Greetings from all of us at Hank Lee’s Magic Factory.
The past couple of weeks saw two major losses in the magic world. The first was Carl Ballantine. Carl was 92 years old, and still one of the funniest men in magic. To my knowledge, he was the first professional magician to break into television with a role in a TV Sitcom. His character in McHale’s Navy was one of the main reasons to watch that show. He will be missed. There is a great YouTube video of Carl performing on the original Donny and Marie Show. It is hilarious and well worth watching.
The other major loss was Frank Radtke, owner of The House of Fakini. Frank was instrumental in creating Silicone Balls, for both jugglers and magicians. The Fakini Multiplying Balls are absolutely the industry standard and are used by an absolute Who’s Who of Magicians. We are hoping that someone will take over the business and make sure that these items remain available.
This past Wednesday was Veteran’s Day. A day to stop and remember all of those who served our country in the military. Both my father and my father-in-law served in World War II. Surprisingly both served in the China, Burma, India campaign. When my Dad was alive, he would regale us with stories of the war. Especially after he had a couple of glasses of wine at dinner. My father-in-law, thankfully still very much alive, loves to tell stories of the war. He doesn’t even need any wine to get started. We’ve heard his stories a hundred times, and we can tell them right along with him. Interestingly, lately he has come up with some stories we had not heard before. Seems he’s been holding out on us all this time! I want to take a second to let all of those in the service know how much we appreciate what they are doing for our country.
Last weekend we were in Oberlin, Ohio for Parents’ Weekend. I surprised Bonnie with a guest appearance by Aron The Elder Son. Since it was our 25th Anniversary, I thought it would be great to have Aron fly in from Gainesville for the weekend. And, I was right. She was totally surprised. Tears in her eyes. Nice job on my part.
On the magic front. This week, Hand Out 500 arrived in stock and all the back-orders were shipped. I was going to take a photo of the back orders ready to be shipped, but I couldn’t fit it all in one photo. There were a ton of them. I would point out that Paul Harris’ Little Man is on the Hotlist for pre-order. You should get on this right away, so you will get yours in the first batch. Looks like it is going to be this year’s hot trick!
I should mention that almost every item in this week’s Hotlist has a video demo available. When you click on the item in our Hotlist, make sure you watch the video demos!
Chipper Lowell’s show is coming up in just two short weeks! ‘BLiNK! - An Incredible Evening of Award-Winning Magic!’ will be at The Music Hall, in Portsmouth, NH on November 27 & 28. Starring Chipper, with special guest artists: Jade, Christopher Hart, and Joe Devlin. 8pm evening performance on Friday, the 27th, and an 11am matinee (1-hour version) on Saturday, the 28th.
I will be there, and I hope if you are anywhere in New England, you will make the drive. The show looks great! I am told that tickets are selling very fast, so order them right up!
Here’s a link for info and tickets.
(http://www.blinkshow.com)
And that’s this week’s news, the good and the bad. Now, check out this week’s Excitement. It’s all good!
Buy Some, Get Some at 100% Off! We are always looking for ways to save you folks some money. The economy is a little tough out there, and every penny counts.
I know it sounds crazy, but we have figured out a way to do this. For every order you place, we will send you some brand new, right off the shelf, magic equal in value to the merchandise you ordered. Whaaaaat? Crazy, right? Maybe not so crazy. Ask the folks who took advantage of this sales event the last time around and got hundreds and hundreds of dollars in free magic!
Here’s how it works. If you buy $50.00 in merchandise, we will send along with your order another $50.00 in free merchandise. Same for $100.00 or $200.00 or $300.00 or more. However much you spend, we will match it with additional magic of the same value.
The magic we will send is really good stuff. There are some tricks and some DVDs, even some books. It is brand new, right from stock. Stuff you will like and use!
The sales event will start right now, the very second you get this email Newsletter. And it will run through Thursday, November 19th at midnight. Seven full days. All you need to do is put the special code BUY SOME in the Customer Notes Box of the online checkout at www.magicfact.com so we know that you wish to participate in the promotion. If you call or FAX you order in to us, just mention the code BUY SOME.
There really aren’t many rules or restrictions. The only thing is, we cannot combine offers. So, Reward Points, Promotional Gift Certificates and Magic Of The Month Club pricing will not apply. Oh, and the minimum order for this promotion is $30.00. Makes sense, right?
Get your order in to us, and see what surprises await you!
Now, let’s take a look at this week’s Hotlist.
(1) Little Man – Paul Harris: Paul Harris, Rod Whitlock, and Mark Allen, with special thanks to Angelo Carbone, present Little Man! A lump of clay comes to life!
Bring out a small gift bag and pull out a standard container of kid's clay. Peel off the lid, pull out a lump of clay and let your audience freely squish, pull and play with it. Then, help the audience mold the clay into a little man (or woman!) The only reason you help is to insure that his little proportions are correct.
Your hands are always empty. There’s nothing inside the clay!
A spectator then takes a final bit of clay and shapes it into a tiny clay heart. She warms the heart in her hands... and for a moment... she thinks she might feel a tiny heart beat. She gently sticks the tiny clay heart onto Little Man's chest. You then stand the little guy on the flattened empty bag. Someone gently blows on his heart. A moment later, unbelievably, Little Man takes his first step!
He is moving forward and actually walking! One astonishing step at a time!
His entire clay body visibly turns and lurches forward with each dramatic step.
Not that you'd want to, but you could leave the room, go out for a burger and Little Man would keep on walking! And after about 6 or 7 steps, when Little Man finally stops, anyone can immediately squish him into a ball or tear him apart. There is nothing to find but a lump of clay!
* Incredibly easy.
* No switches, palming, steals, etc.
* Your hands are always empty.
* Empty bag and container can be freely handled by audience at end of effect.
* Completely self-contained. Nothing attached to you or your clothes.
* Perform completely surrounded in any lighting conditions.
* Re-sets in two to three minutes.
* Same lump of clay can be used over and over.
* Complete with DVD and extra clay.
This is a pre-order item. If you place your pre-order and decide that you do not wish to wait any longer, you may cancel and get a full refund!
Note: This item is non-discountable. But, everyone who pre-orders Little Man will get, absolutely free, $100.00 in magic! A deal like this does not come along very often! $300.00 (10.1547)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=1255&cat=0&page=1)
(2) Liquify – Richard Sanders & Bill Abbott: Have someone concentrate on a thought.
Ask them to imagine their glass of water as a crystal ball and to focus their thoughts into it.
Tearing a corner from a piece of paper, you ask the spectator to dip the paper into the water.
Slowly and eerily...their thoughts appear on the paper!
Key Points:
Absolutely nothing is applied to the paper.
(No chemicals, no lemon juice, nothing)
Absolutely nothing can be seen on the paper prior to the revelation.
The paper is completely examinable before, during and after the effect!
Liquify is a 60 minute training DVD that will guide you through every nuance of this devastating effect. Using a completely organic system, Liquify gives you the ability to transform ordinary paper into a supernatural phenomenon!
Plus: A very special secret device that will allow you to perform Liquify “on the fly”...anywhere with only a moments notice.
Liquify is self working, there are no angle restrictions and it's always ready to go! $24.95 (40.698)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=1261&cat=0&page=1)
(3) Fearson Fantastic Flotation: You are about to learn how to fly! Fearson's Fantastic Floatation will enable you to levitate off the ground at any time! From a stage or close-up! Indoors or out! You can even fly at the dinner table!
Here's what the spectators see: At any time during your act, remove your jacket to show that you are not concealing anything. As you display your jacket, your body begins to pivot to a horizontal position until you are floating freely above the jacket, with your entire body in view! It looks wild!
You are able to float up and down and even turn towards the audience. A large silk or table cloth can be substituted for the coat, and the coat can be borrowed! And, there's no weight limit
It really looks like you're floating. And, the only thing better than the effect is the method! It is absolutely diabolical! You will be totally pleased, I promise!
Stage or close-up!
Indoors or out!
No bulky props!
No curtains!
No heavy gimmicks!
No weight limits!
Steve took first at both the IBM and SAM contests and featured this illusion in his special for Japanese TV. It's also been performed by The Amazing Johnathan on national TV in the USA!
Fearson's Fantastic Floatation now includes a 45 minute long DVD which makes it easier than ever to construct and perform this blockbuster effect!
Any ordinary jacket or cloth can be used. You will receive a kit which includes necessary parts to assemble your gimmick, instructions and performance rights. You will also need two matching pairs of pants to complete the construction, which does not require any unusual tools or mechanical ability. The completed gimmick is lightweight and portable.
Fearson's Fantastic Floatation, the cheapest flight you'll ever take!
$99.95 (60.628)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=3140&cat=0&page=1)
(4) Reflection – Bill Goodwin: An exquisite selection of eleven ingenious effects from one of our era's finest card magicians, Bill Goodwin. Included is material culled from his hard to find lecture notes as well as several effects never before published. This is the first time a collection of his secrets has ever been released on DVD.
Using only an ordinary pack of cards, discover the secrets of a true sleight of hand artist and experience the deviant card magic of Bill Goodwin.
Effect Descriptions:
Oxnard Split
A highly visual handling of Paul Harris' "Las Vegas Split." A Four transforms into two Twos followed by each of the Twos transforming into two Aces.
One Off
The magician attempts to find a selected card, however, he is off by one. To remedy the situation, the magician splits the card into two cards to reveal the selection.
Off Balance Transposition
A three-phase routine where a selected card and the four Aces repeatedly switch places culminating with a visual transformation of the selection into the four Aces.
The Paint Brush Change (Roy Walton)
Roy Walton's wonderful full face visual change of one card into another happens instantaneously as you "wiggle" the card.
Double Lift Unload
A deceptive technique for unloading the lowermost card of a double so that it appears as if the card never goes flush with the deck.
About Face
A card held at your fingertips turns over visually with just a stroke of your thumb. A handling for Alex Elmsley's "Turn-About Card."
Twisting the Kings
A direct handling of Dai Vernon's classic "Twisting the Aces" finishing with all four cards turning over simultaneously.
The Mirage Trick
The magician offers to show the audience a mirage. A selection is produced between two cards, but immediately vanishes proving that its appearance was just a mirage. Included in the explanation is a handling of the Bluff Pass
Spectator Cuts to the Aces
A clean and direct handling of this classic plot. The method highlights a versatile unloading technique that can be applied to other effects.
Mistaken Sandwich
A card is produced between two others. Realizing that it is not the selection, the magician causes it to change into the correct card. The three cards can be examined.
Reciprocity
The four Kings and the four Aces change places instantly. Two handlings are included.
Hold the Mayo
The four Aces are produced one at a time from between two Jokers.
With over 2.5 hours of performances, in-depth instruction and the complete history behind each routine and sleight, Reflection is not simply a DVD on tricks, but an important course for the advancement of your card magic. Shot in High Definition with multiple camera angles. Includes a 10 page booklet. $39.95 (DVD01074)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9933&cat=0&page=1)
(5) ConCam Monte – R. Paul Wilson: A powerful, professional routine based on the world's most famous scam. This incredible routine has been part of R. Paul Wilson’s professional repertoire for over twenty years.
Now, for the first time, he is ready to share the secret. The name of the game is "find the lady" but, without any difficult moves or sleights. The audience just can't follow the Queen as it jumps from hand to hand, transforms before it vanishes and appears "up your sleeve".
R. Paul Wilson's ConCam Monte, can be carried in your wallet or pocket and performed anywhere, any time.
This is stunning, impossible card magic at it's very best.
Easy enough for beginners
ConCam Monte is suitable for performers from novice to expert. Included is a DVD teaching every moment of this powerhouse routine with step-by-step detail. Everything you need to know is on this DVD!
Includes special cards manufactured by the US Playing Card Company. 25.00 (30.1454)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9928&cat=0&page=1)
(6) George Sands Masterworks Collection – Book and DVD: George Sands was a prolific inventor and developer of original moves and polished routines that have worked themselves into the annals of magic infamy. His rope work and card tricks are some of the finest, performed by David Copperfield, Jeff McBride, Mac King, Dick Cavett and countless others. When George lectured at the Magic Castle, Dai Vernon refused to leave when requested to entertain by one of the Larsons.
This book contains seven routines with all the original 192 illustrations digitally re-mastered by a graphic artist with additional historical commentary and comedy material developed by George's son, Alan Sands. Learn the two classics: Sandsational Rope and Sands' Ropesational - the same routines learned by thousands of magicians, reworked into original routines by Daryl and Michael Finney. Plus, you will learn five more routines sure to become part of your favorite repertoire for life. The accompanying DVD contains original footage of George performing live for (1) lay audiences, (2) performing and exposing the routines live at a lecture and (3) again performing and exposing the material move for move directly for the camera.
112 Page book (7 routines) and 75-minute DVD (3 routines) combination set. $60.00 (DVD01072)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9930&cat=0&page=1)
(7) Gumslinger: A visual transformation using chewing gum. Remove the sticks of gum from the box, gum in one hand, sticks in the other, and they change places instantly!
After three live performances on the streets, it's back to the studio so Chris can take you through all the techniques needed to create magic that will simply mess with people's heads!
This is eye popping magic at its best from UK magician Chris Webb and the guys at Wizard FX Productions. Comes with instructional DVD. $25.00 (10.1548)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9929&cat=0&page=1)
"The transposition used in Gumslinger is one of those rare ‘do that again moments.’ Great visual magic!" - Marc Oberon - World Champion Magician
(8) Modern Con Man Collection – 3 DVD Set – Todd Robbins: You may have seen America's #1 Con Man, Todd Robbins, on Leno, Letterman, or Conan. But it's just as likely you've never heard of him because Todd is a well-known authority and practitioner of all things deceptive.
Now, in this 3 DVD collection, Todd shares his catalog of cons and playful scams. You’ll learn how easy it is to scam, bet, and trick your way to a free drink, a few extra bucks at the poker table, and laughs at the expense of your co-workers. Expect to make friends too, with this fun, tongue-in-cheek guide to suckering those you love — and those you'd like to know.
Learn games you'll never lose, tricks they won't figure out, and cons they'll never see coming. With his concise and witty direction, Robbins ensures that all you'll need to succeed is a smooth smile. Everyone loves a good con. And now, thanks to Todd Robbins, everyone can get in on the action!
Based on Robbins' bestselling book, The Modern Con Man. $30.00 (DVD01071)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9927&cat=0&page=1)
(9) Remote Control Milk In Lightbulb: The effect could not be more straightforward.
The handsome lamp is displayed on your table. Turn the lamp on. Then, vanish milk, salt or a white silk. The moment the object vanishes the lamp goes out by itself! You do not need to be near the lamp when this happens.
Remove the shade and unscrew the bulb. Inside the bulb is the vanished milk, salt or silk! The milk or salt is poured out leaving you with just an empty bulb.
No need for any offstage assistants. You are in full control of the lamp even though away from it.
Designed for the professional, this prop will add class to your act.
Strong enough to close your show!
Complete with lamp and remote control device!
$269.95 (60.1628)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9932&cat=0&page=1)
(10) Inside Their Pockets Number Two – The Jacket Pocket Steal DVD: Long coveted as one of the most difficult skills in magic, pickpocketing is now an obtainable feature for your show thanks to this DVD. Jacket Pocket Steals made simple, taught concisely in under fifteen minutes by Sam "The Gambit" Rubman.
• Steal the skeptics blind!
• Take what's theirs and make it yours!
• Be a thief in less than fifteen minutes!
In this brilliant volume, you'll learn how to remove a complete stranger's personal belonging such as wallets, phones, business cards and anything else they might have in their pockets! It's easy if you know how, and Sam will teach you all the ins and outs of the Jacket Pocket Steal, leaving nothing to the imagination! $10.00 (DVD01073)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9931cat=0&page=1)
And that’s this week’s Hotlist. Some really fabulous stuff for you, our fabulous customers. I forgot to mention that Saturday is Bonnie’s birthday. 29 again. How does she do it? I can’t wait to see what surprises I have in store for her. I’ll let you know all about it next week.
As always, we really appreciate your taking the time to spend with us either online at www.magicfact.com or in person at 102 North Street in Medford. Either way, we love the company!
Hank
