New tenyo elite

[gazpratley]

lol Richard, I think I will order the zig zag clown lol.

[Jaime C.]

December was a very expensive month for me,i'm almost broke and now my worry is maybe the zig zag clown will be out of stock hi gaz

[Rob Rand]

I vote for.... Zig Zag Clown! Exquisite design, unparalleled detailed sekeleton! Including a handmade dagger! All proudly made in China!!! And you can buy 75 Zig Zag Clowns for the prize of 1 Tenyo Elites Zig Zag Cig... and hey, cigarettes, that is soooo not of this time anymore!!! A very bad signal to children! A skeleton on the other hand.... blablablabla.... BUT AT LEAST 1 PERSON IS VERY HAPPY WITH TENYO ELITES ZIG ZAG CIG, AND THAT IS OUR BELOVED Richard Kaufman!!

[gazpratley]

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha nice one rob.

[SimonC]

that's a good point rob, it's a bit daft to remake a trick based around cigarettes in 2014. I'd not thought of that. maybe they'll do telestar next...
with such modern stars as...

Paul Newman
tom selleck
o.j. Simpson

[David DeTenyo]

I don't think it is such a huge problem to remake a trick with cigarettes, especially because there are other items you can zig-zag and the Elite team probably HAD to name the trick 'Zig Zag Cigarette'.

Anyway, after considering buying it I am a bit on the fence ... . I still am behind what I said before about it being a trick that is so widely available in al sort of formats, but it could well become a collectors item and if it works as fluent as they say it still is a rather good trick for some audiences.
What I find hard to overcome is the price and the fact I don't know if it would matter for laymen if I would pull out the original plactic version or a more professional looking wooden version ... would they care?

Anyone ordered their copy yet?

[JohnM]

I had someone order a copy for me.

[David DeTenyo]

I ended up not purchasing it. Perhaps if they make a second run I will, not sure yet. Waiting for Simon or Rob to make a wooden copy first :p
Take in mind most reviews will be very good on TMC - there are a lot of members who buy an expensive item and fail to be honest after receiving it. I believe if you pay so much for an item it is hard for some to admit they payed too much for what it is ... .

[kellebotond]

I do not own any of the Elite tricks. I prefer the classic Tenyo items. I consider those a nice tribute to Tenyo, but way too overpriced.

[BobD]

I got to open my package containing Zig Zag Cig last Friday.The device is shorter, wider, and has smaller windows as compared to the original. All this factors lessened the deceptiveness of the illusion. The object that is zig zaged is dwarfed by the size of the box. The pencil and the aluminum rod rattles so you have to be extra careful when handling this prop. The aluminum rod is not well made. The ends are not cut and filed properly.

The original version is more deceptive than the elite version but when I tried the wooden version to people it seems that I get better reaction. Maybe it is more professional looking than the plastic one. Or maybe because I get two effects instead of one, the cutting of the aluminum rod and its restoration.

The prop is sturdy, durable, and well made. As for its value, it will depend on the number of runs Tenyo Elite will make.

[JohnM]

I finally got my hands on my Tenyo Elite Zig Zag Cig this past weekend.

Here are my thoughts and opinions.

The trick looks good and the seams are tight just like the plastic version.

te5.jpg

The trick is sturdy and operates well. When the trick is opened you see a lot more than with the plastic version and this IMO is the tricks biggest drawback. I am surprised Tenyo approved this.

te4.jpg

Another negative is that the pencil and aluminum bar and not worthy of this trick. They bought the cheapest pencils and hacked them into pieces. Same goes for the aluminum bar. This should have been done with the proper machinery. My guess is that this was not done by the manufacturer because their workmanship is much better. Now someone might argue that this is magic and a rough cut is more realistic. I am not buying that. As many of us know, the tradition at Tenyo is to make sure that every detail is as perfect as can be and overall this does not meet Tenyo's standard IMO.

te1.jpg

The size of the box is the same as for the other two tricks which is way TOO BIG. All three tricks could have been packed in boxes that take up the space of one of these. I will store my Zig Zag Cig and Moon Spinner together in one box. The re-sealable bags are not hobby grade bags, but oversized lunch bags that your mom would pack your peanut butter and jelly sandwich in. The instructions are printed in English and Japanese. I don't like the wide, short format of the manual. It is hard to handle and read.

te2.jpg

The lack of attention to detail continues with the "handcrafted bag" that obviously is a very cheap, mass produced bag that will not hold up if used even a few time. $10 extra for a nice soft leather drawstring bag would have been a better choice or forgo the bag altogether as it cheapens the entire presentation.

te3.jpg

The short review is that if you did not buy this, you did not miss out on anything. If you did buy it you would probably be satisfied but it is not "amazing" as touted by one of the partners.

The future of Tenyo Elite is questionable IMO. I am pretty sure that this was a very difficult project that probably yielded very little or no profit. The three partners of Tenyo Elite seem to not have the talents and skills to bring enhanced Tenyo items to the market place in a timely and economically feasible manner. Three partners and still the need for someone for website, someone for video, someone for photography and so on. With all those mouths to feed I can't imagine them going through this again although they claim that they do this because they are passionate about it. Once again, I am not buying it.

A suggestion for Tenyo Elite:
Rather than banning talented people who can create and manufacture products truly worthy of the moniker Tenyo Elite, you should reach out to them and create partnerships. With a network of a few good creators Tenyo Elite could create a pipeline so tricks are coming out steady every few months not dribble out every few years. Tenyo Elite has the agreement with Tenyo but not much other than that IMO.

[VictorS]

Nice review John, thanks!
Well I`m not impressed and still love the plastic version comparing to the elite version. I`m little bit disappointed with the finishing of the elite version. A good wood master could do much better than this and it would be nicer if they put a little magic wand instead of the aluminium bar, well with the cigarette, it fits perfectly for this trick. That`s why Tenyo called this zig zag cig right ?

For me, the rating for this product is only 5 out of 10. Sorry.

[SimonC]

Thanks for the review john. As a lover of wooden effects I was keen to see how this came out. It was out of my league price-wise but I thunk it would have left me a little cold, probably down to the 'experience' of receiving it relative to the price.
There is no question this is a very nicely made product and it looks good. As a woodworker I'd say there's not a great deal more they could have done, tho it is a shame about the inner workings looking a bit more suspect in the wood over plastic.
Tricks are often expensive, and a lot of the time, what we are paying for is the secret as much as the means to execute it. I think it is important to make every part of the experience of receiving, opening, learning and owning a trick as magical as possible. To me the way this effect is packaged majorly takes away from the work of the trick itself. If I had made the unit I would be disappointed to see it alongside a chipped pencil and a scratched bar in two sandwich bags. These things matter, and it's not hard to get them right.
I don't own this trick, and I dont want to take away from the work of the craftsman who made the units as they are very impressive and beyond my abilities and patience, I would happily own one. It just looks like once the units were made the rest was an afterthought.

[David DeTenyo]

Guys, thanks a lot for some truly honest opinions.

[SimonC]

further to my post above and what john has touched on too, when you consider rob has just handmade and packaged (including instruction booklet and box) an entire trick and for one tenth of what ZZC is going for TE really are missing a trick (for want of a better term). granted the mechanic and materials have an impact for sure but even so.
and time-frame wise, it's not as if ZZC was rushed out (which would explain questionable accessory and packaging choices) this has been literally years in the making.
I would recommend they buy 100 good quality pencils, a few more rods if aluminium, a god quality hacksaw, some glasspaper and spend a couple of hours this weekend making some accessories that do the unit justice.

[JohnM]

For me, the rating for this product is only 5 out of 10. Sorry.

I would rate it 8 out of 10.

Yesterday it would have been 7 out of 10.

I performed it twice today for two different people with the metal bar and it went over well.

They did not comment on the inner workings of the box or the rough cut of the rod. Of course I handled it so as not to show too much of the inner workings.

I read on the Magic Cafe that they are working on the next trick. I know I am very critical of them but I look at everything with a critical eye and give my honest opinion. A good critic gives his opinion and points out the good as well as the bad. I wish them success and will consider purchasing the next item as well.

[VictorS]

For me, the rating for this product is only 5 out of 10. Sorry.

I would rate it 8 out of 10.

Yesterday it would have been 7 out of 10.

Well I never had this trick in hand John, maybe I could give a better rating if I see the reality.

[Rob Rand]

Exciting news!

Tenyo Elite

Space Towers !

Not a bad choice at all!

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com ... 280c795c0a

250 $...

No, I won't buy it...

[Simon Layland]

Did anyone ever suggest Space Towers or do the Tenyo Elite team even take any notice of the thread they created on the MC.
Tenyo Elite haven't even announced the release on their own thread yet.
I like Space Towers but I'm not buying the Elite version.

[Richard W]

I'm not buying Tenyo Elite anything.

[John B.]

Did anyone ever suggest Space Towers or do the Tenyo Elite team even take any notice of the thread they created on the MC.
Tenyo Elite haven't even announced the release on their own thread yet.
I like Space Towers but I'm not buying the Elite version.

You nailed it. They are not listening. We ask for a wooden Crystal Cleaver and get Match Sticks. I can see where this goes- we ask for metal Krazy Keys and will get Crazy Spots instead.

It is a pass for me as well.

[Richard W]

$250.00 US + shipping & handling +
$25 USD S&H for US/Canadian orders
$50 USD S&H for International orders.

[Steve S.]

Did anyone ever suggest Space Towers or do the Tenyo Elite team even take any notice of the thread they created on the MC.
Tenyo Elite haven't even announced the release on their own thread yet.
I like Space Towers but I'm not buying the Elite version.

I am certainly not an expert on how they decide what to make next but here is what I do know (I think) ...

They most likely do take a look at suggestions made by others. The Tenyo company has the final say on whether or not they want a certain Tenyo trick made as a Tenyo Elite. So, perhaps the Tenyo Elite team decide what THEY would like to make and then request approval from the Tenyo company. What determines their final choices may be a combination of things. For example, they most likely take suggestions into consideration if they think that enough interest is there to sell at least a run of 50 of that trick. Otherwise, why bother? That being said, I wonder why they chose not to make a first run of 50 of Magical Door. If I recall correctly, they just announced that they were taking orders for it and still are doing so. What’s up with that?

Because you can’t please everyone, their job in satisfying the Tenyo loving public is almost impossible. Everyone has their favorites and even their desire of materials they want to be used in making the product. For example, MATCH STICKS in wood rather than anodized aluminum was a big mistake IMHO.

Anyway, I personally like SPACE TOWERS and feel it was a good choice if they make it well and to last a long time. I am surprised that they didn’t sell out the first run but suspect that a variety of variables are at play here. Perhaps the high price tag being the biggest issue.

So there you have it! My take on the situation.

[Olaf S]

$250.00 US + shipping & handling +
$25 USD S&H for US/Canadian orders
$50 USD S&H for International orders.

https://youtu.be/FjvAsK70QnE

[Steve S.]

That demo is actually poor. Usually, they do a good demo of their releases but this one seems tentative (not masterful) and shaky. Someone didn’t practice!

Space Towers is actually a good trick but perhaps you don’t get that feeling watching the demo! That being said, you do get the idea of the props.

They ship in a carton from Canada so I assume that the shipping charges are what they should be. No?

I don’t know what it actually costs them to ship but hopefully not much less than what they charge.

Is anyone suggesting that they profit on the shipping?