Hi again guys, now this looks impressive is it worth it? and can you switch anything other then cards?
And cheapest site to buy it from in the uk?
Also cheapest place for loops??
(I am on a tight budget...but only want top quality, lol)

Paul

Get the video. It's full of good Ideas and tricks.

magiclee

My friend has one of these and to be honest I find it large, obtrusive and unnecesary. It's certainly not worth the money in my opinion!

Did it not come with instructions?

The cheapest place to buy it in the UK would be from Mark Mason at JB magic who produced it. Anyone else in the UK that stocked it would have to obtain it through a U.S. wholesaler.

It's a clever idea, for the right scenario. If you walked around tables it could be useful (I described a routine for it in one of my Mindful Mentalism books)or utilised it in a stand up performance. But, if you were performing close up walking around a reception where you are stood almost shoulder to shoulder with groups then it is not recommended as people can see down into your top pocket.

Doesn't have to be cards you switch, you could swap small envelopes. Have three people seal three treasury bills in envelopes for instance (you later reveal the serial numbers.) Actually I just thought of that now, might dig out the prop, lol.

Paul.

I think it is a waste of money.

In talking with the creator of this item, Russ Niedzwiecki, Russ discussed the original prototype which was made of a different material, much thinner/sleeker, and a few additional design changes that, in my opinion, were much better. I guess the result that is on the market was made this way to save money in manufacturing. The concept is very good but I was disappointed when I purchased this as it was just too big and bulky. It's a shame that the original design by Russ was not used in manufacturing. I saw several top names use this though and fried people. It does have some cool applications but you will have to contend with the gimmick as it is.

Tim Trono

Would agree with Tim on the production values. It needs to be sleeker. It's okay in some jacket pockets, but very obtrusive in a shirt unless it's coloured or has a pattern. Great idea, shame about the finished product.

I have seen lots of people buy it,

Haven't seen one person using it.
(Including myself)

Cheers

The problem is it's bulky and can only be used once a performance. You have to have a shirt pocket (that already excludes me), but here's my big problem - whether the cards seem to stay in view or not, placing a packet of cards in your pocket and then pulling them out a few seconds later still strikes me as a little suspicious. Whether the spectators think some sort of switch has happened or not, they'll have something that leads them in the right direction toward the secret. Something must've happened when you placed them in your pocket. If there's no table nearby it may look innocent enough, but I can't see purchasing this thing based on one performing situation.

While I have not used it in quite a while... I found that using it as its most basic function did have a great effect upon laypeople (the group that people often forget we are performing for). A very basic effect is simply having someone choose a forced card and than placing it back into the deck...having them choose another card, that is not there chosen card, that you then place very cleanly into your pocket... blah blah blah the card in your pocket, IN PLAIN VIEW THE WHOLE TIME, is their card.

The Switch-a-roo basically allows you to do an examinable DL. I would use it for my table hopping routine and always have two decks on me, each with a specific force card. So that as I performed I would go back and forth between the decks as I went from table to table, switching one force card for the next at each table.

Though I do agree that the design could be made much slimmer, I am not putting anything else in that pocket if I am using it.

Mat

If you are only switching a few cards, make your own but slim it down. I used one for a while, then made a slimmer one after the original broke. It's a good method (not great) that can be duplicated using sleights. Reguardless of the method, there are plenty of routines you could use this in (to end clean in Hollingworth's Ace Assembly for example) Also try forcing a card and then introduce a blank card that you claim to be a new xerox invention. A second or two in the darkroom(pocket) and voila a perfect duplicate.

Do "Aces Supreme" and "Signed Card Transposition" from the Switch-A-Roo video and you will know just how powerful this little jewel is!

Michael Close uses one for his Pothole Trick when he works.

Thanks guys, I have decided against buying it,

Cheers, Paul

Can you decribe the prop? (not the workings, but thickness,size , etc.- is it self-contained?)

Mentomas--I just received mine--It is self-contained--but it is a little"bulky" since they used a plastic that is thick--size is about 1/2" larger than a poker size card--and about 1/2" thick.
Now that I can see the works--I will probably construct a thinner version--we'll see if it works

Gene B

Are you sure about the size? I saw Switch... and it seems to be bigger than 1/2" thick?(I do not have switch a doo),but...

I think it should be dunkarooed in the trashcanaroo. Talk about a solution in search of a problem.

I have it, a friend bought it and gave it to me... and I put it in my drawer.
Someone told me the video has some neat routine, but I don't have it.

Michael

I was looking for the Switch-A-Roo and found this new release: https://www.penguinmagic.com/p/S32693

It looks amazing, but as I never have seen something like this in person, I don´t know how smooth and invisible this will work in real life.