Ellusionist is an online retailer specializing in the magic world. This summer, the Ellusionist’s How to Be a Magician kit ($69) and the How to Read Minds kit ($119) could be just the thing to keep you or your child’s mind stimulated.
I checked these two kits out alongside a professional magician who has been studying and performing for over 20 years. His expertise lies mostly in platform and close-up magic but he is well versed in mentalism, stage, and other illusions.
The How to Be A Magician kit comes with a box of props and two DVDs that teach a total of 47 tricks. It’s recommended for ages 10 and up but after reviewing this hand in hand with a professional magician, we think the kit fits ages 12 and up. There are some more advanced techniques taught that might frustrate a younger magician but there are also a high number of quality tricks taught that anyone can learn.
The mentalism kit also comes with a box of props and is far more advanced. Personally, we think it would be helpful to have some background in magic to fully appreciate and understand what is going on. I would put this kit at ages 16 and up.
How to Be A Magician Kit (a.k.a beginner’s kit)
What you learn
- Thumb tip
- Rubber band tricks
- A selection of card and coin tricks
- Bite a coin in half, then blow it back together
- Pull a silk from a “hole” in the middle of your hand
- Vanish a cigarette
- Move objects without touching them
- Teleport items into another person’s hand
- And more.
What we liked
- There are some very powerful beginner effects.
- Most of the props are easy to work with.
- You get a high number of tricks/props for the money considering it is a beginner’s kit.
- When they teach the thumb tip, it is beautifully taught and performed.
- They teach the “crazy man handcuffs” trick very well.
- The kit is well organized and well made.
- You get taught more than just what props are in the kit such as card tricks and coin tricks.
- They demonstrate a lot of their tricks out in the open with real people so you can see the power of the effect on audiences.
- Starts out slow and moves into the more advanced stuff.
What we didn’t like
- Videography was not the greatest. At times, the footage was great and professional. At times, it was like someone was shooting it and editing it on their phone.
- Some of the effects/methods in the videos are too advanced for beginners (example: thread work).
- There would be a discussion about a trick you can do with a particular effect/method but then it would not be taught.
- More than once, there is a method taught far more complicated than it actually has to be.
- The cigarette vanish is not something we would put in a kit meant for this age range.
How to Read Minds Kit (a.k.a mentalist kit)
What you learn
- How to read someone’s mind and reveal their phone passcode
- Predict choices
- Draw an object that someone else secretly draws
- Guess a serial number on a borrowed bill
- And more.
What we liked
- You have everything in the kit you need to do the tricks.
- Some well-known names in the magic world teach the effects.
- Not for beginners but something up-and-coming magician can grow into.
Overall, a beautiful kit and set up.
What we didn’t like
- The book test is our least favorite trick taught. That particular version is extremely simple and you really need to know your audience in order to get away with it.
- The very first trick taught requires a good grasp of a card move that if you’re a beginner, you won’t have enough knowledge of it to do the rest of the trick.
After reviewing both kits we have come to the following conclusions:
Of the two kits, the mentalism kit is far better taught, there are better tricks, and it’s worth every penny of the retail $119. Overall, it’s just a wonderful kit for any experienced magician looking to get into a new realm of magic and has a world of possibilities.
Don’t get me wrong though. The beginner’s kit has some great stuff in it for $69, but the quality of the videography is its Achilles heel. It would have been nice to see a more constant quality in the videos. Despite that, it’s a great value for the money, and putting it up against other beginner’s kits out there, it stands in a ring by itself.
If you or someone you know is interested in learning magic, the How to Be A Magician kit is a great value for the money and you can learn some quality tricks. If you already have some knowledge of the magic world, the How to Read Minds kit is the way to go. It has a wide range of tricks, great props, and is just a wonderful kit as a whole. There are tricks in the How to Read Minds kit that anyone can learn that fit in the realm of “beginner” but there is equally enough to challenge the more seasoned magician.
And once you get your chops wet, check out Ellusionist’s other products including props, tricks, and more.
The How to Be A Magician kit retails for $69 and the How to Read Minds kit retails for $119. You can purchase both on Ellusionist’s website.
Disclaimer: GeekMom was sent a review sample.
