I am a beginner to magic and just ordered for the first time.For any other beginners who are interested, here is what I think: Vanishing shot glass is difficult and dissopointing.Equal/unequal ropes is great for the price.Color monte is very good, but requires one tricky slight which I sometimes find difficult. Airtight: everyone thinks this is crap but I totally disagree. Granted, preparation is very difficult and frustrating, but the actual trick is a mind blower and great fun to perform. I am having a lot of trouble with the raven. It requires patience and a lot of practice to perfect it. Scotch and soda is top class. My favourite trick. Definetly a must get effect.Healed and sealed has the potential to be a great effect, but there is one part of preparation I am having trouble with.i won't say it here to avoid giving away the secret.Finally, pen through dollar is a dynamic effect. it gets huge reactions. i think it is slightly overpriced but the reactions are probably worth it.

I have to dissagree on many of your comments (you knew somebody would Vanishing Shot Glass - I agree on the dissapointing but this trick is very easy I think. Equal/unequal ropes - basic, easy, cool. Color monte I don't have. Airtight - It is fun and cool, but the prep. is too had for me. I find it funny that you think all these other tricks are hard but you have no problem with Airtight. To each his own... "I am having a lot of trouble with the raven. It requires patience and a lot of practice to perfect it." - As does any trick. Practice and you will love the Raven. Scotch and soda- I agree, great and easy trick. Healed and sealed - It *IS* a great trick. Take the time to figure out the prep. If you can do Airtight's preparation this should be a piece of cake once you get it down. I don't have Pen thru Dollar either. All in all I think you picked some great effects there. Just practice some of the harder ones, they are worth the effort, trust me.

Vanishing shot glass i find really annoying because you can clearly hear it being pulled under your jacket and i dont get exactly where the whole thing is ment to happen( your hand positioning, where glass is actually ment to go, where the e...... is ment to go ect. Raven keeps getting caught on my shirt and the rope snapping. and i do think healed and sealed is a good trick, i just can't get the whole to lo.. ....

... shh, anyways, Raven is very easy to master, your problem is probably your jacket or your style. I don't recommend the way the manual describes performing it, without giving away any secrets, I suggest using the sleve instead of the center shirt, for information on an easy mastery on the raven, email me unitedstatesmail@aol.com

ilove magic and would love to point you to to some great tricks for free mail@cmowatt.fsnet.co.uk

i understand that you are having trouble with the effects you bought.you are a new magician. and it seems to me the tricks you are having the most trouble with are ones that require practice. you need to have aptience and practice or just but tricks that are self working.

It seems by your post that you are a bit of a newb...practice is what makes perfect. That's what makes the magician...rather than a guy who buys tricks and does them. Raven is great, but like the above guy said, the sleeve method is much better than the shirt method. Color monte is an awesome effect, sure fired stunners for most people. The sleight of hand isn't too bad, just need to practice man. That's key for anything, even the so called "easy" tricks. Practice is what turns a trick into a miracle, and personally, I like to be seen as a miracle maker, not a simple trickster.