Friday, November 26, 2010

Black Friday Event Starts Now!

Greetings from all of us at Hank Lee’s Magic Factory. We all hope you had a great Thanksgiving. We are back to work after 24 hours of eating and football. Mostly eating. What could be better than filling a house with relatives and turkey? There was far too much food at this year’s Thanksgiving feast. Which, as they say, is par for the course. Sometime next week, when the Thanksgiving meal has finally been digested, I will once again put food in my mouth; not a minute before.

Everyone is home for the holiday: Aron, Lucas and HGF Julia. Which is what really makes the time special. In the blink of an eye, they will all be gone their separate ways and once again we will be here with just Bones The Dog. Missing the rest of them.

Last weekend, Bonnie and I took a quick trip to New York City. We took the Bolt Bus, which is the best way in the world to travel between Boston and New York. We paid $18.00 per ticket, and the trip takes about four and a half hours. Totally the best way. We visited the Houdini Exhibit at the Jewish Museum. It was really well done, highly recommended. I give it two eyes open, my highest rating.

We have made a couple of small changes in our online system that are of interest. First, when you click on the Streaming Video category, it takes you to a page that explains how the Streaming Video works, etc. From there you can go to the actual Streaming Video category.

Second, and this is a really good one, we have added a sort option that allows you to sort the items within a category by Date Added. That way, if you want to see the very latest items in a specific category, like Card Magic, just click on the Date Added sort and you will see the very newest items first. Of course, all of the other sort options are still in place.

Today is the official start of the holiday season. And, we are ready. The new Holiday EXTRA is up and online! So much great new stuff, all collected in one great place! You can view the Holiday EXTRA by clicking on the EXTRA Button on the front page at www.magicfact.com.
Or, if you wish, you can download the Holiday Extra in pdf format by Clicking Here.
You can download and print the Holiday Extra right at home, in full color!

As you know, we are no longer mailing the quarterly EXTRAs, but if you would like us to print one off for you and drop it in the mail, just send me an email and I am happy to do it.

And, don’t forget that for all kinds of magic for your holiday shows plus some great gift ideas, click on the Holiday Shop.

Now, it’s time to check out this week’s excitement!

BLACK FRIDAY SALES EVENT – We have never done this before. So, in the spirit of adventure, we are doing it this year! For the next four days, from the very moment you receive this email until Monday, November 29th at midnight, everything (well, almost everything) is on sale at 30% off the retail price. All you need to do is enter the special code BLACKFRIDAY in the Discount Coupon Box of the online checkout at www.magicfact.com and we will automatically deduct 30% 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 a huge 30%!

There are a few rules that apply, as with all things in life.
• The minimum order to use this discount is $30.00.
• 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, the discount is deducted from the retail price of each item and not from the set price.
• Offers cannot be combined.
• Certain items, due to contractual restrictions, are not included in this sale. All Joe Porper items, Viking/CW items, Kennedy Enterprises items, Colin Rose items, Mike Caveney Books, MagicSmith, Theory11 items, Johnson Products 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, Reward Points and Promotional Gift Certificates may not be used during this sales event..
• As the discount is automatically generated, you must put the special code in the Discount Coupon Box, and nowhere else. 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. It all ends on the 29th of November at midnight!


NOTE: This is the last major sales event for 2010. Typically, we do not run any major events during the holiday season. So, if there are items you have been dreaming about, and want to get them at a reduced price, this is your last chance for 2010. As the saying goes, "Forewarned is forearmed." Whatever that means.

And now, let’s take a look at this week’s Hotlist!

(1) O.L.B.S - Orange, Lemon, Balloon, Shoe: The latest stage illusion from our friend Jay Mattioli.
Invite an audience member up to help with your new version of a popular magic trick.
Displaying a cardboard produce box of fruit, remove one lemon and one orange and place them on the ring holders at the side of the table.
The volunteer's shoe is removed and placed inside the cardboard box along with two pieces of fruit. The fruit is to be used to sweeten the smell of the shoe!
Shake the box, remove the lemon, remove the orange and remove the...oops! The shoe has disappeared and you tear open the box to show it empty!
In an attempt to compensate for the missing shoe, you blow up a balloon for the helper, but it quickly deflates and visually transforms into a matching color silk hanky!
The hanky is used to cover the lemon and then whisked away to show the lemon has vanished!
The hanky is then used to cover the orange and it too is whisked away to show the orange has...oops...still there.
Cut open the orange to reveal the previously vanished lemon inside!
Cut open the lemon to show the previously vanished balloon.
The balloon is inflated and placed on the table where it pops with a loud burst revealing the audience member's shoe!
What a routine!
*New table design is twice as deceptive as the original model.
*No need for live animals. Travels easy on planes, cruises and outdoor venues.
*Beautifully crafted gimmicked table.
*Not just a trick; an entire rojutine!
*Use the table as a regular side table throughout your show.
*Comes complete! Table, fruit, silks, foulard, cardboard fruit box, balloons and DVD instructions featuring new routines, ideas and more.
$999 until December 3rd, $1099 after. (60.1714)

(2) Flower Power: Everyone likes magic with flowers! If you are looking for a totally visual effect, Flower Power is for you!
Imagine this: A flower magically appears and visibly changes color in an incredible way; finally the flower turns into a beautiful bouquet.
You can perform several different color changes.
Color changes are done in real-time.
Easy to do.
Practical and easy set-up.
Nothing to “make up.”
An ideal magic trick to perform in any show.
If you are a professional magician you will surely incorporate this trick into your repertoire.
If you're an amateur magician you will enjoy this miracle, performing for your friends.
You get everything you need to perform the trick as many times as you want. The gimmicks needed are included as well as a DVD in Spanish and English with full and clear instructions.

(3) Illustrated Compendium Of Magic Tricks – Nicholas Einhorn: Nicholas Einhorn's great book for new magicians. Buy it as gift and you'll keep it for yourself. 375 tricks with 2500 color photos. Covers Dinner Table, Matches, Ropes, Paper, Silks, Money and a fabulous card section. $29.99 (BK01743)

(4) Read To Achieve Magic Show – Tommy James:
Learn how to present a reading themed magic show to schools and libraries, increasing your revenue in this highly competitive but lucrative market!
From the creator of the Measle Teasel Wand and the Halloween Safety Magic Show comes the Read to Achieve Magic Show by Tommy James, voted 2010 Kidabra International Family Performer of the Year.
View first-hand a performance designed to promote literacy in children by one of the top school show performers in the New England area. On this DVD, Tommy James presents his entire reading themed magic show taped live and uncut in front of over 300 elementary school students and their teachers.
Learn how to captivate the imagination of students by bringing classic children’s story books to life. Stories like The Velveteen Rabbit, The Secret Garden and Charlotte’s Web. Listen to the excitement from the students as a stuffed bunny turns into a real live rabbit! Watch as a child volunteer assists in a beautiful flower production to enhance the story of The Secret Garden. Feel the excitement build throughout the show as the students anticipate the special message Charlotte the spider will write in her web!
It doesn’t stop there! Watch Tommy’s opening routine to music and his comical warm up with the Measle Teasel wand. Students will learn the difference between fiction, non-fiction, biographies and fables, and will be encouraged to take responsibility when borrowing books from the library. Learn how to tie in classic magical effects to a reading show as Tommy performs his renditions of the Mis Made Flag, The Zebra Silk Routine, Spelling Bee and Air Head Rudy, all with messages blended into the routines to encourage the children to read books.
Along with a full explanations session, this session not only reveals the secrets to the effects, but Tommy goes into detail on how to make some of the props and tables and also touching base on sound systems, backdrops and even revealing some of the promotional material he has used throughout the years to promote this show to schools and libraries. Plus all the one-liners, gags and bits of business that make this show not only educational but highly entertaining!
$34.95 (DVD01211)

(5) 3 Card Canasta: In the early 1960s Chan Canasta was the master of apparent mind control.
A recently discovered video shows the mind reader on Dutch TV performing a charming trick with two decks and three cards.
The problem was that it required a skilled Classic Force, a lot of audience management and it worked only once out of nine times!
Even with his amazing talents, Canasta failed on the show.
Docc Hilford's 3 Card Canasta trick delivers more than the original and it works every time!
Effect: Two decks, a red and a blue, are used. Two women are chosen to help. One woman chooses either deck, say the red one.
She selects 3 cards from the shuffled red deck (no force) and instructs the mentalist in which pockets to individually place them.
The other woman holds the blue deck behind her back, freely selects three cards and places them in similar pockets as the mentalist did.
The second woman names a pocket, say the upper pocket. The mentalist and the second woman remove the cards from that pocket.
The cards match!
Both cards are removed from the next pockets and they match!
Finally, the mentalist names the unknown cards in the last pockets and upon removal, they match!
• All cards are freely chosen, no need for a Classic Force.
• The pocket order is freely chosen by the spectators.
• The mentalist doesn't need to handle the cards.
• Any of the three cards can be left for the final revelation.
• This is about as close to a self working piece as can be imagined.
Comes with instructions and special gimmicks.
$30.00 (40.761)

(6) Magic Shows: 30 Years of Programs From Daniels To Derren – Ian Keable: This brand new book contains notes from magic acts Mr. Keable has seen over the years. His inspiration comes from "Programmes of Magicians" by JF Burrows and "Programmes of Famous Magicians" by Max Holden. This book does not contain any explanations of tricks, rather it contains brief descriptions of effects from famous magicians. Magicians whose acts are described are:
* John Archer
* David Berglas
* Derren Brown
* Steve Cohen
* David Copperfield
* Paul Daniels
* Wayne Dobson
* Geoffrey Durham
* Guy Hollingworth
* Ricky Jay
* Graham P. Jolley
* Ian Kendall
* Max Maven
* Billy McComb
* Andy Nyman
* Patrick Page
* Penn & Teller
* Marc Salem
And many others.
190 pages. Hardbound. $40.00 (BK01742)

(7) Celebrity Smart Ass – Bill Abbott:
The topic of celebrities and our endless fascination with them is introduced. You proceed to conduct a test of the audience’s celebrity knowledge by using cards with first names on them.
Going through the dozens of cards you call out each celebrity first name and the audience calls out the celebrity’s last name. For example, you say, “Paris!” The audience says, “Hilton!” You say, “Tiger!” They say, “Woods!” You say “Britney!” They say, “Spears!” etc.
To take the test to the next level you ask for the help of a celebrity expert from the audience. Someone with almost intuitive or psychic ability in their mastery of celebrity identification. A volunteer is invited on stage, shown a large envelope, offered a chair and asked to sit down on the envelope.
Now, using the volunteer’s “celebrity intuition” with the help of their “psychic derriere” they will attempt to deduce the mystery celebrity whose photo resides in the envelope on which they sit.
The spectator is handed the pack of celebrity names and is instructed to take about half in each hand. They are asked to toss one half away and keep the other. After they do this, they cut the remaining names into two piles, holding one in each hand and once again toss one pile away and keep the other. Down to the last few names, the participant chooses one, having the opportunity to change their mind as many times as they like.
Their final choice is revealed and it’s “Tom” for Tom Cruise. The spectator stands and hands you the envelope. Unbelievably they have found the needle in the haystack, as you pull out a photo of Tom Cruise, at the age of six months! A photo of a cute baby is revealed and the volunteer goes back to their seat to some polite applause and a lot of laughter!
You unfold the photo, explaining that you hope no one is easily offended as Tom Cruise is naked in this photo. The baby is in fact, in the buff, when the photo is opened!
You then ask the audience if they think that Mr. Cruise looks cuter as a baby than he does now as an adult? Suddenly you turn the large tabloid-size photo over to reveal a very large (grown up) head-shot of Tom Cruise!
What a great routine!
Celebrity Smart Ass Considerations:
• Perform the routine close-up and surrounded.
• Perform for large audiences.
• The magic happens in their hands.
• Takes seconds to reset.
• Suitable for corporate and family audiences.
• Uses no equivoque or magician's choice.
• Uses no switch of the envelope prediction or flash card.
• Use any borrowed chair.
• Celebrity Smart Ass is not a card trick!
The Celebrity Smart Ass Package Includes:
• Deck of specially constructed customizable blank-faced Bicycle brand playing cards.
• Heavy Duty Fibreboard Prediction Envelope
• Large 3-Stage Revelation Tabloid Photo on 100 lb Card Stock
• A DVD that features:
A Convention Performance of the routine.
A Family Show Performance of the routine.
In-depth instruction of the routine and method.
Available as Julia Roberts or Tom Cruise. Please specify
$60.00 (60.1713)

“I now know that Celebrity Smart Ass is the reason I created the Smart Ass concept in the first place. It’s a perfect marriage of bulletproof method and commercial presentation. And, it’s no longer a card trick anymore! Celebrity Smart Ass is a permanent piece in my show, and now it can be for you too!” - Bill Abbott

(8) The Marker: Rick Haslett has done it again! The Marker is awesome. Ignite flashpaper, flash bills, flash string or flash cotton from a marker!
The marker is a working writing instrument. Silent in working. Great for stage or close-up. Perfect for magicians or mentalists.
Available in Permanent or Dry Erase Markers. Please specify.
Comes complete, ready to use with instructional CDRom and one extra ink refill. you supply the flash products.
This is a Hank Lee’s Magic Factory exclusive, which means you will find it here and nowhere else!
$58.00 (60.1711)
Note: This item uses real fire, and cannot be sold to anyone under 18 years of age.

(9) Psychic Spontaneous Combustion, Economy:
From Rick Haslett, the economy version of Psychic Spontaneous Combustion for those on a budget.
Show a box of matches, open the drawer and hold the matches in your outstretched hand.
Now at any time (no time limit) under your control, the box of matches spontaneously combusts!
Includes very special matchbox and instructional CDRom.
$42.50 (60.1712)
Note: this item uses real fire so cannot be sold to anyone under 18 years of age.

(10) Dominique Duvivier Strikes Back (4 DVD Set): Intimiste Vol. 2:
This show was a smash hit during the 2 years it was performed at The Double Fond. The set consists of four DVDs: 1 for the show and 3 for the explanations, more than 7 hours of magic! Cards, coins, drinks, Chop Cup, etc. A phenomenal number of routines including Dominique’s performance of the Goshman Salt Shakers.
The full explanations include all the technical and psychological tips.
The Tricks:
Act 1:
Cheers
Premonition
Telepathy
The magician's pocket
Act 2:
The wooden cup
Chop cup
Act 3:
52 wild
Goshman:
The salt shakers
Chinese silk
The salt shakers again
Chinese Mystery
How many left?
Zigzag
The string
Hieroglyph
Snack
The glass
The tureen
Finale
$115.00 (DVD01212)

"You already know the magician. Now discover the Artist, the one who has made thousands of spectators dream in his live shows at the 'Double Fond'. There is nothing like the contact with an audience to make progress. Here comes finally the opportunity to enjoy so many years of experience handed to you on a plate. And not any, the one of the 'Double Fond!'" - David Stone

"One of the most creative and excellent close-up magicians, you will ever see. This is a very rare opportunity to see a true artist that I know you will remember for a long time" - Paul Gertner

And, that’s this week’s Start Of The Holiday Season Hotlist. Combine these fabulous items with an equally fabulous sales event, and you just can’t go wrong!
As always, I want to thank you, especially in this busy time, for spending some time with us. Whether it’s online at www.magicfact.com or in person at 102 North Street in Medford, we do love your company!
Hank Lee