Tradition

Remember when we were all kids, our families had certain holiday traditions? When I was young, I remember waiting anxiously for my father to come home from work on Christmas Eve while my sister and I would gather all the presents and put them in stacks: a stack for my mom, dad, hers, and mine. When my dad would finally arrive, we could barely sit still. The moment finally arrived, and in minutes the floor was saturated with wrapping paper and bows! Next, we would get dressed in our best clothes and go to my grandparents' house. This was the biggest thrill for me during the holidays; every relative, friend, and neighbor came to my grandparents' house on Christmas Eve, some as late as 1:00 AM. Their house looked like the final scene in "It's a Wonderful Life," where everyone and their brother was in George Bailey's house and no one could move! There was lots of laughter, great stories, and cheer. Always.

Today, we must pass tradition onto our children the same way we learned from our families. I'm very happy that both my daughters, Renee and Aimee, are here from Santa Barbara, my oldest son, Cole, just got home from a skiing trip in Wyoming, and my youngest son, Max, we can't pry him away from at least ten feet from the Christmas tree. We'll all be together for Christmas to celebrate in our way, hopefully creating similar memories for them as I had when I was their age. So please, spend that extra time with your family during the holidays and enjoy that tradition that makes your family truly unique.

I want to thank all of you, our Hocus Pocus family, for your continued support and loyalty. Without you, there would be no Hocus Pocus, and we all know this. We've received over 150 Christmas cards and photos, and we appreciate each and every one of them. We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday!

Ever since I started this blog, we have gotten literally hundreds of emails expressing delight and thanks for doing so. There were three particular emails that stuck out and I wanted to share them with you; they made my entire week!

Mr. Gross,

After reading numerous positive comments about your on-line service on several magic forums I decided to give your business a try. Yesterday I ordered "Just in Case" and the"Spider Pen." That was Tuesday, December 21st. I just got my order this morning, Wednesday December 22nd, and that was with your regular shipping service. I will admit, I am in California, but still, to get it the next day during the busiest shipping season of the year.....well, that's just fantastic. Also, I thought I had a problem with the Spider Pen (my mistake by the way) and when I called, the gentleman who assisted me was just so helpful and offered to let me return it if I wasn't happy with it. He didn't rush me, or brush me off. He was seriously concerned and extremely helpful and resolved my "problem" completely to my satisfaction. I did realize after talking to him that it really wasn't a problem, but just a silly misobservation on my part. I just want you to know, that if this is the level of service that I can expect during the busiest season of the year, then you can count on me being a customer for a long time. Many thanks to you and your fine staff and happy holidays...

Sincerely,

Derek Dean

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Hi Paul,

Nice to put a face to a name that I now associate with friendship. Even though we have yet to meet, our conversations on the telephone are always a joy. On behalf of all professional magicians here in England, I would like to wish all of you at Hocus Pocus my best wishes for Christmas and the coming year. Hocus Pocus is the finest magic dealer I have EVER dealt with & I will continue to buy all of my magic from you in the future.

Merry Christmas one and all.

Gary Haigh

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Dear Paul, Jason, Mike, Jan, and everyone else at Hocus- Pocus,

Have a great Chrsitmas and all the best for 2005! Thanks again for your great service during the year - one that has seen me go from hobbiest to semi-pro. A big step for me and one that has been made easier through you all.

Once again - have a great Christmas!

Cliff Gabbitas

Wow. Thank you all very, very much. These are the best presents anyone could ever receive.

Paul