Friday, June 23, 2006

Catching Up

Greeting from all of us here at Hank Lee's Magic Factory, and especially from me, Hank Lee. While we have been busy as usual here at magic central, life outside the Magic Factory has been just a whirlwind.
As previously reported, Aron, the elder son, has moved to Martha's Vineyard for the summer and is currently working two jobs. I am thrilled. You know the old saying, "All work and no play makes it easier for college to pay." Or something like that. All I know is that he now has a little car to support, and, as we all know, gas is not cheap. So, next semester, he will be using his summer money to pay for his car. And maybe a little towards college. I know he reads the weekly email letter, and I can see his face right now. Relax, kiddo.
Lucas, the younger son, is going for his driver's license test tomorrow. He really wants that license. He's a careful driver, and I suspect he will pass the test. On Saturday, he goes off to camp for the summer. It's a bummer for me, because he's my TV partner. I guess that Bones The Dog will have to fill in while Lucas is away.
Bonnie is tying up a bunch of loose ends before she leaves for the Vineyard for the summer. This is an annual event, and leaves me a bachelor for several weeks. While I do miss the family while they are away, the peace and quiet is really nice. Of course, I will head down to the Vineyard on weekends to make sure that all the weeds are pulled and the grass is mowed and the hammock is in its proper place.
I am told that I should be posting photos in the weekly letter. I have some Bar Mitvah photos, from both boys' big events. And, I think there may be some family photos from our last picnic. Let me know if you are interested in seeing these, and I will be happy to include them.

Now, let's take a look at all the great magic in this week's Hotlist.

Elevator - L2ILLUSIONS have come up with what they believe to be the most versatile street levitation to ever hit the market. The Elevator is so easy to use and can be performed under most conditions. You can perform this without having to worry about any angle restrictions found in other street levitations. You don't need special clothes, or special shoes, in fact you can even perform the levitation barefoot! This one can be viewed from the front and the sides. You start clean, and you finish clean! Show the bottom of your feet before and after the effect. You can even hold onto the hands of your spectators while you float, and even perform a mid-air rotation!
You will carry this specially constructed levitation device with you wherever you go, levitating for people anywhere and anytime.
The effect is simple! The performer attempts to catch a cushion of air, and elevate on top of it and remain suspended. Just as the spectators begin to comprehend what they are seeing, the performer lands back on the ground, ready to repeat the effect if desired.
The package comes with the gimmick, detailed instructions and presentation tips, and a DVD. $100.00
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8358&cat=0&page=1)

Emergency Cash: Everyone knows better than to trust a magician with their money, but they loan you a bill anyway.
A small pay envelope is your collateral. The spectator signs, folds, and paperclips the bill assuring the use of no duplicates.
The envelope is waved over the bill and the bill immediately vanishes!
With empty hands, you open the sealed envelope.
Inside is a smaller sealed envelope. Open this envelope to find yet a smaller sealed envelope. A total of five envelopes are opened.
The smallest inner envelope is opened by the spectator and inside is their signed bill!
- Stunning! Easy! Self-Contained!
- Simple reset means instant magic!
- Diabolical method; a million-dollar secret!
- No palming, pocket work, or fake appendages!
Emergency Cash is a daily miracle pulling you center stage! Here's a comfortable solution for an ever-ready killer! Emergency Cash is a self-contained device, featuring intimate architecture and efficient durable construction!
There's no way! Except this way! Emergency Cash by Steve Shufton is a model of efficiency you can perform completely surrounded! New automatic transfer technology gives you the power to control the bill at all times, without any sort of conventional slide!
Steve Shufton makes Emergency Cash an evolutionary turning point for magic's most intriguing plot, a borrowed object to impossible location. The routine and device work together weaving strict conditions and open handling. $20.00
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8349&cat=0&page=1)

Dream Multiplying Silicone Balls: Tired of using low quality balls? DMSB are very high level silicone bouncing balls for a perfect grip. Made in Italy.
You receive four balls, two special gimmicks and an instructional DVD! Brilliant white; 40mm/1.58'' diameter.
Learn vanishes, flourishes, subtleties and three different routines to perform Multiplying Balls both on the street and on the stage.
Diego "Jazzhand" Finotti is a very fine Italian sleight of hand artist. No words! Just acid jazz music and Diego performing and explaining:
-Basic shell technique
-Basic routine
-Advanced routine
-Two shell routine
-Classic palm
-Finger palm
-Toss vanish
-Palm to plum
-Continue production
-Cardini's ball roll
-Ball roll
-V vanish
-Shell subtlety
-and more!.....
$85.00
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8354&cat=0&page=1)

Parasols - Set Of 7: You receive 7 extremely well-made, self-opening parasols. 1 solid white parasol, 1 solid red parasol, 1 solid yellow parasol, 1 solid blue parasol, 1 striped blue and white parasol, 1 red and white striped parasol, and 1 red, white, yellow and blue striped parasol. $60.00
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8351&cat=0&page=1)

Parasols Anywhere DVD - Joker Lam - The parasol production has long been praised as one of the most amazing and elegant effects in magic. However, it is also one of the most closely-guarded secrets in magic. Now, an award-winning magician, Joker Lam, will share a series of parasol production techniques with you, which are directly from his award-winning act! With the in-depth explanation by Joker, you will learn the equipment, sleights and timing of performing the parasol production without any difficulty. ??Effects included:
Basic Techniques
Basic Flourishes
Equipment Introduction
Sleeve Production
Split Production
Back Production #1
Back Production #2
Trousers Production
Chest Production
Japanese Production #1
Japanese Production #2
Japanese Production #3
Japanese Production #4
Japanese Production #5
Parasol Climax #1
Parasol Climax #2
Jumbo Parasol Production
$44.95
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8350&cat=0&page=1)

Mental Hammer- Anton Corradin: With this unique gimmick you will be able to expand your mentalism performances. Plus you will be able to showcase your mental powers by destroying glass objects of any kind, such as wineglasses, soda bottles, etc.
Easy to reset and simply to use, comes with a instructional DVD, and the gimmick which is made of a clear acrylic. $40.00
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8355&cat=0&page=1)

No Palm Wallet: Jerry O’Connell is one of the finest leather workers in magic. The quality of his items is hard to beat!
The No Palm Wallet has plenty of room to store all your everyday needs as well as packet tricks and some extra cash. Designed for the worker. The inside window can hold a prediction if you wish, or be used as an ID window for your personal use.
This wallet does not have the sealed envelope feature. But the No Palm feature is a very powerful tool for those who do not wish to palm a card and still perform Card in Wallet. The card is inside, in a zipped compartment. Similar in operation to the Mullica Wallet. This is also used as a Peek Wallet and has the added bonus of being a utility holdout to secretly add a stock of cards to the top of a shuffled deck of cards.
This beautiful small wallet will fulfill most of your everyday needs. Gimmicked for the No Palm feature, the necessary working parts operate flawlessly. Being able to remove a card or small object from inside the zip compartment makes the effect even more stunning.
Size: 6" x 3-3/4"
$75.00
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8353&cat=0&page=1)

Tricky Bowling Pins - Jumbo: Jay Leslie has taken the original Tricky Bottles and created a totally fun new trick. The Tricky Bowling Pins.
Have a spectator take either tube. They then take either pin. Ask them to place their pin in their tube and follow along. Each of you turns your tubes upside down a number of times. When you both lift your tube, your pin is right side up and the spectator's is upside down. You can repeat the effect over and over. No matter how you do it, your pin is always right side up and theirs is always upside down.
In this new version, you can switch the pins and tubes during the routine! The method is different from Tricky Bottles! You will even fool other magicians when you perform our version.
The tubes are covered with durable vinyl, so they will always look great. Pins are full size, 19" tall!
Specially priced at $134.95!
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=6924&cat=0&page=1)

Heirloom Bonus Kit: Heirloom is one of the most popular Mentalism effects in our catalog.
With the Heirloom Bonus Pack, you will be able to perform several additional effects and routines.
Uncle Charlie’s been at it again!
Not only was he a gambler but he also dabbled in Mind Reading and Magic!
Included in this special pack, Uncle Charlie provides you with the photos to add to your performance of “John Kennedy’s Mind Power Deck” & “Bob Cassidy’s Chronologue” as well as some very special bonus cards including the five E.S.P symbols! This pack comes complete with thirty two custom printed photographs and some great routines.
Heirloom not included, but must be purchased separately. $24.50
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8357&cat=0&page=1)

Antimony Magazine 6 - Published four times per year, with 40 to 48 pages per issue, each in an oversized format designed to enhance your learning experience by more easily lying flat when open. Each issue includes commentary and conjuring from some of the sharpest minds on the magic scene. Antinomy sets a new standard in quality for this kind of publication.
The writers of Antinomy are referring to this issue as their “All-Star” issue. It seems like all of the magicians inside are very well-known, some of them are more recent arrivals to the magic horizon and then there are some that have been around for some time. Regardless of their point of their origin, it’s great that they were willing to participate and relinquish some of their materials for this journal. $20.00
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8356&cat=0&page=1)

And that's the hottest new magic you will find anywhere. All right here in one little list! And, don’t forget that for the next week, we will ship it off to you and not charge you a penny for shipping! What a deal.
I sincerely hope you will find some time to spend with us online at www.magicfact.com. Or, if you are in the Boston area, please stop in and visit us at our wonderful retail shop at 112 South Street. Either way we love your company.
Hank Lee