In a Nutshell...

The Definitive Sankey is a 3 volume set of books that captures the best of Jay Sankey's material. Within these 3 volumes you will find 500 tricks that include both previously published and unpublished material. Included with volume 1 is a dvd. The 3 books are hardbound with printed covers. There are no dust jackets. They are produced by Vanishing Inc and the production quality is very good.

The cost of the 3 Volume Set is $150. You can order here You can also purchase them separately for $65 each.

There is also a Deluxe version of The Definitive Sankey available. This set comes in a slip case and the books are bound in a black leatherette. You receive 1 additional dvd for a total of 2 dvds. You also recieve a tipped in page from one of Jay Sankey's notebooks. The Deluxe Edition is also signed by Jay Sankey, Josh Jay and Andi Gladwin.

The cost of the 3 volume Deluxe Editon set is $250. You can order here The publishers state that it is a very limited edition, but as of yet, I have not seen the number of Deluxe Editions produced.

8/27/12 - Just received 2 Deluxe Edition sets. The quality is what I would have expected. I received sets numbered 110 & 126.

Full Review

I just received the full normal edition set and without even reading a word I am impressed with the quality. Here is what impressed me:

• Size: Each book is 11 1/4" tall and will easily fit on your bookself. They are 8 5/8" wide and range from 1 1/8" to 1 1/4" thick.
• Construction:
  • The pages are Acid Free Archival Quality and NO, I didn't take their word for it. I tested a page with a Lineco pH Testing Pen.
  • The signatures are well sewn. I was able to lay the books open without the pages flipping, except for the 5 -6 pages at the beginning and end of each book. This means you can lay the book open and read the instructions, with props in hand.
• Layout:
  • Every trick uses the same layout:
    • Trick or Move Name
    • Difficulty - rated on a 5 star rating on technical skill needed - the definition of a 1 star effect versus a 2 star, etc is not provided, so you will have to determine for yourself where you fit and what you are comfortable with.
    • Effect: The effect is described in just a few sentences.
    • Setup/Required/Prop Construction: Depending on the trick, you will find described what is needed to perform the effect.
    • Performance: How to perform the trick - with patter as appropriate.
    • Original Source: Each trick provides it's original source at the end for easy reference if you have the original source.
  • Photos - Plenty of black and white high quality photos to help you learn the tricks. They say nearly 2000 photos per book, and while I didn't count them, looking thru the book I did not find more than 4 photos on a page and often less. I'd estimate several hundred per volume, but will leave it to you to count them.
  • Impromptu Magic - I think this is one of the coolest layout features. Every Impromtu Trick is indicated by a colored triangle shaped tab at the top of the page.
  • Top Ten - Josh and Andi asked ten notable magicians to select their top ten favorite Jay Sankey effects. These top ten magicians are (in no particular order):
    • Wayne Houchin
    • Andrew Mayne
    • Andi Gladwin
    • David Regal
    • Chad Long
    • Mike Skutt
    • Rune Klan
    • Joshua Jay
    • Eric Leclerc
    • Richard Sanders
  • Connections - This is a cross-referencing that lists other effects in The Definitive Sankey that are connected thematically (for example: tricks using ticket stubs or unusual objects).
  • Credits - On several of the effects you will find credits to other magicians and works for similar tricks or specific moves. This is very useful for tracking down additional information you may want.
  • Comments - This is extra info on some tricks that you may find helpful or just interesting.
• Finepoints:
  • Attractive Cover Design - each volume is a different color, making for easy identification
  • The publisher - Vanishing Inc is displayed across the bottom of the spine of all 3 books when they are placed side by side. Looks great on your shelf.

So now let's look at the material in each volume.

VOLUME 1

• Price: $65
• 519 pages including the Index.
• Sankey Essentials - Instruction on how to do 32 sleights that Jay uses is many of his tricks. These range from the Double Turnover to The Erdnase Color Change to the Striking Vanish.
• You will find 165 tricks in 18 categories:
  • 11 tricks in Cards & Props Part 1
  • 12 Tricks in Torn & Restored Card
  • 9 Tricks in Close-up Mentalism Part 1
  • 9 Tricks in Finger Rings
  • 3 Tricks in Body Magic
  • 13 Tricks in Paperclipped
  • 5 Tricks in Wipe Clean Principle
  • 6 Tricks in Ambitious Card Part 1
  • 4 Tricks in Rubber Bands
  • 9 Tricks in Bill Switch Part 1
  • 12 Tricks in Close-up Magic Part 1
  • 12 Sleights in Coin Sleights
  • 13 Tricks in Flash Paper
  • 12 Tricks in Business Cards
  • 13 Tricks in Impromptu Card Magic Part 1
  • 7 Tricks in Magic For Children
  • 6 Moves in Coin Productions
  • 9 Tricks in Almost-Impromptu Card Magic Part 1
• So what tricks are in Volume 1?
  • 165 tricks is simply too many to list, especially when just having the names of the tricks may not tell you much about the effect. So instead I'm going to highlight a few of my favorites, old and new.
    • Airtight - I first saw Jay perform this during a lecture at Magic Inc in the mid '80s. As soon as I saw the effect I added it to my repertoire and have been performing it ever since. So, what is Airtight? You have a card selected, signed and returned to the deck. You put a balloon (not blown up) on your palm and toss the deck onto it. INSTANTLY the deck is inside the balloon. You blow up the ballon and proceed to shuffle the deck by shaking the balloon around. Finally you reach thru the side of the balloon and visibly take a card and pull it thru the side (without popping the balloon). The card is their signed card. You hand out the balloon with the rest of the deck inside and their signed card as souvenirs.
    • Paperclipped - This must be good, since 3 of our Top Ten Magicians: Wayne Houchin, Chad Long and Mike Skutt picked it as one of their Top Ten tricks of Jays. Essentially, a card is folded into quarters and paperclipped. This is your prediction. You then have a card selected, signed and returned to the deck. You pick up the paperclipped card, remove the paperclip and unfold the prediction. It is their signed card. It really doesn't get any stronger than this.
    • Serial Killer - You have someone take a bill out of their wallet, fold it and paperclip it closed. They place it in your hand and closing your fist you proceed to name the serial number, which is written down for all to see. you then remove the clip and hand the bill back to your volunteer for them to read the serial number and confirm you were correct.
    • Bouncing Baby - This is one of Rune Klan's Top Ten Picks and also one of mine. You take a rubber ball and bounce it a few times. Then you take the ball and crack it open and drop it into a glass. Yes, somehow the ball has changed into an egg.
  • These are just 4 of the tricks you will find in Volume 1. While every trick may not be for you, there are bound to be several that will catch your fancy. Each of the tricks I listed are from a different source (book or dvd).
    
• There are 4 short articles (typically 4 to 6 pages each) by Jay that cover topics such as Creativity and Magic as an Art Form.
• Jay's book Beyond Secrets has been divided into 3 parts. Part 1 is in Volume 1. Beyond Secrets is out of print, but retailed for $30.
• Includes a DVD: This dvd has Jay Sankey performing 12 of his favorite items. My particular favorites are Airtight and the From the Archives segment. The 12 items are from various time periods in Jay's career and thus the quality varies.

Volume 2

• Price: $65
• 529 pages of content including the index. Page numbering continues where Volume 1 left off with 520 and ends on page 1053.
• You will find 179 tricks in 20 categories:
  • 11 Tricks in Keys
  • 10 Tricks in On the Erdnase Color Change
  • 13 Tricks in Restaurant Magic
  • 14 Tricks in Situational Magic
  • 12 Tricks in Impromptu Card Magic Part 2
  • 6 Tricks in Stage Mentalism
  • 9 Tricks in Ambitious Card Part 2
  • 7 Tricks in Mealtime Magic
  • 8 Tricks in Drawing on Cards
  • 9 Tricks in Coin Routines Part 1
  • 9 Tricks in Cards & Props Part 2
  • 9 Tricks in Coins and Props
  • 11 Tricks in Close-up Mentalism Part 2
  • 7 Tricks in Bar Magic
  • 9 Tricks in Almost-Impromptu Card Magic Part 2
  • 2 Tricks in Levitations
  • 4 Tricks in Invisible Deck
  • 4 Tricks in Mischief
  • 13 Tricks in Tenkai Pinch
  • 12 Tricks in Gimmicked Cards Part 1
• So what tricks are in Volume 2?
  • If 165 tricks from Volume 1 were too many to list, then the 179 tricks in Volume 2 are way too many to list. So I'm going to continue to highlight a few of my favorites, old and new.
    • Spooky - 2 keys are examined by the spectator. You then proceed to link and unlink them. You link them one last time and have the spectator grasp the end of each key. As they pull they unlink and they are left with a normal key in each hand. Can you believe that this trick did not make any of our Top Ten Magician Picks? How good are the other tricks if they didn't pick this one?
    • Wrapture - You borrow a penny and a quarter. You take the quarter and wrap it around the penny. You display the quarter now wrapped around the penny (won't come apart) and give it back to your spectator as a souvenir.
    • Stand-Up Twilight - This is Jay's walkaround routine for Paul Harris's "Twilight" effect. Essentially you show a small round mirror and a half dollar. You hold the half against the mirror showing the reflection of the coin. You pull away the mirror, but now you have 2 half dollars. You place both half dollars against the mirror and when you pull the mirror away this time you have 4 half dollars. This is a great way to get into a matrix routine, coins across, etc.
    • Bigger Finish - This is one of Eric Leclerc and my top pics. You have a card selected and returned to the deck. You then have four cards touched and removed. The four cards fuse together and when turned around are a jumbo verson of the original selected card.
  • Once again, these are just 4 of the tricks you will find in Volume 2 and they are all from different original sources.
• There are 4 short articles (typically 4 to 6 pages each) by Jay that cover topics such as Mixing Magic and Comedy and "Magic".
• Jay's book Beyond Secrets has been divided into 3 parts. Part 1 is in Volume 1. Beyond Secrets is out of print, but retailed for $30.

Volume 3

• Price: $65
• 554 pages of content including the index. Page numbering continues where Volume 2 left off with 1053 and ends on page 1607.
• You will find 190 tricks in 21 categories:
  • 12 Tricks in Close-Up Magic Part 2
  • 13 Tricks in Magic with Bills
  • 11 Tricks in Cards & Props Part 3
  • 12 Tricks in Matches
  • 11 Tricks in Cards and Bands
  • 9 Tricks in Pens
  • 8 Tricks in Coin Routines Part 2
  • 11 Tricks in Card Box Trickery
  • 10 Tricks in Han Ping Chien
  • 6 Tricks in Playing Card Mentalism
  • 4 Tricks in Packet Tricks
  • 4 Tricks in Coins Across
  • 8 Moves in Card Sleights
  • 9 Tricks in Bill Switch Part 2
  • 7 Tricks in Not-So-Impromptu Card Magic
  • 9 Tricks in Coins & Props Part 2
  • 10 Tricks in Firestarters
  • 14 Tricks in Gimmicked Decks
  • 9 Tricks in Sankey Utilities
  • 9 Tricks in Gimmicked Cards Part 2
  • 4 Tricks in Gimmicked Coins
• So what tricks are in Volume 3?
  • 190 tricks - if I didn't list them for Volumes 1 or 2 then prepare for 4 more tricks.
    • Border Crossing - Andrew Mayne picked this as one of this top ten and it definately deserves the honor. You show a postcard from Florida with a golf ball displayed on the front. You then proceed to reach into the postcard and remove the "real" golf ball.
    • What If - You write the name of a playing card on a piece of paper and then have someone select a card. Your prediction is showed to be true. You crumple the paper to throw it away, but then decide to ask what people think would have happened if a different card had been chosen. Have a card selected and then uncrumple the paper (no switch) and show that it now reads the newly selected card.
    • Gimmy Five - OK, this is the first trick I've chosen that has a 5 star difficulty rating, but after reading the effect it looks like it may be worth the effort. You produce 5 wooden match sticks from your empty hands - this is pure sleight of and it is a fooler.
    • Omnilope - This is both a routine and a utility devise. It is a force envelope that is much like the transparent plastic forcing bag. This envelope has a window in the front. Thus you can force a word, etc and then reveal it as you see fit. Other effects include a Poor Man's Raffle where you then divine or produce the numbers on the random ticket someone chose. Or you can fill the Omnilope with stamps from around the world and you have predicted the country of the stamp that is removed.
  • Once again, these are just 4 of the tricks you will find in Volume 3 and they are all from different original sources.
  • There is one essay by Jay called Magician, Reveal Thyself.
  • Jay's book Beyond Secrets has been divided into 3 parts. Part 1 is in Volume 1. Beyond Secrets is out of print, but retailed for $30.
  • Jay Sankey: The Complete Bibliography - This is practically worth the price of this volume. You have a listing of all of Jays Books, Notes, Dvds and Marketed effects, complete with the contents of each item. All I can say is WOW!!!

My Verdict:

Buy this set - You won't regret it.

With over 500 of Jay's best tricks you will find that some of them aren't for you. It may be that you don't like card tricks or that on some of the previously released tricks that you either don't own the gimmicks or don't want to go to the effort to have them made up. Either way, if you only find 10% of the tricks useful that means you will have gotten over 50 useful tricks that appeal to you. That comes to $3 per trick and has to be one of the best bargains around. Plus I'm willing to bet that you will find more than 10% of the tricks useful. You should also remember that you will have Jay's Beyond Secrets book and several thought provoking essays.

If you are a fan of Jay Sankey's material, then these 3 volumes are a must buy. Even if you own several of his books and dvds like I do, you most likely don't own everything. These 3 volumes will bring you hours of pleasure as you read them. They also consolidate his best material AND The Complete Bibliography tells you where everything else is.

If you are new to Jay Sankey's material, then this is the best bargain you will find. It gives you his best effects, many of which are only found in out of print sources.

Buy Volume 1 $65

Buy Volume 2 $65

Buy Volume 3 $65

Buy Set of Volumes 1 - 3 $150

Buy Deluxe Set of Volumes 1 - 3 $250

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