"Heiny 500" DVD by Karl Hein
Suggested Retail USD$30.00
Available from your favorite dealer
In a Blink: 9 Out of 10

"Heiny 500", a DVD by Karl Hein, is one of the most visual, most convincing, flat-out best bill transformations to hit the streets to date.

The effect is as direct as Patrick Page's original: a stack of five $1 bills are shown front and back, folded, and then change to dive $100 bills. Hein, though, takes it to the next level with an open, visual handling that has to be seen to be believed.

So go see it here. This is one time when a picture is worth more than a thousand words.

In reality, as good as "Heiny 500" looks in that video, it looks so much better when you actually do it. This is one you'll do in the mirror partly for practice and partly because of how damn fine it looks. This is a good one, one you'll like doing and one your audiences will appreciate.

Now, with something like this, comparisons naturally occur. "How does it stack up against <fill in this space with your favorite bill transformation>?" To be honest, the greatest part of that question will be answered when it comes to your own personal choice. "Heiny 500" uses Gregory Wilson's "Hundy 500" gimmick, if that will help you decide, and applies a few new moves and subtleties to get the job done. After that, it really becomes a matter of taste.

My taste runs toward "Heiny 500". The visuals are devastatingly clean, the handling more open than I could wish for, and it works beautifully when I take it out for a spin. So, for the time being, any comparison is pretty much moot: I love Hein's take on this one and I do it more than I ever did any of the others. But that's just me: let's break out the magnifying glass, look at a couple of things that might help you decide if this one is for you.

First, while "Heiny 500" is taught with US currency, it'll work with any currency -- paper, really -- of the same size, that is length and width. I know this eliminates a couple of countries when it comes to a "denominational" change, but changing blank paper to bills a la Page's original version of this is startling enough. Let your mind go a bit and other possibilities are out there (lots of others).

Second, "Heiny 500" is extremely well-taught; Hein covers all the bases when it comes to the handling and performing his routine. If there is a problem, it's in the description of the gimmick's construction which is glossed over. If you're not familiar with the gimmick -- which is fairly common knowledge nowadays -- you may have a bit of a problem here and there. Just do a lot of pausing of the video as you go through this section and you should have no problem.

Third, if you already do one of the seemingly innumerable versions of the bill transformation ("Hundy 500", "Slow Burn", and so forth), then you'll have to decide if the visuals Hein brings to the table are worth it for you to, well, switch (an unintentional pun, I assure you). Frankly, it's those visuals that set "Heiny 500" apart from the others but if you've already got a favorite that you've broken in and are comfortable with, then you might be willing to sacrifice the visuals for the familiar.

I found the appearance of "Heiny 500" to be well worth giving up my former vesion in favor of it. The openness, the quickness of it, and the display of the change (something almost magical in itself) all sold me.

If you don't do a bill transformation yet and you're in the market for one, "Heiny 500" is the one to get. For my money, it's the one to get even if you do an existing version. "Heiny 500" has a lot going for it, including being a pleasure to whip out of your wallet and perform and you can't ask for much more than that.

"Heiny 500" DVD by Karl Hein
In a Blink: 9 Out of 10

Material: 10
It's "Hundy 500" on steroids. Hein uses that gimmick but with a different handling that makes this incredibly visual and clean.

Practicality: 10
Put the bills into your wallet and you're good to go and with no set-up or reset, you can keep going.

Quality of Production: 10
The production values are great here all the way around. An excellent job.

Quality of Instruction: 8
The handling instructions are as perfect as you could ask for, with Hein covering all the details. The construction of the gimmick is a bit lacking, so new users of the gimmick might run into issues.

Presentation: 10
This is one of the most visually striking changes out there, hands down. Add your own patter and ideas and you've got a winner on your hands.


Shane

Available direct from your favorite dealer. Dealers, please contact Murphy's Magic Supplies, Inc. toll-free at 1-800-853-7403 or visit Murphy's Magic Supplies website.