If you are Canadian then GET the raven. Canadian coins work very well with the Raven. You can always borrow a coin, and never have to switch it out.

The Raven is a well-made utility device that delivers exactly what it advertises; the vanish of a coin or other small object right from a spectator's hand. Anyone seeing David Blaine vanish the quarter from the kids’ hand in his first TV special will attest to how magical it looks. It is best used with a jacket or with long sleeves.

However, I personally don’t like it. In my mind it is a utility prop that in its incarnation as the Raven is too limited for what I would want to use it for. As a one trick pony (vanish a gimmicked coin) it excels, but that is much too limiting for me.
Don’t get me wrong I love the principle! I have been using the principle for almost 20 years before the Raven was produced. I love the idea of being able to vanish small objects that are borrowed, especially if the objects are not metal (or not needing to be gimmicked as with the Raven)! The principle method of moving the Raven “gizmo” (that which makes the Raven the Raven) is based on a very, very old idea. Charley Miller had a version (his hold out), as did Eddie Joseph and Al Cohen. Heck. Michael Lair has a neat gimmick that can be found in his book “Silver” which is based on the same principal. Michael’s book was out over 10 years before the Raven. In my opinion Al Cohen’s “Incredi-go” is a better value, more versatile, and does everything the Raven does AND MORE!

Try this: have a spectator put a borrowed book of matches on her outstretched palm. Cover it briefly with your palm and wave your other hand above both. Slowly move your palm-down hand away from her palm-up hand, turning yours palm-up in the process. Poof, the matches are gone! If you want, you can go to your jacket pocket and produce them! No gimmicked matchbook! Try that with a RAVEN! You can’t do it with a normal, ungimmicked, borrowed matchbook using the RAVEN!!!
Yes, you could gimmick the matchbook and that is exactly what I dislike about the Raven! I don’t like having to buy special coins (of course you don’t have to if you live in some countries like Canada or China) that can be picked up by the Raven; I don’t like having to gimmick every little thing that I want to vanish. That is exactly why I use a traditional hold out! They do the same thing without the “M*****”! The Miller, the Joseph, and Al Cohen’s Incredi-go are all ready to go with ANY small ungimmicked item, be it a coin, lighter, credit card, paper money, etc. Why limit yourself? The Raven can only be used with special objects (or objects that have been gimmicked to be special).
The reel version of the Raven is NO value added in my mind! Technology used where technology is absolutely not needed! It only increases the already steep price of this gimmick. Not to mention having to spend more money for the gimmicked coins and so forth (The Raven Prop pack! Really!). So for about $100.00 you can vanish your own coin slowly and openly or you can take some time and gimmick up some of your own things and vanish them. Whoopie! With one of the homemade models (or Al’s $10.00 version) you can vanish ANY small object from anyone at anytime. Hummmmm.
Using one of the other devices mentioned, this effect becomes a slow-motion-in-the-spectator's-hands-vanish-of-their-object! Almost impromptu! It never fails to floor the spectator

Well said, Mr. Harry!! Many thanks.

alleycat