy behind THE THING.
Would like to say thanks to everybody for the good and bad comments, both are really helpful to understand the critical issues and the strengths of the gimmick.
Few words about THE THING for those don’t know it well or have doubts and wants to know more:
Is a coin holdout designed for close up magic and little impromptu routines so is not good for great routine as the Miser’s Dream or similar because the amount of coins you can load is not so great.
Is really easy to build and use (and the material cost is really low) and you can use more than one on you, using different clothes.
Can be used under sleeves or at what I call “the belt zone” but being in some way an open source idea there are more ways of use to be discovered, as in this two cases, two ideas I came top with after the instructional video was online:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQLYBp8oWzD/
(fb link: https://www.facebook.com/104046861234618......2372172)

https://www.instagram.com/p/CTjdF8UIYCH/
(fb link: https://www.facebook.com/104046861234618......8385599)

So if you find a new ways and want to share with me, I would be really interested in it.
About safety:
There are lot of gimmicks that requires a bit of attention in handling them, I think of the invisible thread which
Gives. Great possibilities but needs great attention, but is not so difficult to avoid problem and soon will make some video to show how you can walk around and even jump (don’t know why yo should jump during a routine but well, you may never know) without nothing happen.

The material used are, in my opinion, the best not only for the purpose of holding the coins but also for the possibilities to adapt the gimmick to different coin sizes and to put it on you wherever you may need.
You can use it to load coins or just to unload coins as an ending for some routines.

Didn’t try to contact the great Magic Resellers because never imagined they could be interested in this kind of homemade ideas and probably this will only make me lose a great number of people, a a well done advertising and a great help in making a video far more appealing than mine, but is also a choice made to have a direct contact with all the eventual customers and be able to free improve the video with new ideas on how to use the gimmick, to give help and tips.

So if you need info or have questions of any kind, I’m here ready to answer.
You can pm me here or on my fb or Insta page, I’m usually connected and ready.
I want to say again thanks to everyone who bought it or got interested in it, and to say I’m very happy to be among a group of people like you, curious, smart and interested in giving a chance to an homemade product, is a little dream becoming true.

And a thanks even for your attention and your time in reading all this.
Have a nice magic day.

Livio
countrymaven
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PLease get in touch with some big dealers. They are not just "Resellers". They also develop, refine and greatly improve ideas and routines!!!! Many ideas like this have come to them and they have added some slight improvements that made magic classic and reliable. You have a very good idea. But it needs to be improved. The right magic dealer can do this with you and also help you profit more than you would on your own. Just trying to encourage you. I appreciate the great idea!!
Joaquin
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Countrymen since you claimed that you re engineering it and have a better holdout or improvement based on his concept why don’t you share it at least with Livio. If you are going to provide a critic make it constructive and suggest him how to improve it.

I thought This was a place for magicians to help magicians
Joaquin
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Otherwise what is the point of telling everyone here that you developed a superior holdout.
countrymaven
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Hi Joaquin, if he just follows my advice, he will find a big dealer to help him. To improve it and make money from it.
on what you recently asked, to reveal what I had worked so hard on. It actually became a far better holdout. able to drop several coins and even one coin, then three big coins silently. jUst as invisible as the Thing....but totally different. much more sturdy and reliable. The problem is, some of the best magic takes so much work, it is never shared. It is often not worth marketing it... China will copy it in a week. This is a place for magicians to help each other, and I helped him if he will take my advice. But this site is not a place where people give away everything they worked so hard on for nothing.
SlightlyTipsyMagic
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For Joaquin - 👍🏻 Spot on brother!
Max T. Oz
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I'll just add a couple things that may interest those that have or plan on.

The material used to build the hold-out varies. The material I use I purchased at Home Depot of all places. It is, shall we say, slightly more robust and size I like.
The amount of force required to release can be adjusted to the amount of material used. You can make it 'hair-trigger' or requiring much more.

The hold-out is really a Utility device that you can put on or take off in a flash.
As for the movement required to load and unload an object....in real world dynamics, it shouldn't be a problem at all. Like the classic pass or many other movements, it takes very little misdirection to take the focus off the hand if needed.

How one uses it is totally up to them. There are some ideas in Livio's vids, but I'm sure each user will find their own individual use. The clothing you wear may also be a factor. It works perfect for my attire, others may have to use differently.

Here is a quick, very informal, one shot vid I just did. Simple steal of the coin. Easy fast with the wand adding a bit of misdirection.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2LqxVtAgu0

Overall, I'm having fun exploring ideas & uses.
gallagher
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Hey Max(!),
your German's getting better and better!
,...your Sleight-of-Hand has ALWAYS been 'spitze'! 🍻

I enjoy your thoughts on 'der Ding'.
Danke,
guazelli
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Max, really love the video, and thanks for the kind words.
You should try the unload of the coin, think would make the routine more magical and the wand is a really good idea to help covering the action.
Still a great one, in my opinion.

Livio
gaddy
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I just bought this after the discussion here. It's certainly a "why didn't I think of that" type of thing. Extremely clever, actually.

If I would have bought it without this thread, I would have been very dubious that it would work as smoothly as advertised. Bit now I am very excited to get going with this gimmick.

Thanks all!
*due to the editorial policies here, words on this site attributed to me cannot necessarily be held to be my own.*
gaddy
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I thought of a way to improve the gimmick, PM me for details, if you've purchased "the thing" contributed to this thread already. I'd be happy to share.
*due to the editorial policies here, words on this site attributed to me cannot necessarily be held to be my own.*
countrymaven
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Here I want to personally thank the creator of this holdout. Sorry no other holdout can drop coins into your hand when your hand merely taps your side. No curling of the fingers, no going under anything, ok? Even more, the effect of this on people close up is nothing short of a miracle. I like to finish a coin trick, in short sleeves, they can burn my hands, and produce like 3 big coins from nowhere. Or get change, and say there must be something wrong, showing my hands and the small coins from the change in an ultra clean way. Bam, three big coins come from nowhere.
So although I may differ some in my mechanism etc.,... I do want to thank the creator of this for what is nothing short of a miracle, for spectators, at least.
guazelli
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Gaddy, thanks for the review.
I'm the guy behind THE THING and hope to have permission to PM you to ask about your improvement giving some ideas back.
Someone asked me to create a group where to discuss about it and give advices and ideas...don't really know how to, but in case would be really great because I think the gimmick is a little open world
where everybody can help making it better.

Livio
Zauberman
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I think that would be an excellent idea Livio. Like you said, "the gimmick is an open world" with many ideas to explore.
The trick would be to make it accessible only to those who have purchased it from you.
Perhaps a closed Facebook Group, only accessible to approved members by an administrator?
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Nothing up my sleeve... » » My thumbs up for THE THING THAT NEVER WAS holdout (31 Likes)
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