The Button by Chris James

This is all of the buzz right now, and probably for good reason.

If you have somehow missed out on what this is, it is a button that makes a sound when pressed. The idea is that you use it during a card trick to “activate the magic” or whatever. So every time there’s a magic moment in the routine, the spectator presses the button, hears a ding, and the magic happens. At some point, they press the button and it doesn’t make a noise; they “broke the button.” When you unscrew it to see what the problem is, they see a folded card inside of the button. The card is removed, and it is their signed card.

So, essentially, the button does two magic tricks:

• It makes a sound every time it’s pressed, and then it suddenly stops making a sound when pressed. 

• It shows a folded card inside and then makes that card vanish, allowing you to switch it. 

This ability to turn the sound on and off is remote-controlled and completely under the control of the performer. You can easily decide when the button makes a noise and when it doesn’t. The vanish of the folded card is gravity-controlled, and the thing inside can be a red card, blue card, blank billet, or basically anything made of paper that you can photocopy.

When you combine these two magic tricks, you end up with a very versatile prop that can be the end to virtually any signed card trick. 

The button itself is well made. The black base is 3D printed in ABS plastic--a very tough and durable plastic, and the red button is injection molded. The electronics inside are compact and do the job they are meant to do. This uses the same remote as João’s Universal Smoke Watch, which I really like. The switching aspect of the button is smooth, easy to operate, reliable, and easy to reset in about 3 seconds with no external device needed. It is super practical and absolutely a worker. It also comes with a hardshell case that houses all of the components, which is very nice.

You will need to set up the button when you first get it. It comes with everything you need to set the gimmick up with a red card, a blue card, or a white billet. They also provide a page you can print to replace the “folded card” if it gets too worn. It only takes about 30 seconds to get the fake card put into the button gimmick, and then you’re ready to go. I do think it’s important to know that the card that is shown inside the button is a photocopy of a card, so it doesn’t have any depth, but it looks really good, and for the amount of time that it is shown, it’s really a non-issue. The fake card does have one additional fold, which you may want to put into your real folded card so that it matches perfectly, but I probably won’t bother with that in true performing conditions.

Of course, the button is rechargeable. They say the battery will last for over 24 hours, so once you turn it on, you’re good for the entire day. Just turn it off at the end of the night and charge it, and then you’re good to go again.

One thing that makes this so versatile is that you can load the button with absolutely any sound you want. It contains a micro SD card. They teach you how to remove the micro SD, insert it in the provided adapter, plug it into your computer, and load absolutely any sound you want. Chris provides several cool websites that contain free sound effects that you can download, as well as a site that has all of the tools you need to edit the sound file online without needing an external app. He also teaches how to make your own sounds to add to the button, and again, it’s really easy and all done through a website.

The versatility of this is really why I think it’s going to be something you see virtually every magician using in some way. It’s fun, novel, and has an unexpected ending. I think the idea of using the button to make a “magic sound” is cute, but I also think it could be used in less corny ways such as canned laughter that you press every time you tell a bad joke, canned applause after a magic moment, make it a “that was easy” button like the old Staples ads, or even a button that contains famous catch phrases because it can cycle through different sounds. Maybe you even turn it into something like a magic eight ball that answers questions you ask it. There are just so many uses for it beyond just using it for the “magic moment.” I think we will see really creative uses for it as time goes on.

On that note, this is a rare case where I highly encourage you to join the Facebook group. Usually, Facebook groups for magic tricks are pointless, but this just came out, and there are already some really good ideas from buyers in the group. There are several variations on the switch (including my own take), routine ideas, sound effects ideas, and a really great addition that gives the card more depth very easily. I’m sure we will continue to see great ideas posted there. You don’t even have to own the product to join the group, so if you’re on the fence, join the group, and you can see everything you’d want to know about The Button.

Of course, Craig Petty is involved in the project, so there are many routines provided to get you started, and really, you could have never picked up a deck of cards before this, and you’ll be able to perform it because of what Craig provides. There’s a section on card controls, forcing a card, folding cards, palming cards, color changes, utility moves, and a few different switches you can use with the box.

And Craig provides a staggering 21 routines, including a Card to Box, Ambitious Card, Free Will, Double Writing, Twisting the Aces, Lie Detector, ACAAN, Time Travel, Mystery Card, Color Changing Deck, Blank Deck, Reversed Card, Monte, Triumph, Card Under Button, and several others. All of the routines are good and taught very well by Craig. Do we need 21 routines taught for a device that’s very easy to add as the finale to basically any card routine? Probably not. But does it hurt anything? No. In fact, any of the routines may inspire you. There are magical routines and some routines that are mental magic. I hesitate to call it mentalism since there’s a giant red button that just feels a little out of place for pure “mentalism,” but still, those mental magic routines are nice too. 

Overall, I think this is going to be the trick of the year. I really don’t see how it couldn’t be unless something just really stunning comes along in the next couple of months. It’s so easy, simple, reliable, and versatile. If you say it’s not for you, I think you’ve just not thought long enough about it.