Greetings from all of us here at Hank Lee’s Magic Factory. I am back from the cruise, none the worse for wear. The elves did an amazing job of taking care of business last week. I cannot thank them enough. I wish I could say that I was all tanned and beautiful. But SPF 45 sun screen doesn’t allow for much in the tanning department.
I really thought that this week would be kind of slow and relaxing. How wrong I was. On Tuesday, the 18 wheeler arrived with the new catalogs. A zillion of them. We have spent the week shipping out all the catalog back orders. If you ordered one, it is on the way to you right now. If not, they are here and waiting to find their way to a new home, hopefully yours!
We have added an exciting talent to the upcoming Conclave. Magic Christian from Austria will be with us. One of the great manipulative acts. And, a very rare US appearance. We are thrilled that he will be joining our already superb list of talent. The big question is, will you be there? The dates, as you know, are April 20th-22nd. Registrations are still available. Just click on the Conclave Button at www.magicfact.com and read all about it.
Now, to this week’s excitement.
NEW YEAR SAVINGS – Our first sales event of the New Year! For the next seven days, from the very moment you receive this email until Thursday, January 11th at midnight, everything (well, almost everything) is on sale at 25% off the retail price. All you need to do is enter the special code NEWYEAR in the Discount Coupon Box at the bottom of the first page of the online checkout at www.magicfact.com and we will automatically deduct 25% from your order total. If you are calling your order in to the Toll Free Order Line at 800 874 7400, FAXing your order to us at 781 395 2034 or emailing us your order to magicfact@aol.com make sure to mention the special code so you can save a huge 25%!
There are a few rules that apply, as in all things in life.
(1) The 25% is deducted from the retail price of the item. No intermediate discounts (such as HankoGram pricing) may be applied. In the case of sets, such as DVDs and Videos, the 25% is deducted from the retail price of each item and not from the set price.
(2) Certain items, due to contractual restrictions, are not included in this sale. All Joe Porper items, Paul Harris Prime Time Magic items, Viking/CW items, Kennedy Enterprises items, Colin Rose items, Mike Caveney Books, JB Magic, Jay Sankey, Martin Breese, Mikame Craft items, Greater Magic Teach-In DVDs, One Of A Kind Collectors' Items and a few other items are not included in the sale.
If you place an order for an item that is not on this list or not noted in our online catalog, but is excluded from the sale, we will let you know before processing your order.
And that's it. It could not be easier. So, get your order together and save yourself some serious money! But, act quickly. The sale ends Thursday at midnight!
Now, let's take a look at this week's Hotlist.
Card Rap: John Kaplan, whose Mind Reading Orange was one of the big hits of 2006, now presents Card Rap, the hip-hopping-est Three Card Monte ever!
It’s a great routine that is easy and fun to perform. The applause generating finish will make you the star of the day!
Take Joe Riding's 3 Card Trick Using 4 Cards, add Martin Lewis’ Sidewalk Shuffle cards, then mix in an original musical soundtrack with catchy lyrics about the day you encountered the slickest Monte Man in town!
• Totally visual, with a riveting rhyming rap story that is easily understood by audiences from children to adults!
• The studio recorded CD of Card Rap music comes with two tracks. Full vocals that you can simply lip-sync to and an instrumental version so you can add your own voice!
• Screen printed vinyl cards ensure you enjoy a lifetime of performance! Jumbo size, 6.5” x 10,” cards can easily be seen by large audiences. Packs flat, plays big on stage or platform.
• Instructional DVD makes learning the routine easy and fast so you can add the routine to your program almost immediately!
• Live performance DVD, shot in front of a mixed family audience lets you see exactly how to perform it and hear the enthusiastic reaction you’ll get when doing it in your shows!
• Includes a numbered performance license authorizing you to perform this gem royalty-free anywhere!
• Audience-tested in thousands of performances since 1996!
• A terrific closer. The perfect way to "rap" up your act!
John Kaplan's Card Rap comes ready-to-go. Anyone can perform it to the rhyming rap story provided on CD. Just throw on a ball cap & sunglasses, pick up the cards, press "Play" and you'll be instantly transformed into the coolest magician anywhere! $124.95
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8615&cat=0&page=1)
Siam Card Box: From our friend Tony Curtis comes this amazing close-up miracle, the Siam Card Box.
Hand a spectator a deck of cards to examine and then thoroughly shuffle.
Point to a small box, which is bound with a ribbon. Inside the box and clearly visible through a glass window is a face down playing card.
Slowly remove the ribbon and ask the spectator to open the box.
The spectator removes the card and shows it to the audience. To everyone’s surprise the card from inside the box matches the top card from the examined and shuffled deck.
The effect is completely self contained, and the box also hold’s the poker size deck that is used.
Points to remember:
The window box remains in full view all of the time!
The deck of cards used is completely normal!
The effect can be repeated with a different card every time! $169.95
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8616&cat=0&page=1)
Lost Tapes DVD Vol. 1 – Earl Nelson: Earl Nelson is widely regarded as one of the most skillful sleight-of-hand performers of this generation. A close friend and student of Dai Vemon, Earl's slow, deliberate handlings and showstopper effects are pure poetry.
In 1984, Earl released four videotapes covering material from his acclaimed book, Variations, his notes, called The Workbook, as well as detailed, thoughtful instruction on several of the most important sleights in card magic. The tapes, shot in the Parlor of The Magic Castle, became instant classics. They were referred to numerous times in Darwin Ortiz' book, The Annotated Erdnase. For many, they are still considered amongst the finest instructional tapes ever produced.
Unfortunately, in 1994, the Northridge earthquake hit Los Angeles, devastating Earl's home. Amongst the missing items—the masters for Earl's acclaimed tapes. Sadly, from that day forward, not a single copy was produced. In the intervening years, Earl's rare videotapes have become highly sought-after underground favorites, selling for a small fortune to those lucky enough to find them.
That is where the story is supposed to end. Except that recently, Earl moved out of California, which required him to excavate and repack dozens of boxes of smashed and long-forgotten magical belongings. They were the last thing Earl expected to find, but there they were, tucked away in the debris—the lost masters. Dusty, the footage a bit darkened by time, but all in all, relatively unscathed. And so it is with great pleasure we are able to bring you the DVD release of Earl Nelson's legendary videos.
The Pass:
A performance of Cavorting Aces using passes to be taught
The Classic Pass
A Vernon rip
The Wrist Turn Pass
The Turnover Pass
The Jiggle Pass
The Stanyon Cover Pass
Explanation of Cavorting Aces
The Double Lift, The Palm:
Discussion of different techniques
Dribble Double
Push-off Double
Topping the Pack
Erdnase Bottom Palm
After the Riffle
Diagonal Palm Shift
$34.95
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8617&cat=0&page=1)
Money Bag: Absolutely brilliant and utterly practical, this effect adapts to any kind of performance and to audiences of all ages. There are no requirements or restrictions of any sort. You can perform it surrounded by an audience. It is in itself, a complete routine.
Don't miss the opportunity to perform this novel effect which, in view of its features, seems destined to become a magic classic.
Drop some coins into a bag (he may ask someone to do so as well), but the coins fall to the floor because the bag has no bottom!
Using your hands and forearms, show that the inside of the bag is indeed empty.
After a shake, a printed picture of a coin appears! Then, a giant 7” (17cm) Half Dollar falls from the bag. On the other side of the bag a printed picture of a bill appears. And from inside, a million dollars falls in a cascade!
Comes complete with a 7" (17cm) Half Dollar coin made of metal, a million dollar wad of "money," specially constructed bag and instructional DVD. $90.00
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8619&cat=0&page=1)
All Stuck Up: Stretch a piece of already chewed gum between your hands. Then, throw it in the air where it visibly changes into a freshly wrapped piece of bubble gum!
Easy to do. A quick, visual trick that is perfect for "impromptu" situations.
Complete with gimmick and full instructions. Invented by Jay Sankey. $12.00
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8620&cat=0&page=1)
XL – Jay Sankey: The incredible card illusion that becomes real!
The spectator shuffles the pack, touches any card and the selected card is closely examined.
You remove two Jokers from your pocket and both Jokers are also examined.
The selected card is slowly sandwiched between the two Jokers and that's when some very strange stuff starts to happen.
First, one end of the face up selection visibly stretches! Then the other end visibly stretches!
For the jaw-dropping climax the two Jokers and the still stretched selected card are all handed out to be thoroughly examined! You have turned the selected card into an honest-to-goodness holy relic!
Comes complete with extremely cool gimmicks for both red and blue Bicycle decks plus an exciting instructional DVD featuring 8 killer handlings including "The Classic Handling," "Stand-Up Stretch," "Spanish Inquisition," "Guerilla Warfare," "Not A Levitation," "Seated Stretch," "Don't Blink," "In Their Own Hands" and the "Holy Relic: Bonus Handling!" $20.00
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8621&cat=0&page=1)
Freakiest Levitation Yet (FLY): Is your levitation technology keeping you tied to the ground? You should FLY off the handle! Take control! Take Flight! Darryl Vanamburg and Roy Kueppers have been working on The FLY (Freakiest Levitation Yet) for six years with amazing results!
Inspired by their goal to create the world's best levitation, Vanamburg and Kueppers researched levitations currently on the market and decided all of those effects severely lacked the ultimate reactions craved by professional magicians.
The FLY shoes (Genuine Dr. Martins) give you the power to levitate with extreme ease! Now you're ready to perform a ghostly levitation wherever and whenever you want, without setup! Immediately repeat The FLY over and over without any additional preparation!
o Inspired by WOW factor!
o Surrounded 120 degrees!
o Custom Built by Roy Kueppers!_
o Constructed from Genuine Doc Martins!_
o Repeat Performances Without Preparation!
As a master craftsman in the field of magic for over 16 years, Roy Kueppers has a very clear understanding of what's required to blow the spectators away. He says, "This effect does just that!" Empowering your sole one shoe at a time!
A perfect example of price efficiency! Vanamburg and Kueppers completely ignored the cost of components and labor in their attempt to create the best levitation regardless of price. A magician's dream come true! Once the final product was developed, they computed the price based on the actual manufacturing costs. Value and miracle all in one. Delivered custom built!
You will be able to levitate effortlessly. Ready to FLY? Your Freakiest Levitation Yet will be custom made by Roy Kueppers. Provide your shoe size (8-13) during the checkout process. The shoes will arrive a half size larger due to the internal levitation components. Roy Kueppers will personally construct and supply your order directly. It is a custom illusion supplied by the creators. The FLY is warranteed through the manufacturer. Please allow four to six weeks for delivery! These shoes will last you many years with reasonable care. The components are very durable. $1599.00
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8622&cat=0&page=1)
Swop – Wayne Dobson: A fantastic new routine from Wayne Dobson!
Show two very ornate brass covers, one with Chinese symbol on the top, the other with a $ symbol on it.
Lift both covers to reveal three Chinese coins under one cover and three American Quarters under the other. The Chinese coins are red in color with gold symbols, and they also have a hole through the center.
Put all six coins into the spectator's hand, then remove the three American Quarters.
Place the three American Quarters under one of the brass covers. In the twinkling of an eye the Quarters change into the Chinese coins and the spectator is now holding the three Quarters!
Everything can be fully examined.
100% self-working and instantly resets.
Comes complete with precision made coins, specially made brass covers, small velvet carrying bag, and routine and patter by Wayne Dobson. $59.95
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8625&cat=0&page=1)
Designing Miracles – Darwin Ortiz: Darwin Ortiz continues the task he began in Strong Magic: to explore and raise the level of craft in magic. This time he presents a groundbreaking study of how laymen think and what it takes to amaze them.
Darwin has earned a reputation for creating some of the strongest card effects in modern magic. Here, he reveals for the first time the principles and techniques that he follows in doing so. These insights will help you choose stronger effects, create stronger effects, and strengthen those effects you’re already performing.
If you've ever been puzzled by an audience's reaction or lack of it, this book will dispel the mystery. It gives you a new set of tools for understanding how magic works, why it sometimes doesn't, and how to make it work better. Never again will you be at a loss as to why an effect isn't playing well. Never again will you be at a loss as to what to do about it.
If your goal is to provide your audiences with an unforgettable experience of impossibility, you'll find this book filled with insights to help you do so. It will teach you how to use the audience's own thinking patterns against them. It will show you how to turn puzzles into miracles. It will do something that few magic books can: change with way you think about magic. 200 pages. Hardbound. $44.95
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8626&cat=0&page=1)
Loophole Deck: England's Rob Bromley is one of the true perfectionists in magic. He introduces only one new trick per year, and it's always amazing. His gimmicks are undetectable and brilliantly clever.
Rob has been working on the Loophole Deck for 3 months & has finally perfected the gimmick!
The Loophole Deck is a penetration effect using a deck of cards with a hole through the top. One card is selected and returned to the deck. Then a shoelace is threaded through the hole in the deck.
Suddenly, the selected card melts through the lace and is completely free of the rest of the deck! It looks awesome! $19.95
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=7572&cat=0&page=1)
Lost Tapes DVD Vol. 2 – Earl Nelson: The second volume of Earl Nelson’s legendary videos.
Highlights of Variations:
Reset, Reset
Haunted Card
All Backs, Sleeve Jacks
$1.50 Vanish
Clifton's Ring Move
Earl's Ring Move
Hit and Run Aces
The Workbook:
Triple Spellbound
Ultimate Packet Trick
Pseudo MacDonald Aces
Ace Production Sequence
$34.95 (http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8618&cat=0&page=1)
Duvivier’s Magic – From Old To New – Vol. 3: Considered a legend by his peers. a self-taught man, his magical background is out of the ordinary: he is an amazing inventor (he has created thousands of tricks and groundbreaking sleights), the founder of Paris's famous Magic Pub/Cabaret, The Double Fond, and the owner of the oldest magic shop in the world, Mayette Magic Moderne (founded in Paris in 1808). This passionate man is also a relentless worker, who will never stop pushing the envelope of the Magical Art.
Contents:
Lapping 2 for 2
2 Miscellaneous cards = 2 Kings
Cups & balls
3 Gold 3 Silver
4th dimension
All back new wave
Double Cornelius
Half deuce ination
Faster than his shadow
Cards to pocket
Serial changes
As through the table - New approach
Ace Assembly 1 & 2
Techniques:
One hand break
Tossed double lift
Special features:
Outtakes
Interview of Dominique Duviver by Gaetan Bloom
Commentary on Pictures
$34.95
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8624&cat=0&page=1)
And that’s all the great new stuff for this week, and the super-duper sales event to start your year off right!
I hope you will find some time to spend with us online at www.magicfact.com or live and in person at our very uptown downtown shop at 112 South Street in Boston. Either way, we do enjoy your company!
Hank Lee
