Thursday, December 16, 2010

Hooray! It's My Birthday!

Happy birthday to me! It’s my birthday. And, it’s a big one. Starts with a 6 and ends with an 0. And that spells sixty! I feel much younger. 58. I am, of course, shocked at how many birthday greetings I have received via email from so many of my friends. Facebook. Living the dream. Anyway, I just thought I’d let you know that today is my big day and give you the chance to send me a personal email.

Christmas is just 8 days away. You know it and I know it. And you and I both know that you have not even come close to finishing your holiday shopping. It’s just human nature to wait for the last minute. But fear not. Here at Hank Lee’s we are completely prepared. No matter how late you are, we can still get that holiday package in your hands by the 24th (unless you wait until the 24th, in which case you will have to come in and pick it up!)

Holiday Shipping Schedule:

If you need your order delivered before Christmas, do not select the Free Shipping option. If you do, there is no guarantee that you will get your package in time.
That having been said, here is our official Holiday Shipping Schedule:
* Place your order before Monday December 20th – Select UPS 3 Day
* Place your order on Tuesday December 21st – Select UPS 2 Day
* Place your order on Wednesday the 22nd or Thursday the 23rd of December – Select UPS Overnight.
I also recommend that starting on Monday, you phone your order in to our toll-free order line at 800 874 7400. Between 9AM and 5PM Eastern Time, you will speak to a real live person who can make sure you get the best service.

One final note today. If you have spent all year making a Wish List in our online catalog at www.magicfact.com, make sure you send the Wish List to the folks who might buy you some of the stuff for the holiday! Or, print out a copy of your Wish List and leave it in a conspicuous place. Get it? Let the folks know what you want. Other wise they will never get it for you.

Now, let’s take a look at this week’s Birthday Excitement!

FREE SHIPPING: It’s our holiday gift to you, our favorite customers! Until Friday the 24th of December at midnight, we are offering free ground shipping on any order over $30.00 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 UPS Ground, UPS Three Day, 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 of December! 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

(1) Important Announcement! Mother Of All Book Tests Version 2.0! Coming your way very soon!
The Mother Of All Book Tests set the standard for book tests, a standard that remains even years later.
Imagine the surprises that will be found in Version 2.0.
In 2011, Mother’s day comes early!
Mother Of All Book Tests Version 2.0. This could be the last word in book tests. Rocking the world of mentalism, again. More information will follow as we get it.
Right now, neither the price nor the delivery date have been set.
We are just so excited that we wanted to let you know right away!
Please do not order until we have pricing and delivery info.
However, you can call us at 800 874 7400 or email us at magicfact@aol.com and place your name on the waiting list. That way, you will get all the information first!

(2) Cup Zero: Another great idea by George Iglesias. This time, it is an incredible new levitation trick and system that will blow everybody's mind!
Imagine being able to float a cup full of liquid in mid-air! Or a full bottle! Or many other heavy objects!
With Cup Zero it's possible!
This amazing levitation system will allow you to perform miracles, making it possible to levitate heavy objects impossible to float previously.
George has been fascinated with levitations since he was a kid, now after a long of time of performing Cup Zero, George is ready to share it with the magic world.
Perform Cup Zero with ease and with the invisibility that you need!
Perform it on Stage, Parlor Shows, Comedy Magic, Mentalism and Street Magic!
Float:
* Any soda cup full of liquid.
* A Pringles can. Float it, open it and pour out all chips.
* A deck of cards inside of its box.
* Any kind of cell phone.
* A full cereal cup.
* A coffee mug.
* Even a bottle full of liquid.
* The limit is your imagination!
No special backdrops or attire required or needed!
Specially designed for stage and parlor situations, however you can perform just 5 feet away from the audience and achieve a 100% level of invisibility!
Very easy setup!
Very invisible!
Very strong material never used before and specially manufactured for this trick!
Comes with an instructional DVD in which George will guide you step by step through everything you need to know about this wonderful trick and gimmick!
Includes:
2 special gimmicks plus a supply of a very special secret that has been specially developed and manufactured for this trick and that will last you a very long time.
$35.00 (60.1721)

(3) Flexion – Jon Allen:
Flexion brings metal bending to the masses.
Two keys are initialed and held by someone in their closed, cupped hands.
They concentrate all their energies onto one of the keys.
Upon opening their hands they find their chosen key is now bent and can be kept as a souvenir of a very personal experience.
Employing a gimmick hidden in plain sight, you can bend keys at anytime. No need for a jacket, long sleeves or pockets. There is nothing to ditch or conceal.
The instructional DVD also contains a second powerful routine created by Jon Allen and Gregory Wilson, and a devastating yet impromptu short-term method for bending a key using no gimmicks whatsoever!
Come complete with precision-made gimmick, Sharpie pen, DVD and practice keys.
$55.00 (40.765)

(4) CAAN Craft - J.K. Hartman: Beginning with the now out-of-print and much sought-after Card Craft, the release of each new book from J.K. Hartman has been welcomed by discerning card handlers the world over for his direct effects and deviously simple handlings. Now, spurred by an underground handling by Tomas Blomberg and a yearlong correspondence with Gordon Bean, Mr. Hartman has turned his attention to a single plot: the fabled Any Card at Any Number.
The eight routines described by Mr. Hartman and ably illustrated by Tony Dunn are already being hailed as a bravura display of creativity, and the many new moves, maneuvers, and strategies revealed in its pages will undoubtedly inspire myriad variations. Each entry adheres strictly to the condition that a card is merely named rather than physically selected, and none requires advanced sleight of hand or special decks.
In addition, CAAN Kicker, one of the strongest of the routines, features a novel silk-screened card that accompanies the book.
These are not keyboard pipedreams. Each boasts a complete, effective script and each has been fully tested before lay audiences in both casual and formal performances, leaving every nuance polished to a high gleam.
The enduring appeal of the ACAAN plot lies in its simple yet incredible premise - one that is likely to be retold long after a performance.
85 pages. Hardbound. Custom silk-screened playing card included. $35.00 (BK01749)

"I have always found Hartman's material to be interesting and thought-provoking, and I am pleased to say that in CAAN Craft he maintains his usual high standard, offering some quirky and devious ways to place a card, or cards, at any number. If you are a card worker, you should have it on your bookshelf." - Peter Duffie, MAGIC (Lead review, 11/10)

(5) Traveling Deck :
Hold a pack of cards in your hand. Instantly, and visually, the whole deck vanishes leaving you with just one card!
Imagine the scene. Take the pack of cards out of a card box. In a blink, the entire deck vanishes with the exception of one card! Explain to the spectator that the deck has gone back into the card box. Go back to the card box and take out the pack of cards!
This is just one of many routines possible with this wonderful gimmick.
Each gimmick is custom made by hand.
The accompanying DVD explains a number of possible routines: Change a deck of cards into a dollar bill, or a 52 on 1 card and more. You will learn how to modify and repair your gimmick where necessary. Also included are 4 complete routines as well as a host of ideas and suggestions.
You will find it hard to put this one down. It’s fun to perform and the reactions are just out of this world!
No pulls, Topits or difficult sleights.
The perfect opening for any table hopper.
$25.00 (30.1558)

(6) Twizted – Eric Jones: Eric's take on Twisting the Aces. Four cards are used. One at a time the cards turn face up in progressively more visual, and impressive ways. The routine is modular in the sense that Eric provides several ways to do this effect surrounded, and each revelation can be interchanged with any other to suit the style of the performer.
Eclipse - The least demanding, yet most visual effect on the DVD! Two cards are shown front and back and without any cover at all, one of the cards visibly turns face down, and then instantly turns face up again while educating the spectator about eclipses.
Twizted Grasshopper - Eric collaborates with underground magician Rahat to bring you their version of Paul Harris' Grasshopper effect. A freely chosen card is openly placed between two face up court cards, and set aside. Two other court cards are shown front and back and set down. The selected card visibly vanishes from between the two sandwich cards and is found between the second set of cards.
Sandwich With A Twizt - Featuring the Passless Pass - Eric teaches a very easy to perform handling of the classic sandwich plot where two court cards visibly sandwich a freely selected card without ever coming near the pack. You only need to be able to control a card to the top. Can't do a pass or side steal? No problem. Eric teaches a new move called the Passless Pass that will change the magicians control cards.
Extreme Twizt - A face down card is openly placed between two other face down cards. The card visibly turns face up twice, and the cards back even changes color in this angle proof rendition of Paul Harris' Bizarre Twist.
All necessary cards provided.
$35.00 (DVD01220)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=10564&cat=0&page=1)

(7) Don’t Blink:
An incredible visible changing card, created by Salvador Sufrate.
A magician's dream come true. Imagine changing a card at your fingertips and giving the card to a spectator immediately for her to examine!
Show your hands absolutely empty.
The card may be signed by the spectator, and examined both before and after the change.
The change is made without any “funny” moves; without any complicated skill.
Includes self-working and advanced handlings.
No flaps!
The complete effect: Ask any member of the audience to choose a card. This card is signed and is then lost in the deck. Some seconds later, you take a card out of your pocket; it is not the selected card.
In a blink, this card changes into the card signed by the spectator. The change is totally imperceptible; there are no suspicious moves. You hold the card at the tip of your fingers!
$40.00 (30.1557)

(8) What Lies Behind – Ed Solomon: Presentations With The Haunted Key - Just imagine seeing an ad like this: 100% Foolproof - Absolutely Nothing to Break or Replace - Can Even Be Done in a Spectator's Hand - No Skill or Sleights Required - Learn To Do It In Ten Minutes - Small Enough To Carry In Your Pocket - Will Pass TSA Airport Inspections Easily.
Gosh, what a deal at any price. But that really is an accurate description for the Haunted Key. The reason so few perform this little miracle is that it needs a story. Given the proper story, the key becomes totally intriguing!
In this 90 page book, Master Story Teller Ed Solomon presents 18 different presentations for the tried and true Haunted Key. Some are heavy, some are cute. All are intended to get the audience to feel something and allow the turning of the key to become a cue to experience the magic and emotion that the story-teller has set into place.
In addition to the presentations, Ed spends a bit of time talking about various types of keys that can be used for this effect and also shows the various positions that the key can be placed in the hand or upon the fingers of the performer or spectator and still allow the basic effect (the turning of the key) to happen
Ed offers at least two presentations that incorporate other effects and manifestations as well. We, of course, offer the perfect Haunted Key, sold separately.
$25.00 (BK01748)

(9) Haunted Key: Spooky magic at its best.
A large, antique-looking key is removed from the magician's pocket and placed on his hand. With nary a movement or word from the wonder worker, the key mysteriously rolls over on command!
There are no threads, wires or other attachments to the key. Complete examination of the key is allowed at any point during the magician's routine. This masterpiece comes complete with key, instructions and secret.
$8.00 (10.652)

(10) Tales From The Uncanny Scot – Ron Wilson: In a career spanning over seven decades, Ron Wilson has had a magical life. Born and raised in Dundee, Scotland, he traveled the world with his comedic brand of conjuring, working in virtually every imaginable performing situation.
During his decades in show business, Ron Wilson has crossed paths with countless fascinating people, both in and out of the world of magic. His close friends have included such legendary figures as Dai Vernon, Cary Grant and Billy McComb, and less known (but no less fascinating) characters such as Jim Carazini, Luke McKissack and Jamal Rofeh. Their stories range from the intriguing to the tragic to the uproarious-and this book is packed with them!
In addition to personal reminiscences in abundance, there are over 250 photographs, many of them being published for the very first time.
Tricks from the Uncanny Scot with Ron Wilson, R. Paul Wilson and Nick Lewin
196 pages. Hardbound With Dust Jacket.
$45.00 (BK01747)

This book is more than a wonderful read. It is also an important contribution to recent magical history, providing an intimate encounter with the key players in the story of the Magic Castle during its most influential years. To enter again the unforgettable company of such as Jay Ose and Cary Grant, Dai Vernon and Billy McComb is to be reminded of that halcyon time when through the energies of the Larsen family the Castle became the total focus of the magic world. Ron Wilson played a major part in making that happen. If you weren't there at the time, here is your chance to catch up on what you missed. If you were, there may well be a tear of nostalgia in your eye as you read through these pages. But along the way you will laugh out loud and be ready to give the author a standing ovation by the end. - John Fisher

You are cordially invited to join in a remarkable journey through time: magical tales, recounted by a real wizard. Over the years, Ron Wilson has shared friendships with legendary figures both in Boldand out of the world of conjuring. By the time you finish this delightful memoir, you'll feel like Ron has known just about everyone, and done just about everything. And, for all intents and purposes, he really has! Having witnessed Ron get a standing ovation for a Magic Castle close-up show, and command the full attention of a strip club audience that was hardly expecting to see the likes of him, I can attest to his expertise as a performer. He has also been a highly successful teacher, booker, magi-politician, and raconteur. The last-mentioned role is amply displayed in this delightful book, wherein you'll learn a lot more about the other stuff! - Max Maven

(11) Houdini A Pictorial Life Collector's Edition – Milbourne Christopher:
Originally published in 1976, the book has now been released in a Collector’s Edition. Unique to this edition is a new section on Bess Houdini.
Contains Over 250 Rare Photographs of Houdini. Color Section of letters, photographs and rare Houdini posters.
Includes a special pocket in the back of the book with memorabilia that may be removed and framed.
Hardcover. 240+ Pages. Color Appendix.
$44.95 (BK01746)

(12) Infinity Wallet: With over two years of development, after much design and numerous prototypes The Infinity Wallet is finally available. This clever all-in-one wallet is the answer to a working magician’s dream.
What can The Infinity Wallet do for you?
* Card to Wallet
* Peek Device
* Multiple Outs
* Switching Wallet
* Index System
What does the wallet look like?
All of the above features are cleverly built into a stylish, natural looking bill-fold wallet that fits neatly into your back pocket and has been designed and crafted from the ground up in quality black leather.
How do I learn what to do with the Infinity Wallet?
On the accompanying DVD, Peter Nardi goes through each section of the wallet explaining its specific function in full detail before moving on to discuss specific routine ideas.
Every effort has been made to combine the best principles of multiple wallets to create this “Swiss Army” wallet that will satisfy the needs of those who want to incorporate mentalism, card magic and the superb principles of the Shogun Wallet into one neat and modern device.
A few of the routines included on the DVD:
The Wager
A deck of cards is dealt face up on to the table by the spectator.
They stop dealing at any point and you remove a single bill from your wallet.
Written on the back of the note is the name of the selected card!
Blag
Your spectator’s driving license is placed in an envelope and given to her to hold.
After a little by-play you ask them to open the envelope and there inside is your license!
Remove your wallet and sealed within a closed pocket is the spectator’s license! This routine comes with handlings for both the envelope version and a totally impromptu version
Serial Shogun
Three bills of different denominations are borrowed from 3 separate spectators.
A fourth spectator has a totally free choice of which note she chooses and you are able to reveal the serial number!
There is also a wealth of other ideas, routine suggestions and handling tips on the DVD.
The possibilities of the Infinity Wallet are vast, making it an ideal “carry everywhere” tool.
$140.00 (30.1556)
Note: This item will be shipping the first week of January. Pre-order now and we will pay the shipping anywhere in the world!

(13) Further Education DVD Set – John Archer:
We love John Archer! This wonderful DVD features more of John’s explosive blend of comedy, mentalism and magic, all packed into two high-energy discs of entertainment!
You will get to watch a full live performance of John at his very best – not only performing a collection of killer routines, but also mixing it with plenty of his superb comedy. There is much to be learnt from watching John really working the crowd and creating an entertainment experience like no other. There are gags-a-plenty throughout these professionally honed routines that you can add to your shows immediately!
After the show, John is joined by Peter Nardi to teach the inner-workings that make up each of these gems in full detail, so you will be performing them in no time!
This is a must have set for any serious entertainer and will be a valuable addition to your collection!
The Further Education Stand Up Show:
Blank Night: John’s extremely clean version of the “bank night” plot is a super-charged routine that is jam-packed with perfect in-built comedy, audience participation and a plot packs in plenty of entertainment value.
De-Ja-Tu: A girl is thinking of a card and a man is invited to deal freely through a shuffled deck. Amidst a cavalcade of comedy, the couple end up with a coincidence that is as baffling as it is entertaining.
One Lucky Number: Serial divination given the Archer treatment! Think serial number, burnt & restored note and signed note in wallet, all rolled into one mega, magical extravaganza!
Soundbox: A hilarious routine in which you gamble everything on a simple game of choice! One box, one lock, five keys and tons of entertainment!
Comedy Killer: A brilliant new routine based around a very funny presentation about learning to become a mind reader – your audience will become engaged in your studies with Professor Hoffmann when honing your ESP abilities, before they themselves get the chance to test their own.
Starstruck: Stars of Stage & Screen are the theme for this popular item from John’s act. A real lesson in how small props can be used to play a much larger routine that is clean and direct mindreading at its very best
Stick with It: Multiple audience participation; several random numbers, one prediction and a stunning kicker that will knock their socks off!
Streetwise: John’s brilliant book-test that uses remote viewing as a premise, a street map for a prop and a series of revelations with different audience members; this is destined to become a classic and combines all the best elements of the best book test routines to take your audience on the ultimate mental journey!
BONUS: John’s Professional Close Up “Set” Performed & Explained:
Just for You & 52 Leaver: A two-person effect that is ideal for the walkabout performer and is one that combines mentalism, playing cards and a very special trick for you.
This is a professional set that is perfect for the strolling performer that wants to present powerful close-up mentalism in a commercial environment.
$45.00 (DVD01219)

And, that’s this week’s Eight Days To Go Before Christmas Hotlist! It’s another big one, and it is full of wonderful magic.
While the season is winding down, there is still plenty of time to get your stuff for the big day!
As always, we thank you for taking time out from your busier than usual schedules to join us either online at www.magicfact.com or in person at 102 North Street in Medford. Either way, we love your company!
Hank