Greetings from all of us at Hank Lee’s Magic Factory. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Ours was “by the book,” as they say. Lucas flew in from Ohio on Tuesday night. I know that because we picked him up at the airport. But, he immediately vanished into the night to see his friends and we did not see him until Thursday. Aron flew in on Thursday morning, and we also picked him up at the airport. Then it was off to the Millers of Salem, New Hampshire for the annual Thanksgiving feast and dessert-a-ganza. So many cakes, cookies, candies and ice cream. I think that there might have even been a little turkey somewhere in the carbohydrate mix!
It was great having the whole family together for Thanksgiving. And, in a year where things have been a little rocky, it’s nice to remember how much we have to be thankful for.
Now that the football games and naps are over, it’s time to get down to some serious business. The Holiday EXTRA is winging its way to you right now. A little late this year, but it’s been an odd year all around. If you want to start your Hank Lee Holiday Shopping right now, today, you can find the Holiday EXTRA online. Just click on the EXTRA Button at www.magicfact.com or Just go to
(http://www.hanklee.org/decemberextra2008.pdf) and you can download the Holiday EXTRA, print it out in full color or just read it online. It is also perfect to email to friends and relatives and let them know exactly what you want for the holidays!
I know that this year you will have to make decisions about where to buy your holiday gifts. And, I sincerely hope that you will think of us at Hank Lee’s when making those decisions. We are here to help you choose exactly the right items. Call us or email us and we are happy to help!
And, now for our holiday gift to you!
FREE SHIPPING: Until Wednesday, the 24th of December at midnight, we are offering free ground shipping on any order over $25.00 to anywhere in the US, including Alaska and Hawaii! Just enter the special code SHIPMEFREE in the Discount Coupon Box at the bottom of the first page of the online checkout at www.magicfact.com. We will happily pick up the ground shipping charges on your order. Of course, if you want your order sent Fedex Three Day (Express Saver), Second Day or Next Day, you will just have to pay the difference.
Note: Your email confirmation from our online system will still list the shipping as free, but we will charge the difference when we ship your order.
Overseas customers will save as well! We will pay one-half of the Air Post shipping charges on your orders until the 24th! Just remember to enter the special code SHIPMEFREE in the Discount Coupon Box, or let the person taking your phone order know when you place your order at 800 874 7400.
Now, let’s take a look at this week’s Hotlist
Losander Haunted Box: Losander, the master of levitation, has done it again. Just wait until you see his new Haunted Box!
Show the box from all sides, up close. Open the box and take out a deck of cards. Shuffle the deck and ask a spectator to pick a card. She puts the card back and shuffles the deck. The deck is then placed back into the box.
Next you give a handkerchief to an audience member to examine. Cover the box with the handkerchief and the box instantly begins floating! The box can even float uncovered, up and down, in front of the cloth. At the end, the box lands in your hand. Instantly, you throw the cloth into the air. No gimmick inside. Show the box immediately from all sides.
Open the box and reveal the chosen card, separated from the rest of the deck.
A great effect for close up or parlor situations.
Comes with Box, Scarf and DVD. Use any deck. $300.00 (60.1559)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9729&cat=0&page=1)
“At last, a practical levitation effect for the close up and parlor performer” - Jeff McBride
“Never seen such perfection and craftsmanship, get it now!” - Cyril
“This is a must have effect for every close up worker that wants to perform real magic” - Reed McClintock
“Leave it to Losander to come up with the perfect levitation for close up and walk around” - Jeff Hobson
Note: This item may only be sold at retail and cannot be included in any sales event. Available for delivery at the beginning of January, 2009. Order now, and we will pay the shipping anywhere in the United States.
Magic of Ascanio Vol. 3 - More Studies of Card Magic - Arturo Ascanio:
Arturo de Ascanio y Navaz, is regarded as the father of Spanish card magic. A lawyer by trade and an amateur magician, he devoted a good part of his life to magic and was one of the founders of the prestigious Escuela Mágica de Madrid.
The Structural Conception of Magic, which is the first volume of The Magic of Ascanio, is devoted to his theoretical thinking. Studies of Card Magic and More Studies of Card Magic include all of his card creations, while the fourth volume Knives and Color-Blindness is a treatise on magic with pocket knives.
This third v olume includes some of his signature pieces like The Restless Lady, Alternating the Colors, and his legendary All-Backs routine. These routines were part of the act that Ascanio performed at the Amsterdam FISM Convention, where he won First Prize in Card Magic. Also included are his classics Sequacious Spades, and Cards Through the Table, The Ten Cards Up the Sleeve, The Aces of My Exam, Freddy Fah’s Wallet, Mentalism by Elimination, The Magical Nine, Stranger Ambitious Card, and The Nudist Deck. The book ends with Black Days, a masterpiece of magical thinking, as Arturo himself described it.
400 pages. Hardcover with dust jacket. $69.95 (BK01617)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9723&cat=0&page=1)
Invisible Hand Kit of Attachments & Accessories - Vernet Magic:
The Invisible Hand gives you thousands of possibilities from amazing miracles. You can vanish, change colors, sizes or shapes of different objects, cut and restore a rope, etc. You can show your hands before and after the effect. It is useful either in Close Up, Parlor or Stage.
This Kit dramatically expands the use of this outstanding device. With this Kit the possibilities are endless, limited only by your imagination. Here are just some of the effects possible using this Kit:
* Rising Card
* The Magnetic Cue
* Magnetic Pencil
* The Newspaper Test
* Free Choice
* The Gazing Watch
* My First Sucker Trick
* The Magic Bulb
* Silk Story
* Magic Purse
* The Amazing Vanishing of Silk & Coin
* Spoon Bending
* Knife Routine
* The Invisible Ball Routine
* Flash Silk Vanish
* Chop Cup - Final Load
* The Bill in Pen
* The Bill in Pen 2
* Vanishing Pen/Pencil
* Vanishing Cigarette
* Vanishing Finger Ring
* Color Changing Silk
You should check out the Invisible Hand DVD Set and the Invisible Hand Device as well! $110.00 (70.967)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9720&cat=0&page=1)
Card College Lighter : Roberto Giobbi's newest survey of sleightless card magic, Card College Lighter gives the famous Giobbi treatment to 21 baffling card tricks by some of the craft's greatest masters, including Vernon, Annemann, Leech, Maven, Fulves, Hummer, Vollmer and Krenzel. These tricks do not require sleights, but they all show the cunning perspective of a professional performer, guaranteeing astonishing and entertaining results.
Following in the footsteps of his Card College Light, Roberto Giobbi teaches the secrets of professional-caliber card magic, providing insights into the presentation, psychology and routining that make these simple tricks into seeming miracles. He gives the reader all the tools necessary for a professional-quality performance.
Giobbi also explains how these tricks can be arranged into highly effective and entertaining routines. The reader will learn the secrets of expert organization and combination that make good tricks even more baffling. These lessons serve both the beginner and the advanced card-magician who wish to do magic that allows the audience to stare relentlessly at the fingers without discovering a thing. 21 Tricks.
175 pages. Hardcover. $35.00 (BK01616)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9718&cat=0&page=1)
Jumbo Half Dollar Shells: Imagine ending your Midas Dream routine by producing a single Jumbo Half Dollar, followed by three more!
After performing the standard Matrix coin trick, produce a Jumbo Coin then three more.
Finally. perform a Reverse Matrix with the Jumbo Coins!
The Jumbo Coins are great for a quick one, two, three, four, fast moving coin production.
High polished chrome coins that nest together.
You can perform many effects with this nesting set of Jumbo Half Dollars. $64.00 (20.404)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9717&cat=0&page=1)
The Magic of Ascanio Vol. 4 - Knives and Color Blindness - Arturo Ascanio:
This book is not just a repertoire of sleights and routines. Above all, it encapsulates an extraordinary philosophy of magic, in which the love for detail, for naturalness and psychology alike, are given as much importance as technical skill. Ascanio’s remarkable in-depth study of the psychological aspects of the “Paddle Move” and the “Color Change” with knives is a fundamental contribution to the magic of the Color-Changing Knives. Arturo de Ascanio shows two specific qualities that very seldom go together: he is an extremely clear writer and also an excellent performer of sleight-of-hand. You will no doubt find that Ascanio is very good at writing about what he knows, and knows very well what he is writing about.
132 pages. Hardcover with dust jacket. $45.00 (BK01618)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9724&cat=0&page=1)
Ki DVD - Sean Scott: A new-wave effect that is as close to dematerialization as possible. You start clean and end clean. No special set up, ready to do at a moments notice.
Walk up to a vertical object such as a street sign, pole, parking meter, or gate and place both arms around it. Cleanly and slowly you interlock your fingers tightly together forming a solid circle out of your arms and hands. The audience, just a few feet away, sees you slowly and visibly pull your interlocked hands through the vertical object. Your hands are immediately shown!
Ki can be performed with a multitude of vertical objects. Any object you can interlock your hands around can be used! Indoors or outdoors!
Features:
• No special clothing required.
• No special lighting required.
• No special vertical objects or gimmicking of them.
• Spectators may examine performer's hands and vertical objects before & after.
• Performer starts clean and finishes clean.
Important Points:
• Ki is performed usually at a distance of 10-12 feet from the audience.
• Ki cannot be done surrounded.
• Ki is sold as an instructional DVD which explains everything needed to perform and construct the gimmick. Items needed are easily obtainable from local stores.
• Ki is not difficult to perform, can be confidently performed with about an hour or less of practice.
$34.95 (DVD00946)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9728&cat=0&page=1)
Clairvoyant Card Duck: One of the classics in magic, and this version made by Viking Magic is no exception. Expertly made, bright colors and detail. The wings are sculpted and extend past the sides of the body, giving this duck a realistic look. Guaranteed the finest you'll ever own.
A spectator is asked to select a card from a deck of 52. The card is returned to the deck and the cards mixed. Now, your psychic duck, Clairvolina is introduced. She will locate the hidden card and she will do this without asking any questions.
The duck begins removing cards from the deck by pecking them out of the holder at the end of her perch. No, not that one. Not that one either. Ah, here it is! Clairvolina has selected a card, which she now holds in her beak. The spectator names her card, and lo and behold, this is the exact card selected by your psychic duck!
The effect may be repeated, and this time, you cover her eyes with a blindfold (use a small silk hank), yet she is still able to locate the selected card!
This is a great item for kids and adults. The presentations possible are only limited by your imagination. Alphabet cards, picture cards, baseball cards, etc. can be used.
There is built-in comedy that will surely play well with any and all audiences.
Comes complete with Bicycle cards, hat and complete instructions. Lots of comedy and by-play. $125.00 (60.1558)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9722&cat=0&page=1)
Corporate Close Up II - Volume 1 - Martin Sanderson:
In Corporate Close-Up I, Martin Sanderson taught you some great routines that were perfect for the expanding corporate market. Now, in Volume 2, eight top corporate close up magicians have come together to take you to the next level. Finally, the secret is out!
Contents:
Arrival - Meet your hosts Harry Robson and Mike McClean as they discuss dealing with the client, how to get the staff on your side, and what to look for in the room that you're about to work.
The Survival Kit - What to carry to your shows and why they're so important, and we're not talking about the magic!
Pocket Management - The Do's and Don'ts that will make you magic that much slicker.
Approach - Learn just what to look for when approaching a group and spot the hidden signs of what makes a good and bad table.
Opening Effects - making a great first impression. Now learn just what kind of effects work for our experts and why.
Ian Moran's Ideal Opener - A fast and snappy, two signed card transposition and something that Ian uses as his opener at corporate events around the world.
Cold Cut Transpo - The brilliant routine form Shaun McCree which is fast and gets you 'in' with your group instantly. Fast and fantastic!
Interacting - The best way to interact with a group.
Gang of Four - Learn just why this is the perfect routine when working for larger groups.
Dealing with a No! - How to deal with rejection and make it turn to your advantage.
Mr. Dog's Wibbly Wobbly - An easy to do routine that involves that whole table and uses an item you probably already own.
Bonus Feature - The Martin Sanderson Ambitious Card Routine. $34.95 (DVD00944)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9721&cat=0&page=1)
New Pentagram CDROM: Peter Warlock’s amazing magazine followed in the footsteps of The Pentagram Magazine which had been published first by Peter Warlock and then was backed by The Magic Wand publishing Company. Supreme Magic then backed and helped Peter Warlock to continue the original magazine but under the name of New Pentagram, and it ran for twenty years.
This wonderful magazine was packed with contributions from some of the leading names in magic. Here, taken at random, are some of the top names who wrote for New Pentagram:
• Jack Avis
• Jacob Daley
• Robert Harbin
• Stanley Jaks
• Peter Kane
• Milt Ford
• Fred Lowe
• Robert Neale
• Harvey Rosenthal
• Lewis Ganson
• David Berglas
• Basil Horwitz
• Al Koran
• Leslie May
• Gus Southhall
• Hans Trixer
• George Blake
• Charles Cameron
• Trevor Lewis
• Bob Ostin
• Malcolm Davison
• Karl Fulves
• U.F. Grant
• Dai Vernon
• Maurice Fogel
• Billy O’Connor
• Phil Goldstein
• Billy McComb
$39.95 (CD0065)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9727&cat=0&page=1)
2-in-1 Pro Lecture (CD w/Bonus Book) - Jeff Hobson:
Contents:
• Hobservations on the Business of Magic - Jeff Hobson tells you what other pros won't about the business of magic. He gives you the inside scoop on dealing with agents, booking venues, and includes real examples of his contracts, riders, and other documents that he uses.
• Hobson's Choice Lecture - IBM Award-Winning magic from one of the busiest magicians in the world. Jeff Hobson gives out his most practical and workable effects. Effects include stage, close-up, kids and manipulation magic.
• Ribbons Thru - A great audience participation effect where you cut-in-half three children at once.
• Candle to Ball - A startling, visual quickie to add to your manipulation.
• Red's Card Trick - Divide a pack of cards into four Royal Flushes without looking. A poker players dream!
• Caucasian Box - Playing cards dropped into a box disappear and so does the bottom of the box! A real fooler!
• Kiss Card Trick - Hobson's twist on the classic.
• Dime Store Salt Pour - Hobson's pet version of this trick made with a common gimmick and a few, inexpensive items that you'd never expect.
• Bonus Book - HOBSERVATIONS on Comedy Clubs by Jeff Hobson
Mac/PC CDROM - pdf Format $19.95 (CD0064)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9725&cat=0&page=1)
Corporate Close Up II - Volume 2 - Martin Sanderson:
Contents:
The Client - What the person hiring you looks for.
Between Courses - When to perform and when not to perform that is the question!
How Many Tricks to Carry - What is the correct amount of effects needed to corporate strolling performances? We'll reveal all!
Building a Group - How to make a small group into a bigger one. Now that's magic!
Building a Reaction - How to take a simple effect and build a great reaction at any table.
Final Effects - Learn what type of effects are the best to close your set with and why!
Bottle Produciton - Harry Robson's stunning finish to The Signed Card in Bottle!
Watched Ambitious - The perfect finish to any corporate set. A freely chose, signed card vanishes and reappears under the magician’s watch! From the devilish mind of Shaun McCree, this is simply brilliant.
How to Start Out - Simple solutions to help you get working the lucrative field of corporate close up.
Transpo - An easy-to-do effect that's the perfect opener to any close up set, strolling or tableside.
Interview with the Agent - Listen to just what an agents looks for when booking a corporate magician. Words of wisdom from someone that knows!
Websites - Just how important is a great website?
What's The Big Secret? - Our eight experts give their answer to this age-old question and you'll be surprised at just how simple their secrets really are!
Bonus Feature - Shaun McCree's Razor Sharp.
$34.95 (DVD00945)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9726&cat=0&page=1)
And that’s this week’s Oh My Gosh I Can’t Believe How Much Turkey I Ate Hotlist. It’s one of the best collections of new items I have seen in a long while. I hope you will find all kinds of stuff that you just can’t be without!
As always, I hope you will find some time in your busier than usual schedule to spend with us either online at www.magicfact.com or live and in person in our delightful showroom at 102 North Street in Medford. Either way, you love the company.
Hank Lee
