Greetings from a completely healthy Hank Lee’s Magic Factory. A good hting, for sure. We’ve had our share of the flu the past two weeks. I was out, then Bob was out, then Shawn was out. Three outs, and that ends the inning. But, now we are all healthy as can be. We keep bottles of Purell everywhere, wash our hands a million times a day and it seems to be keeping the flu at bay. Cleanliness is really next to healthiness, or something like that.
The new EXTRA is in the post and should be arriving at your door very soon. Check it out. Lots of new and exciting stuff. As always, if you are not getting the EXTRAs, let me know and I will put you on our snail mail list.
Aron was home for Spring break last week. So great to see him. He always arrives very fuzzy. Apparently there are no barbers in Gainesville, so he waits to come home and get shorn. He is now sporting a beard, so he not only acts like me, he is now starting to look like me. Why would he want to?
OK, enough chitter-chatter, let’s check out this week’s excitement:
DVD Giveaway: This week, no sale, sorry. We are having a plain old giveaway. You got it. It's a DVD Giveaway! For the next seven days, from right now until Thursday, March 29th, at midnight, you have the opportunity to get DVDs for free! But, you have to get them the old fashioned way. You have to earn them.
Here's the way it works. For every order of $100 or more, you get one free DVD (your choice of any single DVD that sells for $35.00 or less). If you spend $200 or more, you get two free DVDs (again, your choice). $300 or more gets you three free DVDs. And on it goes. The more you buy, the more you get for free! It's an incredible deal when you figure that the average price of a DVD is $35.00! In order to claim your free DVD, just put the name of the DVD in the Customer Notes Box at the bottom of the second page of the online checkout (after you fill in your name, address, etc.) at www.magicfact.com. If you phone your order in to our toll free number at 800 874 7400, just let the order-person know what free DVD you want. If you FAX the order to us at 781 395 2034, same thing. Just let us know which ones you want. Remember, the giveaway ends on Thursday, March 29th, at midnight!
Now, kids, let’s take a look at this week’s Hotlist!
Signature Sketch Pad Card Rise: Martin Lewis’ Signature Sketchpad Card Rise is finally available!
The effect is used by Johnny Thompson, David Copperfield, Whit Haydn, Michael Weber and professional magicians worldwide.
This is Martin's classic effect in which a card rises from a drawing and is then handed out as a souvenir.
This signature version is designed and made by Martin's Magikraft Studios. It's better, faster, and far mores durable than any other version ever. It includes DVD instruction on care, handling, and performance. Plus, insights gained by 30 years of performing experience.
It features a hard wearing laminated cover and an extra heavyweight backboard. The oversize spiral makes the action fast and easy and the new plastic gimmick will never warp. A redesigned template makes drawing the picture faster. Plus lots more improvements that come from those many years of real world performance. $175.00 (60.1422)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8752&cat=0&page=1)
Shark Finger Chopper – Wolf’s Magic: The very latest from Wolf’s Magic Micro Magic Line. And, it’s a beauty!
Tell a humorous tale of mankind's most feared enemy - the shark.
Chomper, the man eating...err...finger eating shark is revealed.
The spectator is asked to lend a hand, well a finger, in the following demonstration.
The teeth are passed out for examination to prove they are solid (dorsal fin and teeth are all one piece).
The spectator places his finger in the hole protruding above Chomper's lower jaw/bag.
After a bit of comical byplay the spectator chickens out and you offer to demonstrate Chomper's devastating powers on yourself.
Place your finger in the hole, thrust the teeth down, and your finger tip is seen to drop into Chomper’s lower jaw!
Your finger tip is restored in a comical series of moves and Chomper lives to chomp again!
At your own risk you may use spectators finger as well.
A high quality prop as you would expect from Wolf's Magic. Hand silk screened graphics and aluminum construction. Dimensions: 6 1/2" H x 5 1/2" W x 1" D
Comes with Shark Chomper, Stand, Black Velvet Carrying Case, Complete Routine and Instructions. Extremely limited quantity, so order now! $125.00 (10.1375)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8755&cat=0&page=1)
CD Slicer – Jay Mattioli: Display a blank CD and an empty paper CD sleeve that has a small hole going completely through the center.
Invite a spectator to write their initials on a sticker which has been placed on the
front side of the CD, to verify that only one CD will be used.
Without the CD leaving sight, the disc is placed halfway into the CD sleeve and your finger is placed underneath the CD, through the hole in the sleeve.
With a
loud cry, you slam the CD down through your finger, into the paper sleeve. Your finger is has penetrated the CD and is now sticking through the hole in the center of the paper sleeve and the signed CD!
The CD can be examined before and after the effect. Complete with CD, stickers, DVD instructions and two paper CD sleeves, one to keep as a spare! $22.00 (10.1376)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8756&cat=0&page=1)
Phantom Band 360: Brian Rodgers’ Phantom Band 360 is a totally new take on the classic idea of solid thru solid. Here's how it goes:
Phase One - Borrow a bill and show a normal everyday rubber band. Fold the bill in half, then fold the bill around the band. One end of the band is inside the bill, with the other on the outside. The band slowly melts to the inside of the bill!
Phase Two - Show the bill with the band inside, from both sides. You can even have spectators behind you throughout the entire routine! Take one end of the band out of the bill, leaving the other still hooked inside the bill. The band then visibly and slowly melts right thru the bill!
The only band and bill penetration that can be done completely surrounded!
No gimmicks. Totally impromptu.
The DVD includes variations on the basic effect using objects other than a rubber band. $16.00 (10.1374)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8744&cat=0&page=1)
Bang On – Marc Oberon: One of the most exciting effects to come out of this year’s Blackpool Convention.
Your spectator merely thinks of any card from a regular 52 card deck. A totally free choice. No force of any kind.
Within a split second you reach into your pocket, remove your wallet, open it and take out a single envelope. Just one. Open the envelope and out falls one card. The spectator’s thought-of card. And, there’s nothing else in the envelope.
No equivoque
No stooges
No mistakes
Includes instructional DVD with several different presentation ideas.
Bang On every time! $139.00 (30.1226)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8751&cat=0&page=1)
Ascension: An exceptionally clean and direct means of divining a Zodiac sign while giving an impossibly precise character reading!
After establishing yourself as a person with some unusual intuitive skills, explain that you'd like to put those skills to a real, measurable test. In order to do that, you need some sort of benchmark to compare them against. There are various items that could serve this purpose, from tarot cards to personality profiles. But, you explain, because you like to set the bar high, you've chosen the tool which, throughout the several-thousand-year history of esoteric practice, has generally been regarded as the most trusted source of metaphysical wisdom and insight into the human condition: a horoscope mini-magazine, direct from the supermarket checkout counter.
Give such a magazine to a volunteer, pointing out that it deals with four distinct areas of life: love, money, health, and leisure. Then, turn your back and ask your volunteer to look up her horoscope, either for the current month or for the previous month. In either case, she silently reads her horoscope. When she's finished, you ask her to consider how accurate it seems, in hindsight. She does, and arrives at a "percentage score" for the magazine's accuracy, which you write down. No matter what it is, you say you think you can do better.
Turn to face the volunteer again, and proceed to give her a disarmingly accurate and insightful description of her personality and her current situation in life. This is no mere "cold" reading, as it contains a wealth of specific information that you had no way of knowing, including personal details about her character, actions, and circumstances, delivered confidently and unequivocally. You then wrap things up by revealing her zodiac sign, with no pumping or guesswork. With that, not only have you done much better than the magazine, but you've given the volunteer an intimate, inexplicable experience that she'll never forget.
Ascension really is just that clean, direct and strong. It's a system that uses layers of methods to deliver, in a completely untraceable way, the most powerful and memorable information that we as mentalists can reveal: personal details about someone's life. Furthermore, it does so in real time, with no writing, no setup, no assistance, no pre-show, and no stooges (instant or otherwise). How you use that information is then up to your own imagination.
The Package includes:
A clearly written, photo-illustrated, 5.5" x 8.5", staple-bound, 32-page manuscript, which comprehensively explains the method, handling, and various scripting and presentation options for the effect.
One complete set of professionally printed magazines.
A CD-ROM with graphics files for printing your own replacement magazines when the originals wear out. $60.00 (40.560)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8754&cat=0&page=1)
Expert At The Card Table Pocket Edition – Erdnase: The classic cardman's bible, The Expert At The Card Table. It's the perfect size (about 3"x 4.5" / 7.62cm x 11.43cm) to fit in your hand or pocket and beautifully produced using the same paper as a Bible, gilt edges, a ribbon place holder and in a soft leather-like binding. 206 pages. Softbound. $15.00 (BK01517)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8753&cat=0&page=1)
Jack Miller’s Hold-Out Miracles DVD- Ace Greenberg: Since Prof. Jack Miller (1884-1962) began performing magic with his Hold-Out he fooled many of the best magicians with his routines and techniques. The original ad for his Hold-Out read, "A revolutionary principle! Fast, clean and smooth! Never in the history of magic has there been anything like this! Hand empty at all times—yet balls, silks, cards etc. all appear and disappear in full view at the fingertips, as if guided by the invisible hand of Satan himself!"
On this DVD Alan "Ace" Greenberg, who was a fan of Prof. Jack Miller, demonstrates and teaches his rendition of three classic Jack Miller routines using the Hold-Out. You will learn: The Ball, Silk And Wand Routine, The Jack Miller Egg Bag Routine and The Sensational Rope Cut. You will also learn how to quickly make a Jack Miller style Hold-Out using items that can be easily acquired.
Includes archival footage of Jack Miller performing his Ball, Silk And Wand Routine and his classic Egg Bag Routine. Also includes additional commentary by Bob Fitch, Albert Lasher, Pat Page, Howard Schwarzman, Tony Spina, Sol Stone, Johnny Thompson and Meir Yedid. As a special bonus you also get a PDF copy of the classic Ed Mishell book Hold-Out Miracles. $34.95 (DVD00667)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8740&cat=0&page=1)
Wizard PK Ring DVD: You knew it was coming... The Wizard PK Ring DVD is jam-packed toolbox of effects designed specifically for PK Rings!
So, don’t put your PK Ring in the bottom drawer; there's so much it can do, including the following:
• Coin Thru Can
• Glass Bottle Penetration
• Plastic Bottle Penetration
• Matchbox Penetration
• Psychic Matchbox
• Stopping Time
• Haunted Deck
• Deck Penetration
• Coin Transpo
• Psychic Coins
• Coin Balance
• Chopless Chop Cup
• Haunted Form
• The Haunted Tom
• Beer Mat Penetration
Written by and taught to you by the creators of the original Wizard PK Ring! PK Ring not included. $29.95 (DVD00668)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8741&cat=0&page=1)
WD40 – Wayne Dobson: WD40 contains 40 great tricks from Wayne's own professional repertoire, and more than a quarter of them have never been published before. The tricks are real crackers and not too difficult to perform. The book also includes Wayne’s autobiography ‘Star Struck’, which charts his career from the very beginning to the present day and includes many anecdotes about his time performing in the workingmen’s clubs, on TV and in Las Vegas. $49.95 (BK01516)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8742&cat=0&page=1)
Stuck DVD – Greg Rostami: From the wArPeD mind of Greg Rostami comes Stuck!
Start by borrowing a quarter. Place the quarter on the back of your hand and proceed to twist it into your skin.
When your hand is removed the coin has penetrated the back of your other hand. But wait! The coin is not coming out the other side of the hand. It’s Stuck!
Both hands are shown completely empty; there is no sign of the coin.
You then proceed to slowly and visually pull the coin out of the palm of your hand!
Both the vanish and the reveal of the coin will leave everyone stunned!
This 44 minute DVD, explains how to perform Stuck! Greg also shares his insight into the psychology of the effect. You also get five amazing variations for revealing the coin.
All you need is any coin about the size of a US quarter. $20.00 (DVD00669)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8743&cat=0&page=1)
Master Mindfreaks DVD Series – Five Volumes – Criss Angell: Criss Angel, considered to be one of the most influential names in magic today, releases his highly anticipated and critically acclaimed teaching DVD series, Criss Angel Master Mindfreaks. Each DVD is filled with mind-blowing Mindfreaks personally created and/or hand picked by Criss Angel. First, Criss performs each demonstration with legendary and world-renowned magician Johnny Thompson in front of a live audience at the Magic Castle in Hollywood, CA. Then they personally teach you everything you need to know step-by-step so you too can master each Mindfreak. Whether you are young or old, a beginner or a magic enthusiast, delve inside the exciting and mysterious art of magic, illusion and mentalism as you learn to master each demonstration with your incomparable teachers, Criss Angel and Johnny Thompson.
Volume 1:
• Wizards Card Trick
• Blow Out
• Coin from Roll
• Sugar Coin
• Bill Tear
• Keys, Pen, Coin
• Houdini’s Favorite Trick
• Sneaky Sheep
• Will the Cards Match
• Levitation
$45.00 (DVD00670)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8745&cat=0&page=1)
Odd Ball – Marc Oberon: A selection of small white balls and one single black ball are shown to the audience They are dropped singly into an opaque bag, which is then shaken by a spectator to ensure the balls are well mixed.
One by one a group of spectators each takes a ball from the bag, keeping it concealed at all times in their hand.
Despite the thorough mixing and random distribution of the balls, you can instantly tell who holds the black ball! $30.00 (40.559)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8746&cat=0&page=1)
And, that’s all the best magic in magicdom for this week! I just know you will find all kinds of stuff that you absolutely must add to your repertoire.
As for me, I am battling with the compu-beast again. We are upgrading the software here at Hank Lee’s, and it’s a lot like trying to drive a square peg into a round hole. But, fear not, we will get it done. Or not.
Have a great week, and please do drop in to our wonderous web site at www.magicfact.com or our wonderous retail store at 112 South Street in Boston. Either way, we love it when you come by.
Hank Lee
