Solari's Wallet" by Bob Solari

Hold onto your hats. here's one of the BEST prediction effect to come down the pike. Here’ the effect as it read from Bob’s website (http://www.gmrcreations.com/bob/under15.htm )

Effect: Magician/mentalist places a small leather wallet on table in full view. Magician opens wallet to show a single face down prediction playing card. Wallet is closed. Magician hands a volunteer a deck of cards. Volunteer is instructed to thoroughly mix the cards and to cut the deck. Volunteer turns over top card. Magician opens wallet and has the volunteer remove the single prediction card. THEY MATCH!

Well, it performs exactly as it reads. The Wallet is a BEAUTIUFUL leather Wallet. The method is super clean. The deck is not gaffed ( thanks heavens ). It can be used as a prediction, a force, in fact, I think you could build an entire act around it.

The Price? $15.00. UNREAL. Bob gives the best value for the buck in Magic. He really cares about Magic and his customers.
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...The best thing about this little gem is that you can literally throw the wallet down or handle it at finger-tips.

Highly recommended!


Dr. Zordas

Is the card being force in some way.

No force. That's the beauty of it.

I have it as well - perfectly impromptu - I've always been more than pleased with anything I've purchased from solaris magic co. And he ships fast!

So it works with any random select card, is the wallet big and bulky.

The leather wallet is slightly larger than a Bicycle (Poker) card - and there is only one card in the wallet at all times...


Dr. Zordas

So if there's only one prediction card in the wallet and the spectator is instructed to thoroughly mix the cards and to cut the cards that means the card is being force onto the spectator by him or her self.

This is a great trick, for the price you will use this.
Steve

In the spirit of the Café, "Magicians helping Magicians, I feel compelled to report that the effect as stated in the first post neglects to mention that the wallet is temporarily placed on the cards before the cut-to card is turned over, which is the kind of detail that a potential purchaser might want to know beforehand.
And as far as the spectator is concerned, the chosen card is a random one. I'm not quite sure how one of the above claims is being made...

Could not agree more. To me, this is a huge point. It means that the item becomes the same as at least 5 other items I have. In fact, one of the items I have is by Bob Solari except that an envelope is used instead of a wallet.

I was saved on this because I saw a video demo on the item. Don't get me wrong, in and of itself the trick is OK. But for those of us with 5+ identical method tricks in the drawer, we'd want to know this.

Gianni

I have always had a good experience with ALL of Bobs magic!

I have always had a good experience with ALL of Bobs magic!

The ad for Solari's Wallet at his website fail to mention about the wallet is temporarily placed on the cards before the cut-to card is turned over, I was thinking of getting it, not sure now.

There's an online video here:
http://www.thetrickery.com/?nd=full&key=6437

You can decide for your self. It's only $10 and the wallet is beautiful ( leather ).

OK, Bob Solari has done it again. He takes old as mud concepts and does a little updating and sometimes adds a novel prop approach and markets it. Now does it with an old Arthur Carter idea (he gives no credit to anyone in his very brief instruction sheets).

It was a little gem that was created by Arthur Carter and required NO SPECIAL GIMMICK or SPECIAL WALLET. Arthur released it as “Out of this Wallet”. All that is really necessary to perform the effect is a prediction card (I use a bridge card with a parrot back design) and a deck of cards (any deck will work, I use a standard poker size deck), a sealed envelope with the prediction card inside (yes the actual prediction card is inside the envelope BEFORE the trick begins), and an ordinary wallet. The routine is based on subtlety not gimmicks. The handling is brilliant. It is almost impromptu! I have actually managed to perform it using a borrowed deck.

Bob has taken the methodology and simplified it (yes simplified) by making a small leather ID or business card folder (not really a wallet in the strictest sense of the word) do the dirty work for you.

Honestly, while Bob’s routine passes and is OK it is not the strongest use of the prop. There are a number of stronger presentations that can be done (with a little thought).

For example I recommend that you have a spectator shuffle the cards and then deal them one at a time, slowly dropping them form 8 or 10 inches from the table (to make a disarrayed pile), until they feel they want to stop. When they stop, you simply drop the wallet on top of the stack of dealt cards. The spectator opens the wallet, takes out the prediction card and then turns over the top card of the stack. They will match!

Let me say that I have performed Carter’s version for over 20 years without anyone challenging the fact that an envelope is dropped on a stack of cards. I have been using Solari’s prop for about 10 shows (I’ve only had it a week) with the handling outlined above, and no one has remarked that I dropped the wallet on the cards.

This is the same weakness as found with the Mullica Card to Wallet Routine, the Viking Simplex-Pro no palm routine, the Simplex Card To Wallet, and Mark Mason’s Mirage Wallet. With a good routine, and casual handling the brief touch of the wallet to the deck of cards flies by. In this case the wallet is used as a marker casually tossed on the stack of cards.

In all it is more than worth the $10.00 Mr. Solari is asking for it. You get a nice little leather business card or ID folder/wallet and a decent playing card prediction routine.

Good review, Harry! Thanks.

Robert

Harry Murphy

I watch the demo and I know how the trick is done I was just wondering can the ID folder be handed out for inspection afterwards.

Leave it to Harry Murphy to knwo the origin's of the effect and to tip a great handling with Bob's wallet.

Thanks, Harry!!!!

In a word, no. The wallet cannot be examined because of two factors. Done properly, however, why would the wallet require examination? Is there a full deck hidden therein?

Dr. Zordas