"My Precious" by Haim Goldenberg
Suggested Retail USD$45.00
Available from your favorite dealer
In a Blink: 8 Out of 10

"My Precious", the latest from Haim Goldenberg, is a great take on the classic "Pseudo-Psychometry", with an excellent routine and great props that make this quite portable and entertaining.

The routine follows closely the classic plot. In "My Precious" each of four women are given a small, spring-closure purse and instructed to put one of their rings inside. The purses are mixed and the performer, through the use of "body language", correctly hands back three of the rings to the correct women. The last right remains in the purse but the performer, examining the last of the volunteers, begins to exactly describe the ring she placed in the purse.

That's the basic effect, of course, and I'm leaving off some great gags that Goldenberg has incorporated into the routine which make this humorous and entertaining. The routine is a great one, and I especially like Goldeberg's handling of that usually anti-climatic final object, but what you're really paying for here are those leather purses and they are dynamite. The work built into them is bold but goes right by spectators (even those that simply love to examine everything they get their mitts on) and is easily discernible even from a short distance. They are certainly multi-purpose enough and just waiting for use in Goldenberg's routine or one you craft yourself.

All things considered, you might want to craft your own anyway. Yes, Goldenberg's routine is excellent, but with some ancillary props you'd have to carry with you and the need for a rather open staging, it's more suited to platform work than close-up or stage. Following Goldenberg's lead, though, will result in routines that fit pretty much any venue at all.

That's really the sweet part here: the props with "My Precious" are truly easy to use and quite flexible. There is no need for a set-up here, or a reset for that matter. All you need are the purses and a routine. The working is extremely easy, allowing you to concentrate on your presentational skills. All in all, "My Precious" is an extremely practical piece of work as far as the props go. If you're looking to add such a routine to your act, "My Precious" fills the bill.

So what if you already do such a routine? Is "My Precious" worth the purchase? I admit I do such a routine, using drawstring bags and an idea by Ronald Dayton, and I was quite happy with it, but the visibility of Goldenberg's creation and various small pluses -- nothing to tie or untie, nothing to replace, simple cues-- made this one a great replacement. You may find yourself in the same boat.

All in all, "My Precious" is a fine piece of work. Put your own routine in place and you've got a great piece of work here that is as flexible as can be and worth every penny.

"My Precious" by Haim Goldenberg
In a Blink: 8 Out of 10

Practicality: 10
This is, essentially, a set of props for pulling off a "Pseudo-Psychometry" routine, which means no reset, no set-up, and the like: simply bring out the small spring-closure purses instead of envelopes or bags or whatever and you're ready to go.

Workmanship: 10
The leather purses are very well made -- with the work being subtle yet easily seen -- and should last a long while.

Documentation: 5
The documentation is what you'd expect, with details of the props and Goldenberg's rather delightful routine.

Effect: 8
"Pseudo-Psychometry" effects, given the right routine, play very well. Goldenberg's routine here is certainly very good and gets solid reactions.

Presentation: 10
For the most part, this is what you make out of it. Still, the supplied routine is quite a good one, with an excellent solution to the usually less-than-climatic last object problem and some nice humor built in.

Shane

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