‘Tis the Season.

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving holiday. We certainly had a great time and had our fill of turkey and gravy. Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, we were slammed. I arrived at 5:00 AM, and the voice mail was completely filled on our phone, and orders stacked up online. It was the busiest day after Thanksgiving we’ve ever had! Thanks for making that happen.

On the home front, while Betty and I were at the shop, my sons and son in-law were feverishly working on putting up all our outdoor decorations. They started at 8:00 AM and worked until almost 8:00 PM! This year’s display is even more spectacular than before, and I’ll have pictures to share with you next week.

Saturday, Betty, the boys, and I decorated the house on the inside. A major undertaking, to say the least. Every year, we set up the miniature Dickens Christmas Village on top of our piano. This year, I had the bright idea of creating a new display. It turns out, my bright idea wasn’t so bright after all; I built up a platform with Styrofoam, and then covered it with snow (flocking). Next, all the houses, along with all their electrical wires to light them were installed (this process takes almost 2 hours by itself). After getting almost 80% of the display done, it began to collapse! I looked at Cole, he looked at me, and he could see my frustration, to which he calmly remarked, “Go in the other room, finish decorating, and I’ll take care of this.” He completely dismantled what we had spent hours on, and rebuilt the display as originally intended. And everything was perfect:

The Dickens Village complete

Every year since Betty and I have been married, we bought different pieces to this Dickens Village

Now last year, you may remember my story about the 8 foot nutcracker that my son and I found and brought home. Well, this year, while we were out, last weekend we found a set of life-size Christmas carolers. I guess I don’t need to tell you we brought them home.

Life-size Christmas carolers next to the Dickens Village

So, I guess you could say it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, both at Hocus Pocus and at home.

50th Anniversary Allakazam Hat Update:

Just got off the phone with Jay Leslie, and he will be delivering the 50th Anniversary Hats to Mark and Nani on Wednesday of next week. This will give them a couple of days to sign and number them, and then Mike and I will make the trip down to the Los Angeles area to pick them up. So, we’ll have them in plenty of time to ship so that you have them in time for Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas, make sure you print off your wish list and leave them around in a conspicuous place so your loved ones will come across them. As usual, we have extra staff on hand to process your orders faster than ever and various shipping options to insure your package is delivered to you on time.

So let’s deck the halls and let the holidays begin. Back next week with photos, and possible video blog from our trip to Allakazam!’

Until next time,

Paul

Happy Thanksgiving

Every year 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 without a doubt I could not have done all I have without her. For my four children: Renee, 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 that all our needs are met each and every day. 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 holiday shopping kickoff, and you can bet we’ll be here. Personally, I’ll begin the day here at about 5:30 AM based on last year’s post-Thanksgiving orders that were placed over the holiday and the day after. 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. Not a thing at all.

From all of us here at Hocus Pocus: Me, Betty, Mike, Jan, Karen, Ken, and the rest of the gang, we wish you and yours the very best of Thanksgivings!

Until next time,

Paul

50 Years of Allakazam

Last week, I told you I’d be taking a trip south to spend the day with Mark and Nani Wilson. Friday morning, Betty and I left early and arrived around 10:30 AM. We were cheerfully greeted by the Wilsons. I was especially excited about this trip for several reasons: the first was to show them the sample of the new 50th Anniversary Allakazam project and secondly, to see how their son, Greg, had reorganized their warehouse and created a mini-museum of their career. So, business first. We’ll let the rabbit out of the hat:

Almost 2 years ago, with the permission of Mark and Nani Wilson, we offered a reproduction limited edition of 50 of the original Allakazam Hat. In less than 60 days, we completely sold out of them. Even though we’ve had many requests to make it available again, no more than the original 50 will ever be made again. They have now become a highly sought-after collector’s item.

After speaking with Mark and Nani, due to the overwhelming requests for the Allakazam Hat, we have partnered with them once more to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Magic Land of Allakazam and are now able to offer you a commemorative version of the Allakazam Hat!

Unlike the first version, which stood 15″ tall x 9″ wide, this new version is a more compact size, measuring 11″ tall x 7.5″ wide, still large enough to produce silks and even a small rabbit if so desired! I was excited to show Mark and Nani the finished sample. They were both pleasantly surprised and more than pleased so they gave their blessing.

Mark and I discussing the details of the 50th Anniversary Allakazam Hat

Mark, Nani, and I finalizing the details

I am happy to announce that the hat is now available for pre-order for mid-December delivery. Thanks to Mark and Nani, it will be available to all who order before the 15th at a special price of $199.95 and will include a special authentic Magic Land of Allakazam memorabilia packet. This is a great Christmas gift and a fantastic way to honor two of magic’s most celebrated performers as they celebrate 50 years of Allakazam.

After our meeting, their son, Greg, joined us and took us on a tour of their massive warehouse. The last several months, Greg has been hard at work rearranging, cataloging, and redesigning the warehouse. He has done a tremendous job, and his hard work certainly shows! Everything is perfectly organized. If you want a Doll’s House, there are six of them! Or a Thin Model? There are two of those: one custom-built for a man, and one custom-built for a woman. No matter what illusion you can think of, there are several stored in the warehouse. All of them have been used by Mark and Nani from the beginning of their careers in theme park shows, television specials, and more! As a secondary business, they actually rent these illusions to performers, movies, and TV specials all the time. In fact, while we were there, Mark showed me a Zig Zag illusion that was used on the TV series, “Monk,” earlier last year. Mark climbed into it and then convinced me to do the same. He said that while I was inside the cabinet could he zig-zag me. Of course, I replied, “Sure.” After doing this, I have a lot more respect for all the girls who have performed this illusion.

Mark and I standing under one of the props designed for a theme park show

The Zig Zag illusion

Mark tries it on for size

Mark puts me in the Zig Zag

Mark, Greg, and Nani zig-zag me

After being cut in thirds, we walked down the aisles and Greg and Mark talked in detail about the various illusions.

Giant animated head created for a them park show

More props from the same theme park show

Greg describes one of the illusions stored in a crate

Mark pointing out one of the illusions used on the Magic Circus TV show

Doll House, Robot Girl and Stack of Boxes illusions

2 different versions of the Book of Life illusions

No matter where I look, there is so much more to see

More and more props

No matter where you look, tons of crates! If only I had time to open them all…

After Greg’s tour of the warehouse, we went upstairs to see the mini-museum. I’ll be honest with you; when I climbed the spiral stares to the second floor, my heart began to beat a little bit faster. As soon as we got to the top of the stairs, I immediately saw a display and posters of the early days of the Magic Land of Allakazam. Various props used in Mark and Nani’s early career are perfectly displayed and featured.

Looking over the first display

Look at all this cool stuff!

I feel like a kid again. All those great memories coming back…

Mark showing me Basil the Baffling Bunny’s house from the Magic Land of Allakazam

Mark tells me about the Allakazam premiums and shows me some of the earliest promotional material

This Square Circle was the first gift Nani gave to Mark before they were married

The original Allakazam Hat! Boy, if it could talk, the stories it would tell…

The master magician and his student. Can you tell I’m having one of the greatest days of my life?

One of the highlights of this mini-museum tour was when Greg and Mark showed me, in great detail, the Robot Girl illusion. This illusion was designed by Mark himself and used in trade show booths to attract attention. Way ahead of its time, this was only one of many unique trade show illusions/exhibits created by Mark Wilson, a side of Mark you may not have known about. It was a great honor for me to hear Greg and Mark share the inside workings of this incredible illusion.

Greg and Mark sharing the inside info on the Robot Girl

As well as being a magical performer and designer of trade show exhibits, Mark has also been involved with many companies like Burger King. He actually created the magical Burger King character and designed a magic show that traveled all over promoting Burger King restaurants. In one corner of the museum, Greg displayed many props that were used specifically for the Burger King Magic Show. I even got to sit in the Magical Burger King’s throne.

King for a day!

Just when I thought I had seen everything there was to see upstairs, Greg pulled back the black velvet curtains at the back of the room and showed me metal cabinets that were filled with what had to be thousands of magic props, gimmicks, and accessories spanning his parents’ performing years, all perfectly boxed and labeled. I was truly impressed with amount of work Greg put into this massive undertaking. And speaking of Greg’s hard work, he allowed me to see the new Magic University web site, which will go live very soon! I’m excited about the changes he’s made and I’m sure that those of you who are already alumni, will be as well. For those of you who have not yet joined, stay tuned to our web site for a major announcement shortly.

I’ve said it before and it’s true: this building is a real time capsule of Mark and Nani’s life and career. It’s all in here from the very beginning to the present! In a couple of weeks, I’ll be going back to pick up the 50th Anniversary Allakazam Hats, once the Wilsons are finished signing them, and I’ll be bringing Mike with me this time, and he’ll have his Flip video camera at the ready. We’ll be able to give you a video tour and perhaps even an interview right here on the blog!

It was definitely one of the best days of my life, and one that I’ll never forget. It seemed like we had just arrived and before I knew it, it was time to go. Thanks, Mark, Nani, and Greg, for an unforgettable day, and for all you’ve done and continue to do for the magic community!

Until next time,

Paul

On the Road to Allakazam

Who’d have ever thought that when I was five years-old watching the TV show “The Magic Land of Allakazam” that I would ever imagine calling the stars of the show my friends? I’m excited because tomorrow morning, Betty and I will be heading south to spend the day with Mark and Nani Wilson. While we’re there, their son, Greg, will give us a guided tour of the new upstairs museum he created filling it with memorabilia of his parents’ long career in magic. He’s also completely remodeled their massive warehouse, and I can’t wait to see what he’s done. While we’re there, we’ll also be finalizing the special 50th Anniversary Allakazam product we’ll be offering exclusively here at Hocus Pocus. I have the finished sample that I’ll be bringing with me to show the Wilsons and we’ll send an email out within the week with a special promotional offer for it. If you’re an online member, you’ll get advanced notification before anyone else, so stay tuned. I’m very excited about this new project as I’m sure many of you will be as well. Of course, I’ll be taking photos for next week’s blog along with a full report.

A big thanks to all of you who participated in our Private Estate/Collectible event. Of the 229 items posted, over 85% sold in less than 5 days! We’re actively preparing for the next list, which I have all good intent of sending out before the end of this month. This will be the third list sent and there will be even more great items that are hard to find, in some cases. Remember to get first dibs you must be an online member to receive your advanced notification.

As you may have noticed, we now have Paul Harris’ Little Man available on our site for pre-order. I spent last week with the distributors and got the inside information on this product. Trust me when I tell you, this might just be the best thing Paul has ever released! A lump of clay that becomes alive could very well be the closest thing to real magic you’ve ever seen. Judging by the many pre-orders we’ve already taken, many of you agree. Imagine how your spectators will react! As a bonus to all who pre-order, we’re offering a bonus $100.00 gift package. For more information, check it out HERE!

The holidays are here! In less than 2 weeks, we’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving, and Christmas will be here before you know it. I’ve created a special category called “Holiday Magic Tricks.” There, you’ll find a great selection of specially selected items that are perfect for your holiday shows. I’m particularly excited about the new Razamatazz Magic holiday effects as they really know what works well for kid shows. The artwork and graphics and quality of products is more than impressive and a great value. We’re very honored to be their exclusive dealer.

Speaking of the holidays, many of you have already started planning ahead and have kept us extremely busy. We’re gearing up and making sure that our inventory levels can accommodate the upcoming holiday rush.  Anything we can do to expedite your orders or holiday gift buying, just let us know.

So it’s on to Allakazam we go. See you next week.

Until next time,

Paul

Carl Ballantine 1922-2009

It’s rare in our lives when we have the opportunity to meet those who we’ve admired, revered, and respected. To have the opportunity to call them friends is even more rare. I had that rare privilege of meeting Carl Ballantine several years ago in Hollywood, thanks to my good friend, Robert Baxt. Carl had befriended Robert, and I remember the day Robert told me of their meeting. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen Carl’s act, and the fact that he and Robert were friends was icing on the cake. It was only a matter of time that Carl and I met, as it was a custom that Robert and I met for lunch several times a year at Musso & Frank’s in Hollywood, along with several other friends and performers. Imagine my delight when Robert told me that a very special guest would be joining us for lunch on a particular Musso & Frank’s outing a few years ago. And so it began, a friendship with the great Carl Ballantine. Each and every time thereafter, Carl would join us for lunch, sit at the head of the table, and hold court over all of us, and keep us laughing in hysterics. Always ordering his favorite flannel cakes and giving the waiter a “hard time” in good fun. He told us stories of his days as a performer, and I would marvel at the fact that he remembered specific details of those he performed with.

As many of you may or may not know, Carl was also a television and film actor as well. One of my favorite stories was when Carl made a film with Elvis Presley. During a break, stepping out of his trailer, Carl noticed a brand new Cadillac convertible. As he walked around and admired it, Elvis walked up and asked him if he liked his brand new car. Without missing a beat, Carl said that he loved it. Elvis looked at him, tossed him the keys, and said, “Then it’s yours, Mr. Ballantine.” Elvis GAVE Carl the car! To which Carl replied as only Carl could, “If I had known he was going to be so famous, I would have held onto that car and never sold the damned thing.”

Betty, Gerald Kirchner, Carl, Me, and Chuck Kirchner backstage at the Magic Castle

One of my favorite photos of Mike and Carl clowning around

One of our many customary lunches at Musso & Frank’s

Over the years, Carl stayed busy, still performing his magic act when asked, acting, and doing voice-over work. Two years ago, although having had to have a pacemaker put in, it didn’t stop him. In 2007, Carl was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from his peers at the Academy of Magical Arts and as recently as last year, he was awarded one of the top ten most funny magic acts today! No matter how many times I’ve watched him perform, I always found myself laughing out loud at some of the things he did, even when I knew what was coming. His timing and comic stylings were unmatched. No one else could make a magic-act-that-goes-wrong look so good. Lots of people don’t know that Carl was actually an accomplished magician who had a true love for the art of magic. There just aren’t many like Carl left: true performers and legends of magic. I’m very thankful for the day that Robert Baxt introduced me to Carl, and I’m honored to have been able to call Carl my friend. If I could wish for one thing, selfishly, I would have wished that I could have met him sooner.

At 92 years old, Carl had a good run and leaves behind  legacy of great memories and laughter. What else could you ask for? We’ll all miss you at lunch at Musso & Frank’s, Carl, and the guy I bought your cigars from is going to wonder what happened to me. Thank you for everything.

Please enjoy a couple of YouTube videos I found and see why “this kid’s dynamite”:

Until next time,

Paul

Vampires?

As I sit here on Halloween Eve, I thought I’d share a little story with you: My youngest son, Max, in an effort to raise extra cash to customize his 1969 Chevy Nova, applied for a seasonal job at the Spirit Halloween Store. These are national franchise stores that temporarily open for the months of September and October as a mega Halloween outlet. Max was excited when his application was approved and his employment began. We find the stories extremely interesting about some of the customers he waits on. For instance, the other day, a woman came into the store and was looking to buy a vampire cape. Max waited on her and she asked if she could try the cape on. Max replied, “No problem,” and pointed out to where the dressing rooms were. This is where the story gets bizarre. She very seriously explained to Max that she was a vampire. A REAL vampire. Max just replied, “OK.” After all, his father owns a magic shop so he pretty much has heard it all. But she was adamant. She repeated “I’m a real vampire.” She wanted to warn Max because when she came out of the dressing room to admire herself in the mirror, she didn’t want him to be startled when he noticed she had no reflection. So into the dressing room she went, and when she came out with her cape, they went to the mirror. She was surprised when Max said that he could see her reflection. Oh well. So much for real vampires…

Another customer offered him a black Bic lighter and told him it possessed special powers to cast spells. Quite an education so far for Max. Tonight he works until 11:00 PM and until 8:00 PM tomorrow night. I’ll bet he’ll have some real doozies to tell us that Betty and I can’t wait to hear.

Last week, we told you about the Big List that is going out tonight. I’ve almost driven Mike to a mental breakdown as we finalized, alphabetized, numbered, and made the final preparations. There are 230 items up for grabs on this list, and let me tell you: there is something for everyone as this is just one part of the overall list; there are over 2000 items in this collection! I got a lot of emails and phone calls after last week’s vlog as some of you were able to scout out some jewels for yourselves. The link to the list will be sent to all online members tonight at 6:00 PM, so if you’re still not an online member and want to get in on the action, you still have time to join!

News from the Magic Land of Allakazam

Very excited about the next project to come from our good friends Mark and Nani Wilson. I can’t tip it yet but I will tell you that it’s going to be a limited edition product to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Magic Land of Allakazam! Wow! It’s hard to believe it’s been 50 years! Betty and I will be traveling south in two weeks to spend the day with Mark and Nani and to finalize the details. While we’re there, we’re going to take a tour of the new upstairs mini-museum that their son, Greg, has worked so hard at putting together. Their entire warehouse is like a time capsule of their lives as performers. I can’t wait to see what Greg has done, and Betty and I look forward to spending the day with Mark and Nani.

So Long, Soupy

I couldn’t end the blog without saying so long to Soupy Sales. I don’t know about you guys, but Soupy Sales was a big part of my life growing up as a kid. I never missed a Soupy Sales show. Who could forget dancing to the mouse? And White Fang, the dog that played practical jokes. And no one could take a pie in the face better than Soupy. A huge part of Americana is gone now that Soupy Sales has left us. So, so long, Soupy and thanks for the laughs and the great memories.

So, tomorrow’s Halloween. Watch out for the vampires, and don’t forget to turn your clocks back 1 hour tomorrow night.

Until next week,

Paul

The Big List

You may remember several months ago, I told you that we acquired a rather large private collection. We had prepared a partial list and sent it out to Online Members, and the response was tremendous, and we appreciate all your support. So many of you have asked since then when the next list will be coming out. Your wait is almost over. There are literally thousands of items and a collection of this size is a major undertaking. First, you must make sure that all the items are complete with all parts and instructions, if available. It’s an arduous task, at best, and very time-consuming. Thankfully, my good friend, Steve Dick, from Southern California, was available to come and help us out. Steve is an expert in rare, collectible, and used magic, and someone whose opinion I value. So, for days on end, Steve helped to catalogue, price and inventory the next grouping of items. So, hold onto your hats and buckle your seat belts; the next list will be sent out on Friday evening, October 30th. Important to note: the only way to gain access to this list is to become an online member, which is completely free. The secret link will be sent to you via email. So, if you are not yet an online member, you still have time to sign up HERE! Just to show you we’re not kidding about how large this collection is, Mike and I filmed a short video tour. Enjoy.

Until next time,

Paul

An Amazing Weekend

The title says it all; last Friday I took my family to Hollywood, California to celebrate my son, Cole’s, 21st birthday. We arrived around noon and checked into our hotel and spent the day walking around Hollywood Boulevard. We had lunch at Musso and Frank’s, and it was fantastic. On the way back, we stopped at the Kodak Center and one of my personal favorites, Grauman’s Chinese Theater, to look at all the famous foot and handprints. My son in-law even stopped to take his photo with Houdini’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Standing in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theater

Checking out all the famous foot and handprints

George Burns

My daughter, Renee and Marilyn Monroe

Jonathan and Renee with Snoop Dog

Houdini’s star

After our sightseeing tour, it was time to get ready for dinner at the Magic Castle for an evening celebration. We were joined for dinner by Mark and Nani Wilson and Mark Nelson. Special thanks to Nani and Mark for enabling us to use the Houdini Seance Room for our dinner. It made the evening even more special taking in the atmosphere of the room.

After dinner, we enjoyed the Palace of Mystery show watching Mike Caveney and Tina Lenert and then the Parlor of Prestidigitation. Afterwards, Robert Baxt took on the role as our official Magic Castle tour guide, showing Cole and the rest of the first-time Castle visitors. Visiting invisible Irma is always one of the highlights for anyone who’s never been to the Castle before. Amanda tried to stump her, requesting various Barry White songs, but Irma didn’t disappoint.

Cole, Amanda, me, Betty, Renee and Jonathan ready for the Castle

Our dinner guests, Nani and Mark Wilson in the Houdini Seance Room

Renee and Jonathan

Betty and I

The whole gang with our Mark Wilson “magic hands” pose

Cole and Amanda, first-time Castle goers turned 21

The next morning, I was up bright and early to attend the Magic Castle Swap Meet to check out the goods and meet with old friends.

My friend Jeff Peterson, all the way from Las Vegas, to sell and swap

Kevin Curtain, creator of Devil’s Cola Bottle and Devil’s Pitcher, discussing his next big thing

After the Swap Meet, I loaded all the treasures into my car and all of us headed over to Beverly Hills to Katz’s Deli for a great lunch. Then, it was down the street to our must-stop-every-time-we-go-to-Hollywood Crumb’s Bakery, where they have the most unbelievable cupcakes. After that, it was down the street to Sprinkle’s Cup Cakes because, well, you can never have too many cup cakes, right? It’s a toss-up; Betty likes Sprinkle’s and I like Crumb’s. It’s called compromise.

The showcase at Crumb’s

After a great lunch and cupcakes in hand, it was back to our hotel to put on our tuxedos and evening gowns to head to Santa Monica for the World Magic Awards. We arrived at 3:45 at the Barker Hangar where we were greeted by old friends and illusionists, Richard and Josette Burr. I’ve never been to the taping of a live TV show before, and it was a very fun experience. There was a pre-show party and a red carpet runway. Everyone took their seats and the show began promptly at 5:00 and, for the next 2 hours, we had the pleasure of watching some of the best magicians in the world performing their magic. The show ended exactly at 7:00 with an after party that followed with a huge food buffet, live DJ, and more. The World Magic Awards will be aired on November 26th, so check your local stations for more details; you don’t want to miss this show!

Alyssa, Richard, and Josette Burr greet us at the pre-show party

Me with my daughter, Renee, the lady in red

The whole gang ready to go

Pre-show party in Barker’s Hangar

Red carpet runway

Ruta Lee on the runway

Robert Wagner and Jill St. John, the hosts of the awards

The stage before the show

Seats begin to fill up

Almost show time

Huge confetti shower after the show

One of the decorations inside the party tent

Magical cake

The party’s almost over

Cole hangs out with Dos Equis, the World’s Most Interesting Man

Renee and Ed Alonzo

Betty and I with Ed Alonzo

They say all good things must come to an end, and it was time to call it a night. We got back into our car and drove home for 3 hours. We arrived back in Fresno a little after midnight. It was quite a weekend and one I know that all of us will remember. Special thanks to everyone who made this weekend possible. You know who you are.

Until next time,

Paul

Magic Castle Bound

This week has gone by faster than ever, thanks to the many orders you’ve sent our way. Our “Bang For Your Bucks” promotion was a huge success, and so many of you took advantage of the deals and discounts that were offered. Speaking of great deals, you have until tomorrow night at midnight to snag Larry Becker’s Versadex Wallet for an incredible $100.00-off discount! That’s right; the regular price is $124.95, but you can buy yours for only $24.95! Insane? Yes. But what the heck! Check it out HERE! This is just the beginning of some great deals we’ll be offering you over the next few months. Believe me when I tell you there’s gonna be some real money saved in your pocket on some great items! So stay tuned.

Magic Castle Bound

Tomorrow, we’ll be heading south to the Magic Castle to attend the Fall Swap Meet. This visit is a little more special than others as we’re celebrating my oldest son, Cole’s 21st birthday. It a tradition in the Gross family to take each son or daughter to the Magic Castle when they turn 21. So off we’ll go: Betty, Cole, Cole’s girlfriend who just turned 21 Amanda, my daughter Renee and her husband Jonathan, and me. The exciting part is that it will be the first time for Cole, Amanda, and Jonathan, and they’re all looking forward to it. We’ll be joined by Mark and Nani Wilson, Robert and Yumi Baxt, and Mark Nelson for an early dinner and then we’ll catch all the shows and give them an extensive tour of all the Castle’s nooks and crannies. Saturday morning, we’ll get up early and attend the Swap Meet and then back to our hotel to get dressed in black tie and drive to Santa Monica to attend the World Magic Awards. This show will be taped that afternoon to be aired in November. The lineup for this event is some of the best in the magic business, and we’re all looking forward to the event. I’ll report more next week.

The Big Event

I promised you all last week that I would reveal this week, the special guest lecturer for the Big Event here at Hocus Pocus Saturday, February 27th, 2010. Before I give you the name, I want to give you a brief description of what we’re planning. This will be like a miniature convention, somewhat like we’ve held in the past. There will be a huge display of magic for sale, including thousands of items from our own collectible and private estate collection. There’ll be things here you haven’t seen but more about this later. Now I’ll reveal the 2 special lecturers. Yep, not 1 but 2:

Michael Ammar

We are extremely excited that Michael Ammar has signed on to be our featured lecturer. Michael’s new lecture has been garnering rave reviews amongst both attendees and professionals in the industry, and we look forward to his visit. 

Lee Alex

Lee Alex, master quick-change illusionist is our other lecturer, coming to us from the other side of the globe. Lee won the Merlin Award Illusionist of the Year, 2009. Author of the book, Time for a Change as well as quick-change products he’s marketed, this is an exciting opportunity to experience a completely new kind of lecture and learn about the art of the quick change.

Important details about the big event: Many of you are asking how much it will cost to attend. Here’s the answer: Nothing, nada, zero! It’s a free event but there’s a catch: Seating for the lectures will be limited so register now and call us at 800-407-4040 or 559-266-5150. We expect a monstrous turnout, so don’t be left out; February’s not that far away. I have other plans for this day but until they are confirmed, this is all I can reveal at the moment.

Dean Dill Update

Many of you have asked me about how Dean has been doing. I received this letter from Dean the other day and he has asked that I share it with all of you:

Paul,

Thanks so much for the checks and your never ending friendship and support. I am doing well. I have had 2 Chemo sessions. First 4 1/2 hrs under the needle and the second 5 1/2 hrs. Sounds pretty spooky huh? Actually I have had minimal side effects. Feeling pretty good most of the time. I am even at the Shoppe a few days a week. Radiation every weekday. Will do that for 26 to 30 days. Once they feel that the tumor has shrunk enough I will have surgery to remove the cancer. Then 6 more months of Chemo just to make sure.

My spirits are very good. The Lord has given me peace of mind and strength. That is all I pray for. The situation is for my good and
others around me. Suffering makes us strong and gives us compassion for others who go through trying times. I love you Paul and your team of people. You have always been there for me in special ways.

I took the addresses of the people who donated and will write thank you notes.

See ya and give Betty a hug for me.

Dean

We continually pray and keep Dean in our thoughts. We thank you as well as Dean for your continued support and well-wishes.

So that about wraps it up for this week. I’ve gotten lots of positive comments about the vlog (video blog) we did a while back so next week, Mike is going to fire up the camera and we’ll give you a video tour of some of the cool things living in our showroom floor.

As always, until next time,

Paul

Quite the Week

Quite the week is quite the understatement. Starting Monday, we hosted a Robert Baxt lecture. We had a great turnout. and Robert was in top form and kept his audience captivated and in stitches. Robert highlighted many of his signature effects and routines, shared stories, and talked about his philosophy on comedy magic. Robert proved that he is the master of “Packs Small, Plays Big,” always mindful of minimal set up. He even debuted his new effect, Baxt’s Lime in Coconut, Robert’s version of the classic Orange, Lemon, Egg, Canary routine. Typical of Robert’s thinking and creativity, now, anyone can perform this effect without the hassles of a live bird, real fruit, etc. We are pleased that Robert gave us the exclusive on this routine, and you can find out more about it HERE.

A packed house for Robert Baxt

Robert talks about his philosophy on comedy magic

Robert performs his hilarious mouth coil routine

The famous Sucker Silk to Soda Can

Robert performs his version of Cards Across with dollar bills

Robert debuted his Lime in Coconut

Tim Wisseman came in on Tuesday with a new effect that will be advertised on our web site early next week. As many of you know, Tim is the creator of some of the coolest bizarre magic effects we’ve ever had the pleasure of carrying. So much so, that he has his very own category on our web site. And speaking of Tim, Halloween is only a few weeks away, so you might want to check out Tim’s Dead Ringer Spirit Bell, Spirit Telegraph, Butcher’s Blade for your upcoming Halloween and/or seance shows.

Last week, we talked about the Hocus Pocus Big Event that we were thinking of scheduling for this November. The plans have changed and the new date set in cement is Saturday, February 27th, 2010. We booked one of the most influential and popular magic entertainers and lecturers to highlight this all-day event at Hocus Pocus. Next week, I’ll tip the performer’s name and a little more details of this special event. If you’d like to reserve your space for this event now, please feel free to do so by calling toll-free 800-407-4040 or locally, 559-266-5150.We are very excited about this event and the fact that we were able to book this entertainer, and I know you will be too.

Last weekend, Betty and I took a short trip to a town called Visalia with not really anything in mind, just a spur of the moment trip. While driving, we spotted and old nursery. Of course, I had to pull over and check it out. It was just by chance that I saw it because it was overgrown and not easy to spot. Going inside, we found a huge display of plants, flowers, and shrubs, and in the back, a cement statue of the mythical character, Pan. Seeing this, I immediately knew I had a place for it near my Koi pond. As we loaded it into the car, I noticed that there was a place to attach a pump on its base, making it into a fountain. So, tomorrow morning, my son in-law, Jonathan and I are going to set it up. I’m excited to see it in its final place and will be a real accent for the entire garden.

Next week, the big Fresno Fair begins. Wednesday, to be exact. Betty and I will be attending and hopefully, we’ll get to see old friends who perform there. Even Mike’s band, Midnight Run, the Sounds of Journey, will be playing there on the 16th and 17th! I can’t wait.

Until next time,

Paul