WE'RE IN!

It's about time. Yesterday marked our one week anniversary of being in our new location, and we are so happy! Everyone has their own work station, there's so much room to move, it's almost hard to get used to. Mike documented the move through pictures, so you can see the progress we made. We still have some things to put away and organized, but we are about 85% completed. The move itself was fairly seamless with no interruptions whatsoever with shipping and receiving departments. We've had many of our regular local customers stop by and say hello. They are all in awe of how much more room this new building has to offer. I owe a special debt of grattitude to my wife, Betty, Tony Blanco, Jay Leslie, his friend Vaughn, for their untiring efforts in getting us up and running so quickly!


The old location...


Watch the incredible vanishing Hocus Pocus...


The Stage area slowly vanishes...


The boxes become fewer and fewer...


The inventory shelves are next...


Only the shipping department is left...


All the shelves are now gone...


And the inventory makes its way to its new home...


Until there is barely anything left...

The great thing about moving is finding all the great things you forgot you had. We've found many boxes of used/estate/collectible items and have a special place we've racked and dedicated to displaying them. Check out the photos below:


The new office spaces with the estate/collectible items displayed...


A view from the other side...


The new warehouse and shipping department


Almost all the inventory is in place...


The maze within the inventory


Another view...


From the inventory space to the shipping department


The shipping department within the warehouse


Paul's new office


Mike's new office


Tony's new office and workstation


Jeremy's new office


Ken's new office in shipping

I don't know where we kept it all in our other location!

Do you believe in ghosts? I asked this question because something very strange happened this week. Several months ago in the blog, I spoke about the House of Magic in San Francisco. The owner, Marvin Burger, affectionately known as Buma, had in his storefront window a neon clock. After many years, the clock stopped working and Buma stored it away in the back of his shop. About 15 years ago after his death, his son, Mark, gave me the clock as a gift. Although the neon worked perfectly, the clock's hands were stuck at 5:10. For sentimental reasons, I never had the clock repaired but displayed it in the shop with the neon glowing brightly. About three years ago, I unplugged the clock during some remodeling and never plugged it back in. So for three years, it sat lifeless. The other day I was putting my office together in this new building, I plugged the clock in for the first time, and the hands began to move and keep perfect time to our surprise! I hope it's a sign from the Buma watching over me saying that all is well...


Buma! Is that you?

Lots of magic coming up. In just a few more days in May, David Blaine's 2-hour special will air on ABC (May 8). The week after, Kieth Barry's special will be broadcast on CBS, and at the end of May it's the season 2 premiere of Criss Angel's Mindfreak! All this magic is great for your business as more people are exposed and interested in the art. Pay close attention to our web site as Blaine's special draws near; we'll have a special announcement that you won't want to miss!

On Monday, Mike and I will be busy compiling a list of the estate/collectible and used items I mentioned earlier and we'll be sending out an email to all our members. If you are not yet a member, do yourself a favor and join. There's going to be a massive list of items at great bargain prices that you won't want to miss!

Thank you for your nice letters about our move and thank you for sending your 8" X 10" photos. As I'm typing this, Tony Blanco is busy putting them all in frames to be hung around the inside of the offices. If you haven't yet sent us your photo, you still can do so. Just send it to:

Hocus Pocus
1492 N. Clark, #104
Fresno, CA. 93703

We'll have pictures of the project up and running just as soon as the task is completed.

So there you have it. It's been an eventful 2 weeks. I'm looking forward to the weekend, where we are expecting the temperatures to finally rise to the mid 80s. No more rain! It's about time...

Until next time,

Paul

Stay Tuned

Just a note to let everyone know that I'll return to the blog on Friday as we are still moving into our new building. We'll have pictures and updates then, so stay tuned...

Until then,

Paul

T-Minus 8 Days and Counting...

Wow -- it's looking very sparse around here. We've already moved about 70% out of our old building and into our new one. The new building is taking shape as the racks are being put up, the inventory being restocked, etc. I hope these next 8 days really fly because we all just want to be settled into the new location. Special thanks go to Jay Leslie, owner of the House of Enchantment and his friend, Vaughn, and Tony Blanco, for unselfishly volunteering their time to help us move this entire week!


It started like this...


Then it began dwindling...


And dwindling...


Just about done...

The big news this week is that Yigal Messika's long (and I do mean long) awaited Electric Touch arrived on Monday, and all our pre-orders shipped the very next day! So, if you were one of the many who pre-ordered your unit, it should be there any day, if not there already. The good news is that if you didn't pre-order one, you can still buy one at the original price of $149.95, not the new price of $199.95. We're able to do this as we pre-ordered an extremely large quantity of units at the old price and we are able to pass the offer on to you. This offer will be good until our original inventory sells out, which will be very soon!

We're going to be going over to the new building where Mike will be working to put in the new satellite cable system which will enable us to have lightening fast T3 speed for all our computers in their respective departments. This means that not only will your orders be taken with lightening speed, so will shipping your orders! It is just another way we are looking to grow and improve Hocus Pocus.

Yesterday, Mike Wood of SmarTech, who created and hosts our web site, came in to show us some of the changes, features, and improvements (including a new look) for the Hocus Pocus website! Soon, you will be able to check out an entire product's features on the very same page as its thumbnail image without having to open a new window, you'll be able to instantly add items to your shopping cart, which will be automatically verified, and you will be able to know the cost of shipping your items, plus many other features. We are anticipating going live with the new site in as little as 4-6 weeks, so stay tuned.

Life is good at Hocus Pocus, thanks to all of you. This move and the changes to our web site could not have been possible without your support. You are the reason for our success and continued growth, and there's not a day that goes by that I don't remember that. By next week, I should be writing this blog from the new desk in the new location. Remember, if you are anywhere near our area and want to stop by and say hello, we'd love to give you a tour of the new facilities.

If you celebrate Easter, we hope you have an enjoyable time with your family and friends. My son, Max, doesn't want much -- just a Corvette! I wished him luck in this endeavor.

Until next time,

Paul

Just 14 Days to Go!

I apologize for not posting and updating recently, but it's been a little busy around here... As many of you know, about 3 weeks ago, I had some minor surgery and a stay in the hospital, but I've been back and feeling better each day and excited because, in just 14 days, we'll be in our new building! Each and every day, they are taking truckloads of inventory and shelving, etc. and this place is starting to look pretty sparse. Mike will be taking pictures of our progress, and we'll document the entire move here on the blog.

After April 20th, our new address will be:

Hocus Pocus Magic
1492 N. Clark, #104
Fresno, CA. 93703

Our phone numbers and email addresses will all remain the same. If you are ever in our area, we'd love for you to stop by; we'll show you around.

A couple of weeks ago, we asked for you to send in your 8X10 autographed photos to be displayed in our new offices. Since then, we've received many, and I appreciate your efforts. For those of you who still wish to send a photo, we have lots of wall space, and we'd love to have your picture there.


Robert Baxt

We had a couple of visitors this week. Earlier in the week, our friend, Robert Baxt, stopped in for a couple of days to share with us his newest release "ByePod," a vanishing iPod effect. Robert's one of the most creative guys in the industry and always seems to come up with something topical. I'm always amazed at the number of projects Robert juggles, between performing full-time, TV consulting, acting, writing, and producing effects. This fits the bill whether you are a comedy magician or a children's entertainer! It's priced right and the effect is incredible. Check it out on our web site.


Noberto Jansenson

Our other guest this week was Noberto Jansenson from Argentina, who we always enjoy seeing. He spent several days shopping, picking up some new items for his show, and we even tricked him into helping us move! He even appeared as a guest on Mike's radio program for the Magic Broadcast. Listen for it Tuesday, April 11th at 8:15 PM. Mike claims it was the best show he's ever done, and Jansenson cuts loose about performing, being creative, tips on lighting and music, and coming up with original presentations. Don't miss it!

Noberto left this morning for Los Angeles, where he'll spend the next two weeks. From there he flies to Boston, where he is a featured headliners for this year's Cape Cod Conclave. We wish Noberto all the best of luck and a safe trip back home to Argentina until next year's visit.


Noberto and I moving.

Surprisingly, business has been hectic, even with tax time looming. It's the dreaded tax season here. Maybe more people got refunds than ever before.

I'm happy to report that Hocus Pocus has obtained the exclusivity on the new Paul Rohmany line of magic. Several of these items have popped up on our web site but there are much more to come. The Big Ten is a classic example of solid comedy, excellent routining, and audience participation. If you are a stand-up performer or a cruise ship entertainer, the Big Ten has everything you'll ever need, and it packs small and plays HUGE! Look for this on the web site also.

That about wraps it up here on the homefront. Have a relaxing weekend, and don't forget to send us your photos!

Until next week,

Paul