With all the talk I hear from magicians regarding pocket management, I cannot believe I have not heard more about Joshua Jay's Pro Carrier wallet. My guess is that this is due to the fact that many magicians have a hard time shelling out money for props that don't "do" anything. After all, purchasing a new book, DVD, or trick is exciting, because we know we are going to get something new to play with. On the other hand, props such as tables and close-up pads are often more neglected by magicians. Although these items add to the show from an audience perspective, they do very little for the magician's inner child constantly craving a new "toy."I think this partially explains the rather common situation of seeing a magician performing with 20 year old sponge balls or stained silks even though he just bought the latest "flavor of the month" DVD. I won't attempt to change this practice with this review; I just wanted to give you something to ponder. Now on to the wallet.
As you may have guessed from the introduction, Joshua Jay's Pro Carrier doesn't "do" anything. Rather it offers a solution to the age old problem of pocket management by providing a practical way to carry magic supplies. Here is the description from the website.
"The Pro Carrier is a small case that can fit into your pocket or be worn on yourHere are a few points about the wallet.
belt. It is made of high-quality black leather. It has a slot for a deck of
cards, two slots for extra or gimmicked cards, a window for packet tricks, a
window for business cards, and a coin purse with a zipper. When closed or worn
on the belt, the business card window is visible to passersby."
- Personally, I carry the wallet in my pocket as opposed to on my belt loop. I find attaching things to my belt to be a little too "fanny pack"-like. In other words, it's just cheesy. The loops, however, do not interfere with my use of the wallet.
- While the wallet is not designed to act as a card clip to keep your cards flat, I have found that the cards are still far less likely to become warped when protected by the wallet than if the box is carried loose in the pocket.
- Trying to organize business cards, gaffed cards, packet tricks, coins, and a deck is usually frustrating and fishing for objects in your pockets during a performance looks unprofessional. The wallet fixes these problems. There is no more spending forever loading and unloading pockets. All of these objects can be carried in a single unit.
For those still having difficulty thinking about purchasing a magic prop that does not directly aid in the workings of a magic effect, consider the following. How many packet tricks or gaffed card tricks do you leave at home in your magic drawer because you simply don't want waste that pocket space on one effect? With the wallet, you are free to bring them along for the day without feeling bogged down with props.
The price is reasonable at only $20 and the wallet is well made. Do yourself a favor and think outside of the DVD/trick mindset. Ask yourself what product is actually going to improve your magic. Highly recommended.
---Available from www.JoshuaJay.com
