Greetings from all of us at Hank Lee’s Magic Factory. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza. Have I left anyone out? I hope not. Because, right at this moment, everyone should be feeling the joy. As you already know, we have had a whiz-bang season. But today, we will have a chance to catch our collective breath. Sit back for a few minutes and relax. And, you do the same. You have my permission. Really. Tell your boss that Hank says it’s OK.
I must tell you how excited I am that we have shipped all of the back orders for Trevor Lewis’ Flashlight Fun. We have worked on the new design for a long time, and didn’t want to release it until we were all happy with the way it worked. The new model works like a charm! Uses hi-tech LED technology and everything. Check out the effect in the online catalog at www.magicfact.com. It a great kidshow routine, now made better than ever!
All through this wild holiday season, we have been receiving tons of new items. One of the last minute entries in the holiday magic-aganza is Devil’s Nail. This is the same version that Bob Sheets uses in his very own act. Read all about it below, but I just wanted to take a second to tell you that I am very pleased with this item.
Of course, it would not be an email from Hank Lee unless there was a mention of the Cape Cod Magic Conclave. So, here goes. Next year’s Conclave looks like it could be the best one ever! The dates are April 20th-22nd, 2007, and registrations are going fast. As I have already told you, it makes a great gift, annd now it makes a great last-minute gift! You can register for the Conclave online at www.magicfact.com, right under the Conclave Button. Give a registration to someone you love! And, get one for yourself. It’ll be the best gift of the season!
One more shameless plug. We offer electronic Gift Certificates that are really easy for you and even easier for us. Just order the Gift Certificate online and include the recipient’s email. Faster than fast, the gift certificate will be delivered. In plenty of time for the holiday!
Now, to this week’s Hotlist at www.magicfact.com.
Devil’s Nail: Insert a six inch steel nail through a wooden stand in order to create a most dangerous situation! If you crushed a paper cup, not knowing that the nail was underneath it, the nail would severely injure your hand!
As a challenge, ask a member of the audience to hide the nail under one of four large paper cups. You turn away so you cannot know which cup the nail is under. To make it even more impossible, ask the spectator to mix the cups. Once that is done, you turn back to face the audience.
Without saying a word, start crushing cups with your open hand. The suspense builds with each flattened cup until only one remains. The cup is lifted to reveal the menacing nail! Your hand remains safe and successfully completes the challenge!
• No magnetic device at all, you can crush the cup instantly, without trying to 'fish' where the nail is!
• Can be performed as many times as you want, one right after another, already reset!
• No stooge or help from anyone.
• Very high quality props, you must know how the trick works to find out how it works!
• Very easy to perform, challenging and visual!
Comes complete with wooden stand, nail and instruction sheet.
Nail Length Approximately 6" (15.25cm)
Wooden Stand Approximately 1" x 2 3/4" (2.5cm x 7cm)
$498.50
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8601&cat=0&page=1)
Balloon Sculpting DVDs –
Volume One- Will Roya: Beginning Single Balloon Sculpting - Get ready to grab a bag of 260q's and learn over 35 balloon animals & figures with professional balloon artist and Las Vegas entertainer Will Roya. These balloon creations are simple, commercial, and easy to make. You will be able to impress and entertain groups of children and adults in no time.
Will also reveals his favorite bits of business when entertaining with balloons and reveals some of his marketing secrets for the aspiring professional in a candid interview with S. Frank Stringham. Whether you are a complete beginner or just looking to increase your repertoire, this is the DVD for you. $19.95
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8599&cat=0&page=1)
Volume Two – S. Frank Stringham: Expert balloon sculptor and Las Vegas performer S. Frank Stringham is ready to take your skill to the next level with some of his favorite intermediate multiple balloon figures. Besides entertaining you throughout this entire DVD he will show you the proper technique for blowing up a balloon and some of his signature techniques like making eye balls, to give your figures that extra special touch.
Also S. Frank sits down with Will Roya to tell you about his career. You now have no excuse not to take your balloon sculpting to the next level with this easy to learn from DVD $19.95
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8600&cat=0&page=1)
Volume Four – S. Frank Stringham: Hats and Cartoons are some of the most requested figures for the working balloon artist and S. Frank Stringham shares some of his favorite with you. From a basic flower hat to a 13 balloon elaborate monster hat, plus tips on how to customize your tips. Learn two popular cartoon characters along with a general superhero that can be easily adapted to create just about any popular superhero.
These are advanced detailed multiple balloon figures, not the generic figures you see some other sculptors make with only a few balloons, so be ready to do some serious twisting! A special bonus feature includes the underground hit music "POP" starring "One Eyed Jack" that is guaranteed to make you smile. $19.95
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8603&cat=0&page=1)
Prohibition: Borrow a normal beer or soda bottle from someone-anybody-at a bar, restaurant, party or wherever. Grab a couple of caps off the bar and give them to the participants to examine; one that will end up inside the bottle and one to cap the bottle to keep the bottle secured.
Hold the bottle in your hand, snap the cap on the bottom once, twice, and bang! It is inside. As simple as that!
Immediately hand the bottle back to the person you were working with to be examined; you are totally and unequivocally clean. Believe it. It is that quick. Lighting fast.
Prohibition can be done totally impromptu, completely surrounded, and is totally visual! They'll just sit there and look at you with their mouths wide open-totally "gob smacked" as the Scots say. $24.95
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8605&cat=0&page=1)
Between Two Minds 3 DVD Set: The newest and most creative source for today's mentalism. Haim Goldenberg presents his top-of-the-art effects, suitable for stand up, stage performances, and close up. Each effect is performed in front of a live audience, and then revealed and analyzed by Guy Bavli, as well as Haim Goldenberg.
For the first time, you will be able to see how two of the most creative minds in Mentalism today, are brought together to share with you their experience and creativity taking original effects created by professional working entertainers and delivering it to perfection. Four hours of presentations, demonstrations, discussion and teaching.
15 effects that you can perform with ease to create sheer amazement.
Effects:
Video rental: Ask a spectator to name a movie. Ask him to call your DVD rental store and ask which movie you reserved. It will be the movie they chose.
Informa-tech: An impromptu tool that enables you, the performer, to secretly transfer information and codes between two people (numbers, letters etc)
Expert deck – impromptu version: The performer knows the location of a freely chosen card, after the spectator has shuffled the deck.
Stop Smoking: The performer causes a smoker from the audience to be repulsed by smoking.
Envelope Prediction: Performer holds a prediction. He asks a few people in the audience to name numbers. Those numbers are added. The prediction is then opened, to reveal that the total number has been predicted
My Precious: Four rings are mixed in a small bags. You then know which ring belongs to which person…and mentally describe in detail the last ring!
Color Detector: Spectator is asked to freely draw 3 shapes in 3 different colors. You then predict it.
Money-Pulation: Spectator hides a bill in one of 10 envelopes. You then mentally know which envelope is the one with the money.
Switcher: A switching tool that will help you create dozens of ideas and routines.
Serial Contact: The performer predicts a serial number of a borrowed bill from the audience. No switching, the bill is random.
Transparent Thoughts: The performer predicts a full description of a spectator, freely chosen by the audience. This secret will give you dozens of ideas and effects you can perform.
Index Picture Duplication: A very clever way to duplicate a picture secretly drawn by a spectator. Perfect for close up!
Animated Magnet: Telekinesis routine. You draw a magnet on your business card or a piece of paper. You then magnetize objects using your animated magnet.
Coinci-Cube: Two Rubik Cubes are mixed by you and a spectator. You then show that both have been mixed in the exact same way. Perfect for Memory test, you become a genius in the audience’s eyes.
Graphology: Spectator writes a few names on a piece of paper. You then can define which person he loves, hates, has no relationship with… and also reveal the last name! Perfect for cold reading, graphology test, or mind reading. $120.00
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8602&cat=0&page=1)
Art & Magic of Shaun Robison DVD Vol. 1: For the past 9 years Shaun Robison has been spicing up the bar and restaurant nightlife with his "Strolling Entertainment." If you were a fortunate guest at any of the Delmonico's Italian Steakhouse of New York you may have had the pleasure of experiencing Mr. Robison's tableside manner of close-up magic and astonishing mind reading.
Along the path of his professional development, Shaun Robison has decided to share the knowledge of his mind with yours by showing you some of the pet routines that has served him well over the years.
On this DVD you will learn:
Four What- 4 aces are shown and then are seen to change into 4 cards that resemble the spectator's card. Then the 4 cards change into a 4 of a kind!
Burning Business Merger - This effect answers the question: "What can I do to get the spectators to keep my business card?"
And Yet, Another Coins to Glass - Starts out as a broken and restored wine glass and ends with an amazing coins to glass effect. The last coin will bring gasps!
Spots a Poppin' - A red spot on the back of a playing card comes to life!
Lovers Dance - Shaun's take on the Anniversary Waltz trick. This version is one of the cleanest there is! Doc Eason loved it!
Wand and Coins - A simple and very stunning 3 coin vanish and reproduction. $34.95
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8604&cat=0&page=1)
Art & Magic of Shaun Robison DVD Vol. 2: On Volume 2 you will see Shaun perform and then explain 6 more effects that keep him busy with 4 restaurants 5 nights a week. Tried and tested in real world conditions.
In addition to his professional career as a magician, Shaun Robison is also a published illustrator. He has illustrated works for Harry Lorayne in Personal Secrets, for Jim Sisti in The Magic Menu, for Richard Osterlind in The Perfected Center Tear as well as designing graphics for the Delmonico's Italian Steakhouse Corporation.
On this DVD you will learn:
The Kiss Trick - The creation of real magic. You create Hershey Kisses®.
Poor Man's Waltz - A version of The Anniversary Waltz without the special cards.
Boston 2 Step - 4 half dollars and a penny do some fancy footwork around a little brass box.
Invisible Coin Aces - Part of the routine that Shaun used in his SAM competition act!
Postal Traveler - A triumph effect with a signed card leading up to a prediction from your friend in Japan. The postcard from your friend turns out to be the signed card!
My Monte - A 3 Card Monte effect ending with the money card vanishing and turning into real money! $34.95
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8606&cat=0&page=1)
Unconventional – Christopher Taylor: Canadian mentalist Christopher Taylor’s book, Unconventional, follows in the path of his highly praised first effort, Inside Out. In Unconventional, you will encounter more of the practical ideas for which Taylor is becoming known. Here you’ll find a means for determining a spectator’s mentally selected card, ala Vernon’s classic Out of Sight, Out of Mind. It’s even more effective when done with two spectators! Taylor also explores how to use the Classic Force with non-card objects, extensions of secret writing and pocket writing, a new routine for the pocket press (one of the most popular routines from his first book), and uses for the commercial effect Ghost Glass. Several of the routines use Runes, for which Taylor gives many presentational ideas.
89 pages, soft cover. $24.95
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8607&cat=0&page=1)
And, that’s it for this happiest of holiday weeks! I hope you will find some marvelous new items that you just can’t live without. I hope you all know just how important you are to us. Without you we would have nothing to do all day. So, take good care of yourselves and have a really happy and healthy holiday!
If the spirit moves you, and you have the time, we would love you to spend some with us at www.magicfact.com. You know how much we love your company!
Hank Lee
