Permanent Record

Matthew

I love this effect and the video download. I really appreciated the bonus Jonathan Pickard "Ambideckstrous" lesson. Pickard’s handling suits my style better as I do more table-work than walk around. I loved Ben’s teaching style and he instills some really good lessons. I agree with a previous review that said the gimmick deck is not needed, I’ll never use it, at least not for this routine. That said, I highly recommend Permanent Record.

Gary

I love the effect and the possibilities. I've been using it as my closer with a regular deck of bicycle playing cards at close up gigs. However, I really wish you could just buy the gimmicks and not have to purchase the gaffed deck, which is something I will never use and isn't necessary to perform miracles with this effect. Please make the gimmicks available without the deck, as I can see that over time I will need to reorder.

Iuri

This idea is amazing and can be mind blowing in a high level if you can make up to it. Ben is super clear and very didatic in the explanation, and gives a lot of content in there that makes this product super cheap for all that you will find in there.
For the Permanent Record itself, he gives many possibilities and subtilties to enhance your performance. Could not recomend more.
To point something not so good, I feeled a bit of a difficulty to fit it in my presentation on why the card in the box changes, but probably the tips que gives will be useful for most magicians out there.

Antonio

Very strong effect and easy to perform, I get great reactions from it.

Only two issues I see is that without going into details, you can only perform this trick once to the same group of people. Other issue is that the design is for the old bycicle boxes, and I can't find any other boxes so I can't reuse it. I don't know if Ben is planning on releasing a new version with the modern boxes.

The video has a lot of ideas but in my case I just use the gimmick and make my own tricks.

Vince

Five stars for sure. The video explanations are very clear and well produced. This effect is a stunner and you get several routines one of which is sure to be in your skill level.

Leland

I write as, and for, amateur hobbyists who enjoy magic. We perform for friends and family and at the office. We do not do "walk around" professional performances. This one is a true "keeper" that I highly recommend. What you get is what you see. The video instructions are first-rate with lots of bonus tips and effects for more advanced magicians. The basic routine is indeed simple and convincing. Once you understand how the deck works, you almost have to put in effort to perform this incorrectly. The advertisement video does not do the best job of explaining the effect, so this one is a rarity that is better than advertised.

Craig

Another great Ben Seidman creation! The deck is great and easy to handle. Ben's video tutorial is straightforward with loads of additional material. Some of the extra material, i.e. CUPS is worth the entire price on its own.
I also have Ben's 'Oracle System.' His teachings include his thoughts on presentation and knowledge from hundreds of real world performances.
Shoutout to Vanishing, Inc's easy to access material that's immediately available on purchase.

Ken

What a fantastic release! Ben’s clear teaching and Johnathan’s added routine make this project more than worth the asking price. So many great tips that can be used beyond Permanent Record. The gimmicks are great and can be used in multiple ways when performing this effect, or incorporating them with variations. Thank you Ben and Johnathan for sharing this worker!

Ben

This is a worker. Ben does a great job of giving context, credit, details instructions and then inspiration on ways to incorporate into other routines and tricks. I'm excited to work this into an ambitious routine as an extra kicker.

Garry

Very good video production, for any new magicians everything is very well explained, so it is easy to understand and to follow, Good quality deck, love the routine, has varied methods depending on what the spectator answers is, so you can't go wrong with this routine, you get two red and two blue main gaff cards, and thd whole deck of cards are also gaffs, this is very easy to learn and easy to perform. If your a newby check out the 3 way mirror on v inc site, I practice using this all the time, so first you can check any angles as to what it should look like, but the best part is you end up fooling yourself, as you are not only performing this but the same time seeing this from a spectators point of view, this might sound too obvious for pros but Its so helpful, especially to any one getting into any kind of close up magic as this is such a great tool, and it folds and is portable, I just like to encourage those that are just getting into magic.

David

Clear instructions, multiple options for handling, great moments of magic and surprise...a gaff that hides in plain sight and suitable for every kind of performance
Easily 5 stars and a milky way more!

David

Wow. That is the best way to describe this incredible effect. I've been doing magic for only 3 years now mainly in my school and I got this out of curiosity to see how well it would work. This effect is incredible on any audience and no one will expect the kicker ending. With Permanent Record, you get more than just a card on box change. You're getting tips on subtleties, multiple gimmicks, how to make magic generally last longer on your audiences, and excellent routines. I highly recommend this to every single magician out there whether you're a beginner or extremely advanced because this is probably one of the best magic tricks out there.

James

Daniel

William

Awesome effect

Douglas

Excellent that so many variations are shown, allowing performers to adapt to their own styles.

David

Edward

There's just so much to do with Permanent Record and your own imagination. With so many of my purchases I don't use the "text book" instructions. Instead I let my mind go to places the creators probably hadn't considered. The results might surprise you so why not give it a shot? Without too much detail all I can say about Permanent Record is consider a deck switch at the end for spectator examination. It's the proverbial "icing on the cake".

Jan

basic routine is clearly explained, and for those more advanced as well. Deck is outstanding and the box takes the heat off the deck.

randy

Kevin

This is a holy grail of a trick. Get huge reactions from this one that the audience will remember. Highly highly recommend it!

Chris

10/10

First off, I have been a fan of Ben ever since I saw him perform at Magifest a few years back. Watching his show, I could tell he puts a ton of thought into what he is doing, both method and performance. When I saw this trick, it is reminiscent of a few other routines I have seen, mainly focusing on the ending line where all the boxes will have the 10 of hearts printed on them from here on forward. I really like this tagline, as it leaves a real impact on your spectator long into the future. If they walk into any store with a deck of cards, they can check and see that the card is printed there. I figured that with this product, it should be pretty solid due to Ben's work. I saw a couple of other reviews and made the purchase.

I have been able to watch the video a couple of times and worked the routine at a couple of events.

This is a fantastic worker. It comes with everything you need to perform the basic routine that Ben teaches/performs/demos for the trailer. Everything is specially printed and looks great. The packaging is great (not too big or small with nice print quality) and it comes with multiple gimmicks for various decks.

The video instructions are great. Ben starts off by going over some history and some background before starting the video instruction. He explains what you need to do to get started with the trick, so please watch the instructions first before opening everything up.
Ben goes over the basic instructions but then goes into some really fantastic subtleties and ideas that I have not quite delved into throughout my history of being a magician and performer. These are tips that help with this trick but can be applied to literally all your performances. Ben goes over a few variations of the routine from simple to a bit more complex, but he confidently goes over all the details. I say confidently because some of the routines are a bit bold, but after hearing Ben go through the explanations, I feel quite confident that anyone could use these techniques and follow the routines. The product comes with gimmicks and a gaff deck that helps with the performance. Ben teaches versions that use non-gimmicked decks which is nice. There is also the addition of Ambideckstrous which is a really fun use of the gimmick.

Overall, this is a fantastic product that I will be using from here on out. It gives a mind-warping ending that stays with the participant after the show. The quality of the product is great and the instruction is comprehensive.
Really the only con I might see people bringing up is that the trick does require you to keep some of the cellophane on the deck. I think this is a very minor "inconvenience" that greatly is outweighed by the effect. Another potential downfall of this product is if the USPCC ever changes the design. Again, depending on the design of the box, a second variation can be produced to cover this, but that will be a bridge to burn at a later time.

STUART

Very good and easy to use, great reactions

William

Works like a charm; I found that if I'm walking into the room with it (just hanging with friends at home kind of thing) I can forgo the wrapper and discretely hold things where they need to be, with a little roughing done to prevent slippage. But of course the wrapper is needed if you're planning to carry it around and produce it instantly with no fuss. Another bonus: the instruction said that you could use a normal card from another deck to actually give the person their forced card to hold, but I was happily surprised to find a normal version of that card was already included!

Bobilliart

Steven

WOW. Ben Seidman has gone it again. Straightforward in it's method, but diabolical with the numerous subtleties Ben has included. And Jonathan's Pickard's additional handling is wonderful. Thanks.

Martin

I haven't performed this yet but the tutorial is perfectly clear. I love the fact that Ben Seidman gives us so many different options of presentation and handlings, and the 'original' addition at the end is perfect. I like this routine a lot as someone who doesn't usually perform for large groups of people. The gimmicks cover the four different options (back color red/black and male/female) so it is really practical. You can always have it with you and it's completely invisible if you choose to not reveal it.
Overall I'm looking forward to trying this out, and it is well worth the buy !

Matt

I’ve been using Ambideckstrous (same gimmick independently created and fully credited in the download) for a decade. I never understood why it wasn’t more popular! Ambideckstrous gimmicks were out of stock everywhere so it’s brilliant that PR has come out.

I don’’t plan to use the gimmicked deck and doubt many magicians will. The beauty of the box gimmick is you can just add it to your normal deck and carry it around all the time. Getting 4 box gimmicks is great value for price.

I think USPCC may have put a spanner in the works by changing the standard card box back. Obviously you get the ‘right’ box with PR, but when you then come to buy your next deck to add the box gimmick to you may be disappointed. Hopefully this can be addressed in any updates if USPCC don’t change back to the previous design.

Todd

Ben takes this great concept and then gives 4-5 permutations of it from beginner to intermediate+ level for the hobbyist to the working professional. The fact this is only $25, along with the excellent teaching (way beyond just the basic trick) makes this one of the best deals at Vanishing. Seriously. Great buy.

Josh

Great addition that fools laymen and magicians alike.

Ivo

Very cool effect, and great handling tips for it. I’ve performed it a few times for one to two spectators and it got great reactions. Plenty of handling options to suit your skill level and preferences.

Matthew

Brilliant strolling opener. I've had phenomenal reactions with this effect. While I prefer to write my own presentations to suit my style, Ben has completely nailed it with his "what's scarier: changing reality or changing your memory" hook. People are completely freaked out when they see the changed card box. I've had texts from people a week later after they've searched stores in vain for a Bicycle card box without a 10H on.

One thing: to increase my hit rate with the "favourite card" question I like to employ a kind of psychological force. First, ask whether the spectator has played poker. Follow this with, "so what's your favourite card?" The psychological contextualisation of the "favourite card" question nearly always results in them choosing the Ace of Spades.

Dallas

After this effect and Oracle, I really enjoy Ben's approach to magic, meaning, and making things more personal, while creating a flexibility and options in the performance. Honestly this guy needs to write a book about the topic, I'd buy it in a heartbeat!

Charlie

Harald

Using a cardbox for revealing 2 chosen cards is a very successful tool I have never thought of.

Matt

Terrific product - great effect, multiple handlings taught, multiple gimmicks included, and seriously valuable tips in the instructional video. Another winner from Ben Seidman!

David

Lucas

The teaching in this is worth more than the price of the product. This could easily be a 20 minutes tutorial teaching the routine, but you get over 1 hour of material, going through subtleties and methods which you can use for your other routines. Great job Ben!

Landon

Not bad! There are a lot of applications and room for your own presentation/handling. Within minutes, I ditched the included deck and just put the "gimmick" into my EDC. The price point at $25 is great. I've spent more on thumb tips and sponge rabbits.