What A Year It's Been!

I hope you all had a happy holiday last weekend and were able to enjoy your friends and family. I personally had the best holiday ever this year! I had two great days of family and cheer, and my good friend, Robert Baxt, spent Christmas Eve and Christmas with us. He was the hit of Christmas day at my sister's house, performing impromptu magic for everyone! I especially want to thank all of you who sent emails, cards, and Christmas wishes from all over the world. I hate to take them all down, so I think I'll leave them hanging up until after New Year's Day. Thanks again; it really means a lot to all of us here at Hocus Pocus.

And what a year it's been! So many things have happened, so many things have changed. First, we moved from our old building into our new 10,000 square foot location, which has been a real blessing and enabled us to do so many things we could never do before and to be able to efficiently run the business and pack & ship packages out faster than ever! It even enables us to hold our First Annual Swap Meet & Get-Together just a few weeks away on January 20th.


Old location


New location

My daughter, Renee, moved back to Fresno this year after graduating from college and has a great management job in a formidable department store just as my oldest son, Cole, moved away to begin his college life. He was able to get into the college of his dreams, St. Mary's, and is doing extremely well there. My younger daughter, Aimee, went back to school and will graduate next year with a business degree, taking after her old man. And last, but not least: MAX! Starting high school this year and now, almost as tall as I am (6' 2"), it seems almost impossible to me that at one time, I could hold them all in my arms at a time where my first building was a mere fraction of what it has become. And next, one of the biggest changes of all this year (I almost didn't put this up as it is a bit embarrassing) was my recent weight loss of 178 pounds! Don't believe me? Check out the before and after image below:


Me before (top) and me after! The real magic trick!

I've never felt better, never been healthier, and have never had more energy than I do now. I feel like a kid again, ready to go out and tackle the world. It's the best thing I've ever done for myself, and everyone here tells me that I should be very proud of myself; it was no easy task, but one very much worth it! And I couldn't end this all without talking about the best thing in my life, my wife Betty, without whom none of anything I've talked about would even be possible!

As this year draws to a close, I find myself very much looking forward to the new year. 2007 promises to be one of the most exciting and successful years to date, and I have you all to thank for it. I couldn't end this without thanking you all for THIS year, 2006. Your continued support and friendship are the lifeblood of Hocus Pocus. All of you are truly the reason Hocus Pocus has become what it is today, and I will never forget that.

So, however you spend your New Year's, be safe and enjoy it to the fullest!

Until next time,

Paul

Merry Christmas!

From all of us here at Hocus Pocus, we wish you a Merry Christmas and the happiest of holidays. It seems like just last week we were talking about the beginning of the holidays and now, in just a few short days, Christmas will be upon us. The showroom is all set up for our Christmas Luncheon this year, and everyone is exchanging gifts with one another. I wish it could be like this all the time: great music, great cheer, and great memories.

Update: We just ate and everyone is full and happy:







My good friend, Robert Baxt, who spent Thanksgiving with us, will also be spending Christmas with us as well as he travels from Hollywood to be with us. We'll all be spending Christmas Eve at my mother in-law's house and Christmas day at my sister's place. All my kids will be there, as well as everyone else's kids, so it' will be two great days filled to the brim with excitement and merriment.

Thank you all for keeping us busy this time of year and, of course, for your continued support and friendship. No matter what you do or how you celebrate, I hope you create new holiday memories of your own to cherish forever!

Until next time,

Paul

HO HO HOOOOOOO!

Run, run, run, and I'm not talking about Rudolph. It's in high overdrive here at Hocus Pocus as the big day is just about here. We're having multiple UPS, Fed-Ex, and Postal pickups here daily, and the UPS driver remarked the other day that it seemed that we were shipping 3 times the number of boxes than from last year. I think he's right. You still have time to do your last minute shopping with us and with expidited shipping, still get it in time for Christmas.

We're getting lots of responses about our upcoming Swap Meet & Get-Together. I spoke to Robert Baxt last night, and he's also planning on attending and doing a lecture as well. Carl Ballantine is planning on making the trip with Robert as an added surprise!


Robert Baxt & Carl Ballantine will be attending the 1st Annual Hocus Pocus Swap Meet & Get-Together

I don't want to spill the beans, but there will be more announcements once other committments have been fulfilled. For more information about the First Annual Hocus Pocus Swap Meet & Get-Together, click the banner below:



Next Friday, we'll be celebrating the holiday here with a catered lunch for the entire staff. There'll be photos posted and lots of fun to be had by all. We'll try to keep Tony out of his Elf Suit while he dances merrily around the tree...

I want to thank everyone for their holiday emails and Christmas cards which adorn the inside of Betty's office. It truly has been a great holiday season. Our good friend, Paul Romhany sent us this great email:

To my dear friends at Hocus-Pocus,

I just wanted to send you a Christmas message wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year. Thank you so much for all your support in 2006 and I am so excited about 2007 as I have some wonderful new products coming up that I know you'll be excited about.

Lots of other wonderful products to come. I think if 2006 was anything to go by then 2007 will be even better with the products I am going to produce. Let me reiterate my sincere thanks to you all for your wonderful support and encouragement, it really has meant a lot to Natalie and myself.

I've attached a photo taken 2 weeks ago here in Vancouver. We fly out to NZ in two days time and I will be away in March. I will be in touch while I'm away and can still produce the Ultimate DVDs while I'm away if any come in.

Fondest Regards,

Paul and Natalie Romhany



Before I go, let me share with you a special poem written by our good friend and customer, Frank Collins. Enjoy:

'Twas...

'Twas weeks before Christmas
and all through the place,
orders were called in
no more room no more space.

Hot items there going
Fast off the wall,
Magicians from everywhere
Were beginning to call.

Please ship the order
Hurry they say,
I have a gig
It's later today.

The shop was buzzing
World fame it was great,
Paul you look good,
Did you lose weight?

Tony's weekly tips
With encouragement bound,
Vegas was great,
But in Fresno I'm found.

What to pick what to chose,
They are not all the same,
Which trick will take me
To glory and fame?

The one by Dexter
Of mental delight,
Can I be the next Kreskin
If I practice all night?

And Mike by his wonders
and marvelous sleights,
has entertained passengers,
on cruises at night.

Ken's seen so much
A book he will pen,
Writing of greats
Like Tarbell and Ginn.

Sister Jan in shipping
Memories of Paul's sword in the neck,
Don't have the full story
It's a trick what the heck.

Cousin Karen receiving
She has Joey a son,
The next Lance Burton
Is he the one?

Jeremy in warehouse
I heard him say,
If you want it tomorrow
Should have ordered yesterday.

If you look closely
Read all the facts,
There's a young man on the screen
That's Paul's son Max.

True magic to Paul
And Hocus Pocus life,
Is his loving partner
Betty his wife.

I heard Paul say
Ever so merry,
No time rest
We have Wilson and Barry.

And to all who shop here,
My blessings I send.
When you see a rainbow
The shops at the end.

Until next time,

Paul

Warp 5, Captain!

It's definitely looking a lot like Christmas here at Hocus Pocus. To quote Mr. Scott from Star Trek, "We've got 'er at warp 5, Captain!" As fast as the orders are coming in, and I do mean they're coming in, they are going out the door just as quickly! My sister runs the shipping department and does an excellent job, as always! Remember, if you are purchasing for the holidays, the Post Office is now saying that anything shipped after December 11th by Parcel Post may not reach you in time for the holidays. You may wish to consider soon upgrading your shipping options. Rest assured that Hocus Pocus will do everything we can to make sure you receive your packages on time. Here's a quick shot of JUST the back of the shipping department with orders ready to ship out today!


Can you see your order in here?

Even though we live in California, and last time we saw snow here in Fresno was over 30 years ago, the weather here has been below freezing every single night for the last two weeks, and although that might not be cold for some of you, here in California, THAT'S COLD! Every morning windows, grass, rooftops, and cars are frozen over with frost. That's as close to a white Christmas as we'll probably get.

Last week, I talked about the upcoming Hocus Pocus Swap Meet this January 20. I'm happy to say that we'll have two guest lecturers that day: Dick Barry and Mark & Nani Wilson! It's turned into a one-day mini convention. We've already taken several reservations for tables, and if you want to join in to sell your magic wares, contact us here at sales@hocus-pocus.com or 800-407-4040. We're extremely excited about this event and look forward to seeing you here.


Proud new parents, Chance and Shelley Wolf

Congratulations to Chance and Shelley Wolf of Wolf's Magic as they celebrate the birth of their first child, a brand new baby boy! I spoke to Chance earlier in the week, and I could tell from his tone, that he was beaming at the prospect of being a new dad. What better Christmas gift could anyone receive?

On the home front, all our Christmas shopping is done, which is record time for us! With four children and other relatives to buy for, we're usually shopping right up to the last minute. My son Max checks the bottom of the Christmas Tree regularly, just to see if there are any new gifts for him. Betty has made it harder to guess what's inside this year as she's disguised every single one of his gifts. It's driving him crazy, and if you think I'm going to hint at what some of them are here, you're nuts; I know Max reads this...

We hope your holidays and bright, cheerful, warm, and cozy this year as you spend them with your family and loved ones. Remember, don't let the fact that we only have 16 days left until Christmas drive you crazy; relax and enjoy and take each day in stride.

Until next time,

Paul

Only 23 Days Left

How can it be? We just finished Thanksgiving and there's 23 days left before we celebrate Christmas. What a great holiday kickoff we had last week. All the family gathered for our traditional Thanksgiving celebration. Robert Baxt spent a couple of days here celebrating as well. Both of our families were entertained by Robert and his impromptu magic shows. See the photos below for a more in-depth look:


That's me cutting up the bird.


At my Mother in-law's house.

The day after Thanksgiving started off with a bang. We were busier than ever before. Max and Cole hung the Christmas lights outside the house and helped to put all the Christmas decorations up while Betty and I worked inside getting it decked out for the holidays as well. We were so much in the Christmas spirit Saturday afternoon, we went out and bought our tree. Sunday afternoon, my daughters, Aimee and Renee, my sons Max and Cole, and Cole's girlfriend, Amanda, came over to see the decorations. We all went out to dinner and afterwards came home to watch all the kids decorate the Christmas tree. It's been our tradition since they could walk to decorate the tree any way they want.

Here at Hocus Pocus, the holiday spirit's also taken over. Now that we have all this room in our new location, Betty and my sister have taken up the official duties of decorating. From the warehouse to the offices, the holiday spirit abounds!

There's been a huge influx of new and exciting products arriving daily. Most notable are Cody Fisher's Bet Your Bucks Routine. Hocus Pocus is excited to be the exclusive dealer and manufacturer of Cody's latest offering. This effect is two years in the making and definitely worth your time to check out! Other exciting products are Psy-Key and Kronos by Yves Doumergue. Also, do yourself a favor and check out Sykys as well as Mark Wilson's Color Changing Knife Routine! While you're at it, check out the special Holiday Items section of our web site, filled with tons of products that will satisfy that holiday urge. Don't forget: by adding one or two of these effects to your shows will set you apart from your competition. It's a small investment with a huge payoff.

Hocus Pocus will be hosting its first annual Swap Meet Day. Tentative date is Saturday, January 20th, and everyone is welcome to attend. If you wish to participate and sell within the swap meet, table fees are just $15.00 each and must be reserved in advance. To reserve your table, call toll-free 800-407-4040 and ask to speak to either myself or Tony. We will also have two guest lecturers that day as well as special guests to be announced very soon. Don't miss out on this chance to sell some of those items that you don't use anymore or pick up a few bargains yourself and check out a couple of great lectures at the same time.

Oh, one more thing: Do you want to win a free Bet Your Bucks by Cody Fisher? All you have to do is tune in to Mike Giusti's radio show on the Magic Broadcast Tuesday, December 5 at 8:00 PM PST for your opportunity. Mike will be giving one of these away absolutely free, so make sure you tune in. Check the link below to listen to the replayed shows:

MAGIC BROADCAST

So there you have it. No time to rest 'cause it's always busy, busy, busy! Hope you all have a great weekend and are in the holiday spirit.

Until next week,

Paul