Thanksgiving

So here I sit on Thanksgiving Eve, reflecting on all that I have to be thankful for in my life. First and most importantly, my incredible wife, Betty, who supports my every endeavor and project with the utmost enthusiasm and who loves me unconditionally. I can truly say that I could not have done all I have without her. For my four children: Rene, Aimee, Cole, and Max -- I am blessed that they are not only good kids, but good people. I'm thankful for good health, both my family's and mine. I'm thankful for my good friends, those I have been blessed to meet and will continue to meet in the coming years. I'm also thankful for another successful year doing what I love to do the most in life. And, of course, I'm thankful for all of you, who take time to read this blog week after week and support Hocus Pocus as much as you have.

Tomorrow, as every year, I'll be with my family at my mother in-law's house for our traditional family Thanksgiving celebration. There will be plenty of food, as always, lots of leftovers for those great next day turkey sandwiches. Friday will be the official shopping kickoff, and you can bet we'll be here. Personally, I'll begin the day at about 5:30 AM based on last year's post-Thanksgiving orders that were placed over the holiday and the day after.

So, as I wrap this up, it's a perfect winter day here in Fresno, California. It's 47 degrees outside and pouring rain, and we're all nice and comfortable here inside the offices and warehouse. As I reflect back on all that I'm thankful for, I'm reminded that I shouldn't just do it one day per year; but it's much more important to recognize it every single day. I have a pretty good life and wouldn't change a thing.

So between that second helping of turkey and gravy and any ballgames you may be watching, from all of us here at Hocus Pocus: Betty, Mike, Jan, Karen, Ken, and the rest of the gang, we wish you the very best of Thanksgivings!

Until next time,

Paul

Are You Ready?

Can you feel it? Are you ready for the holidays? We're just a few days away from Thanksgiving, and then the official Christmas Season kicks off in high gear! Many of you have already begun your early Christmas gift giving/shopping. The Post Office has already started two package pickups per day to insure the fastest possible delivery of your orders. Everyone here is ready for the big push. The warehouse is packed with inventory, and Mike is putting up new products at his usual lightening speed! Now would be a good time to print your wish list and subtly leave it in places for loved ones to "accidentally" find it. Hint, hint.


My very first magic set (which I still have to this day, complete in perfect condition)

In my young years, one Christmas, I received a Martian Magic Set. This was the only gift that I really cared about. I studied it and perfected all its tricks and showed every single relative, neighbor, or anyone else I could get to watch. We carry many magic sets here at Hocus Pocus, but one in particular that stands out is the Extreme Magic Set from Fantasma.



Priced at $59.95, we believe this to be the best magic set value we have to offer. Here's our Christmas offer: mention the blog when you place your order for an Extreme Magic Set. If you buy one for $59.95, you can get a second one for half off -- $29.95! Not only is this a great Christmas gift and oversized stocking stuffer, it's the perfect gift for anyone, young or old, any time of year.



Recently acquired a fairly large sized private collection which included several very rare Jack Hughes items. Mike listed some of them on the site yesterday, and all of them sold in less than 24 hours. One of the rarest items listed today is the Jack Hughes Snake Basket. Much sought-after but rarely offered, this one is complete with all the parts, accessories and instructions. Although I've had these in the past, this is the second one I've ever had that was complete. Whether you're a performing magician or a collector, you will cherish this very rare and unique collectible. Some lucky someone will grab this very soon. Do yourself a favor and check it out HERE while it's still visible online. We're always looking for quality used magic to purchase or to trade. If you have something you are interested in selling or trading, please contact me at sales@hocus-pocus.com or call me toll-free 800-407-4040.

Exciting News

Spoke to Bob Kohler early in the week, and two brand new products will be available within the next 7-10 days, and they are DOOZIES! Bob has asked me not to release the names of the products yet, but I can tell you that one in particular has been in the works for at least 2 years! It's a signature routine from a very well-known comedy magician that I'm sure most of you have seen. Bob was generous enough to share one of the early prototypes with us last year, and we've been chomping at the bit for its release ever since! The wait is almost over, and I'm sure that you will be as excited about them as we are! Both items should appear on our web site in the upcoming days and will be available for shipping in plenty of time for the holidays, so stay tuned.

School's Out

Today is the last day of school before the Thanksgiving break for my youngest son, Max, and my oldest son, Cole. Cole will be coming home early next week to celebrate Thanksgiving with us. Last weekend, we spent Saturday and Sunday decorating the entire inside of our home for Christmas, and this week, Cole, Max, and my future son in-law, Jonathan, will be setting up all the outside decorations. It's been like a high-tech, highly engineered project. Between Max and Cole, they continue to draw out plans as to where everything will go. I'll post photos when all is completed.

So until next time,

Paul

Jingle Bells?

So I get in my car Monday to come to work, I turn on the radio, and lo and behold: "Jingle Bells" is playing. I think to myself, "This must be a commercial for something, because it's only November 10th." Next song is "Holly Jolly Christmas." Wait a minute. It's only November 10th! The announcer comes on and gleefully exclaims that it's Christmas music 24 hours a day, 7 days a week until December 26th. How can this be? It's only November 10th!! As I write the blog today, and only a few days have passed since then, I realize we're only two weeks away from Thanksgiving! Where has this year gone?

We called, and you came!

Last week's blog called on creators of magic effects to contact us about the possibility of marketing/manufacturing new products. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised by the number of responses I got. In fact, you'll notice several new exclusives listed this week as a result! Here are a few:



Tim Wisseman never ceases to amaze us! Several years ago, Tim created Dead Rap for a well-known psychic entertainer. So clever was this device and so powerful, he was asked to keep it under wraps. Only magic's and mentalism's underground were the elite few who even knew this existed, and it was they who also asked Tim to create Dead Rap exclusively for them. We were very fortunate to be able to convince Tim to release Dead Rap to the magic and mentalism community at large. Now, for a limited time, you'll be able to own and use this highly coveted item! We urge you to check it out HERE!





Two new exclusive manuscripts: Telepathy in Action by Orville Meyer and Intelligent Design by Jason Messina are just a few of the latest exclusives we've just added. Stay tuned over the next few days for more exclusives hitting the web site. Thanks to all of you who have responded so far. Please keep us in mind when you have a new product to share with the magic community.

Calling All Allakazamers!



Allakazam Egg Update: Great news! If you pre-ordered your Allakazam Egg, it's on its way to you now! The DVDs arrived on Wednesday, and they look fantastic! We're super excited about this particular project and invite your comments and suggestions on it. I can't even tell you how much care and attention to detail went into this project from start to finish to bring it to fruition. Mark, Nani, and I all believe this to be a high-quality investment for your act. We look forward to our next Allakazam offering with Mark and Nani Wilson. There is so much more for them to share with you, and I couldn't be happier to team-up with such a generous and gracious magic couple! If you have not yet placed your order, fear not; we have them in stock and ready to ship immediately. Check it out in more detail HERE!

So, as I finish up here, Mel Torme is on the radio singing "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire." I guess we all have to face the fact that the holidays are officially here. Personally, it's my favorite time of year and while most people may complain about the Christmas songs playing on the radio too soon, "I like it. I like it a lot." No humbug here.

Until next time,

Paul (celebrating the holidays early) Gross

Calling All Creators!

We know you're out there. You have an effect that you wish to market or an idea that you wish to bring to fruition, but you just don't know how. We want you! It's official: we're calling on all creators, manufacturers, and distributors of magic effects. Recently, we've acquired more exclusive magic effects than ever in our history at Hocus Pocus, and we're looking for more. If you have an effect that you wish to release to the magic community, I urge you to contact me for a possible future partnership with Hocus Pocus! We have the ability to manufacture effects from scratch, design, and fabricate if necessary. Or, if your product is ready to distribute, we have the means to advertise, expose, and promote your product to thousands of magicians worldwide with immediate results through our massive online membership. Hocus Pocus has a proven track record with over 35 years in the magic business and has had great success with those who have partnered with us. Some of those we've partnered with over the years and continue to do so to this day are: Mark and Nani Wilson, Paul Romhany, Tim Wisseman, Mike Giusti, Max Krause, Sean-Paul, Jay Leslie, Jay Mattioli, and many, many others.

As an example of one of our most successful exclusives, Tim Wisseman's Dead Ringer continues to be one of the biggest selling items we've had! What started as an idea in my office one afternoon has transformed into a full-fledged bonafide best-seller, garnering rave reviews from purchasers and performers all over the world. If you've not yet seen it, check out the brand new video trailer below:



So really, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain! So give us a shot and let's get that great idea of yours marketed.

Again, please feel free to contact me anytime:

Paul Gross
1492 N. Clark #104
Fresno, CA. 93703
800-407-4040
559-266-5150
559-266-4517 FAX
sales@hocus-pocus.com

Until next time,

Paul