Please Stand By

Just a quick note to let everyone know that Paul and the gang are busy moving things over to Hocus Pocus' new location, so he will return to Blog Central this Monday.

Until then, have a fantastic weekend!

Mike

Change is Good!

If someone told me over 30 years ago, when I began this business, what it would turn into, I would have shaken my head in disbelief! When I think about all the people I've met, place I've been, and the friends I've made in the world of magic, it's pretty incredible, to say the least! None of this could have happened if we hadn't changed with the times. For the past five years especially, there have been many changes within the industry. Hocus Pocus has adapted accordingly to the current trends and needs of our customers. We are able to do this because we're willing to listen to you and make the necessary changes to do so. Here at Hocus Pocus, it's more than just selling magic tricks; it's about building long-term relationships with our customers. The biggest change in our future right now is this big move, and while we may experience one or two technical glitches, we promise to make it as seamless and as smooth a transition as possible. I said it a million times, and I'll say it a million times more: YOU are the most important part of our business. It is your constant support, dedication, and commitment and that has allowed us to make the necessary changes to our business. As we transition to our new location, it is our goal to provide you with even better service before, during, and after each sale, to excel in our shipping department by making it even faster than it is now, and to make our customer service department better than ever! Change is good.

I invited Mike to stop by the new building with me as we took a look and soaked in the interior of the place. We felt we should share the size and space with you now before it fills up with inventory, equipment, etc. Take a look:


Shots of a portion of our office space


Another view of the office space


Meeting room


One corner of the warehouse


A view from the opposite side of the warehouse


Great view of the outside from the warehouse

Last Friday, we had a visit from one of our favorite customers, Gerardo Parra, who comes to see us every year from his home country of Chile! Normally, he stays two days as he showed up on Friday and planned on leaving Sunday. He decided to stay an additional two days because, in his words, "There is too much to see here!" After loading up his car Monday afternoon, he drove to Los Angeles, where he was to fly home the next day. Believe it or not, he called us later in the day and ordered more stuff for us to send to his hotel room. Gerardo's a great guy and a highly respected entertainer in his country. We look forward to his visits again in our new home very soon.


Our friend Gerardo Parra visits us from Chile!

Mike showed me a few pictures of his new home, and if you are a fan of reading magic books and watching magic videos and DVDs, take a look at the shots of his new study. How he found space to store all those new books, videos, DVDs, AND his show equipment is beyond me.


Office/study


Office/study with view of where the radio show takes place


The very warm and comfortable living room


The opposite wall of the living room/entertainment wall

Now Mike is in his new place, so for him, change is good, too! As for me, this will be the first weekend without painters, carpenters, electricians, you get my drift, will be in my house. I plan on just taking it easy this weekend. I really do have a good life.

Until next time,

Paul

Let the Move Begin

You never realize how much stuff you have until you move. Both Mike and I are in the unenviable position of looking at the things we've acquired over the years and wondering where it's all going to go -- Mike in his new house, and us in our new building. Although the building itself is massive, there is still the task of packing, organizing, sorting, and moving it all into its new home. We're about a month and a half away from the final move, but we'll be moving all the way up until then, little by little. The great news is that the phone numbers and email addresses will remain unchanged, since we're only moving a few blocks away, within the same zip and area code. We're so excited to move into our new home, and we'll be sure to keep you updated every step of the way. We want the new Hocus Pocus to be the best it can be, thanks to you, our loyal Hocus Pocus customers.

You can help us move! That's right; rather than moving as much as we can, we're offering it for sale! Simply click the banner below and it will take you to a special page we've created just for you. This event goes on until Tuesday, February 28th, so don't delay:



Last week, we mentioned the fine products from mentalist Andrew Gerard. There are now 4 new products and more to come from Andrew. There's also a new section of the web site devoted specifically to Gerard's products entitled, "Andrew Gerard Prod." Simply click on it and you will have full access to his complete line! Highly respected amongst the professionals in the field, he has chosen to release his pet secrets exclusively through Hocus Pocus to the magic fraternity! There's been a huge buzz on all the chat boards, and Andrew's products are flying off the shelves!

Along with packing this week, we have received a gluttony of new products, all of which appear every day on our site! However, at home I'm happy to say that everything is finished with the exception of some tile work in our kitchen. We finally began unpacking the boxes at home and returned things to the shelves, cabinets, and refrigerator! Hopefully, within the next 24-48 hours, our family life will be back to normal again. It's been a long 4 1/2 months... I agree with Betty though; it was worth it. The house looks like a completely new home, and I couldn't be happier with the final results.

It's been great seeing friends come in from the World Magic Seminar this week. Amongst those, Gerardo Parra will be visiting us next week all the way from Chile! He comes to see us at least once every year, and we look forward to his visits! He has a ton of energy and is always smiling and joking. He's like a kid in a candy store when he comes here. Wait until he sees our new location!

Well, it's back to work; the phones are ringing off the hook, and my email is ringing every minute. Until next time,

Paul

On the Move!

Boy are we excited! Due to the expanding growth of our business, thanks to each and every one of you, a dream has come true! For the last two years, we've thought about it, talked about it, now it's finally becoming a reality. The big news: Hocus Pocus is moving to our new location! While still located in Fresno, California the new building is absolutely massive! We will now have close to 10,000 square feet of warehouse and office space, which will enable us to process and ship your orders even faster and give us maximum efficiency and space to help us continue to grow. We will be at our current location until May 1st as we will be doing some inner construction and set-up at our new location until then. So until that time, take a look at the new home of Hocus Pocus:



During the coming weeks, we'll be bringing you updated photos, interior shots, etc. so stay tuned! You can click the above image for a larger, more detailed view.



In other news, we're excited to announce that Andre Kole will be in Fresno performing this Wednesday, February 22. The last time Andre was here was over 6 years ago, when he performed at California State University @ Fresno. The entire Hocus Pocus gang will be going to check out his new show, and we'll let you know all about it.

My friend, Ray Lum, just arrived from the Bay Area to deliver, in person, Blackstone Jr's stage-sized Mental Epic. This was built for Blackstone Jr's show by John Gaughn and well used in the Blackstone show for many, many years. Ray completely refurbished it and it works like a charm and is smooth as silk! As many of you know, I'm a HUGE Blackstone Jr. fan, and this will have a special home in my private magic collection.



We got a slug of new products Friday and today, and Mike has his hands full putting them on the site. Of particular note is the new Lit Lightbulbs from Mouth and the new Royal Road to Card Magic DVD Set by R. Paul Wilson. Both of these are exceptional products of extraordinary value, and I highly recommend you take a look at both on our site.

Also, famous mentalist Andrew Gerard has selected Hocus Pocus to distribute his line of mentalism products. The first offering is called Real Time. This was Andrew's pet effect for many years, and he has finally decided to release it to the magic community. This is a strong routine with an entertaining premise that will fool the heck out of both laymen and magicians alike! Watch the web site over the next couple of weeks to see more of Andrew's exciting products!

On the home front, by the end of this week, keeping our fingers crossed, our remodelling will be completed. After 4 1/2 months, we'll no longer have to live out of boxes, Yea!

Until next time,

Paul

Back on Monday

Due to our hectic schedule, the blog will resume on Monday. Tune in, because we have a mega surprise for you...

Until then,

Paul

Magic is the Word!

Lots of excitement happening this week at Hocus Pocus! Magic, magic, magic, coming in, going out... The excitement here still hasn't died down. It seems as though the growth of our customer base has exploded. It's exciting to see that this year promises to be the biggest and best yet!

Last week we got in an item called Magic Postcards. They are extremely well done and quite a value at $8.95 a pack. I think they'd be great to send your customers as a pre-show reminder or a thank you afterwards. Our own Mike Giusti found a better way to use them by purchasing a frame for about the same price as the postcards and mounting them inside. Take a look:



Pretty cool, huh? Mike will adorn the walls of his new home with this and many other magically-themed posters and memorabilia. We can't wait to see it when it's done. Escrow closes for him today, and his final walkthrough yesterday went as smooth as silk.

Last week, we hinted about Robert Baxt doing technical work for a television series. Robert Baxt was involved with coaching the actors to perform magic and brought in Mark Canon to assist with the escape portions. Robert sent photos in this week as well as some information regarding the series:

The episode of the CBS-TV hour long drama series "The Ghost Whisperer" is titled "Miss Fortune" and is scheduled to air on March 10th at 8:00pm. In the story, there are two brother magicians played by actors Jonathan Firth and Orlando Seale. One drowns while doing an underwater tank escape and his brother is haunted by his ghost when he tries to do the same dangerous escape. Only Jennifer Love Hewitt can see the ghost and bring closure to the brothers.


Robert Baxt with Jennifer Love Hewitt (nice work if you can get it)


Coaching Jonathan Firth in full character


Robert with the actors



Last year, R. Paul Wilson showed us an incredible Color Changing Deck routine based on the old UF Grant trick "Cheek to Cheek." We begged him to release it, and with Paul's hectic schedule barely allowing him to breathe, he finally agreed to let us manufacture and distribute this effect. It is highly recommended and worth checking out here!

On the home front, the major remodelling project is finally beginning to wind down. The kitchen is the last room to go, and for the last two night, my eldest son, Cole, has taken on the job of removing all the tile from the countertops. Now, if you don't know how this is done, let me explain: With a crowbar in one hand and a sledge hammer in the other, it's bang and chip, bang and chip! Finally, about 11:00 PM, the job was done and we're left with no kitchen sink, no range top and no stove, which equals no cooking at home for the next two weeks. Perhaps I should take up a career as a restaurant critic as we'll be going out to dinner for a while.

I hope you all have a great weekend while I am sweeping up all the dust from the chipped tile. But, as Betty keeps reminding me, it's going to look fantastic when it's all finished.

Until next time,

Paul

Back in the Saddle Again!

Well, sort of... The last 3 1/2 weeks, I've been fighting an upper respitory infection, which has knocked me for a loop. After countless doctor visits and several antibiotic perscriptions, I can honestly say that today's the best I've felt! My doctor tells me that I should be 100% in another week. I'm hoping he's correct.

Everybody's done a great job holding down the fort in my absence. We had all-time record sales for the month of January, thanks to you! New products are barreling their way through the doors, and we can't put it up fast enough. Watch the site as we have a new line of products from France that will blow your mind, and it will be our exclusive. They will begin appearing very soon so keep your eyes peeled! It's a unique and new technique that has been introduced to some of the classics of magic -- a real new spin that will fool 'em all! We're very excited about it, and we're sure you'll love it!



In other hot news, in case you're one of the few who don't know about it, the new Cesaral Melting Point has officially arrived and ships out to everyone who pre-ordered TODAY! Obviously, this is already predicted as one of the most stand-out effects of 2006, and you should grab it now while you still have a chance. Check out the product and all three videos here and prepare to be blown away!

There's no business like show business. My son, Max, will be in this year's school play, "The Music Man," this evening and is also part of the tech crew! Betty and I will be going to watch his performance tonight, and we're really excited about it!


Robert Baxt & Mark Cannon

In other show business news, I just got off the phone with Robert Baxt who announced that the movie he worked on last year with Danny DeVito will be released next month. The new title of the film is called "Even Money," and Mr. DeVito plays the part of a down-on-his-luck magician. Robert is also working on the TV series, "The Ghost Whisperer" as a tech advisor along with our good friend Mark Cannon of Cannon's Great Escapes for an upcoming episode that is all-around magic and escape artistry.



Hocus Pocus has been working with the good people of David Blaine Productions for his upcoming special scheduled to air sometime in March. The date is tentatively scheduled and subject to change, so stay tuned for any changes. The special will be unlike any other David Blaine special to date.

In our own news, our own Mike Giusti has purchased a condo and got some good news: escrow will be closing a week early and new appliances were installed. The condo got a clean bill of health from the home inspector, and we're watching Mike take home a ton of boxes in preparation for the big move. We can see his excitement as he has wanted to own his own place very shortly after he sold his home, and it looks like that will be coming true.

The World Magic Seminar starts February 19th-22nd. We look forward to all the visitors we get from the people coming from or going to the Seminar. Remember, you're always welcome here at Hocus Pocus.

So I guess I should stop prattling now; so much has been happening in my absence. Special thanks to all of you who sent well wishes, e-mails, and phone calls. I sincerely appreciate it.

Until next time,

Paul

It's Me Again!

Hi, all. Mike Giusti here. Again. I'm writing for Paul again for the third week, who is still out sick but promises to be back Monday with a vengeance come hell or high water. Whatever this bug is that's going around has hit everybody pretty badly. In fact, I was sick when I performed a gig last Saturday night for a venue that has given me bad luck in the past, like the "Curse of the Babe." And this time I was hired to entertain during the mealtime. If there's one thing you know well during years of performing, dinner is the WORST time to perform. Well I'm happy to say that I broke the curse, and both my agent and I couldn't be happier. Although I still have the sniffles, I'll need to gear up again for 4 gigs over the weekend. I don't think I even know how I do it anymore... Wish me luck!

On a personal note, I want to take the opportunity to thank all of you who have been listening to the Mike on the Mic program that I host for Magic Broadcast. Between the number of magicians and myspace pals, the number of listeners has tripled in just over two weeks. Look for another installment this Tuesday at 8:15 - 9:15 PM PST.

Paul called me to inform me that we're going to obtain a list of items from a defunct magic shop through one of our suppliers. There will be, as a result, a list going up on our web site sometime next week for our members, who will receive first dibs on some pretty incredible merchandise at vastly discounted prices. If you are not yet a member, you can sign up for free here in order to make sure you are one of the lucky ones who receive the list.

Is it busy yet? It still remains incredibly busy, even though the end of January is near. There are new products hitting the website every single day, and I must say that I'm struggling just to keep up! There are a few items that have caught my interest, including the new Cesaral Melting Point, Tossed Out Deck by Cody Fisher, and the Pro Tipover Trunk, which is just gorgeous! And the price of each item cannot be beat! Make sure you check them all out on the site.

So until Paul returns, have a safe and fun-filled weekend.

Mike

Hijacked Again!

Mike Giusti here again this week. I'm hijacking the blog again due to some pretty weird cold bugs flying around and infecting California. I think everyone here has had at least one form of the common cold already this year, and this week it has taken hold of Paul. Since he rarely takes time off, it's odd to come into the shop and not see him at his desk, wheeling and dealing on the phone. Let's hope he does what he needs to do, and that's rest up and take care of himself.

The shop itself is buzzing with excitement. I would have thought that after the holidays, the action would have leveled out somewhat, but no way -- the phones are ringing off the hook, and the products are coming in faster than ever. I'll be the first to admit that I'm pretty fast and self-sufficient with product placement and web graphics, but some days can get pretty hectic, even for me... But that means that anytime you hear about a brand new magic effect hitting the market, there's almost a 100% chance it's already here at Hocus Pocus!



One of the products I'm personally excited about is the new Cesaral Melting Point, which can be found here! Take a look at the product and then view the video demonstration. Cool, isn't it? Both Melting Point and Ghost Coin remind me of similar effects performed by Cyril Takayama, one of Japan's up-and-coming premier magicians. If you haven't had the chance to see Cyril perform on the television series T.H.E.M. last year, do a Google search with his name and check out some of the incredible effects he's performing for Japanese TV!

Can you believe it's almost February? I never understood my grandmother when she said that the older you get, the faster the days go by. Man, she wasn't kidding in the least! February is going to be an exciting and busy month for me; I've purchased a condominium, and I couldn't be more excited! There's nothing worse than owning a home and then renting (even for a short amount of time). But now I'm on day 5 of escrow, and I should be moving into my new home around Valentine's Day. This place is perfect for me. As a single man, it's got everything I need; it's not too big and it's not too small. It's been beautifully upgraded and painted, and it feels especially warm during the winter months. Here are some pics for your perusal:


Living room


Another view of the living room


Dining Area/Kitchen


Master bedroom


Hallway from the kitchen to the front.


Guest bedroom


Ahhhh. A gas stove! I love it!

In other news, we had a very nice surprise earlier in the week when my friend Robert Baxt showed up with a friend of his to visit Hocus Pocus -- Daisuke Seo of Japan! What a nice fellow Daisuke is. His father is the largest maker of mouth coils in Japan, and naturally, Daisuke is also a magician. He had a field day when he saw Hocus Pocus and went nuts looking through the vast inventory and even picked out some things for himself!


Daisuke Seo and Robert Baxt

Well, that just about does it from the ol' compound. More than likely, Paul will be back next week for the next installment of "From the Desk of Paul Gross" blog. Until then, think of me packing my stuff up while you enjoy the rest of your January!

Until next time,

Mike

Happy Anniversary!

Hi, everyone. Mike Giusti here. I've hijacked the blog once more in order to help Paul with one of his New Year's resolutions: to take one Friday of every month off. And what better way to take the day off than to celebrate your wedding anniversary? I say there's no better reason; Paul and his lovely wife, Betty, have been married for 15 years and they are taking time to spend with each other today. Congratulations, Paul and Betty! Here's to at least 15 more!!!

Personally, I'm very excited. Extremely excited, in fact. Tomorrow, I am going to take a second look at a condominium I've had my eye on for a time, and I just may put in an offer on Saturday. As you all know, I sold my house back in August and am now in a transitional phase. The condo I've looked at has everything I could ever ask for and more! I'll keep you all up to date as to how it goes. It's a little more than I had expected, but that's the housing market around here in Fresno: everything has just exploded, and we're all struggling to catch up! Professionally, I'm excited as well. I've spoken with my agents and the shows are already coming in for 2006. More so than 2005!

Back when I was in high school, a friend of mine showed me a videotape of a gentleman performing some of the most incredible magic I had ever seen. In fact, some would argue that this gentleman was one of the most influential performers of the last century. I don't know where he obtained it, but the tape was of the incomparable Fred Kaps. It was the only video I had ever seen, and it was he that inspired me to be a magician. In fact, the reason I perform the Long Salt Pour is because of Fred Kaps!

A couple of years ago, I was able to get a copy of the first DVD released about Fred Kaps, entitled "Fred Kaps: Seeing is Believing!" and I was speechless. Finally, after all these years, there was a DVD of Fred performing all his routines as well as interviews with other magicians who knew him. However, it was only available through a single source. Until now. I'm very happy to announce that Hocus Pocus is carrying "Fred Kaps: Seeing is Believing!" Believe me when I tell you that there is always more to learn. And what better way to learn than by watching the most incredible performer of them all in my opinion. With a twinkle in his eye, Fred Kaps will captivate you from the very beginning. In fact, you'll want to watch this DVD over and over again. You can even see a video clip of Fred Kaps performing at the FISM World Championship in Liege in 1961. Check it out here!


The incomparable Fred Kaps!

Do yourself a favor and check out some of the latest items appearing daily on the Hocus Pocus website, including the Locking Spirit Slates by Alan Marchese, Ambelitious Card by Masuda, and the Tossed Out Deck by Cody Fisher, all of which I give my highest recommendation!

Until next time, have a terrific weekend!

Mike