I received an email yesterday touting a revolutionary new levitation for only $800. With it you apparently can:
In all situations,street,mall,bus,train,meeting,conventions,a TV program and etc,you are able to do this great levitation just by yourself and with no material to be carried .
Instead of carrying it, you can wear it from home .You can walk ,sit and stand easily!!!!
When the others are eating their dinner,you can stand up and levitate!!!
No bed,no table cloth,no cabal,no practice.........
This great levitation let you to sit on the water in a pool ,sea or on the air everywhere.
And more attractive using this single levitation you can perform lean and matrix also rotate 360degree!!!!
Hard to believe .I know.But it is truth.
Just one levitation with FOUR capability.
Attached to the email was this image.
Yes, he's not only selling an authorised version of Steve Fearson's Laser Cutting (that Steve sold exclusively to David Copperfield) but he's using a substantially Photoshopped image to promote it.
So, I thought, perhaps this chap is not being entirely honest.
I visited his site and found a huge list of tricks, many exclusives including effects from Kevin James and Brad Manuel. I emailed Kevin and Brad who were unaware of this man selling their stuff. Maybe he just has them on his site to make it look legitimate?
A little research shows that he is operating from Iran, he offers low prices and when people buy from him they get stung with huge shipping fees and rubbish quality props. All of your payments must be made directly to Halk Bank (in Turkey) so don't expect to get a refund.
There are no prices listed on his site, and those who have emailed asking for prices get an auto reply telling you to email for prices.
He does run ads in the major magazines, but I hope the mags will wise up and stop promoting this dodgy dealer.
On another, but similar, angle a colleague of mine has done the right way and purchased an authentic illusion and had it imported from the USA. Customs clearance fees and wood inspection by AQIS have been more than the cost of the illusion itself.
This is why those who buy illusions legitimately, get so annoyed when local magicians build their own, unauthorised Origamis etc.
The magic community needs to stand behind those who do things the right way, and speak out against those who try to cut cornersand buy or build dodgy props. (Have you seen a dodgy Origami? The method is so transparent you might as well wear a mask and get Mitch Pileggi to explain the method in a voice over!)
As was said on The Magic Cafe on this very topic:
"When are you guys gonna realize that there are no police in the dealer profession. No honor, no ethics. The only responsibility is the buying power of the consumer, but unless they are educated, the consumer will buy what they are exposed to: the first guy who's ad they see."
