*** you guys being so impressed.

Now look what you have gone and done. I just placed an order.

Yes, the very first reply on this thread is me saying I'm going to leave this one for the pros...

I love the book. I would beg anyone who buys it to see past the routine being offered, & look at what is possible.

Nathan

I watched the demo and TedX video. Pure and simple with GREAT IMPACT! Nate's presentation is what makes the Lottery Ticket Illusion so powerful. I like that Nate does not mention anything about lottery numbers until the very end. For some audience members, they have no idea what is about to happen. I Think 300.00 is good price even if you do have to invest in the extras. I spent 950.00 dollars on a Kevin James snow animator 2 and still had to buy 250.00 cross cut shredder to get the snow balls that Kevin uses in his own show. Is it worth it? For some, No. For me, Yes.

I purchased the book today. The book shipped today and I received a very nice e-mail from Nate stating "If you have any questions after you spend some time with it please don't hesitate to write. It is important to me that you are happy with your purchase and I'm glad to help in any way that I can".

This makes me feel like I did when I was a kid going to the magic shop, every Saturday morning. Only 150 magicians in the world will own a copy of Nate's effect which is timeless and much more than just a magic trick.

Can't wait to get the book.

Kenny

I couldn't agree more. Yes, I bought the book for one reason and one reason alone--- to learn the Lottery Illusion. But it has taught me so much more

Searching the web there is hardly anything on the lottery illusion. This is a good thing don't get me wrong. It just seems as though the only place this is being offered is here at the Café.

I'm glad the comments on the book are good ones. Gota love the limited editions. Not that this is very important but does anybody know if these are numbered?..

Really looking fowared to recieving this. Now we wait...

Yep, they're numbered (48/150). Probably over a third of the books are sold by now - pretty impressive.

Exactly 98 left.

On a side note if you're looking for a different version checkout Alexander Marsh on the Confessions of Real Mind Readers. He talks about his version that he uses as the closer for his show. I just listened to this yesterday. It uses a real lottery ticket, but you can't show it close-up and printed like Nate's version. Really cool, different approach though.

Hi

I made a payment for my copy of the book on saturday 2012.05.19 and I have not heard anything yet. Has anybody else experienced this? Everybody else got their book shipped so fast so I got a little worried...that's all. Maybe Nate is on tour or something?

The Confessions of Real Mind Readers site is pretty awesome. And yes, Alexander Marsh version of the lottery illusion is also very cool...by the way.

Just got an email from Nate. Everything is peaches and cream!

I've been waiting on this one for quite a while; glad to see Nate finally released it. My order is in.

Mine arrived in Scotland last week. Number 3

I have received a couple pms about this book. I hope everyone who has purchased this exclusive item will keep the exclusivity in mind. I have no problem giving this book the highest recommendation but do not want to give any specifics. Lets keep this one close to our vest.

Hello Magic Café-

First off, let me say that while I've had an active account here for quite some time, I have never actually posted anything, so I'll do my best to be as to-the-point as possible.

Second, I must preface this review by saying that I do not personally know Nate Staniforth, and while we have exchanged a few emails in the last week, I have never met him, nor do I have any personal connection to him or anyone in his immediate circle.

I felt it proactive to write this review as someone who actually purchased the Lottery Ticket book from Nate (13/150), as I feel I can definitely add some weight to the discussion as someone who has read and reread the book, as opposed to those who speculate as to its quality and practicality.

The book itself is printed very beautifully on glossy paper and is professionally bound. There are tons of photographs accompanying the explanations. The photos that correspond to the descriptions are not numbered to match the instructions, however it is very easy to follow along.

Nate goes into very fine detail about each and every component. Most if not all of us are familiar with the standard format of how magic books are laid out: here's the word EFFECT:, here's the description of the effect, here's the word EXPLANATION:, and so on. If you own The Complete Works Of Derek Dingle, you know sometimes you don't even get a description of what the effect is, you're just left to perform it for yourself and see what the outcome is as it happens. As is the case here, Nate has broken down the book into very distinct sections: he describes the effect- and we all know what it is by now- then follows with brief descriptions of exactly what the methods are (both Basic and Advanced). And only after he has gone over many points does he actually get into the construction of the methods. Nothing is left out. He tells you what you'll need, and he explains everything very effectively and to the point. In other words, he doesn't go on for pages and pages to make it seem daunting. Suffice it to say, a description may only last 2-3 pages, but be prepared to do some serious work while you're reading and rereading them.

There are 3 basic methods explained, and 6 advanced. Neither option is necessarily easier to perform than the other, it's simply a matter of the appropriate method to use in the given situation. In other words, whereas in one scenario one of the basics would work out better, its not always going to be the case in another. The point is: neither basic nor advanced will really save you much in the leg work- its situational every time. Think of it like this- I have to vanish a cigarette; do I use a Tip, or will the environment be such that angles on a pull would be ok? As a side note, Nate also emphatically states that his hope is that readers DON'T use his methods verbatim, that instead they use the book as a conduit for finding their own methods that work for THEM. This is a point a lot of magicians make, but few rarely follow.

Besides discussing methodology, the book also goes into the situations one might encounter, and how really thinking about that situation would fit the trick. Because that's the point the book makes more than any, which I think is something most would gloss over: the Lottery Ticket effect is not built to be everything to every situation. Its not going to be the thing you do every time you go out of the house. To paraphrase the text- you have to commit to performing the effect (wherever it may be), and only THEN can you start to consider the method that is most appropriate. Also included are 2 of the better anecdotal performance stories I've ever read- one involving the effect performed for a single reporter at a coffee house, the other being the infamous story of Nate performing it at the home of a well-known mentalist. As a side note- while many people know OF the story, to read the details of how it happened is absolute genius. Thinking like this is what makes me think Nate should be involved in the Space Program. Amazing.

The rest of what's contained in the book mostly pertains to methodology, so I really won't go into it. But to his credit, he has left no stone unturned in his quest to bring his effect to those of us who are intrigued by it and want a good challenge in order to create what the audience will view as a miracle. You've seen the videos- people are not disappointed.

In reading other posts in this thread (not all of them, just some), I am finding that a lot of people are really focused on the wrong thing. Firstly, not everyone will buy this book because of the price, and of those that do, not everyone will actually go through the trouble of constructing and arranging it. That's right- arranging. Honestly, I'd be happy if Nate sold out all 150 copies and no one but me wanted to put in the work. Ah, in a perfect world...

Getting back to my point, I'm just going to say this, and it's going to be a bitter pill for some of you to swallow, but we must accept this as fact: The Lottery Ticket was not created for every magician to perform. Plain and simple. If it was, I'm sure Nate would have had no problem mass-marketing it as opposed to the limited edition approach (more on that coming). In the introduction, Nate talks about his fondness for The Mind and Magic of David Berglas, and on the publication page at the beginning, he pays an interesting tribute to it. On the page, clearly written are the words "Limited To One Hundred and Fifty Copies for professional performers (italics used by me to emphasize)". You've been warned.

Anyone who gives the price as a reason not to buy it, these are the people who don't need the effect in their show. Well, why is that? Right off the bat, while the price for the book is quite high ($YOUKNOWHOWMUCHITCOSTS), it's not like you're buying a Steinmeyer illusion, or an animator from Kevin James. But something needs to be kept in mind- you're not buying a book, you're buying a SYSTEM. You're not getting one method, you're getting close to 10! You're also not buying a trick someone came up with and threw up on the internet- you're buy THE bread-and-butter effect from the creator himself, which obviously has been (and continues to be) a labor of love to him for many years. So if you scoff at the price for what you get, you're just not commanding the performances or venues to justify the price- and that's ok. Most people (myself included) can pay the expense off with 1, maybe 2, performances. If you work regularly and the effect appeals to you, it's a no-brainer. If you're a restaurant guy, or you do weddings, this effect is not suitable, plain and simple. Now you don't have to argue with yourself over the "should I, shouldn't I?" Take it from me (and I'm nobody)- you shouldn't.
Also of interest to me as something that should be pointed out, a lot of people seem to be concerned about this point/rumor that you're "spending a grand" on top of a $300 book. Let me be clear- this is a misquote. Clearly stated by Nate on his website (thelotteryillusion.com), if you wanted a COMPLETE system for performing the effect, that is, the means to perform any one of the 10 methods at any time, buying all of the materials at once would cost you such an amount. But again for clarity, it is NOT essential to spend that kind of money to perform the illusion. One could very easily purchase the necessary components over time, and in that time, still be able to perform the effect using a single method. And again, I'm driving the point home- if your reasoning behind not getting it is the price, then you shouldn't be even considering it, because you already know the effect isn't for you, and as such, it'll sit on your shelf and collect dust. But those of us that see the greatness in the effect and it's potential know that something this powerful will pay for itself... quickly.

Please be aware I am in no way denouncing anyone's opinions or interested in starting an online war of words. My intention in writing this is to actually quell some of the fears and hesitations of those who want more info but don't want to find out the hard way that this isn't a take-it-out-of-the-box-and-do-it effect. This piece will take work. It will take time. It will take a lot of effort. I have barely left my work space this week because of all the compiling and constructing. It's not for everyone, and if it's not for you, don't feel bad or like you're missing out. Personally, I don't do kids shows, so I don't own typical things like Hippity Hop Rabbits or Topsy Turvy Bottles. One of my favorite pieces of magic since childhood is Harry Anderson's TTB, I love it, but I am mature enough to know that the trick just doesn't fit my style or persona, and so I leave it to those that will do it justice. That's the point a lot of young magicians nowadays are missing out on- they see something on tv and wanna run out and do it. This is why we're seeing a disgusting amount of exposure and tutorials and things like that pop up. The Lottery is no different- we need to be brave enough to say "it's cool, but it's not for me", and this way the price doesn't even need to be an issue. Spend it on something you'll use- and go out and do it better than anybody else!

About a year ago, after giving up on Nate ever releasing the effect, I constructed a makeshift lottery effect combining ideas from Anthony Owen and the old Predicta trick, which worked just fine. But I didn't want that effect, I wanted THIS one- the one Nate created and David Blaine did on tv (which btw is discussed in brief). So to do that, I needed the method, which I investigated every chance I could. Ironically, I thought of an idea very similar to what Nate's method is, and I did what I accused the audience earlier of doing- I dismissed it. That in and of itself, is what makes me so very excited to perform it. The fact that the absolute devious nature by which the effect is executed makes me giddy as a school girl- to know that I have the audacity to pull it off, god- this is what makes me feel alive on stage!! Michael Ammar might in this case use his "leading them down the garden path and turning the hose on them" analogy. Write your own jokes and place them (here).

Nate wrote me an email after I'd complained to him via his Twitter account, because honestly, I wasn't crazy about his releasing it- A) because it had taken me so long to find a workable solution myself, and B) (and you know you've done this yourself), because I love the trick so much and felt as if no one but me deserved to have it. And he responded to me in the best way possible- he said not to worry because it's only going to be limited to 150 copies, and that the trick is better served to be "appreciated by those few than continue to live as a legend". That shows to me an eloquence and maturity and professionalism that is so lacking these days- not just in magic, but in the world itself. That one statement alone addresses the necessity of the limit- the Lottery Illusion doesn't belong to magic, or the world; it belongs to the person (or people) who love it enough to put in the work to do it justice in a way that properly serves the effect. That's why it's so strong. It's NOT Hippity Hop Rabbits- it's not sponge balls or a Tip, or a Svengali Deck. That's why it's so good.

Again, sorry for the long review/soap box sermon. I hope at the very least I've helped a few of you feel more comfortable about making the right decision regarding getting the book or not. If I've left anything out feel free to PM me, although Nate is very good about answering any emails regarding concerns about the effect. And please don't ask me to tip anything so as to help you decide- if this 4 page tirade doesn't help you, nothing will.

Thanks for taking the time to read this (if you've made it this far). Good luck to Nate, and kudos to him for creating such a great illusion (though he claims it remains a work-in-progress, and is far from perfect). The only thing I ask of you all is...

Please don't buy it, just send Nate money because he's a nice guy. But if you do, don't bother performing it.

I'm the only one who deserves it

G'nite all.

What he said.

e

Great and honest review to the point. Jan

One of the most well written reviews I've ever read on the Café.

Thanks for the kind words- I really tried to do a service to both the effect and to the thread. And I applaud you guys for suffering through the length, I realize it's very talkie. Looking forward to getting more involved in the future.

Looks as though half of the books are now sold. Now that I have ordered I just wish the rest would dissappear. How very selffish of me..