I recently saw a magician perform a mentalism routine where the guy had a girl name a car, a restaurant, a song, etc. and inside a box that had been hanging in full view of the audience (presumably locked) for the entire show, was his prediction that had exactly these things, written exactly as she had named them, right down to the exact make and model of the car. Does anyone know what this effect is called, and where I might buy it?

confabulation

I have no sources at this time sorry.

This is what I have found:

http://www.penguinmagic.com/product.php?ID=S11889

Zambini

There are many ways to do this but I think the best is using Devin Knights Glass Box Prediction. He doesn't teach the confab routine because his prediction is mainly for a big headline prediction...however...you can adapt it to a confab routine

The basics...you have them name out a car, song, etc and there is a glass box with a couple of predictions that have been in full view the entire show. You don't even touch the box. You let someone else open it up and read the predictions....NEVER do you touch the box.

WOW...sounds amazing. I saw cooperfield do this live when he came to Australia. He even has a tape that he plays on a stereo, and on the tape is cooperfield saying the prediction. pretty neat....

For anyone still looking for this effect, I found two things that will do exactly this. One is the Prediction Case Impossible, and the other is the Master Prediction System. These are both very amazing, but you can do something very similar with the glass box prediction sold here on penguin. I'd suggest grabbing the book as well since it teaches a method for having your prediction notarized in advance if you choose to do a headline prediction with it.

In 13 Steps to Mentalism, Corinda details a routine that sounds almost just like this one, in which the performer holds one end of a rope, the spectator holds the other, and in the center is a glass box with an envelope inside.
The performer lists the names of several things, telling the spectator to call "stop" when he feels compelled to. After the spectator says stop three times (once for each selection), he opens the box and the envelope, and reads the correct prediction.

The routine is called "De Profundis," and it is in 13 Steps to Mentalism.

Corindas version is a lot different and is limited. Devin Knights version has no limits at all

Confabulation.

The chests can be VERY expensive, however have BIG advantages over other methods, for example above, Corindas is very limited. A low budget version of this effect can be found on Paul Stockmans 'Connected' DVDs, it's very strong and very cheap.

Paul