Greetings from everyone here at Hank Lee’s Magic Factory. This week, Hank Lee’s has been a great place to be. We have been busier than busy. Packing and shipping and shipping and packing. We’ve had visitors in the showroom. Some very cool new items arrived in stock. In all, exactly the kind of week I like!
As you already know, Hank Lee’s is a full service magic shop. We are here to help you before the sale, and here to help you after the sale. It’s the way we roll. Back in the old days, we could offer help and advice to our customers in the brick and mortar store. To be honest, it’s harder to do in the Internet age. Things are just not as personal as they used to be. Although, I must admit we do love talking to you folks on the phone. Oh, yes we do! Anyway, I put on my thinking cap, and came up with an idea. One of the places we always enjoyed helping customers was in putting together their first Birthday Party Show. It would be so cool if we could do that online. Well, now we can. To see our new Birthday Party Bonanza, you can either go to the top of the Hotlist and follow the link, or you can just Click Here:
I am really proud of the great job Bob and Steve did in picking out some great items for your Birthday Party Show (and for a second, and different) Kid Show. Let me know your thoughts. And maybe pass the link on to a magical kiddo looking to start doing shows!
The new items from our friends at Card Shark in Germany are selling like the proverbial hot cakes! The leader of the pack, as it were, is Get Sharky. This one is a real fooler, and an excellent effect! But, you should also check out the Double Decker and the SUM Deck. All are made with the new Phoenix cards, which have been getting great reviews by all who have used them.
On the home front, Lucas is back. The house has been transformed into the Millbrook Road Opera House, and that’s not such a bad thing. Aron comes home Monday night, and will no doubt have many stories from the road. Bonnie and Bones are still working on the Frog World signs. This could be her most productive summer ever.
And that’s the news from here. Now, it’s time to check out this week’s excitement!
BUY MORE GET MORE: We love nothing more that filling out Promotional Gift Certificates. Especially ones with your name on them! So, starting right now and running through Thursday, August 5th 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) Biokinesis:
Biokinesis is the ability to use kinetic energy to rearrange or control the genes in your own body. So if you mastered Biokinesis would it be possible to genetically reprogram yourself? The answer, in theory, is yes!
This is one of the most astonishing things you will ever see: Imagine that you are performing your favorite effect and at the key moment you ask your spectator to stare into your eyes. Your eyes close as if you are falling in to a trance and when you open them again they have turned completely white! That's right - your eyes have totally changed color!
This will freak out even the most cynical of spectators.
Whenever you choose, you can close your eyes, come out of the trance and your eyes are totally back to normal. You really have to see this in action to understand how amazing it actually looks. Like a special effect done live! And, it can be instantly repeated.
Berk Eratay's original version of Biokinesis helped him win the title of Uri Geller's Phenomenon in the Turkish version of the TV show. He spent over 8 years developing and refining this incredible effect. With the help of a top eye surgeon, Berk has created the perfect custom made gimmicks to apparently achieve the impossible.
In developing his effect, Berk tested well over 200 prototypes until he was 100% satisfied that the gimmicks were perfect in every way. The gimmicks you receive are the very same design that won Berk title of The Phenomenon.
On the DVD Berk covers every aspect of his method, which includes:
• The correct set-up.
• The proper care of the gimmicks.
• Full handling details, including the tips and tricks he has mastered over 8 years and thousands of performances!
• Full instructions on activating and de-activating the gimmicks during any performance.
This really is one of the most original & astounding things you will ever see. It was the talk of MindVention 2008 and this is the first time Berk has ever revealed the full secrets behind this miracle.
Full instructional DVD and precision engineered custom gimmicks are included.
Because of the nature of this effect, it can only be sold to those over 18 years of age.
$77.00 (40.743)
Note: Ready for shipment at the end of August. These are going to go faster than fast! If you pre-order now, we will pay the shipping anywhere in the world!
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=10205&cat=0&page=1)
(2) CD Prediction – Will Tsai: From Will Tsai, the creator of the world's first and only Real Time Cassette Prediction, the world's first self-contained CD Prediction unit. A most powerful finale for any mentalism program. And the most affordable of its kind!
What it is:
For a long time, Cassette Prediction was the ultimate finale, demonstrating the performer’s ability to predict the future using a pre-recorded Cassette tape that was sent to a VIP audience member weeks prior to the show.
Now, you can do the headline prediction feat with a CD!
And not only that, with the ingenious design, you can perform many routines other than the headline prediction. This is the first time a headline prediction unit is truly flexible for performers!
Why CD? People use iPod and other fancy stuff these days...
In order to create a physical and audible prediction, CD is the number one medium your audience can associate with. And, you certainly don’t want to mail out your iPod prior to the event.
Headline Prediction Effect Description
The performer mails a sealed package (containing a CD, which can be signed if you wish) to a VIP member of the audience weeks prior to the show. This VIP member is asked to keep the package somewhere safe and bring it to the show. When it's time to reveal the prediction, the VIP opens the envelope and removes the CD herself. The CD is placed into the CD player. The spectator presses Play and the performer's pre-recorded prediction is heard by the entire audience. Indeed, the prediction is the headline of the newspaper on the date of the performance. The CD is immediately removed by the spectator to keep as a souvenir she can play at home, sharing the miracle with her friends and talking about it long after the show.
All of the “work” is built into an ordinary portable CD player, making it very special.
Works with battery or cable plug.
Will has designed this unit so it is light, and can be easily packed into your case for shows and traveling.
The CD may be paused, stopped or restarted at any time. It will not affect the content of the prediction. This concept was first suggested to Will by Michael Weber. Being able to stop and pause the player kills any possibility of technological trickery. It is the last bit of detail that makes all the difference!
No assistant, no confederate, and no additional hook-up off stage. Everything is done solo!
This is not a one-effect device; it comes with six professional routines! Complete with CD player and password to online instructions. $359.95 (40.744)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=10206&cat=0&page=1)
(3) Haiku Book Test: A haiku is a form of codified poetry that appeared in Japan during the second half of the seventeenth century. It consists of a very short text, usually three lines, describing an image, a landscape, an emotion, a feeling...
Mentalism Effect:
French magician Vincent Hedan created a wonderful mentalism effect using a notebook of haikus. A spectator freely chooses a haiku, and the magician is able to draw instantaneously what it represents.
Put simply, it is a very effective book-test. But in fact it is a lot more than that. It creates a moment of pure emotion, a moment of refinement and of elegance.
No questions
No preshow work.
No stooges.
Free choice of haiku.
All haiku are different
The notebook is examinable.
The perfect book test; you can always have it in your pocket
Can be done in the street for one person or on stage for five hundred.
$45.00 (40.746)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=10212&cat=0&page=1)
"Vincent Hedan's Haiku is a clever combination of poetry and mental magic beautifully wrapped to create a strong effect with emotion. Everything I like!" - Boris Wild
"Vincent Hedan's Haiku book test is novel, beautifully produced and its method rests on a smart combination of subtle ideas." - Stephen Minch
(4) Party Performance DVD – Tim Sonefelt: You got the gig, but did they ask you back for their other three kid's parties? If not, you need to know the art and science behind the birthday party magic show. On this DVD you'll see Tim Sonefelt's birthday party show performed live for a group of kids and adults. Afterwards, sit in on an in-depth conversation about the show with Tim and his close friend, Glenn Strange. During the show, you'll see ways of incorporating audience participation, ideas on highlighting the birthday child, ways to incorporate give-aways, show structure and more. During the discussion segment you'll gain real insight into the entire structure of the show. Glenn Strange is a full-time performer himself, so he knows what questions to ask to get the most from the time you'll spend watching this DVD. $34.95 (DVD01176)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=10209&cat=0&page=1)
(5) Perfect Power 3 – Johnny Wong: There has been all kinds of Internet buzz on Johnny Wong’s new Perfect Power 3 coin set!
It looks exactly like a normal Half Dollar, from any angle and from very close-up.
But, in a wink, it divides into two Half Dollars, and then into three!
In a split second, it is all back into one Half Dollar again!.
Using the principle of magnetic repulsion, Johnny Wong has designed this product to be used in all kinds of coin effects. Guaranteed that no such fine coin gimmick can been found anywhere else!
Comes with an instructional DVD that teaches the following:
• Special 3 Coin Appear & Vanish
• Amazing Power 3
• 4 coins Appear & Vanish
• Two Hand Coin Movement
• 3 Silver to 3 Copper
• Miracle 3 coins
$110.00 (20.443)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=10213&cat=0&page=1)
(6) In My Mind DVD – Luca Volpe
Contents:
The Vision
This is the close-up version of the Horus Eye in which the spectators becomes a clairvoyant.
The Connection
An easy to do drawing duplication with less than $5 props.
The Experience
An ultimate journey to your spectator’s mind.
The Hallucination (ACAAN)
A very practical any card at any number with a psychological twist.
The Call
An astonishing long distance mind reading effect.
$24.95 (DVD01175)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=10211&cat=0&page=1)
"Luca Volpe's In My Mind contains some extraordinary performance material. The drawing duplication alone is worth the price of admission. Absolutely lovely!" - Ben Harris
(7) STAT Bloody Tongue Skewer: Take the Skewer Through Tongue and Needle Through Arm, combine them and you have the STAT Bloody Tongue Skewer!
Show your audience an eight inch spike and stick it right through the center of your tongue!
As they investigate, the blood starts to ooze! You can even make the blood squirt out of the wound as the spectator stares at the horrific event!
Soon the pain becomes too much, so you yank the spike from your mouth muscle only to have it accidentally stick through your finger! More blood squirting from the pierced digit!
Then, like a dream, you wipe the blood clean and the injuries are healed!
• Self-contained gimmick, easy to use!
• Impale your face, neck, fingers, and tongue!
• Play it funny or dramatic with performance tips!
• Skewer Through Tongue kicked up a notch!
Includes the STAT Capillary Blood Skewer, STAT edible stage blood, and complete, illustrated instructions featuring a variety of performance possibilities to make this trick as gory or as funny as you want.
FAQ: Does the STAT Bloody Tongue Skewer work the same way as Needle Through Arm? No, the methods are different. The needles work the same, but you don't need any of the "extra stuff" required for Needle Thru Arm even when penetrating other areas of the body as mentioned above. The needle itself is the gimmick that creates the illusion.
FAQ: Does the STAT Bloody Tongue Skewer use a fake tongue? No, the needle is gaffed in such a way that everything is self-contained. All you need to perform this illusion is the edible stage blood and the STAT Bloody Tongue Skewer! $24.95 (60.1680)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=10204&cat=0&page=1)
(8) Succubus: A Pocket Billet Index and Pocket Writing Pad.
It can hold 18-36 billets and is made of durable plastic to serve you for a lifetime.
Created by mentalist Martin Adams and hand crafted by a Hungarian master sculpture, Succubus is the ultimate device for street, close-up or stage mentalism.
Combining two of the most powerful concepts in mindreading to create a super device, capable of producing predictions in real time, or indexing up to 36 different outcomes!
The device measures only 1.8cm x 3.7cm x 8.5cm, that's about the same as a small cell phone, yet it packs a phenomenal amount of power for use in real world performances!
Succubus has built in features which allow you to know the orientation of your gimmick at all times, providing an incredibly smooth and simple handling.
Upon purchasing the device, you will receive a PDF eBook with routines from Martin Adams, (Sense of Touch, Mystra) Meraux Dantes, (Of Deceptions/Magic is Dead) Luca Volpe, (Thought of Card in Balloon, Horus) Ian Dunford (The Beautiful Lie, The Games People Play) and Stuart Nolan.
These routines include; Any number on any card, Any thought of card, Dream Location, Which coin? And more!
Size of Succubus:
Height: 0.70" (1.8 cm)
Width: 1.40" (3.7 cm)
Length: 3.34" (8.5 cm)
A device limited by your own imagination. $49.95 (40.745)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=10207&cat=0&page=1)
(9) Fourseen: One of Wayne Dobson's most popular routines from his TV and live performances.
A spectator is given a large face-down playing card to hold as the magician explains that it's a prediction of something that is about to happen.
Four cards are chosen and then mixed back into the deck.
One by one, the magician finds the first three cards in an increasingly impressive way.
There's now only the last card to find, as the magician asks the spectator to turn over the prediction card. It's not the correct card!
The magician opens the card out, showing each of the previously chosen cards.
The final playing card is now opened out to reveal the last selected card in gigantic print!
Easy to do, with instant reset.
Includes performances by Wayne Dobson & Matthew J. Dowden.
Perfect for cabaret or close-up.
Includes two specially printed fold-out cards.
$25.00 (30.1509)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=10210&cat=0&page=1)
(10) The Last Word On Three Card Monte: 3 DVD Set - Games of chance have a rich and colorful history, but perhaps the most famous - and notorious - of them all is known alternatively as Find the Lady, Tossing the Broads, and most popularly, Three-Card Monte.
While written descriptions of early versions of this classic con game date back to at least the 16th century, Three-Card Monte hustlers are on the streets of the world's largest cities to this day, still able to draw the unsuspecting into wagering their hard-earned cash, a testimony to the lure and intrigue of this game.
The entertainment potential of this simple hustle didn't escape the notice of magicians, either, with Professor Hoffman being just the first of many conjurors to adapt the basic premise of this con game for the amusement of their audiences.
Volume 1: You'll discover a variety of different artists with their own unique interpretations of Three Card Monte.
Dai Vernon leads off with a routine that has its roots deeply in the game's traditions. With just three ungaffed cards, Vernon first bewilders a lay audience and then discusses the fine handling points with Michael Ammar, Gary Ouellet, and Steve Freeman.
Fernando Keops is next, offering his version, and many additional fine handling points, of Vernon's routine.
Chicago card expert Steve Draun manages to still keep the audience from finding the money card, even when it has a paper clip attached to it while David Regal turns the game into a fine example of card conjuring where the money card vanishes and reappears elsewhere.
Scotty York conjures images of card hustlers of the past as he presents his version of Martin Lewis' routine while John Guastaferro uses the game to set up a sensational transposition between two selected cards.
Gregory Wilson takes to the streets in true Monte style, winning personal possessions from passers-by in the process while, finally, Henry Evans eliminates a card to play a stunning version of Two-Card Monte, yet the spectators still cannot win.
Volume 2: You'll meet a number of performers each with their own take on this old swindle.
Bill Malone begins with a typically hilarious version of Michael Skinner's ingenious monte trick while Boris Wild uses a money card with a different-colored back and the audience still can't find it!
Alexander de Cova combines Monte and Wild Card to amazing effect while Harry Lorayne has three completely and highly entertaining monte-style routines.
Garrett Thomas presents a variation on a classic of packet trick magic using cards from a regular pack while John Luka presents a jumbo card monte suitable for stage performance.
Michael Ammar finishes strong with Louis Falanga's Virginia City Shuffle, a four-card routine where the audience cannot keep track of an Ace among three blank cards and is especially bewildered to find that, at the effect's conclusion, that there are now three Aces and only one blank card!
Volume 3: You'll see five skilled magicians each with a singular perspective on Three Card Monte as entertainment.
Jon Armstrong is first with a very commercial routine that has the spectator trying to find the one card they signed among blank cards.
John Mendoza takes his audience back to an encounter with a carnival swindler while Darwin Ortiz displays the skills that have made him a world-class gambling consultant.
Doc Eason teaches the ins and outs of what makes Three Card Monte such a great piece of card magic (along with super-practice sessions to help ensure mastery) and Dan Harlan brings the swindle to a real-world environment.
Finally, as a bonus, Patrick Page gives up the real work on the legendary Three Card Trick - Page's handling of what has been called the Dutch Looper, the Kitson Miracle and, finally, just The Three Card Trick, arguably one of the great effects in magic. It was the trick that he always carried with him.
$59.85 (DVD01174)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=10208&cat=0&page=1)
And that’s this week’s Hotlist. Really great new items, if I do say so myself. And I do! As always, I want to thank each and every one of you for taking time out from your busy schedules to visit with us either online at www.magicfact.com or in person at 102 North Street in Medford. Either way, we do love your company!
Hank
