Friday, August 31, 2007

Labor Day Already?

Greetings from all of us here at Hank Lee’s Magic Factory. We have been busy as little beavers this past week. Working on streamlining the mailing system. Making it better. Making it faster. Meaning that we will be able to get your orders out the door and into your hands even faster than before. And, as everyone knows, faster is better. We will also be able to supply you with more information about your package from the moment it leaves our warehouse. So, you will be able to keep track of it online and know where it is at every moment. The new equipment and software will be installed in the next two weeks, so keep your eyes open for really speedy packages!

At home, things are really quiet. With the kids back in school, there’s almost no noise in the house. Just Bones barking at the mailman, and Bonnie barking at me. Good thing she doesn’t read this or I would be in serious trouble. Really she doesn’t bark. But, she does make lists, and they do seem to get longer every day.

From our “Why Is Life So Confusing?” department, we present the new David Stone Real Secrets DVD. If you ordered one from us, you got a letter telling you that we could not supply them because another dealer had the “exclusive.” Then, this past week you saw the DVD in our Hotlist. So, what’s up with that? What’s up is that we have procured a pretty large load of the DVDs and now have them to sell. So, feel free to order one from us knowing that we will get it to you lickety splickety. Life really is strange, no?

As you are no doubt aware, this weekend is Labor Day, the historic end of summer. For those of you who labor for a living, and really who doesn’t, this is your day. To make the most of it, we are having a most exciting event!

LABOR DAY SAVINGS Event: For the next six days, from the very moment you receive this email until Thursday, September 6th 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 LABORDAYSAVINGS 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 and mention the special code so you can save a huge 25%!

There are a few rules that apply, as with all things in life.
• The minimum order to use the 25% off discount is $25.00.
• 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.
• 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, 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.
• Coupons will be deducted from the order total before the discount is applied.
• As the discount is automatically generated, you must put the special code LABORDAYSAVINGS in the Discount Coupon Box. You may have to scroll to the bottom of the page to find the box, but it is there. If you are not sure how to do this, please phone your order in and we will take care of you. We cannot offer discounts retroactively.
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 the Hotlist at www.magicfact.com.

Optical Delusion: From Aaron Paterson, the creator of Icarus Effect, comes this thought provoking, imagination capturing endeavor that will change the way your audience perceives you. Aaron Paterson has once again released one of his most closely guarded secrets to the magic world.
Imagine this:
Ask for a spectator’s business card. That same spectator is asked to think of a playing card, one of 52 possibilities.
Bring out your cell phone camera and take a picture of your own eye. The spectator is asked to gaze into the photo-eye and watch as something inconceivable happens!
As the spectator gazes into the pupil of the photo-eye, a card begins to materialize and subsequently dematerialize only to materialize once again a moment later, permanently altering the photo. The spectator is stunned to find that the card in the photo is actually the card they merely thought of a moment ago.
You were to seemingly extract the thought-of card from the spectator's mind and cause it to appear in the photo.
Using the info from the previously obtained business card, you email the transformed photo along with your contact info to the spectator right from your cell phone (provided his cell phone has that capability). What an unforgetaable memory this leaves!.
Includes:
* Instructional DVD and complimentary access to the exclusive OD forum.
* Can be immediately repeated with a different outcome
* Extremely easy to perform once prepared
* Includes no force variation
* Includes bonus ideas section
While the preparation of OD is a bit involved, once prepared it is easy to perform, practical and ready to go anywhere, anytime. Shot in high definition and presented in widescreen format. $34.95 (30.1256)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9001&cat=0&page=1)

Chip & Coin: Johnny Wong's Chip and Coin features a Half Dollar performing all sorts of stunts, and a chip that does an amazing job of fooling them all!
This Half Dollar passes through objects, visually. Tables, silks, your hand, even your spectator's hand!
Drop the Half Dollar in a glass and it becomes two quarters!
The coin makes it possible. The chip does all the work. Learn seven new coin tricks instantly!
• Fits easily in your pocket!
• Smooth, dependable operation!
• Self-working
• Quick reset for magicians on the go!
Adapt Chip and Coin to suit your needs at a moments notice or carefully plan your attack in advance. The versatile prop and powerful gimmick score an ingenious combo!
Chip and Coin by Johnny Wong includes his unique instructions, the amazing precision-made chip and the machined half dollar. $54.95 (20.372)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8999&cat=0&page=1)

The Essential Stewart James - Stewart James and Allan Slaight:
Canadian Stewart James was the most prolific inventor of magic in the twentieth century. Where most magicians invent a handful of magic routines during the course of their life, Stewart James created over one thousand. His prodigious output has been recorded in two mammoth publications totally over 2,700 pages. James' vast body of work has now been distilled to 50 of his "greatest tricks", The Essential Stewart James.
Allan Slaight, co-editor of "Stewart James In Print" and author of "The James File," asked dozens of Stewart James' aficionados including Max Maven, Michael Weber, Bob Farmer, Stephen Minch, Bill Goodwin, Gordon Bean, David Ben, Roy Walton, Charles Reynolds, Gabe Fajuri, Steve Beam, and Peter Duffie, to whittle over 1,000 of James’ creations down to their fifty favorite, in other words, the essential Stewart James.
For those who own the earlier Stewart James tomes but are intimated by the size and scope of the material, this book is for you! The Essential Stewart James serves as a tourist guide through the land of James. For those who are encountering this wily Canadian wizard for the first time, this book serves as a primer to the brilliance of the man, his methods and his magic.
199 Pages. Hard Bound. $35.00 (BK01542)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9000&cat=0&page=1)

Key Accessory – Andrew Gerard: One of the most powerful metal bending routines in existence. A personal experience for an audience member, and a souvenir like no other!
Display several keys and colored rubber bands. A key is freely selected by a spectator. They initial one side and you initial the other.
Next, a colored rubber band is chosen by the spectator and threaded through the head of the key.
Place the band over the spectator's wrist and they hold the key at their fingertips.
Explain that they will feel the key soften and bend like rubber. They do, and it does! The key is felt bending while the spectator is holding it, yet it is still attached to the rubber band around their wrist.
Your hands are left clean and they are left with an amazing souvenir! $74.95 (40.586)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9003&cat=0&page=1)

Stage Make-Up DVD For Magicians & Assistants: Dave Womach, a professional magician who performs over 600 shows per year, and model Jamieleigh, show you how to professionally apply make-up for stage. They give detailed explanations of what they are doing, and why they are doing it, as they apply their stage make-up for their own show. Every important detail is covered from where to get make-up, what kind to get, and how to apply it. This DVD even comes with a quick reference sheet that you can take with you when purchasing your supplies.
All 52 minutes of this video have been professionally edited to make make-up application entertaining to watch. This DVD was developed for stage magicians, stand-up magicians, television work, stage assistants, stand-up assistants, and even every day make-up for your assistants. Whether you're a male magician, female magician, or assistant, you will benefit from this DVD.
A must-have DVD for anyone who wants to look professional in front of an audience! $37.95 (DVD00756)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9002&cat=0&page=1)

Compleat Invocation (Volumes 1 & 2) - Tony Raven and Masklyn ye Mage: This long out-of-print classic, first published thirteen years ago in two volumes in a limited edition of 300, now reappears in a single 900 page hard cover. It contains all 16 issues of Invocation and issues 1-36 of The New Invocation.
"In case you don't already know, Invocation is not your typical magic magazine. On the contrary, it is a magazine consciously 'Devoted to Weird and Bizarre Magick' ...Invocation, then, stands as a reminder to magicians that there is an older magic, a deeper and perhaps even darker tradition that has quietly spread underground for centuries - banished temporarily by Robert-Houdin when he exchanged the wizard's robes for the contemporary dress of the day. This older magic stretches back in time and history far beyond the point where written records begin. ... And so Invocation gives us magic for the few and not for the many. Perhaps this is as it should be." - From the Introduction by Eugene Burger. $150.00 (BK01161)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=6483&cat=0&page=1)

Miracle Paper Tear: The Torn & Restored Newspaper is one of the classics of magic. That's no surprise, for how better could you convince your audience of your magical powers than by visibly restoring a sheet of paper which has been ripped to shreds? Yet, subconsciously the viewer still thinks there is some kind of switch. There is only one way to rule out this possibility: The newspaper must be borrowed from someone and it must also be marked by someone. When a borrowed and marked piece of paper is torn up and restored, that's really a miracle. And it is exactly what Astor has created!
Ask the audience if anyone has a current newspaper with him. As soon as a viewer responds, go to him and take one sheet of his newspaper. Hold the sheet for all to see, then go to a second person, who marks the newspaper with a pencil.
Now, the paper in half, right before the eyes of the audience! The marked newspaper is really torn in half; it has not been switched! Tear the two torn pieces in half. Repeat this again and again, until there is nothing left but little pieces of paper.
Then, without touching anything else, begin to unfold the torn pieces!
Walk back to the audience as you slowly continue to unfold the paper. When you have reached the spectator who gave you the newspaper, it is completely restored, not a piece is missing, and the mark is still there! Return the newspaper to the person in the audience, thank him with a bow and goes back to the stage, walking slowly, accompanied by seemingly never-ending applause!
Comes complete with 22 full-color page booklet explaining the trick in great detail. $18.95 (60.1466)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9004&cat=0&page=1)

Illogical Dribble Force - Justin Higham: Actions which are illogical from an effect viewpoint are, naturally, to be shunned. But there are certain moves which, although illogical or discrepant, pass by unnoticed. Examples include the Tenkai Optical Revolve, Through-the-Fist Turnover, Flushtration Count, Olram Subtlety, So-Simple Force, and Jay Ose False Cut.
In this treatise, Justin Higham explains a method for forcing one or more cards from either a face-down or face-up deck. Although illogical, the move is easy, casual, and visually deceptive, and can be done in an instant with no prior setup.
Contents include:
* The Basic Move
* Face-Up IDF
* IDF Aces
* IDF Count-Down
* Return of the Pseuds
* Ambitious Estimation
* Illogical Prefiguration (Baker)
* Illogical Hofzinser (Baker)
* Palm-Replacement IDF
* Casual Palm-Replacement IDF (Baker)
* Double-Sided IDF
* IDF Plus Tabled Double
* Illogical Ace-Cutting
* Illogical Dribble Control
* IDF Sandwich
* IDF Key-Card Placement
* IDF Predicted Sandwich 1, 2 & 3
* Pseudo IDF 1 & 2
* IDF Plus Ace Switch-Out/In
* Illogical Acid-Jazz Aces
* Equivocal Acid-Jazz Aces
20 pages, 15 photos, saddle-stitched with light card covers and illustrative cover design.
$16.00 (BK01540
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8995&cat=0&page=1)

Hyper Smith: A parapsychological sensation from Vernet!
Hyper Smith is a very practical and self-working mental effect. It allows you to reveal a word and a symbol randomly selected by two spectators. No fishing and nothing is written or forced. With Hyper Smith you can create a sensation at your parlor or close up show. Very visual and easy to do.
$17.00 (40.585)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9006&cat=0&page=1)

Fanning Cards – Japan: These Japanese Fanning Cards are favorites with serious manipulators.
Four vivid colors make this an excellent visual choice.
Cards measure: 2.5" wide x 4" long and the whole 54 cards are only 3/8" thick!
No instructions included as there are many DVDs and books on the subject. $24.95 (30.1250)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9005&cat=0&page=1)

And that’s the best of the best for this week. A fine crop it is, too. I sincerely hope you will check out this week’s goodies, and that you will find some time over this long Labor Day Weekend to visit us at www.magicfact.com, and don’t forget that our Labor Day Savings sale is running through next Thursday!
Hank Lee