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THE TOP MENTALISM PRODUCTS OF 2011

December 27, 2011

2011 is nearly over. Frankly, by mid-year, I thought it
would be pretty easy to compile my top ten. Ha! Leave it
to all those creative performers out there to release a lot
of products and make it difficult for a guy like me to sift
through all the great stuff and decide what's best.

Then again, why should I? I could just go on without doing
this annual exercise. The answer is simple. First, it's
tradition. And, second, it's a way of recognizing for one
final time the products that I really got excited about
during the year. Those products may not be the same
products that you were excited about, but then this is my
list. I must also admit that this is the way I feel about
these products now. If you ask me next month, maybe even as
early as next week, I probably will have a different top ten
for 2011. Be that as it may, here are the picks I'd make
now.

Before getting into the list, though, let me just state my
criteria for choosing the best product of 2011: It's a
product, preferably original, that just about any type of
mentalist can use and in as many venues as possible. Thus,
the single best product should be more versatile than the
others and/or more appealing than the others. It's the one
item of the year that I'd recommend to any mentalist.

I really liked most everything on my list of 2011 favorably
reviewed items (see below). And it was especially hard NOT
to include something in the top ten. As you'll see, I did
cheat a little. But so what. It's my list. It's my rules.

Mostly, take this list for what it is. As I said above,
this is my shot at reminding you about the items that I
particularly liked from this past year, or to inform about
some stuff that I haven't reviewed yet. And, as I said,
feel free to disagree about the top choices, but I think
you'll agree that they all have value to the working
mentalist.

So, without further ado, let's start right out with...

THE BEST MENTALISM PRODUCT OF 2011

*** Gregory Wilson, EXACT CHANGE
To put it simply, this product, which I've had more fun with
than anything other mentalism product this year, fits the
criteria. First, it's about as original as you can get. A
participant names a number between one and a hundred. The
performer then shows that amount of change in an otherwise
empty pocket.

Now, we've seen plenty of the reverse in which the performer
names how much change is in the participant's pocket. Or
the participant chooses a coin which is predicted. But this
take of having the participant name the amount and have that
amount of coins in the performer's pocket, not written on a
piece of paper, is quite refreshing, especially considering
that there is absolutely no force at all.

What's doubly amazing is that the performer is doing exactly
what any participant or audience might think is going on. I
think that's why some performers are turned off by this.
But after performing this a couple of times I realized that
laymen are completely amazed and fooled by this. The
effective boldness of it almost makes one laugh after badly
fooling someone, but, of course, that's not polite to do.

EXACT CHANGE is basically a gimmick that will allow you to
do a variety of different routines, all involving change in
the pocket. I know some who have chided Wilson for merely
taking an already existing commercial product and selling it
as his own creation for a much higher price. I totally
disagree. Wilson has introduced its value to the mentalism
market and created a DVD packed with all sorts of ideas for
this. It's kind of like Columbus. He certainly doesn't get
credit for discovering North America, as he often mistakenly
is, but he does get credit for introducing the New World to
the Europeans and claiming it for Spain. Wilson has taken
this gimmick and introduced its use to mentalists and
magicians. That alone, in my book, earns him the credit.

Though it's made more for impromptu work, EXACT CHANGE can
be done in close-up, parlour or stage. It can be presented
as solid mentalism or mental magic. One can combine a
reading with this based on the number chosen. And there are
a lot of different presentations and methods on the DVD that
will appeal to everyone's style and abilities.

EXACT CHANGE is something I carry around all the time and
it's something I do quite regularly. It's become a favorite
of mine. I know several other mentalists who were also a
bit leery of this before they tried it and it's now their
favorite, too. Its originality, the simplicity of the
gimmick, and its versatility are the big reasons why I've
singled this out as the best of the year. Oh, yeah, and
it's just plain fun to do.

http://www.marketplaceofthemind.com/exacchan.html

THE REST OF THE TOP TEN (alphabetically by creator/author):

*** Banachek, PSYCHIC PAD FOLIOHaving just arrived on my desk over this past weekend, I had
to include it in the top ten. For those that have
Banachek's DVD series (which, I'm sure, is most of you),
then you've seen this in action and know what this is. It's
not a peek pad, but it is incredibly versatile, even
allowing you to do incredible Q&A routines.

http://www.marketplaceofthemind.com/psycpad.html

*** Bob Cassidy, 2011 RELEASES: LOGICAL DISCONNECT, HANUSSENBAG, THE RETURN OF THE WHITE DWARF
Okay, so I'm cheating a bit here and including three items
that I co-produced as one entry. Really, though, these are
all great and different products - three of the best that
Cassidy has ever produced - and I can't choose between
"children." THE LOGICAL DISCONNECT is a teleseminar examing
an important concept that many seem to misunderstand. THE
HANUSSEN BAG is an incredible and versatile device that
appears like a pocket handkerchief or dinner napkin, and THE
RETURN OF THE WHITE DWARF, a best-selling e-book, is a
second look at a classic Cassidy routine. I truly feel that
all three of these items are must-haves for any mentalist.

LOGICAL DISCONNECT
http://www.marketplaceofthemind.com/logidisc.html
HANUSSEN BAG
http://www.marketplaceofthemind.com/hanubag.html
THE RETURN OF THE WHITE DWARF
http://www.marketplaceofthemind.com/retuwhit.html

*** The Enchantment, ESPIONAGE
Deddy Corbuzier's FREE WILL is one of the most popular
mentalism effects sold today. It's a staple of many
performers impromptu work, if not stage or parlour,
including mine. ESPIONAGE is a trio of effects, one of
which takes FREE WILL to another level. The revelation is
much more visual and the performer doesn't have to touch any
of the items. It can be completely hands off. Without
question, this is the version that I'm using now. The other
two routines in this are good, too.

http://www.marketplaceofthemind.com/espionag.html

*** Scott Grossberg, THE VITRUVIAN SQUARE

There have been many really great reading systems released
in the past year (or two) including my own SECRET SELF
PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE SYSTEM. There is just simply no
excuse anymore not to know some sort of reading system.
And, as I've said before, mentalists are supposed to know
people's thoughts. Knowing how to "read" people shows that
one can read minds. You don't have to be reader. You're
simply telling them a few things about themselves and how
they think. Based on a variation of the Chinese Lo Shu
square, Grossberg's VITRUVIAN SQUARE can encompass just
about every reading oracle or method including Tarot,
palmistry, and numerology, plus it can be combined with
other systems. One can make it as simple or complex as one
likes. For that reason, this is certainly the best of the
newer reading systems.

http://www.marketplaceofthemind.com/vitruvian_square.html

*** Dan Harlan, SPEAK EASY

This is one of the easiest and most versatile two-person
codes I've ever seen. Some people like to work solo, but
there are times when one may want to quickly teach someone a
code. Either the other person can be the receiver or the
performer can be the receiver. Whichever one prefers, this
code is incredibly easy to teach and master. It can
conceivably even be taught to someone just minutes before a
show. In any case, even for someone who doesn't use codes,
this is just good stuff for any mentalist to know.

http://www.marketplaceofthemind.com/speaeasy.html

*** Ted Karmilovich, THE MOTHER OF ALL BOOK TESTS 2.0

When Karmilovich released the original, he set the bar for
book tests. Since that time, self-publishing has flourished
and many have created their own book tests. Many of them
were derivative of the original, if not outright thefts of
ideas. When Karmilovich created this new version, he set
out to again set the bar for book tests. I think he did
that elegantly and successfully.

http://www.marketplaceofthemind.com/MOABT2.html

*** Richard Kaufman, THE BERGLAS EFFECT
The release of this book was a major event and, to many, a
major letdown. It seems that when folks found out that the
solution wasn't quite as clever as they expected and that it
required a skill that most definitely had to be learned,
many were disappointed. Well, I remember learning my first
tricks, many of them classics, and thinking that nobody
would be fooled by them. Ever since, I've been fooled by
the best using the simplest of methods and, in turn, I've
fooled many audiences using methods that I didn't think
would fool anyone (see EXACT CHANGE above).

Without question, the Berglas Effect is one of the greatest
mentalism effects with cards and this book provides loving
detail on this. It's a handsome work, as you'd expect from
Richard Kaufman, and even if you don't perform it, this book
is a fascinating read filled with invaluable insights into a
man who's inarguably a legendary mentalist.

Unfortunately, if you didn't already get this, it's sold
out. You may be able to find someone selling it on eBay.
Another alternative is to get hold of the 2011 Essential
Magic Conference. It's not the book, but Berglas is
interviewed by Max Maven during the conference and they
discuss, demonstrate, and teach the Berglas Effect.

*** Kenton Knepper, 2011` RELEASES: TAROT SIGNS OF INFLUENCE, S.A.R. CARDS, TICK TAROT 2, ESP DRAW AND READPSYCHOLOGICAL READING SYSTEM, PERSONALITY READINGS FORPERFORMERS, GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE, PSYCHIC VISION

This is another toughie as Kenton Knepper put out so much
really good stuff this year that I felt it was hard to
single out just one item. So, like Cassidy, I lumped them
all into one. There's no question that Knepper is one of
our most prolific teachers of mentalism and the output that
he released this year certainly proves it.

TAROT SIGNS OF INFLUENCE
http://www.wonderwizards.com  
S.A.R. CARDS
http://www.marketplaceofthemind.com/sar_cards1.html
TICK TAROT 2
http://www.wonderwizards.com  
ESP DRAW AND READ PSYCHOLOGICAL READING SYSTEM
http://www.marketplaceofthemind.com/esp_draw.html
PERSONALITY READINGS FOR PERFORMERS
http://www.marketplaceofthemind.com/personality_readings.html
GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE
http://www.marketplaceofthemind.com/greamind.html
PSYCHIC VISION
http://www.marketplaceofthemind.com/psycvisi.html

*** Rainer Mees & Thomas Heine, DEPICTING THOUGHTS SET

There is one word to describe Paralabs' products: elegant.
Paralabs has taken the Mental Pictoria concept and made
something quite astounding. Fifty drawings and each one is
cleverly designed so that you essentially have a marked
deck. The deck even comes in an elegant box. Even more
elegant is the handsomely produced book that contains the
instructions. Despite its elegance (oh, how many times can
I say that word?), the cards look and feel like they are
just ordinary line drawings on cardstock. This is both an
impressive set and an impressively useful and practical set
of props as well.

http://www.marketplaceofthemind.com/depicting_thoughts.html


And that concludes my list of what I found to be my top ten
picks of 2011. Really, I had a hard time deciding between
some items. I did contemplate doing an honorable mention or
runner-up list, but I feel that just about everything that I
favorably reviewed is an honorable mention or runner-up, so
here's the complete list of favorably reviewed items from
2011. It has been updated since I sent it to you last week
as I realized there are a few items I had overlooked. (And
there are probably others, too, ...*sigh*)


2011'S FAVORABLY REVIEWED PRODUCTS:
GT SPEEDREADER MARKED DECK
Pablo Amira, IDEAS VOL. 1: PENDULUMS
Astor, THE DESIRE TEST
Banachek, PSYCHIC PAD FOLIO
Paul Carnazzo, HIP-KNOW-THERAPY
Bob Cassidy, THE LOGICAL DISCONNECT
Bob Cassidy, THE HANUSSEN SWITCH BAG
Bob Cassidy, RETURN OF THE WHITE DWARF
Tony Chris, TIME KEEPER
Walter Davis, FACE READING FOR MENTALISTS
Walter Davis, THE MONKEY WALLET
Walter Davis, THE SNAKE CHARMER
John Derris, KISS
Wayne Dobson, PERSONAL FX
Iain Dunford, MANNERISMS
Iain Dunford, PROFEIGN
Iain Dunford, THOUGHT PATHS
Iain Dunford, VOWELS
Doug Dyment, R2D2
Mark Elsdon, MENTALISM REVEALS
Mark Elsdon, MENTALISM REVEALS VOLUME II
The Enchantment, ESPIONAGE
Max Gordon, THE LOST SYMBOL
Scott Grossberg, THE VITRUVIAN SQUARE
Dan Harlan, SPEAKEASY
Ben Harris, PSI-POKER
Rebecca Harris, MIND FLUFF
Dale A. Hildebrandt, EIGHT EXERCISES PLUS
Luke Jermay, BUILDING BLOCKS (reissue)
Luke Jermay, THE THREE TYPES
Ted Karmilovich, THE MOTHER OF ALL BOOK TESTS 2.0
Richard Kaufman, THE BERGLAS EFFECT
Kenton Knepper, ESP DRAW AND READ PSYCHOLOGICAL READING
SYSTEM
Kenton Knepper, GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE
Kenton Knepper, PERSONALITY READINGS FOR PERFORMERS
Kenton Knepper, S.A.R. CARDS
Kenton Knepper, TAROT SIGNS OF INFLUENCE
Kenton Knepper, TAROT TICK SHEET 2
Devin Knight, 2011 LECTURE NOTES
Devin Knight, THREE MIND MIRACLES
Pete McCabe, THE PM CARD MARKING SYSTEM
Colin McLeod, FACADE
Rainer Mees & Thomas Heine, IGNIS FATUUS
Rainer Mees & Thomas Heine, DEPICTING THOUGHTS
Dean Montalbano, TEA LEAF READING DVD
Alain Nu, PSYCHO-CHRONETIC
David Numen, THE ABNORMAL LIFT
Stefan Olschewski, MES(S)MERIZE
Richard Osterlind, LIVE...WITHOUT A NET
Richard Osterlind, MIND MYSTERIES GUIDE BOOK 6
Richard Osterlind, MIND MYSTERIES GUIDE BOOK 7
Richard Osterlind, PRINCIPLES OF MENTALISM
Paralabs, DEPICTING THOUGHTS
Chris Philpott, INCANDESCENCE
Patrick Redford, DOUBLE FEATURE
Patrick Redford, PENTAGON
Patrick Redford, HANDS OFF
Barrie Richardson, CURTAIN CALL
Paul Romhany, PERFORMING MENTALISM FOR YOUNG MINDS
Neil Scryer, THE PRACTICAL PSYCHIC'S LITTLE BLACK BOOK
Neil Scryer, THE PRACTICAL MENTALIST'S LITTLE WHITE BOOK
T.C. Tahoe, RIDING THE RAINBOW
Peter Tappan, THE IMPOSTRESS PRINCESS (reissue)
Vernet, ALEPH WALLET
Luca Volpe, EMOTIONAL MENTALISM
Luca Volpe and Kenton Knepper, PSYCHIC VISION
Luca Volpe, STONE OF DESTINY
John Wellington Wells, READINGS WITH SPIRIT CARDS
Gregory Wilson, EXACT CHANGE