Greetings from all of us at Hank Lee’s Magic Factory. I hope you all had a wonderful Fourth of July. I had a great one. Hots Dogs, Hamburgers, Fireworks. We had it all. It was really nice to spend a few days near the ocean. Especially now. The past few days, the weather has been oppressive. On Tuesday, we had the hottest day since August, 2002! Temperatures over 100 degrees. And, we are not talking about dry heat. It was plenty humid. Even the air conditioning could not keep up. Ah, well, cooler weather is ahead. I hope.
On a totally non-magic topic, I want to thank everyone who sent emails with advice about our water heater. We ended up installing a power-vent water heater to replace the old one. Now, we have a new problem. The noise. Every time the fan comes on, it sounds like a jet plane landing outside. I have been researching solutions to the problem. So far, my favorite is the guy who ran the outside vent into a metal barrel filled with pillows. Sounds tome like he’s headed right for the Darwin Awards. Anyway, if you have any experience with the noise issue and have a good solution, I would love to hear from you. Really I would!
On a totally magic topic, there’s the Little Man question. The folks at Paul Harris Magic say that the first run is now 90% complete. This is very good news for those of you who have been waiting and waiting. They also say that after the first run is sold, the price is going to be increased to at least $400.00. What does this mean? It means that if you have been thinking about buying one, now is the time. The first run is nearing completion and the price is going up for the second run. You can save some serious money by ordering now. And, the wait will not be so long.
We have arranged with Chris Capstone to carry his absolutely beautiful Realistic Rabbit Puppets. A full description appears in this week’s Hotlist. I will tell you that we are getting a very limited number of these, and when they are gone, it could be a very long time until more are made. So, if you like what you see, and who wouldn’t, place your order right away and don’t get left out.
And, that’s all the news from here. Stay cool, and check out this week’s excitement!
BUY MORE GET MORE EXTENDED: Last weekend was the Fourth of July. A big holiday. And, lots of you were away from your computers for the three days. So, we are going to repeat the BUY MORE GET MORE event for those of you who might have missed it.
Starting right now and running through Thursday, July 15th at midnight, we are having a Buy More Get More event. Here is how it works. For each order you place during the event, you will get a Promotional Gift Certificate which you can use towards any future purchase here at Hank Lee’s. The value of the coupon depends entirely on the size of your order. Here is the breakdown:
• Order between $25.00 and $100.00: Coupon is for 15% of the merchandise total. (Orders less than $25.00 get our sincere thanks, but sadly no coupon)
• Order between $100.00 and $300.00: Coupon is for 20% of the merchandise total.
• Order over $300.00: Coupon is for 25% of the merchandise total.
When you place your order online at www.magicfact.com, please put the secret phrase BUY MORE GET MORE in the Customer Notes Box of the online checkout. If you place your order by email or FAX, just include the secret phrase with your order. And, if you place your order by phone, toll free at 800 874 7400, please mention the secret phrase to get your coupon. The coupon will be sent along with your order and can be used whenever you wish, no expiration date. You will get a coupon for every order you place during the event. Just don’t lose the coupons, please. The Buy More Get More event includes every item we carry! This is your chance to, really save for the future.
And now, this week’s Hotlist!
(1) Chris Capstone’s Realistic Rabbit Puppet: When I was a magical tadpole, one of my favorite tricks was the classic Charles’ Out Of My Hat. It was a great routine, with kind of a crummy rabbit puppet. But, the response it got was absolutely amazing. Both kids and adults loved the little rabbit.
Now, our friend Chris Capstone has created an absolutely beautiful Realistic Rabbit Puppet, the most gorgeous puppet I have ever seen.
The puppet fits into a regular top hat. The eyes are beautifully crafted of real glass in three colors. The ears are airbrushed in bunny pink. Chris hand sculpts the paws and facial features.
Supplies are very limited. Chris’ daughter does the sewing one at a time, and she’s heading off to Law School so will not be sewing any more in the foreseeable future.
The top hat does not come with the Rabbit Puppet, but you will get instructions on how to fit the rabbit into your own hat. You can also purchase the perfect Coachman’s Hat from us at Hank Lee’s for a very reasonable price.
Check out the photos. Then, place an order. You don’t want to be left out of this one!
$199.00 (60.1677)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=10173&cat=0&page=1)
(2) Electric Sawing Through Neck: A mini-illusion with a big impact!
Ask for a willing participant to put their head in the wooden stock.
After being tightly secured, the Black & Decker power saw is switched on.
The saber saw magically buzzes right through their neck without harming the volunteer!
Thanks to a clever feature added by Tony Spina ,when the saw passes thru, you cut a carrot in half and not your helper
The saw and blade can be passed for examination.
Any audience member can be used without prior planning.
Packs flat, sets up in minutes and will be the centerpiece of any act!
Supplied complete and ready for action.
Made in the USA. $450.00 (60.1678)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=10177&cat=0&page=1)
(3) Cinemasense: Allows a completely hands-off approach to the movie poster mind reading theme. Cinemasense allows you to have one, two, three or more spectators each select a movie under test conditions.
This set of cards is for use with Probe. It includes ten cards depicting different movie posters. The movies are a mixture of science fiction/action and romantic/comedies.
Set A: Includes the following movie posters:
American Beauty
Batman Returns
Casablanca
The Dark Knight
Emma
Transformers
Gone with the Wind
Incredible Hulk
Sleepless in Seattle
Jurassic Park
Set B: Includes the following movie posters:
Aliens
Breakfast at Tiffany's
Pirates of the Caribbean
Dirty Dancing
E.T.
French Kiss
Get Smart
When Harry met Sally
Iron Man
Romeo and Juliet
Either set, $150.00 (40.735)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=10169&cat=0&page=1)
Remember, these cards are for use with Probe. If you don’t already own Probe, you should! Probe is available right here at Hank Lee’s Magic Factory.
(4) Autograph – Justin Miller: A couple of heavy trucks are speeding toward each other. They meet in the middle of a highway head-on. The two trucks become a single crush of grinding metal after the collision.
When that happens with cards, it's called Autograph.
Justin Miller's routine design is effective. The trick looks impossible, and is.
Two cards are signed and dated. Without any funny moves at all, your spectators see the two signatures visibly change places. Then, both separate cards become one single card in their hand with your signature on one side, and their signature on the other.
Autograph takes the classic Anniversary Waltz to a new level, with a twisted ending that no one expects.
Reset is instant.
Beautifully routined, not difficult, uses standard card handling methods.
Buckle up and get ready for a head-on collision with one of Ellusionist's best underground teachers. All will be discussed: Psychology, methods and presentation.
This is J-Miller at his finest, releasing a signature effect he performs nearly every day. $19.95
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=10175&cat=0&page=1)
(5) The Lane – Mickael Chatelain: A card is selected by a spectator. The card is signed on its face and returned to the deck. The deck is immediately given to the spectator who is asked to inspect it and hold the deck in their hands.
Show a sheet of stickers. Peel one of them off and apply it to the center of the Bicycle card case. (In fact, you paste it in the middle of the "Spades" image which adorns the front of the case).
All this is done right under the spectators’ noses.
Rub the case with your fingertips, touching the sticker pasted on the case. You rub, rub again and then you remove your fingers from the case.
Unbelievable! The sticker has vanished! Show your fingers and hands empty, with no trace of the sticker. Where did it go?
The deck has been in plain sight and held by the spectator all this time.
Take the deck and pass the cards, one at a time, from one hand to the other.
Suddenly a card appears with a sticker on its back! Remove the card with the sticker. Turn the card over, and there is the spectator’s signature, right on the face of their chosen card! Amazing! $40.00 (30.1502)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=10171&cat=0&page=1)
Note: The included DVD is PAL format. Playback may be possible on many computer DVD-ROM drives, but NOT on NTSC television sets.
(6) No Fail Kids’ Magic – 3 DVD Set – Sean Taylor: Sean Taylor is best known as a mentalist but for many years, early in his career, he made a full time living entertaining children. Sean is a dynamic, quick witted, funny and talented family entertainer. Consequently, he could be found each week working for audiences from the smallest, back yard birthday party to huge corporate stage shows for all ages. Working in and around small towns, he was forced to constantly develop new material in order to remain current and manage repeat bookings.
The DVDs in this series contain over 30 different tricks, routines and effects. You will see them performed live for an audience of excitable and ebullient kids and then, aside from explaining the effects, Sean also details the secrets behind the tricks. He covers in depth the kinds of things you should consider when entertaining kids with tips, gags, lines, bits of business and advice gleaned from years of live performance.
Volume 1 - The Commercial Show
In this show, Sean performs a group of tricks which formed the backbone of his working act for more than 15 years. The show packs small but is big enough to play for the largest of crowds.
Contents include:
Introduction to the series
The live show
Explanations :
1. The Tippy Wand and Opera Hat
2. The Professor's Wands
3. The Decoration Box
4. Doggy Bag and Snap Gag
5. Uncle Charlie's Night Cap
6. Loopy Loops
7. The Change Bag
8. The Breakaway Wand
*Bonus Segment: How to structure a kid's show.
Volume 2
In this volume, Sean performs a series of tricks for a group of kids between 10 and 12 years old. He then details the methods and his thinking behind working for this tricky age group. The effects are fun and direct but allow the kids to feel more like young adults. The bonus segments contain some very solid advice on how to set up, prepare and think more deeply about your magic.
Contents include:
1. The Rope with 6 Ends and Pom Pom Stick
2. The Magic Lesson
3. The Sponge Balls
4. Cards Across
5. Blendacious
*Bonus Segments:
What is Funny?
Handling Assistants
Set Up and Preparation
Professionalism
Make It Magical
Make It Special
Volume 3
In this volume, Sean shows many standard items you can find here at Hank Lee’s. He has taken them and wrung every last bit of fun and business out of them and he takes you through this process. The show also features some fun balloon models and gags which are a bit out of the ordinary. Learn how to make them but also how to get entertainment and laughs from the balloon making process.
Contents Include:
1. Rabbit in Hat Silks
2. Flower Maker Tube
3. Double Colour Change Silks
4. Coloring Book
5. Chameleon Streamer
6. The Switch Box
*Bonus Segment:
The Balloons
Using Balloons in Magic
Monkey in a Palm Tree
Two Balloon Flower
Fish on a Rod
All three volumes for one special price! You can also purchase the DVDs individually.
$95.00 (DVD01171A)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=10179&cat=0&page=1)
(7) Flip Shift – John Born: Featuring Influenced and the Modern ACAAN
In his previous book, John taught the power and versatility of executing a shift while taking the cards out of the box. Flip Shift teaches a completely different card case shift that is extremely practical, versatile, and deceptive
The technique highlighted within these pages offers several new advantages that a performer may find attractive:
Flip Shift can be done with any deck of cards. There are no edge-markings, shaved cards, or any other system that may be used to create a reference point during execution.
There is not a hole in the box. Though a slight modification is still needed, it is not something a spectator would see and consider gaffed.
No dumping action. Flip Shift has a sure grip and load, increasing reliability and stability during execution. This is also much easier to execute for the average performer.
Improved angles of execution and moments of misdirection. The Flip Shift is definitely a strong tool for memorized deck workers interested in "jazzing" as it gives instant access to any card named, or any portion of the deck.
John has included Influenced, his personal routine using the Flip Shift technique. He has also detailed how to utilize the Flip Shift to accomplish an extremely direct, real time ACAAN.
38 pages. Over 90 Full Color Photos. $22.50 (BK01720)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=10178&cat=0&page=1)
(8) Poker Sam – Alan Bursky: The Legend of Poker Sam.
This is the story of the very last hand.
Played by the gambler no one could stand.
Everyone called him Poker Sam.
His winnings were legend, his arrogance the same.
Poker Sam always played a perfect game.
All the players conspired to give Sam his comeuppance.
But they settled on payback
No one could spell comeuppance.
Someone had glued all of Sam's cards together
Sam couldn't play with the cards the same.
Nothing but backs, not one with a face.
Anyone else would fold right away.
This didn't stop Sam, he wanted to play.
With one little move, he was back in the game.
Just imagine the shock the other players all felt.
When Sam turned over a card with the face of an Ace.
All of Sam's cards had faces of Aces.
But in all the excitement it seems Sam forgot, if you turn over five Aces, you will get shot!
$17.95 (30.1503)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=10172&cat=0&page=1)
"The best version of this effect. High entertainment value. Also the bonus routine is a very funny gag." - Johnny Thompson (The Great Tomsoni)
"…A great take in this classic trick. Also Max Maven's write up of a great gag is worth the price of the booklet. Your audience will love these routines." - Jon Armstrong
(9) Wow 2.0 – Face Up: As seen on Late Night With David Letterman!
You will say "Wow" when you see this one! We got in the first sample, and everyone fell in love with the effect. We had a big discussion as to who would take the sample home. I won. Anyway, here's what happens:
A spectator freely selects a card, signs his name on the face and returns it to the deck.
An indifferent card is slid into a paper-thin clear plastic sleeve just large enough to hold the card.
While the sleeve is held between thumb and forefinger, and with no hand movement of any kind, the indifferent card slowly and visibly morphs into the signed selected card!
The spectator can remove his card. There is nothing else in the sleeve! It looks like real magic!
Wow 2.0 (Face Up) now includes the gimmick and an instructional DVD. As a bonus, world renowned trade show performer Paul Gertner contributes an amazing effect where the magic moment is captured forever on a spectator's phone - a souvenir they will talk about long after it is over.
Wow 2.0 is one of the most amazing pieces of magic you will ever do. Easy, visual and stunning - you will do it just to amuse yourself and marvel at its effect. Includes instructional DVD and Face Up Wow 2.0 gimmick. $39.95 (30.1181)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8403&cat=0&page=1)
(10) Fasten – Jean-Pierre Vallarino: Fasten is not a trick, but an amazing gimmick. It will allow you to perform many different effects, using regular Bicycle playing cards.
The gimmick is designed to allow you to force or switch playing cards, right out of the card case. You can also use it to produce or vanish a playing card.
Fasten is so clever and easy to use; it will fool badly.
Comes complete with a DVD, two gimmicks and a couple of effects fully described : Double Coincidence, and Sliced.
Double Coincidence : A spectator shuffles a regular blue deck of cards and pulls two cards out of the deck, without looking at them. You take a red deck and perform the exact same actions. The cards are placed in their card case. Once revealed, both cards match exactly.
Sliced : Have a spectator pick a card from a small pack of cards ( 7 or 8 ) and sign the card. The small pack of cards is placed in the card case, along with a razor blade. Shake the box a little bit, then open it. All the cards are in pieces, except one : The spectator's signed card.
This gimmick opens the door to a lot of routine and effects. Comes in red only. $19.95 (30.1505)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=10176&cat=0&page=1)
Ta da! Another Hotlist just chock-full of fabulous magic. I am not sure how we do it! Actually, I am very sure, I just can’t let anyone else know.
I hope you find this week’s selections as compelling and exciting as I do.
And, as always, I really do appreciate your taking time out from your busy schedules to come and play with us, whether it’s online at www.magicfact.com or in person at 102 North Street in Medford. Either way we love the company!
Hank
