Friday, August 25, 2006

Hangin' With Hankie

Greetings from the beautiful island of Martha’s Vineyard where my all too short yet so well deserved vacation is coming to an end. It’s been a great week so far. The weather has been perfect. The loudest sound has been Bones the Dog barking at an errant squirrel. I have had a chance to catch up on my reading and to catch up on my eating. And, I’ve been able to put some much needed time and effort into my summer tan. Back at home, the elves have done a fantastic job. Let’s hear it for the elves!
I have put a lot of thought into this week’s excitement. And, I think you are going to like it.
HANG WITH HANK: I have been rolling this around in my head for some time. We tell you every week how much we love your company. Now, we are going to prove it! Here’s the deal. One lucky member of Hank Lee Nation will win a date with me, Hank Lee. Does this sound presumptuous? I hope not. We will fly you to Boston and put you up in a nice hotel for the weekend. The weekend will include a guided tour of our warehouse facility in Medford, a trip to our fabulous retail store in Boston where you will meet some of the elves, a trip to Beverly to see the Le Grand David Show, Dinner with me and Bonnie and some other fun activities. I think it sounds like a blast. And, you can win it all for free!
Everyone who places an order from right now until Thursday, August 31st and types the secret phrase IWANTADATE in the Customer Notes box of the online checkout at www.magicfact.com, is eligible to win.
On Friday morning, one of our fairer than fair elves will randomly choose the winner and he or she will be contacted by email. It’s as easy as that!
Even if you are not planning to place an order this weekend (what!?) you can still enter to win. Just send us an email with your name and address and type IWANTADATE in the subject line. We will enter you in the drawing as well.
Now, let’s take a peek at the Hotlist at www.magicfact.com.

Mind Reading Orange: Direct from professional magician John Kaplan’s working repertoire comes The Mind Reading Orange!
Over five minutes of hilarious entertainment as you “hypnotize” an orange and demonstrate its ability to read a spectator’s mind.
• An instant comedy classic!
• Tons of spectator involvement.
• Loaded with sight gags and one-liners.
• Ideal for any audience, adults or kids.
• Proven laugh-getter. Guaranteed applause
• Easy to perform. 100% solid commercial routine.
• Includes props, routine, instructional DVD and bonus live performance.
The most outrageous Card In Orange routine ever. $79.97
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8432&cat=0&page=1)

Harada Hold DVD – Daiki Harada - If you have mastered the Cornelius "Jumping Coin" effect, this is for you and all professional coin workers! On this DVD, three master Japanese coin workers showcase the "Harada Hold." If you're looking for a different approach to coin magic and manipulation, this is it!
The DVD features 15 effects and explanations! While shot in Japan, each effect has clear English subtitles as well as English menus. Be entertained and witness an advancement in the art of coin magic. You won't believe it when you see it explained! This is a new pure sleight that will fool you and blow your mind! Wonderful to see, but even more wonderful to incorporate into your coin routines. No gimmicked coins, this is a revolutionary technique.
Use your own coins.
With the Harada Hold, you can show your palm by opening both hands with the coin concealed. You can use a borrowed coin. $34.95
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8436&cat=0&page=1)

Glass Go: A brilliant close-up effect from master street performer Cellini.
An ordinary glass with a flat bottom is covered with a pocket handkerchief. Tap your fingers against the side, proving it is still there.
Suddenly you toss the handkerchief into the air. The glass has vanished!
Show both sides of the handkerchief and cover your empty palm. Mysteriously, the shape of the glass is seen to reappear. Remove the handkerchief, and there is the glass! Leave the glass on the table, open to be examined. Any glass. Anytime. Anywhere.
$18.00
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8435&cat=0&page=1)

Sign Off: The very latest from Tony Clark.
Have a card selected, signed and shuffled back into the deck.
A jumbo card is face down on the table. Ask the spectator if they would be amazed if their selected card is on the other side of the jumbo card.
The spectator turns the jumbo card over and there are twenty four mini cards printed on the face. On closer inspection, the spectator is amazed to see that one of the cards is their selected card and has a signature on it.
"Look, I can even pull the signed card off," you say, and begin to pull the card off. The mini signed card visibly changes into their original signed card. When you reveal the face of the jumbo card, the spectators see a blank space where their card used to be. This one will blow your audience away!
Includes: Jumbo Prediction Card, 2 Gimmicks, plus a 40 minute DVD
with full performance & explanation by Tony Clark and Austin Brooks.
Bonus section: Tony and Austin teach you several card forces and controls.
Extra Bonus Section: Excerpts of performances from Tony Clark & Austin Brook's "West Coast Conjurers" DVD. $40.00
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8434&cat=0&page=1)

Bye George: Imagine showing a dollar bill on all sides. Your hands are totally empty!
The bill is folded. As you drag the folded bill across your close-up pad, a quarter falls from the bill. Open the bill to freely show everything clean.
It's folded once again and another quarter magically falls from the folds of the bill.
This time one of the quarters is dropped into the folds of the bill. A magical wave of your hand and the coin has vanished...or has it? It has actually penetrated the mat onto the table.
The dollar bill is unfolded and shown on both sides, then folded again. A spectator points to an area on your mat and a third quarter falls from its folds at that spot. Once again your hands are shown empty and the bill clean.
A fourth coin makes its appearance! All four coins are put into a square formation. As the dollar bill is dragged across each quarter, more quarters instantly appear! In a matter of seconds, your mat is displaying eight coins!
If this isn't enough, the bill is unfolded for a final time and shown on both sides. It's folded again and a three-inch jumbo quarter falls from its folds! Amazing!
The routine is structured so that any phase can be performed by itself, the finales switched around, worked with a close-up pad or without one. The jumbo coin finale can also be a silver dollar or a shower of coins. The doubling of the coins requires additional accessories which can be purchased separately.
Every facet is covered in the DVD explanation. You do not need to be a sleight of hand expert. The moves are relatively simple to execute. Any currency can be used. Coins up to half dollar size can be used. The explanations are detailed and everything is covered. $25.00
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8433&cat=0&page=1)

Secrets Of Card On Ceiling DVD: World's Greatest Magic By The World's Greatest Magicians - This benchmark collection features just about all of magic's most enduring and classic effects and routines. It's a fabulous compendium with many of the top masters in the world of magic teaching their handlings and routines for some of magic's classics. Each volume covers a specific subject and features new, old, and sometimes rare footage by some of the top video producers in magic.
In the early part of the 20th century, legendary bar magician Matt Schulien threw a deck of cards against the wall of his tavern and left a spectator's selection stuck in place. Little did he realize that he had created one of the most memorable and dramatic card tricks of all time. Since then, magicians have aimed their sites a little higher - ceilings, to be exact - and have been amazing and mystifying audiences with one of the very few card tricks that has such a huge, built-in “wow” factor. $19.95
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8430&cat=0&page=1)

Secrets Of Magic With Everyday Objects DVD: World's Greatest Magic By The World's Greatest Magicians - This benchmark collection features just about all of magic’s most enduring and classic effects and routines. It’s a fabulous compendium with many of the top masters in the world of magic teaching their handlings and routines for some of magic’s classics. Each volume covers a specific subject and features new, old, and sometimes rare footage by some of the top video producers in magic.
Paper clips, string, napkins, pencils. These are all ordinary objects found in every household. However, it’s precisely their familiarity that makes it so amazing when a magician creates an apparent miracle with them.
On this volume, some of the best performers in the world of magic present their favorite tricks with common objects. $19.95
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8431&cat=0&page=1)

Boulevard 54: If you like Bazar de Magia’s Electronic Crasher, you are going to love their new Boulevard 54. A complete sellout at FISM in Stockholm!
Start by performing a Book Test, divining any word thought of by a spectator, on any page of a book.
After that, take a glass goblet (it can be borrowed but explain that it may not come back on one piece) and place it on top of the same book.
After a few seconds, SMASH! The goblet shatters into a thousand pieces!
Imagine the astonishment of your audience when they see the goblet explode just at the command of your mind.
The secret is a small electro-mechanical device hidden in a book that is also used for the Book Test! How cool is that?
And, the Book Test is based upon a Max Maven idea, done with Max’s full permission. It has at least six different effects to divine the word thought of by the spectators.
Not just a trick, but a whole mental act.
• Original & exclusive electro-mechanical design.
• Programmable timer, between 10 and 45 seconds.
• Works with just two batteries. Activate the micro switch and off you go.
• Available in English, French & Spanish books $290.00
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8429&cat=0&page=1)

And, that’s the latest and greatest for this week! I just know you will find some goodies that you can’t pass up. And, I hope you will find some time to spend with us either online at www.magicfact.com or in person at our retail emporium at 112 South Street in Boston. You know how much we love your company.
Hank Lee