Back to the 70s

Talk about taking a trip back in time, last week at the Magic Castle Swap Meet, I purchased several of the late Doug Henning's costumes. The one with the stars is most recognizable as the costume Doug wore when he performed the Dancing Handkerchief and Things That Go Bump in the Night on his network television special. I was also fortunate to pick up several Henning posters and other memorabilia as well. I intend on putting these items into a custom shadow box and displaying it in the showroom. If any of you have any Doug Henning items you wish to part with, please contact me via phone at 800-407-4040 or email me at sales@hocus-pocus.com


Two of Doug Henning's costumes

Speaking of the Magic Castle, next Sunday, May 6th is Dealer's Day! The entire Hocus Pocus gang, including Mike, Tony, Betty and myself will be attending and selling. Also at our booth will be the legendary Carl Ballantine, who will be signing and selling his special edition posters, and our good friend, Robert Baxt. We hope that if you are in the Southern California area, you'll make a point to stop by and say hello. If you're not a Magic Castle member and wish to attend, simply tell the receptionist at the front desk that you are a guest of Hocus Pocus. It starts at 10:00 AM and ends at 3:00 PM and promises to be a very exciting and fun-filled event!



Lots of new products this week, including one of the most notable, The Red Carpet by Jason Palter! This is entertaining mentalism with an ending that is so startling and funny, it is sure to bring the house down!

Originally presented in its debut performance in 1985, the routine caused such magic notables as Sid Lorraine, Howard Lyons, Norm Houghton and Bruce Posgate to give a standing ovation! This closely guarded routine is now being released to the public for the first time.

The Effect:

We are a society that is obsessed with celebrities and famous people. Their sometimes fairy-tale stories are published all over, and many of us seem drawn to these reports. Everywhere we turn there is some story about someone famous doing something!

With that introduction, you display a large sketch book of celebrity and character illustrations drawn by your friend. No, your friend is not a stalker; just an admirer of the rich and famous! The book contains 40 different images of famous people and personalities.

An audience member is brought on stage and allowed to randomly select one of the images from the book. The spectator mentally focuses on their chosen icon. Then, while you are blindfolded by the "Red Carpet" (actually a red fabric bag that covers your head to prohibit any peeking), you actually fail to find the name. After what appears to be a botched attempt at entertaining and mystifying the crowd with an experiment in telepathy, you whip off the hood to reveal you have now transformed into the exact likeness of the chosen celebrity! A hilarious smash climax that will bring the audience to their feet!

The Red Carpet is simple to learn, and is easy to perform. It is a hysterical and astounding commercial mentalism effect that is perfect for all professionals and hobbyists and the routine has been honed through countless live performances. This is a fresh and brand new approach to mentalism, and the eye-popping routine will play to audiences of all sizes.

The Red Carpet comes complete with everything you need to perform the full routine, including all props, gimmicks, the detailed 8-minute audience-tested comedy script, a performance DVD, and live and broadcast performance rights.

Each trick is hand signed, numbered and comes in an authentic metal film-reel canister from the movies!

You are supplied with EVERYTHING YOU NEED to perform this trick, right out of the box (or the film canister, as it were!), and that includes the comedy, audience-tested 8 minute routine.

Also includes a sketchbook with custom, hand-drawn, ROYALTY-FREE celebrity and character images. To have one of these produced, it would cost more than $1100.00! Any performer can use it without any worry of copyright infringement during performance.

To read more about this exciting product and to check out the performance video as well as the many other products that have come through our doors this week, click here!




Where's Laurel and Hardy? That's who you'd expect to see driving this car... If you are looking for a vintage Model-T, the same one pictured above, give me a call. This belongs to Max, my youngest son, who's more interested in a Chevy Chevelle right now. He's hoping to sell the Model-T to help fund his Chevelle passion. Max will begin driving lessons this year, and he can't wait.

That about wraps it up this week. I'll be back on Thursday of next week before Hocus Pocus' trip to Hollywood, so until that time,

Paul

Castle Capers

It's been quite the week, to say the least! Last Friday, Betty and I left for Hollywood, California to attend the Magic Castle Swap Meet. Friday, we arrived around 11:30 AM and met up with Chuck and Gerald Kirchner from Magic City and gathered for lunch at Musso & Frank's along with Robert Baxt, Pete Biro, Joe Porper, Doug Malloy, Glen Farrington, Steven Steele, Lou Hirshorn, and Carl Ballantine. Carl was in rare form, as always, keeping the table in stitches while we TRIED to eat, and he asked me to bring Scott Alexander's Slashed Rope routine for him, and he was delighted and intrigued by this prop and looked forward to checking it out. Joe Porper and Pete Biro showed me two brand new items, which you will see appearing very soon on our web site. One is a prop that most mentalists will be extremely interested in purchasing, and the other is a very unique new paddle involving a wine bottle. I really liked this effect as it is completely different from any other paddle on the market today.


Carl is happy with his gift




We always have a great time with Lou Hirshorn


Robert Baxt orders his "usual"


The gang at Musso & Franks, our semi-annual tradition

After lunch, we made our way back to the hotel, sat around the pool relaxing until it was time to get ready to go to the Magic Castle for dinner. Carl Ballantine joined us for dinner and told stories of his days in Vaudeville and reminisced about the many different magicians and acts he'd witnessed. Spending time with Carl is a true gift, and just being near the man, you know he is someone special.


John Cassidy

Our good friend, Robert Baxt, was the MC at the Palace of Mystery and, as always, he did an outstanding job balancing all the acts and keeping the crowd entertained as only Robert can. The first act was Magic Christian from Europe who performed a silent manipulation act (his manipulation of cards while wearing black gloves was outstanding). Closing the Palace show was John Cassidy. The only way to describe this man's act is: scripted insanity with balloons and magic. He had the entire room laughing and was a fantastic way to close the show. I really don't know who could have followed him. If you are attending a magic convention or event, I can't recommend seeing John's act enough!

Afterwards, we made our way backstage to talk with Robert, and the following photo was taken:


Betty, Gerald Kirchner, Carl Ballantine, Me, and Chuck Kirchner

Saturday morning, I got up bright and early to be first in line for the Swap Meet and man, was I glad to be there! I bought so many items, you couldn't see out of the rear mirror of my Jeep while driving home. While there, I saw a lot of old friends, and as I was getting ready to leave, who shows up but one of my favorite comedians, Rip Taylor! This man is just as funny as he was 30 years ago! And what a nice guy! We talked for a while, and he told me about an upcoming one-man show he's working on. A great way to end the day, that's for sure!


Clowning around with Rip Taylor


Rip Taylor, always in rare form!

Heading back to Fresno, my good friend, Chuck Kirchner, came back with Betty and I to see the new location and to witness the Mark Mason lecture, held last Monday evening. Mark and his wife, Trish, are two of the nicest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. We all had dinner Monday night before Mark's lecture and then back to the shop for the 7:00 PM lecture. It was easily one of the best lectures we have had, and I urge your club or organization to book Mark whenever you can! Afterwards, we all went back to my house and sat up and talked until well after 1:00 in the morning. Great people, great time.


Me, Mark Mason, Trish Mason, and Chuck Kirchner


Mark Mason visits Hocus Pocus


Mark Mason puts on one terrific lecture!

I promised an update on the aviary my son, Max, and I built. Check out the photos below and tell me what you think:


The famous aviary


Max with Mugsy

So there you have it: lots of excitement, and I can't wait to see what's in store for next week.

Until next time,

Paul

One Day Early, Part 2

That's right, we're a day early again. That's because tomorrow, I'm headin' south! South to Hollywood, California for the semi-annual Magic Castle Swap Meet which hopefully, will be every bit as good as last year's. Of course, we'll start with our ceremonial luncheon with folks like Robert Baxt, Carl Ballantine, Steven Steele, Joe Porper, Pete Biro, Glenn Farrington, Doug Malloy, and who knows who else will show up? Later on, we'll all have dinner at the Castle and watch as Robert MCs the Palace of Mystery show. I know Robert will do a great job hosting Magic Christian and John Cassidy.

Speaking of Robert Baxt, Robert sent me a few photos of the Academy of Magical Arts Awards Banquet, which honored Carl Ballantine with the Lifetime Achievement Award, which was presented to him by actor/comedian/magician Steve Martin. Robert reports to us that it was quite the swanky affair and everyone enjoyed themselves immensely. Our hats are off to Carl, who certainly deserves this award!


Robert with the "celebrity crowd."


Robert and Lifetime Achievement Award-Winner, Carl Ballantine


Robert with Steve Martin

We had several visitors this week at Hocus Pocus, including our good friend Daisuke Seo of Seo Magic of Japan, who brought many new samples of excellent products that we'll be offering to you very soon! Watch the web site over the next few weeks as they begin to appear. I guarantee you will be pleasantly surprised!


Stoil and Ekaterina

On Tuesday, Stoil and Ekaterina dropped in after performing at a private event at Table Mountain Casino on their way back to their home in Los Angeles. What a nice and charming couple they are, and they both had a field day in our warehouse and showroom. They have a terrific act which includes many different costume changes and highlights many unique magic effects.


Ultimate Ring Grinder by Chance Wolf

Speaking of unique magic effects, we here at Hocus Pocus are proud to be the exclusive dealer to carry Chance Wolf's latest creation, the Ultimate Ring Grinder. There is a very good reason the word "ultimate" is in the title, because it really is the best around. It has so many funny and unique features, including a full routine, why not check it out on the web site to see what all the hullabaloo is about?


An Evening with Mark Mason

Don't forget: Monday evening, April 16th at 7:00 PM, Hocus Pocus will be hosting an Evening with Mark Mason! Mark has been a full time professional magician for over 15 years and has performed his unique brand of magic at every type of event imaginable, from small select celebrity parties to the Las Vegas Strip. With his silky skills and fast wit he has rapidly become one of the most sought after magicians in the corporate world. For more information and to participate in Monday's lecture, CLICK HERE.

AVIARY UPDATE!

Max and I finally finished the aviary last Thursday and Friday and released all the doves into their new home. On Friday morning, Max called several local pet stores looking specifically for Bob White or button quail. He was excited to find a store that carried both, and we headed on over almost immediately and bought four Bob White quail and six button quail. Of course, while we were there, Max spotted some beautiful white racing pigeons and a new dove we'd never seen before, called the Diamond Dove. In case you haven't figured out where this scenario is going, they are all now living in the aviary as well. As of this morning, the quails, a few pairs of doves, and the new pigeons have all created their nests and have laid eggs. I guess that's the sign that they are all comfortable and happy with their new home. Next week, I promise to post photos of the completed aviary, so stick around.

And now, it's time for me to pack up and head on over to Hollywood. Don't forget, if you are planning to attend the Swap Meet, be sure to stop me and say hello. I'll be sure and let you all know what great things I've picked up along the way and post photos as well...

Until next time,

Paul

One Day Early

Posting a day early this week as I am planning on taking an extended weekend to spend with my family. Max and I are starting out early Friday morning putting the finishing touches on the aviary, which I'll hopefully have pictures for next week's blog. Max is very proud of the finished product, as he should very well be; the whole project turned out a lot better than we expected. The aviary will become a major focal point in our yard. By this evening, our flock of doves will be living in their new home.


Bruce Kalver

This week, my good friend, Bruce Kalver, the creator of such great effects like Tipper Monkey, the Growing & Shrinking Head, and many others, stopped into town on his way to Los Angeles and spent a couple of days with us. Bruce is from Rhode Island and is in California on official SAM business and performing along the way. It's been 7 years since his last visit, and although we talk all the time on the phone, it is a nice change when he comes to visit.

Our Estate and Private collectible sale was a massive success, thanks to all of you. The majority of the items sold within a period of 24 hours and a lot of great, hard-to-find items found new homes. Mike and I are in the process of creating a second list, which we will be posting in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.


The Magic Castle

Next week is the Magic Castle Swap Meet. I'll be attending looking for unique and hard-to-find items. If you're there and see me, be sure to stop me and say hello. I'll be the one rubbernecking along with everyone else... If you've never attended and you are in the area, do yourself a favor: stop by and get ready to check out some terrific deals on items you may have never even seen before!

Spring vacation is here, and my son, Cole, visiting from college flew to Tennessee on Tuesday to visit relatives. His flight left in the afternoon and he was to arrive in Tennessee at around 9:00 PM, but unfortunately, the weather had other plans. They had to arrive in a different airport for a long layover and it wasn't until 4:00 AM that he finally arrived at his destination. He'll be back Friday just in time to celebrate Easter.

Easter weekend is officially here. If you celebrate the holiday, be sure to enjoy yourself and the time spent with family and friends.

Until next time,

Paul

It's Been 1 Year Already?

It's hard to believe, but it's been exactly one year since we've moved into our new location. It doesn't seem possible, however, if you came here to visit us, it looks like we've been here forever! The move was one of the best things to happen to us here. Remember, we'd love for you to stop by and see us if you're ever in our area...

AVIARY UPDATE:

Last weekend, Max and I began building the new aviary and we got the entire thing framed and leveled. Max has painted it and tonight, the roof goes on and Max will install the screen and paint tomorrow. By Sunday, our doves should be living in the lap of luxury.



I received an email from our friend, Paul Kozak, who is being honored Sunday with the Merlin Award Comedy Magician of the Year presented to him by Criss Angel and Cindy Margolis in Las Vegas. Nobody works harder than Koz, and if anyone deserves this, it truly is him. Congratulations, Kozak!

COLLECTIBLES/ESTATE ITEMS FOR SALE!


Just some of the items appearing this Saturday


For as far as the eye can see!


Thayer Barrel of Spirits

Mike and I have been feverishly working all week on a new private collectible/estate list that we are sending out via email this Saturday afternoon to all of our online members. There are just about 200 items on this list and almost all are in mint condition as the original owner was not a performer of magic, but rather a collector. There are a lot of great items and above is just a sample of some of the items available. If you want to participate but are not yet a member, there is still time to sign up below:

FREE MEMBERSHIP SIGNUP

These events are always very popular, and most of the items sell within 24-48 hours, so if you see something you want, don't delay as all items are sold on a first-come-first-served basis.

This week, we had a nice surprise come in the mail: Kovari Ultimate Chinese Sticks have arrived and are shipping as we speak! They're even better than I thought they could ever be! In fact, I'm so convinced that they are the best you can buy, I'm willing to back them up with a money-back guarantee! If you aren't completely satisfied with the Kovari Ultimate Chinese Sticks, simply return them within 30 days for a full refund, no questions asked! How many magic dealers can say that about their magic items?

So that about wraps it up for this week. I hope your weekend is a great one!

Until next time,

Paul

Come Out Flying, Boy!

In the immortal words of Carl Ballantine, Max and I will be spending this weekend building a new aviary in our back yard. We've now accumulated 14 doves and are still looking for more. The aviary itself will be 16 feet long by 8 feet wide by 6 feet tall with roosting boxes and hopefully, this will encourage our feathered friends to multiply. Max has designed the aviary himself, sketching it out on paper and figuring out all the details. He's very excited to begin the project, and the weather will be most cooperative as it's expected to hit the 80s.


1968 Plymouth Roadrunner

Last week, I talked about going to the Automrama with Max. We had a great time and we must have circled all the cars at least a dozen or more times, with Max salivating at every vehicle. He took over 100 pictures of all the cars. His favorite, however amongst all these, was a 1968 Plymouth Roadrunner, fully restored. Anyone out there have one for sale?


Big Ben

Just got off the phone with Robert Baxt, having just returned from England, where he was booked to perform and lecture at a magic convention. Robert said that after his lecture, he sold everything that he brought with him and more, had he taken it with him. He also had a chance to visit the prestigious Magic Circle magic club. All in all, he had a great time and promises to fill me in on all the details once he gets over the jet lag.

In case you haven't noticed, more and more products than ever have hit the web site, and I couldn't be more excited. Every day when the UPS truck pulls up, I run out to the warehouse like a kid during Christmas time to check out and open up the boxes. In fact, I'm still going through a large private collection I purchased several weeks ago and one of the highlights is an original Thayer Vanishing Radio. The unique feature of this particular model is that the radio can be sitting somewhere else before being picked up and set atop its table before the vanish! It's in such great condition, it's almost like it just rolled off the Thayer showroom. Check it out for yourself:


Thayer Vanishing Radio

Several local magicians who have stopped by the store have inquired about it, but this one's not for sale; it's for my own private collection!

Can you keep a secret? Speaking of exciting new products, I can't let the cat out of the bag entirely here, but I wanted to make you aware that we have recently secured the manufacturing rights from one of magic's "heavy hitters," a name familiar to you all. This is a comedy effect that has been a signature routine of this person's act for many, many years, and was even featured on television on more than one occasion. Now that we've hopefully peaked your interest, all I can tell you is that everything is in the manufacturing process now, and will appear on the web site very shortly. If you want more details, give me a call and I'll tell you all about it. Call me toll-free 800-407-4040.

Mike wanted me to congratulate the winners of his Most Embarrassing Moments Contest, which ended Tuesday:

3rd Place - Shawn Cyr

2nd Place - Keegan Man

1st Place - Bryan Gilles

The emails and calls were overwhelming, and Mike had a hard time deciding on a winner as all the submissions were terrific!

So as we wrap it up for this week, I want to wish you all a great weekend, and please think of my son and me as we toil in the heat making a new home for Max's birds.

Until next time,

Paul

Magic, Cars, & More Magic, Oh My!

I say it every week, and this week is no exception: WHAT A WEEK IT HAS BEEN! So many new and exciting products have come through our doors, we can hardly keep up. And with Mike taking a couple of days off this week, we struggled to keep up with all the updates, but we managed... The two days have equalled an entire week of products appearing on the site!



Yesterday alone, Mike put up 15 new products and more appearing today! Notably, make sure you check out the re-release of Kovari's Ultimate Chinese Sticks! Remember these? Well, they are back and better than ever! Even when they were available, they were hard to come by. Through special negotiations with Kovari, Hocus Pocus has obtained the rights to manufacture and sell this incredible magic effect that plays equally well for adults and children. The comedy ending wherein the tassels grow longer and longer is not only an incredible magical feature, but an amazing mechanical marvel as well! We're very excited about this project (can you tell?) and are happy to bring it back!



Please also note that we've obtained the incredible Astor line of Mental and Close-Up Magic. Just type in Astor in the search feature and you'll see it all, and it is fantastic! They are all great effects of excellent quality that will last you a lifetime!



Another product I'm really excited about (and pleasantly surprised about) is the Deck to Cell Phone! When I first heard about this, to be honest, I thought, "OK..." Then they arrived and WOW! What an incredible idea with an even more incredible application. Believe me when I tell you: BUY THIS; I GUARANTEE YOU'LL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!



Ever since we put Bang On by Marc Oberon on the web site, we've taken at least 2 dozen orders for it per day! Wow! This one is hot, hot, hot! Remember, Hocus Pocus is still the only US dealer with Bang On in stock for immediate delivery.



Speaking of in-stock, Richard Sanders' Any Ring has been a pleasant surprise. It wasn't until Mike let me in on the secret that I thought it was nothing more than an ordinary ring handkerchief. Oh boy, was I wrong... Richard Sanders does it again and I know it's a winner when Mike buys two of them! Remember, this makes a perfect accessory to Richard's top-selling Interlace effect, also available for immediate delivery at Hocus Pocus! Oh, and don't forget: Any Ring is on special right now for the low price of $16.95 POSTPAID anywhere in the USA and half price shipping for all our overseas and foreign friends. This offer is good until Saturday, March 31 at midnight PDT!

How many of you forgot to set your clocks back this week? Everyone here remembered, thank goodness, however my son, Cole, did not which made for a frantic run for his first class on Monday morning. It's a good thing he knows how to move fast because he was not one minute late.



Tomorrow is the Autorama! This is a yearly car show and an event for my family and me, especially for Max! Max is car-crazy, and that's being mild about the subject! It's "Dad, look at this car, Dad, look at that car, Dad, look at these rims, wheels, steering wheel, odometer, gear shift!" You get the idea... We own every car magazine out there, and Max watched every car TV show there is. When I was his age, it was all about magic tricks but his passion about cars equals mine for magic. If I'd only kept that 1976 Firebird, my first car. I only paid $900.00 for it, which at the time seemed like a fortune. Nowadays, they're bringing in $30,000.00 and upwards!

Mike was completely taken by surprise with the response to his Most Embarrassing Moments Contest on Tuesday! He received so many emails, he had to stop reading them all and save them for this Tuesday! Emails flooded his inbox from California to Japan! Remember, if you haven't already submitted your Most Embarrassing Moment, you still have time. The giveaways for the top 3 are as follows:

3rd Place:

Man of Danger videos by Simon Lovell, 1-4
Stand-Up Pop-Up video by Meir Yedid
Sprizzer, the Movie video
Dan Harlan's Packs Small, Plays Big videos 1-3
The Light Fantastic video by Jay Scott Berry

2nd Place:

Business Card Magic DVD by Mark Wilson
Sales Magic DVD by Mark Wilson
After Dinner Magic DVD by Mark Wilson
Jumbo Bicycle Box filled with magic goodies
Magic Broadcast T-Shirt
Chuck Fayne Live video
The Magic of Dominique Duvivier videos, 1-3
Harry Lorayne Magical Classics video
Lorayne, Best Teacher Ever videos, 8, 9, 10
Martin A. Nash Live video
Award-Winning Card Magic of Martin A. Nash videos 4-5

1st Place:

Interlace by Richard Sanders
Collard by John Archer
Change Cap

All you have to do to submit your Most Embarrassing Moment is email it to Mike at mike@magicbroadcast.com

Or you can leave a voice message on the Magic Broadcast Talkback Line at 888-808-2412.

Or you can call Mike live on the show this Tuesday, March 20 at 8:00 PM PDT toll-free at 888-851-1534.



Thanks for all of you who asked to "get mugged" by Hocus Pocus last week. Our free gift with purchase last week of a special magician's mug was a huge hit. We sent out over 250 mugs with orders last week. This was so successful, we want to do it again. If you want to get your magician's mug, all you have to do is ask for is with your next order. It's our free gift to you with any purchase. This offer expires next Friday, March 23 at midnight PDT.

So there it is. Lots of excitement and always something new at Hocus Pocus.

Until next time,

Paul

Bang On!

These two words are two of the hottest words to hit the magic community for a looooong time! Magician Marc Oberon has produced what will be the biggest-selling trick of the year called "Bang On." This was one of the biggest effects and most talked-about items at the recent Blackpool Convention in England. And for good reason; the reviews and hubbub have already begun on various chat boards, and I can honestly say that the advertising copy for this product is 100% accurate with no hype whatsoever. In fact, let's recap it here:



A spectator merely THINKS of any card from a regular 52 card deck. This is a totally free choice and there are absolutely no forces involved. You explain that the card that they are thinking of is in your wallet. It is named aloud by the spectator, and sure enough, the performer opens his wallet and takes out one envelope. Just one. It is opened and inside is the spectator's though-of card and nothing else is in the envelope. It's that clean!

Many of magic's top pros scooped this up immediately and now you can, too! This is a routine that Marc uses in every one of his professional performances as well as featuring in his multi-award winning competition act.

Purchase now to receive everything you need to do the very same effect. Includes instructional DVD with several different presentation ideas.

This is perfect for any venue, whether you work close-up, parlor, or stage, and the outcome is different each and every time.

"The finest effect of its kind I've ever seen!" -- Ian Rowland

Hocus Pocus will be the first U.S. dealer to have Bang On in stock in the next few days. After Mike posted the product on our site, in less than 24 hours, almost 80 units have been sold! Don't miss out on this one, gang!

While you're on our web site, make sure to check out Marc Oberon's other released effect, "Odd Ball." All I can say is this guy has got it goin' on! Smart thinking, great advertisement, and tremendous products! We're very proud to offer these products to you, our Hocus Pocus customers.



Another hot item this week from the recent convention scene is the Bathrobe Costume Change. We posted this on the web site earlier on in the week as we had limited stock on hand. In less that 24 hours, we completely sold out, and we removed it from the site temporarily. The phones immediately rang off the hook and the emails came pouring in asking about this product and where it went. If you are interested, I have 6 more on order and due to the fact that each of them are hand-made, we expect delivery within the next 4 weeks. We already accepted 2 pre-orders and if you wish to get in on this, you may pre-order yours as well to guarantee delivery. Check out the video performance below:



So as promised last week, many new items are already hitting the Hocus Pocus web site from the recent conventions. One other product that I highly recommend is "Collard" by John Archer. These arrived early this week and have been flying off the shelves! Mike was one of the first ones to grab it for himself as he plans to use it in a totally unique way.

Speaking of Mike, he wants me to remind everyone that his semi-annual contest, the Most Embarrassing Moments promo is running again this coming Tuesday, March 13th and Tuesday, March 20th on the Magic Broadcast. His show hits the airwaves at 8:00 PM PDT, and he is giving away prizes donated by both Hocus Pocus and Magic City, including Collard, Change Cap, Interlace, DVDs and videos! Details on how to enter the contest can be found RIGHT HERE!

The weather here promises to be in the 80s this weekend, which as I sit here and type this, is hard to believe as it's cold and overcast today. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what tomorrow brings.

One more thing: remember to set your clocks AHEAD 1 full hour this Saturday at midnight.

Hope you all have a great weekend.

Until next time,

Paul

I'm Back...

What a phenomenal couple of weeks it has been! Sorry for not posting last week; we had so many things going on including many out-of-town visitors. Two major conventions last week: Blackpool in England and the World Magic Seminar in Las Vegas. Many of our friends and customers made the journey from Las Vegas to Fresno to stop by and say hello, like our good friend, Gerardo Para from Chile. Gerardo arrived last Friday and stayed four days with us leaving to go back home Tuesday. Gerardo had a great time and absolutely loved our new location. Of course, he did some major shopping while he was here as well, asking us our opinions on certain effects.


Gerardo Para and me.

Speaking of these two conventions, many new and unique products were introduced at both conventions and we've already placed our orders with the creators. Many of them will be arriving in less than two weeks, so stay tuned to the web site for many, many updates. I guarantee you will not be disappointed!



As far as new products are concerned, Mike has been putting products on faster than ever these past two weeks. Highlights include Richard Sanders' Any Ring, the perfect add-on accessory to Richard's best-seller, Interlace as well as your existing borrowed ring routines. Other items to check out include the Miser's Delight, Andy Nyman's Dead Zone Pro, and make sure you check out the brand new Jay Sankey category which includes ALL of Jay's releases!


Who's the dummy?

Hey, I know what you're thinking, but don't say it out loud... As many of you know, I've been an avid collector of antique magic and ventriloquist memorabilia for many years now, and I recently acquired, with the help of Martin Breese, England's most revered ventriloquist and magical creator, the late Terri Rogers' Shorty Harris! Shorty has a great new home here and will be a treasured piece in my collection as he helps oversee the workings and goings on here at Hocus Pocus!

The Honor Roll. My son Max came home Wednesday smiling from ear to ear having received a certificate of honor as he made Honor Roll. Both Betty and I are extremely proud of him, and it's obvious to me now that he takes after his mother, academically... Speaking of Max, he has now added two more lovebirds to his collection, and he is actively working with them every single day training them. Who knows, maybe he'll develop his own bird act incorporating lovebirds instead of doves. A father can only hope...



My friend Robert Baxt just showed what may be, in my humble opinion, the greatest version of the classic Orange, Lemon, Egg, and Canary trick I've ever seen. It's great because it is absolutely the easiest, no fuss, no muss, routine I've ever seen! For those not familiar with the effect, a small bird is vanished, then an egg also disappears, and a lime goes after that. Displaying a coconut, it's cracked open to reveal the lime inside, then the lime is cut open to show the vanished egg inside it, and the egg is cracked open to reveal the bird inside! It's comical and mysterious!

Robert calls it "The Lime in the Coconut" and it comes complete with special imitation fruit that from a short distance away is undetectable from the real thing. You'll never have to run around shopping for produce at the supermarket again! And it can even be done with a supplied fake bird that you'd swear was real the way it moves. Now it's the perfect trick to travel with! No live animals, no real food! It can be done anywhere! Comes with a special cage that's different and more reliable than the regular method, and cloths that vanish the items for you. And this will be another exclusive to Hocus Pocus item. We're still working with Robert on the price and obtaining the custom made apparatus in quantity, but keep watching our website for information on when this wonderful crowd pleaser can be yours!



Oh, by the way, do you wanna get mugged by Hocus Pocus? No, not that kind of mugged. Check this out: I found these really cool ceramic coffee mugs that say "magician" in 13 different languages! You want one? Here's how to get one: any order you place between now and next Friday, March 9th at 5:00 PM PST, just ask and we'll ship one absolutely free with your order. That's right, it's your free gift with any purchase!

As you can see, it's as busy as busy can be here at Hocus Pocus. I'm sure glad it's Friday, because I could use the couple of days to relax. Here's to hoping you all have a great weekend as well and we'll see you next week.

Until next time,

Paul

No Blog Entry Today

But stay tuned as we'll return on Friday.

Until then,

Paul