Greetings from all of us at Hank Lee’s Magic Factory. Is it the flu? Is it the plague? Honestly, I’m not sure what it is, but I can tell you that for the past week I have been feeling like junk. A cough. A cold. A lack of energy. If I was 20, I’d think maybe it was mono. But, that’s a kissing disease, right? Rule it out. I’m spending more time in bed than the girls at the Chicken Ranch. I’ve even lost the ability to tell what’s in good taste and what’s in bad taste. I can’t hardly taste anything at all. I’m now on antibiotics. I hope it helps. Earlier this week I spoke with Silly Billy. He suggested Colloidal Silver. He says when he’s got a cold, he takes it and three hours later, he feels great (and looks wonderful with Turquoise). I listened intently and then decided that maybe it didn’t make sense to take medical advice from a clown. HMO is bad enough, know what I mean? Any-hoo, I am planning to be in tip-top shape for next week’s Conclave. Yes, I am!
And so, in just seven short days we will be trucking down to Cape Cod for the 20th annual Cape Cod Magic Conclave. If my entreaties have not convinced you to register and join us at this point, I can only tell you that if you’re not there, you’ll be missing one great weekend. E-Nuf-Ced.
This week’s letter will be a little short, as we are really involved in getting everything ready for next week. However, as we do every week, there is this week’s excitement:
25 Days Of Savings Sales Event. There were once 25 days left in March. Now there are way less. In light of this, we have devised a brand new sales event, for your entertainment pleasure: The 25 Days Of Savings!
Here’s how it works: No matter what day in March you purchase from us at Hank Lee’s, you will save money. But, as you may have heard, the early bird gets the worm! So, at the beginning, you saved 25% on your entire order, subject to the rules below. Then you saved 24%. Then 23%. And on it goes. We will reduce the discount by 1% each day until the end of the month. All you need to do is enter the special code TWENTYFIVEDAYS in the Discount Coupon Box of the online checkout at www.magicfact.com and we will automatically deduct the correct amount 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
There are a few rules that apply, as with all things in life.
• The minimum order to use this discount is $25.00.
• The discount 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 discount 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, Johnson Products 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 TWENTYFIVEDAYS 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 to our toll-free order line at 800 874 7400, 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 sooner you act, the more you save!
Now, let’s take a look at this week’s Hotlist!
Texas Fool 'Em - Larry Becker and Lee Earle:
The Legend of Jack 'Treetop' Strauss
Play a little Texas Hold 'em poker and you're bound to hear the phrase, "All you need is a chip and a chair." It's usually offered as encouragement to a player who just lost most of his bankroll, reminding him that he still has a small chance to win.
Few know the legend behind those words. Back in 1982, the World Series of Poker bracelet winner Jack "Treetop" Strauss was competing in a major Texas Hold 'em event at a Las Vegas Casino. While still in the early rounds, a lucky player hit his draw and Strauss got busted out. As Jack was headed for the bar to drown his disappointment, the dealer at the table noticed a single chip where Strauss had been seated, tucked almost unseen beneath the cushion around the playing surface. Called back to the table to play that lonely chip, Treetop won the pot on the next hand and went on to finish the tournament in first place.
A great background story, especially when it's true, makes good magic even better. Texas Fool 'em is a presentation that allows you to re-create the historic moment behind that poker wisdom, in a manner that will amaze and delight your audience.
Following a brief demonstration of Texas Hold 'em poker's unique play,
* They freely cut and deal the starting hand.
* They secretly select the amount of the bet.
* They decide which casino hosts the action.
* They make the best hand they can. Yet...
Every detail is predicted in a 25-year old magazine clipping!
Texas Fool 'em is much more than a card trick - it's a full routine, complete with authentic deck, chips, and 'VIP cards' that are sufficiently compact to carry in your shirt pocket, awaiting just the right moment to make a timely and memorable impression.
You get everything you need for an enthralling presentation that folks will talk about for years to come:
* Five genuine clay poker chips in denominations of $20, $50, $100, $500, and $1000, each one a different, vibrant color
* Ten plastic casino 'VIP cards' representing renowned Las Vegas casinos
* Multiple copies of the historic magazine clipping.
* A complete pack of 52 cards assembled from canceled poker decks bearing the back designs of the dozen major casinos that used them at their tables
* One incredible gimmick that guarantees your final prediction. It's not clipped, hidden, palmed, electronic, or mechanical. It's simple to use, easy to employ, and so dang clever you'll want to smile when you put it to work
* The detailed routine, word for word patter, and simple handling to make this impressive effect a reputation maker in your hands
* An online video featuring an after-dinner performance for a lay audience plus extra presentation tips
* This is a Limited Edition product - only 500 sets have been made.
A standard riffle shuffle is the only skill required. $169.50 (40.620)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9349&cat=0&page=1)
I Hate David Copperfield Trick: "Would you like to see the I Hate David Copperfield Trick? Do you know why I call it that? Because "I Hate David Copperfield." I actually don't hate him. He's a really nice guy and a great magician... it's just that every time people find out I'm a magician they start comparing me to him. "Can you walk through the Great Wall of China?" "Can you make the Statue of Liberty disappear?" "Do you date a super model?" That last one hurts the most. So I decided to do something Copperfield can't do. A close-up illusion that happens right before your eyes."
The performer then visibly and cleanly melts one card through another in a manner that looks like trick photography... but live in person, and 3 times!
Geoff Williams' I Hate David Copperfield Trick is an ultra-visual, ultra-practical, and ultra-cool handling and presentation for Larry Jennings' wonderful "The Close-Up Illusion" trick. This is a miracle that you will carry with you all of the time and absolutely will blow your audiences away. This looks like real magic...even to you as you do it. $20.00 (30.1320)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9358&cat=0&page=1)
Vegas Visit: It's like Six Card Repeat meets Sam The Bellhop!
While recalling your last visit to Las Vegas, you display a handful of credit cards. No matter how many times you discard them, you always have five cards in your hand! The cards change from credit cards to plane tickets to tarot cards to Vegas show tickets and more. In the end, they transform into a Royal Flush in Spades
the perfect ending to your Vegas Visit!
Combines classic magic with a charming story to create a routine that easily plays up close or for an audience of hundreds! Best of all, it can be carried with you all the time.
Designed to create a lasting and powerful impression no matter where you are or who you're with. Created and field tested by Joshua Jay with artwork by Ben Harris, these effects have been printed on ultra thin but durable card stock which will easily fit in virtually any wallet you now carry. Each effect comes complete with a detailed instructional DVD in which Josh covers every aspect of the routine and handling. $24.95 (10.1447)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9359&cat=0&page=1)
"Vegas Visit is a perfect trick to always carry with you. Instead of having your friends pick yet another card, you can perform a fantastic routine that has multiple magical moments, and makes sense that it came out of your wallet! This may be the best version of Six Card Repeat ever!" David Kaye (Silly Billy)
"Combines a solid hook and a funny script with truly economical props and handling - Josh has done a great job!” Aaron Fisher
The Extractor - Rob Bromley & Peter Nardi:
The latest brainchild of mad genius Rob Bromley. Refined and streamlined over the last year by Rob and Peter Nardi, this fabulous utility item is now ready to be unleashed to the magic community.
Until the 2008 Blackpool Convention only five people had ever seen the final Extractor gimmick. There, Peter Nardi demonstrated the power of The Extractor by performing his signature effect - "Impossible Card to Pocket." This incredible trick was the talk of the convention. Peter's trick is just the tip of the iceberg!
The Extractor is a true utility item for the astute magician; each unit is painstakingly hand-made by Rob and is a piece of master-craftsmanship. The card effects possible with The Extractor are only limited by your own imagination.
The Extractor comes complete with an in-depth companion DVD full of tips and effects by Peter Nardi, Mark Elsdon, Gary Jones, Chris Harding and Chris Congreave. The effects include Peter's signature effect mentioned earlier, Mark's show-stopper version of 'Harry In Your Pocket', an unbelievable red and blue deck transposition/prediction guaranteed to melt your audiences' brains, plus fantastic handlings of card to wallet, card to spectator's pocket, card to shoe, in fact, card to almost anywhere!
Due to the complexity of The Extractor's construction, it won't always be in huge supply, so don't miss out on your chance to own one of the effects of the year and one that has baffled some of the top magicians in the world.
$99.95 (30.1319)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9357&cat=0&page=1)
Extra Credit: A smart yet hilarious collection of gag photos and cards that guarantee laughs from any audience. Mixed in with your legitimate wallet photos, these can provide you with an instant comedy routine as you “show” your prized photos. This routine not only provides you with laughs but creates an opportunity to connect with the audience in a fun and personal way.
To conclude the routine, you show a picture of your dog and explain that the dog does tricks. In this case, your dog finds a spectator's chosen card in your wallet! Neither you, nor the dog, needs any sleight of hand for this tight, impossible routine for Card to Wallet.
The gags can easily be used with any Card to Wallet routine, or simply on their own to add laughs to virtually any moment!
Designed to create a lasting and powerful impression no matter where you are or who you're with. Created and field tested by Joshua Jay with artwork by Ben Harris, these effects have been printed on ultra thin but durable card stock which will easily fit in virtually any wallet you now carry. Each effect comes complete with a detailed instructional DVD in which Josh covers every aspect of the routine and handling.
$24.95 (30.1321)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9360&cat=0&page=1)
Red White Wine Paddle – Joe Porper: Here’s another new and original paddle effect for you from the creative mind of Joe Porper.
Nothing could be simpler, or easier to perform. A small paddle is introduced showing a picture of a bottle of Red Wine. Both sides are shown to be the same.
In an instant the bottle changes to White Wine on both sides. But before you know it, the picture has changed again.
Just when they think it has a Red Bottle on one side and a White Bottle on the other side it turns out to have a Bottle of Beer on both sides. The paddle can be immediately handed out for examination.
Made in the same precision quality you have come to expect from all of Joe Porper’s items. $64.95 (10.1446)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9355&cat=0&page=1)
Thoughts Across – David Solomon: A direct, devious method for the classic Cards Across plot.
Two spectators select a card - mentally - from a packet of ten. Without any questions, sleights, or monkey business, both cards vanish from the packet completely, and travel to another packet, which has been in plain sight from the get-go.
Any cards can be thought of. There are no forces, and no palming is required.
On this DVD, you will learn David Solomon's personal handlings of Thoughts Across, as well as two bonus tricks: Double-Crossed Switchcraft and Pure Vice-Versa. Both bonus tricks can be performed with a borrowed deck.
All the necessary cards are provided, custom-printed by the United States Playing Card Company. $14.95 (30.1318)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9353&cat=0&page=1)
Professional Repertoire of Etienne Pradier (2 DVD Set) - Etienne Pradier:
Volume One:
Bill Switch - Etienne's Opener. A borrowed $10 note turns into any named currency in the world!
Finger Snap - get unbelievable reactions with nothing more than your bare hands!
The Broken Glass - A quick-fire effect which is guaranteed to get the attention of the whole table!
Bottle Through Table - Etienne's signature piece. This is the effect that gets him rebooked time and time again.
Ring Flight - A professional’s handling for this close-up magic classic.
Impromptu Signed Card in Sealed Bottle - A spectator's signed card miraculously appears in a sealed beer bottle! This is worth the price of the DVD alone! Completely impromptu - a real reputation maker!
Volume Two:
The Wedding Test - This is Etienne's take on the Anniversary Waltz.
Card to Pocket - A powerhouse card routine that is a real spectators favorite.
Impromptu Stooge - Turn a tricky spectator into your biggest fan with this sneaky gem.
Coin Under Watch - Fast furious magic with a killer finish.
A Quick Turnover - Visual snappy card magic perfect for strolling worker.
Two Card Monte - An original reworking of this bar magic classic.
Sleights explained include: double lift, cull, classic pass, top change, peek, side steal, false cut, slip cut force and a full explanation of the classic bill switch.
Plus 2 bonus effects and a 20 minute interview with the man himself on how to get work and then get re-booked !
$70.00 (DVD00860)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9356&cat=0&page=1)
The New Jinx - Bill Madsen:
One of the hottest areas in magic today is mentalism, and one of the major sources for the best mentalism ever published has been out of print for two decades: The New Jinx.
The sequel to Ted Annemann's classic Jinx Magazine was published from 1962 to 1968 and contains over 300 pages of amazing mentalism. This new edition duplicates the 1987 reprint, with an introduction by Tony Andruzzi, and adds a complete index.
Pages 296 – Hardbound. $59.95 (BK01573)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9351&cat=0&page=1)
Shalosh: Stage Work - Nimrod Harel:
Nimrod Harel is one of the busiest mentalists in the world. He has his own television show ('Inconceivable'), which has just completed its fourth season, and he performs daily before corporate audiences with his original mentalist show.
This, his second book, contains:
Fire at Will - A clean as a whistle Russian Roulette act using a staple gun. The audience sees one gun loaded and fired and then mixed with three other guns. Then the game begins as the volunteer chooses freely which of the guns will be fired, until the last gun is proven to be the loaded gun. There are no notes, no pre-show - only the guns and free choice. No Russian roulette act with staple guns being performed today even comes close to the simplicity and perfection of this routine.
Bible - Anyone who performs 'Add a Number' with a calculator must see what Harel does with this classic. How can you allow the audience to do the last calculation in their heads? How can you set the entire crowd in motion? And most importantly, how can you incorporate company values into your show? This is a must for anyone working with corporate clients or interested in subliminal message routine themes.
Clean Game - The end of all Bank Night routines. The volunteer hides a check or bill inside one of five numbered envelopes. At no point does the mentalist come near the envelopes or make eye contact with them, either before or after the check is inserted. Yet he knows which envelope is the one with the money. There are no gimmicks of any kind. Clean, clean, clean. You will laugh out loud reading about this method. A television stage performance is included.
Bonus: For the first time, Harel reveals the secret behind his Nail Gun Routine, which was performed by Eran Raven in 'Phenomenon' and gives general permission to anyone wishing to use it in their stage or television performances. This routine is utterly devoid of gimmicks and can be executed with almost all nail guns with no preparation at all. Another example of ingenuity.
The presentation of these effects is adapted to large audiences (50-1000 people). They are incredibly practical (less than 60 second preparation time), and all fit inside a suitcase. This is a rare opportunity to get acquainted with one of the most successful and creative mentalists alive today. A must for any professional mentalist.
Softbound. $55.00 (BK01572)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9350&cat=0&page=1)
Showoff III DVD – Brian Tudor: With this, the highly anticipated third installment of the landmark "Showoff" series, Brian Tudor has come full circle by delivering an outstanding volume of card flourishes (arguably his best work to date) which completes the monumental task of capturing, both for posterity and for bragging rights, a genuine visual record of the "out on the edge, yet in complete control" style that he both created and perfected.
The insane moves contained in this volume:
Rev 4 - 4th installment of Tudor's One Hand Cut - a visual flip one hand cut.
Tudor Production - Devastating 4-of-a-kind production of a vertical display on the table, the fastest action known in the genre.
Castro 360 Degree - The world-famous "Castro Cut" is executed in 360 flawless degrees.
Double Direction Spring - Upside-down spring and right-side up spring in one ultra-slick action.
YTBN the second - One hand multiple cut kills as the second mind-bending installment.
The Rev 5ive - 5th innovative installment of Brian Tudor's signature One Hand Cut.
What The Hell Happened to Syble 3 - To break into Z grip as a flourish what the hell happened to Syble?
The Tudor Tower - !7! vertical packets stacked still - the tallest structure ever designed.
Tudor Cut 2 - Brian Tudor is the only person that will execute this flourish – ever! $34.95 (DVD00858)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9352&cat=0&page=1)
The Ultimate Work – Two DVD Set - Tony Giorgio:
A visual treatise on handmucking, or the arcane art of the hold-out man, photographed with state of the art High-Definition video cameras.
Tony Giorgio spent more than 20 years in the demimonde of card and dice hustlers.
During those years, he met and broke bread with literally hundreds of handmuckers, machine men, bust-out men, steers, front-men, spot finders, two-dealers, cellar-dealers, spreaders, cold-deckers, run-up men, check coppers, paper-players, painters, scratch players, slick sleeve and bean shooter players from Portland, Maine south to Miami Beach, Florida, west to California and north to Alaska.
Tony Giorgio played cards across the United States, on the Canadian prairies, in Cuba before the revolution and in the cantinas of Mexican border towns. He moved in private clubs, private games, floating games, athletic clubs, poolrooms, card rooms and casinos. He moved on the unsophisticated and the sophisticated.
Giorgio played poker with the hoi-polloi, blue collar workers, rodeo riders and cowboys in Texas, New Mexico, Wyoming and Arizona; with miners in Montana, longshoremen with grappling hooks in their belts and New Orleans pimps sporting pearl-handled pistols. He played in limit-games for pocket change and in games played for high stakes. During his travels and play, he learned from the top hold-out men in the world and invented and used many of his own moves which he now reveals.
On these DVDs, which run over two hours, Giorgio demonstrates and teaches the Machine Break and his many original variations. He shows never before exposed Card Steals. There are heretofore unrevealed Blackjack and Hole Card Switches, Multiple Card Switches, explanations and demonstrations of Capping The Deck, Capping To the Bottom, Cleaning-Up, Spreading Down, or Playing The Brush. In great detail, Giorgio teaches the ploy of playing with an extra card and multiple methods of cleaning it up (getting rid of the extra card).
There are lengthy discussions and demonstrations of the art of concealment and the attitudes that allay suspicion. You will see and learn the moves that get the money.
You will view every use of card palming in advantage play and its application to the art of magic.
The moves and methods shown are not magicians’ versions, or the purportedly authentic moves presented by the countless ersatz gambling experts who inhabit the world of magic.
Not sold to teach card cheating. It is intended to show how the art of the card mechanic can be applied to the art of magic. $50.00 (DVD00859)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9354&cat=0&page=1)
"These DVDs are filled with great material that has never been tipped before. There are moves for cheating at poker, blackjack, and gin rummy along with insights as to how they're used and it's all authentic. For anyone who wants to see how it's really done by somebody who really did it, this is pure gold."
- Darwin Ortiz
And, that’s this week’s goodies. And, good ones they are. I hope you will check them out, each and every one. I will be right here under the covers waiting for your orders!
As always, we are so pleased that you find time in your busy schedule to visit us either online at www.magicfact.com or in person at 102 North Street in Medford. Either way, we love your company.
Hank
