Greetings from all of us here at Hank Lee’s Magic Factory, where we are packing and shipping like there’s no tomorrow. Of course, there is a tomorrow, and we’ll be packing and shipping then as well. The season has been very good so far, and it’s not over yet. Thanks to you, our favorite customers.
This week, I “graduated” from the Why Wait program. 13 weeks of intensive diet and exercise. 51 pounds lost. And, I have no interest in ever finding it again. I have about another 25 pounds to go, so will continue with the same regimen that has been so effective so far. By Spring I will be thin as a reed. Wow!
FREE SHIPPING CONTINUES: Until Friday the 22nd of December at midnight, we are offering free ground shipping to anywhere in the US, including Alaska and Hawaii! Just enter the special code SHIPMEFREE in the Discount Coupon Box at the bottom of the first page of the online checkout at www.magicfact.com. We will happily pick up the ground shipping charges on your order. Of course, if you want your order sent Fedex Three Day (Express Saver), Second Day or Next Day, you will just have to pay the difference. Overseas customers will save as well! We will pay one-half of the Air Post shipping charges on your orders until the 22nd! Just remember to enter the special code SHIPMEFREE in the Discount Coupon Box, or let the person taking your phone order know when you place your order at 800 874 7400.
Now, let's take a look at all the great magic in this week's Hotlist.
Cyber Space Mental Control Watch – Karl Bravosky: Three of the best known “mental watches,” together in one beautiful timepiece. This precision watch contains three different action systems, so many different presentations and routines are possible! You can wear this as your everyday watch. It is a Swiss-made movement in a beautiful Japanese case.
• Without the spectator saying a word, you are able to name the mentally selected time, even while blindfolded! There is no force of any kind.
• A spectator mentally selects a time, but never writes anything down or says a word. Place your watch on the table, and without touching it, the hands start running like crazy and stop at the mentally selected time. You can also do this routine with the watch on your wrist.
• With the watch on a spectator's wrist, you cause it to run like crazy and stop at the mentally selected time.
• Comes with full instructions for five complete routines with eight variations!
• Remember, the spectator never mentions the mentally selected time. It is kept secret in their mind! And, you never have to touch the watch to perform the effect!
• One year full guarantee.
• Only 24 of these have been made, and when they are gone, there will be no more. $385.00
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8592&cat=0&page=1)
Sharpie Fire Point Marker: Rick Haslett has done it again. The Internet buzz for Jamie Grant’s Sharpie Fire Point Marker is very, well, buzzy.
If you have been looking for a new way to ignite Flash Paper or Flash Cotton, look no more. The Sharpie Fire Point Marker is exactly what you need.
It looks, and it works, like an ordinary Sharpie marker. Use it for signing cards, coins, bills or any other application where you would use a permanent marker.
Yet, when you touch the end of the barrel to Flash Paper, Flash Cotton or Flash String, WHOOSH!
A must for the close-up worker. Use it over and over. No reset. Completely electronic, silent in working.
Comes with battery, and instructional CD?(which also shows the simple way of refilling the ink in marker) Backed by Rick’s famous guarantee. $70.00
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8594&cat=0&page=1)
Scatter Thought Off-Center Tear – Stride & Wassilak: When Richard Stride and Alan Wassilak's "Scatter Thought" first hit the market in 1988 with a limited print run of 150 copies, it quickly sold out and generated quite a buzz within the mentalism community. Copies of the first edition have recently been valued at well over twelve times its original retail cost. After seventeen years, the Pseudo-Psychic's Off-Center Tear still stands out as a unique and unsurpassed solution to the problem of divining a spectator's hidden-from-view thought, suitable for both the working professional and the serious amateur in any performance venue.
Celebrated professional mentalist Richard Stride's masterpiece of creative thinking, which is the core of the manuscript, builds on concepts pioneered by Richard Osterlind, Ray Hyman, and others. It is believed by many to be the simplest, most elegant, effortless, and deceptive handling ever devised for a center tear variation, allowing for an angle-proof glimpse of the spectator's written thought while in the act of nonchalantly tearing up the folded paper. There are no steals, no need to burn or discard the torn pieces, no awkward peeks, and no difficult or suspicious moves of any kind.
Witnesses will swear that the performer never even looked at the paper as he nonchalantly destroyed it. In addition to the easy-to-follow step-by-step illustrated instructions for accomplishing this revolutionary handling of a fundamental psychic entertainment tool, "Scatter Thought" offers several novel suggestions by both Mr. Stride and by noted magic illustrator Alan Wassilak (with a guest appearance by writer/innovator Larry White) regarding presentation of the Off-Center Tear for stand-up routines, walkaround performances, and pre-show preparation. A brief history of the classic Ovette/Annemann center tear is also included in the text, with suggestions for further reading. $24.95
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8595&cat=0&page=1)
Miser’s Dream DVD – Chris Capehart: Miser’s Dream DVD – Chris Capehart - The Misers Dream along with Coins Across, Continuous Coins, One in the Hand and Two in the Pocket and the Total Vanish are the tricks you will learn on this DVD. $25.00
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8596&cat=0&page=1)
"Chris Capehart is one of my absolute favorite magicians! He's funny, fast, and fearless. The moment he steps out onto the stage, he owns it, and he stays in command every moment until he leaves them laughing in his wake. For audiences small and large, young and old, his results are the same, and his impact immeasurable."
- Jamy Ian Swiss
Deep Thought – Greg Arce: Greg's first book that took the mentalism fraternity by storm. Seven powerhouse routines and effects contained within 52-pages. Easy to perform and highly commercial.
Some of the effects included are:
Emotion-All - The performer recreates the emotions spectator's are feeling.
Adam’s Prediction - A cute and very entertaining nailwriting routine, but still has a big surprise at the end.
Date Me - The easiest Calendar/Card routine around. With this method you'll be able to use your cards and any calendar and you can make it stage size. Practically self-working once you make the initial set up.
Scorch & Floater - Two equivoque routines that allow any performer to get the spectators to name the one card that is in an envelope or inside of a balloon. This one regularly destroys audiences! 52 pages. $29.95
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8597&cat=0&page=1)
Lost In Thought – Greg Arce: Greg's new book is jam-packed with powerful, impactful and easy-to-perform mentalism routines designed to be highly useable and commercial. Within these pages of you'll discover:
Sticky Pop - The whole audience decides on one card - no force - and that card is inside a balloon that has been visible throughout the routine. No equivoque. It uses a very sneaky method.
Add Sense - A spectator decides on one of many newspapers then tears down to one piece on any of the pages and you tell him what's on that piece. You are nowhere near the spectator and the paper is not gimmicked in any way. This is remote viewing at its best.
Hypno-Math - You are able to not only remove a piece of memory from a spectator, but change what he now remembers.
Pinhead's Roulette - The audience chooses 9 of 10 paper bags for you to smash - no force - yet the last bag contains a very menacing spike ball that would have impaled you if you had smashed that bag. Absolutely idiot-proof roulette. Look dangerous, but is very safe.
The _____ Book - A new book test that you can make yourself. Four spectators randomly look in their books and you are able to tell them what they are reading. This is just plain weird. It was planned as a marketed item, but now you can make it up yourself.
Sticky Dupe - Now you can redraw a spectator's hidden drawing using a few business cards, an envelope and a little secret something you probably already own.
Hallmark Memory - A Derren-like effect where you know details of someone's past event.
Bizarre Dupe & Super Swindle Steal - Two mentalism takes on Paul Harris effects that even took Paul by surprise.
Plus: Various ideas, techniques, essays, rants, and bits of business...and two other roulette routines...and yes, even more.
125 pages. $59.95
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8598&cat=0&page=1)
Star Trick – Larry Becker & Lee Earle: Start with a four-times folded 24" X 36" poster that has 576 unique photographs of public celebrities, all printed in gorgeous color on a brilliant paper that is incredibly tear-resistant.
Slowly and deliberately unfold and show every square inch of the printed surface to an audience participant, who verifies that all 576 shots are indeed different.
The spectator randomly selects one of those icons as his secret star. Only now do you unfold the full poster so the entire audience can see that the hundreds of photos are really tiles in a mosaic becoming a work of art that depicts the participant's secret star!
You can play it straight, as subconscious influence, or as a gag, "Who wants to read his mind?"
No stooges, no pre-show work. No sleights, no electronics, no counting, no adding, no writing, no plastic baggies, and nothing to get between you and your audience!
The selection itself (a most clever force, of course) is clean, clever, and diabolic as well as easy, direct, and logical!
Lee Earle spent hundreds of hours creating this digital masterpiece both to honor an instantly recognizable star who transcends generations and to design a visually intriguing prop to support an engaging routine! $69.95
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8590&cat=0&page=1)
Versadex – Becker & Earle: At last! A practical and elegant pocket index that doesn't require pockets and can be used under their noses, in plain sight.
This VERSAtile inDEXing wallet includes five complete, audience-proven routines and unlimited potential!
Versadex is beautifully hand fashioned from the highest quality black calf leather and features three deep compartments for credit cards plus two facing pockets to hold business cards and your paper currency. It's 4" wide x 6-3/4" long (10cm x 17cm) to provide a filing cabinet's instant access and easy indexing for more than a dozen business cards, billets, and more.
This wallet is not intended to be an everday 'carry wallet' but will certainly be accepted as such by anyone who sees it.
Five Powerhouse Routines!
The Universal Word - Imagine chatting up someone just before showtime, inviting her to think of a single word which she will reveal to you later, during your performance. She writes nothing down and tells no one. She has the option of changing her word any time and, until she reveals her choice to one and all, she is the only person in the entire universe who knows the word in her mind.
Later, after asking her to join him, the performer gazes into her eyes and writes something on a scrap of paper which is quarter-folded and openly tucked into a small pocket in his wallet. To ensure accuracy, the participant holds the wallet so everyone can easily see the folded paper. After she reads aloud her word's dictionary definition, she removes the folded paper from the wallet. When she opens it and reads aloud what you wrote, your prediction is the exact same definition and word as hers!
7 pages of detailed instructions give you 4 more real-world routines:
Dual Destiny - A random participant's Zodiac sign and lucky card both match yours, and you prove it!
Burn-Baby-Burn! - She incinerates 51 cards in an imaginary bonfire - your wallet holds the 52nd!
Flipping Impossible - Using imaginary coins, a 5-person 'flip-off' is accurately predicted!
Double Digit Quickie - The audience calls out a random 2-digit number - it's in your wallet, of course.
Each powerful presentation is audience-tested, direct from Larry Becker's personal repertoire. $125.00
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8584&cat=0&page=1)
Use Your Head To Create Better Magic DVD – Barry Mitchell: Join Barry at Kidabra 2005 for his live Building A Better Mouse Trap lecture. He will inspire you to stop thinking like a magician and start thinking like an entertainer. He discusses his 7 habits to enhance and simplify his magic while maintaining a high level of entertainment value. The unique tricks and routines that Barry presents are fun to watch and a pleasure to learn. Keeping with the tradition of The Magic of Thinking Creatively, Use Your Head To Create Better Magic is a must see for the beginner as well as the professional. Read the book then enjoy this DVD. The book explains each of the tricks on the DVD completely, then gives directions on how to build many of them. Double disk set with additional studio footage for material not covered at live lecture. Also includes special demo performance of Super Chicken and Barry explains how Super Chicken started it all. $44.95
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8585&cat=0&page=1)
Zoom-Bounce & Fly DVD – Jeff McBride: Zoom-Bounce and Fly perfectly describe this teach-in by master performer Jeff McBride.
This has always been one of the most exciting parts of Jeff's card act and now you can learn all the secret techniques as well as receiving the secret little gimmick that makes it so much more accurate.
Extreme card spinning, floor bouncing, and spinning productions. Learn the inside secrets of card spinning, McBride's famous floor bouncing, extreme card spin productions, flourishes, card juggling, and much, much more!
Taught to you by one of the world's greatest teachers of magic! Includes the Special Mc Grip-Tip Super Card Shooter.
DVD Contents:
The Thurston Throwing Card
Special Preparation of Cards
Bobby Baxter at the Richiardi Show
The Walsh Tarbell Spin Walk-On
Jumbo Card Sequence
Thumb Flick Spin
Del Rosso Flick Flourish
Fan Catch and
Spin Backhand Catch
The "Dropping a Card" Out
Hacky Sack
Kick Devil
Stick Flick
Perfect Spinner
Two Hand Spinner
Card Spinning
The McBride Grip
Safety Loading Gimmicks
Arcing
McBride's Famous Floor Bouncing
$39.95
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8591&cat=0&page=1)
Metalblast – Richard Osterlind: This is the book that Richard Osterlind has been writing in his head for five years...and it's available at last. Metalblast contains not the methods, but the real secrets of metal bending. In this exciting new work, Richard Osterlind discusses the mindset of the metal bender and the key ingredients necessary to make an audience believe that they're seeing miracles. What's more, these theatrical and psychological techniques are totally transferable and able to be easily adapted to just about any mentalism or magic you perform. If you're an aspiring metal bender, or simply want to make the effects you already perform stronger and more impactful, you need to read Metalblast! 20 pages. Saddle-stitched. $10.00
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8593&cat=0&page=1)
Vanishing & Appearing Glass: This special glass appears or vanishes in the blink of an eye! Made from special plastic which allows the glass to be pushed flat or to expand into full size within half a second!
Many different productions and vanishes are possible! Imported from Germany. You will love this one! $24.95
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8586&cat=0&page=1)
Shaker – Rodger Lovins: You won't believe your eyes!
A ball vanishes from inside a salt shaker. Then, the ball penetrates the bottom of the shaker and is seen back inside. Finally, the ball and shaker both vanish like real magic!
Perfect to use in conjunction with the Ultimate Coin Purse or in Chop Cup routines.
Comes complete with shaker, balls, and detailed instructions. $24.95
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8588&cat=0&page=1)
Impromptu Packet Tricks DVD – Aldo Colombini: Packet Tricks are one of the most interesting branches of card magic. Using only a small number of cards, magic is created that is often easy to follow, visual and very magical. On this DVD Aldo Colombini presents fifteen packet trick routines that can be performed using a borrowed deck and at a moment's notice. Along the way he also teaches packet trick concepts and the many sleight-of-hand techniques that are regularly used when dealing with small packets of cards.
Routines performed and explained:
For Marlo (David Regal): A selected card is placed face-up between four deuces. Magically it disappears from between the deuces and appears face-up among the four Queens which have been in clear sight the entire time.?
Oil & Queens (Roy Walton): Four red cards and four black cards are mixed and as they are expected to separated into reds and blacks the blacks have risen to the top but the four reds have now changed into the four Queens.?
Shiftless Royalty (Robin Robertson): The four Queens and Kings are alternated face up and face down. Impossibly they separate themselves while revealing a previously selected card face up between them.?
Masque Backwards (J. K. Hartman): A Joker takes the identity of three different cards. As a kicker ending all the cards are shown to be jokers before turning back to their original identity.
Curtain Call (Max Maven): The Ace-2-3 of Hearts do impossible things as they intermingle with the four Jacks.
The Ultimate Truth (Peter Duffie): A lie detector made out of a small packet of cards finds a selected card.
That’s Not Possible (Paul Gordon): Four Aces and four Kings are shown, mixed and split into two packets. All of a sudden one packed is seen to have the four kings while the other now has a Royal Flush in Spades.
Oil And Water (Karl Fulves): Five red and five black cards are cleanly and repeatedly alternated but continue to separate. Finally they are fairly separated but magically become intermixed.
Stringray (Aldo Colombini): Three selected cards surprisingly change places with three jacks that are sitting on the table or in a spectators hand.
Royal Rhumba (Jean Pierre Vallarino): A beautiful and visual routine where Joker collection changes into a Royal Flush.
Wallaby (Hiro Sakai): Four Aces rise one at a time to the top of a four card packet. As a finale all four rise to the top at once.
French Twists (Richard Vollmer): A multi-phase routine where the four aces turn face up and face down, singly and two at a time until they are all face up. As a finale the Aces turn face up in the deck after they are lost.
Modena Aces (Aldo Colombini): Four Kings vanish one at a time as they are placed into a four-card packet. Amazingly as the discarded cards are turned over they are seen to be the four Aces.
Devil’s Elevator (Bruce Cervon & Dai Vernon): The 2-3-4-5 of hearts are placed into a four card packet but continually jump to the top.
Exit (Aldo Colombini): Four red cards are placed on the table as four black cards are used for a twisting effect. Magically the four black cards change into reds and the red cards that were placed aside are now all black.
Along with the routines you will learn important sleight-of-hand techniques such as: The Ascanio Spread, Braue Add-On, Charlier Shuffle, Criss-Cross Force, Elmsley Count, Hamman Count, Hypnotical Rhumba Count, Mirage Count, Rhythm Count, Veeser Concept and more.
$34.95
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8589&cat=0&page=1)
And that’s this week’s ton ‘o’ new magic. Take some time. Check it all out. Then order one of each. Or at least one.
Tonight being the first night of Hanukkah, we want to wish all of our Jewish friends a very happy one. And, while I know this is the busiest time of you for everyone, I hope you will find some time to spend with us either online at www.magicfact.com or in person at 112 South Street in downtown Boston. Either way, we really do love your company.
Hank Lee
