November 3, 2007
Here's what's in this edition of
Jheff's Marketplace of the Mind Newsletter
*** SHH . . . SNEAKY HANDWRITING HANDBOOK - Lincolnworld
*** REAL GHOST last call
To make a purchase of any item in the JMOM newsletter,
please go to http://www.MarketplaceoftheMind.com
and use the shopping cart. If you're unable to do
this, you may respond to this e-mail.
To make sure you've not been missing any newsletters, check
out my blog, which is accessible from the main page. All of
the recent past newsletters are archived there.
*********
I don't have much time to get this newsletter out as I'm
minutes away from attending my cousin's wedding. However, I
had to let you know about Real Ghost. As I speak, they are
on their way to me. I may be able to get a few extra if I
order by Monday, but after that my distributor will be out
and I will not be able to get any more. Real Ghost will NOT
be discontinued, but will only be available directly from
its creator, Chris Taylor (or other dealers who may have
stocked up).
The deadline is Sunday night, November 4. After that, I
will not be able to get any more. There are more details
about the pre-order below. I will definitely be posting my
comments on Real Ghost, but I fear it will be way too late
for you to order from me by that time. I can say that I've
seen it in action and it is impressive. I can say that
Chris Taylor is a good guy in terms of handling issues that
you may have with your Real Ghost. I will be unable to
replace or repair any units, and all inquiries along that
nature will have to be directed to Chris.
As to the special two-hour Halloween episode of Phenomenon,
in many ways it was much better than the premiere episode.
And, yes, I do have opinions on the Jim Callahan/Angel spat
that happened. For those who don't know yet, after Jim
performed an effect in which he spoke to the dead, Angel
thought it was "comical" and challenged both Jim and Uri to
tell him what the contents are in an envelope he had. Jim
started angrily answering back, both voices were censored,
and a commercial break interrupted them.
To me, it's obvious that this was expected. Not staged, but
expected. Jim knew he was being hired for his work as a
medium. Angel publicly said he'd denounce anyone who
claimed to be a genuine medium. So the producers had
certainly set-up a confrontation. The problem is that I
don't think Jim had the best response and he could have done
so beautfully. (See the Internet forums as there as some
wonderful responses that would have really put Criss in his
place.) And there is no doubt that Criss was in the wrong
for what he did. Challenging Jim apparently violated his
contractual promises to the contestants that he wouldn't
them. Challening Uri was an even bigger mistake. Just what
was he thinking?
Ah, well. We'll see what happens next week.
As to new stuff not on my site yet, I do have Black's
Magic's School Daze and a bunch of products from Aldo and
Rachel Colombini. Aldo and Rachel have recently dumped the
distributors so that they can sell all of their stuff at $10
apiece, including DVDs. It's a great ploy and they do have
some very interesting stuff. Apparently, the distributor
has made a deal with them, because some of their $10
products are now available to me through the distributor.
Right now, I have four of their newer products --
Elimination, Treasure Hunt, Zodiac Code, and Stage Presence.
I know I won't be carrying all of them and I'm hoping to
send out my comments on these this weekend.
**** CHRISTOPHER TAYLOR'S REAL GHOST PRE-ORDER
Quite a few people have asked me about me about this offer,
so let me clarify a few things. Chris told me that he
shipped a limited quantity over to Alakazam in England. Of
that quantity, many will be shipped to the U.S. distributor
that I use. They have not received them yet. Once those
are
gone, they will be unavailable through me. They will still
be available directly from Chris, though.
Another question I got was from Marketplace Members who
wondered if they can obtain an additional discount as a
member. The answer is yes, of course. The Real Ghost does
not have a special sale price on it. It is my usual
discounted price. It's just I'm offering it before I've
officially received any so that subscribers/customers can
take advantage of the offer. Also, I can't guarantee that
everyone will be getting theirs as I'm fairly sure that due
to demand I may not get my entire order. I'm certainly
doing my best and I am devising a "plan B" but before I
can't say anything more until I know I can make it happen."
Okay, I think that answers all the questions I've gotten.
Here, again, is that offer:
One breakout hit at this year's con was Christopher Taylor's
Real Ghost. Chris sold out of all the units he had brought
with him. Normally, I don't like expensive electronic items
because they are unpredictable and not necessarily more
powerful than a strong routine using inexpensive props from
an office supply store. But this gizmo is something that I
really like.
So, I will be getting Real Ghost and I will be able to
provide a discount. The catch is that my supply will be
quite limited and it will be first come, first served. I
don't know how many I will be able to get, but I will do my
best to fill the order I do get for it. After my supply is
gone, it will be exclusively available from Christopher
Taylor. If you want one from me, then you will have to
order now. I'm not sure when they will arrive, but it will
be soon. So, don't wait.
http://www.marketplaceofthemind.com/real_ghost.html
**** PAST NEWSLETTERS NOW ON-LINE
Finally, I broke down and just decided to be plain lazy.
Instead of taking the time to re-format the newsletters and
make them all pretty looking for the blog, I decided I'd
rather spend the time on other more important things like,
oh, keeping the website up to date with the current
mentalism products and my comments. Right now, I'm only
posting the 2007 newsletters. Perhaps, in time, I'll put
more up.
So, there's a whole new section where you can see all the
past newsletters. If you subscribed and aren't receiving
them, either check to make sure that the newsletters aren't
being considered spam by your Internet provider, or
re-subscribe (which is the easiest).
***** MARKETPLACE MEMBERSHIP CLUB
The new issue of Jheff's Journal of the Mind spotlights
Mark Strivings, one of mentalism's most prolific creators
and most famous as the creator of the SUC case, which
pros use. To get this issue, you need to buy a membership
in the Marketplace of the Mind. For the $37 cost you get a
subscription to the 2007 issues of Jheff's Journal of the
Mind, an all-new e-zine for mentalists, and an additional
5% discount off merchandise from the Marketplace of the
Mind. There will also be specials and other stuff
throughout the year. Check out the preview edition
of the Bonus #0 issue featuring Jack Kent Tillar. Go to
the website and click on the banner at the top. Or use
the link below.
Check it out here:
www.marketplaceofthemind.com/jmmc.html
***** THE FRIENDS OF THE MARKETPLACE
Don't forget to check out the new Friends of the Marketplace
section. This is for those creators who are producing
wonderful products that I don't carry. This is because, to
save overhead, I order as needed from my distributor, and
these creators aren't mass distributing it. If you'd like
me to review your product and help you sell it, then you'll
find details about the Friends of the Marketplace program on
the website. There's a button on the left hand side for you
to click on.
Patrick Redford's unique TRIANGLE has been recently added as
well as more than a dozen of Bob Cassidy's e-books.
Also new to the section are Ron Martin's THE TAROT READER'S
NOTEBOOK, a must-have for Tarot readers; Enrique Enriquez's
incredible book on readings, INVISIBLE READINGS; Loren
Tindall's beautiful new THE DELPHI PORTAL, which is a
must-have prop for anyone who is a reader; and Gene
Nielsen's THE MAGICK YEARS, a jam-packed e-book filled with
over 70 professional and varied routines.
Remember, I don't make a dime on this stuff. I do this
because I think the stuff is very good and worth it.
http://www.jheff.com/friendsofthemarketplace.html
Until next time. -- Jheff
*********
LINCOLNWORLD
SHH... THE SNEAKY HANDWRITING HANDBOOK #1
JMOM Price: $45
Suggested Retail Price: $50
THE BLURB:
All you need to know about the SWAMI is on this 2 Disc DVD
set.
DVD 1 - Performances, explanations, tips
A sample of what you will learn:
* Make a spectator think they have ESP!
* Getting started and ditching your "NW"
* Practice tips to get you up to speed quickly.
* What to do when someone says "SHOW ME FIRST"
* How to personalize for maximum effect
* The invisible display
* What to write on
* Special Wallet and Envelope work
* How to generate more gigs with "Shh..."
DVD 2 - Learn even more from:
Andy Nyman
* Get the most out of your mentalism
* Connect with your audience
* Strengthen your persona
* And more...
Greg Arce
* How to create a higher level of realism
* Be wrong and look right
* Special "NW" routines
* And more...
Jon Stetson
* How to get the most out of pre-show work
* Improve the "real you"
* Peeking tips
* And more...
Francis Menotti
* Non-mentalism use for the SWAMI
* Develop your own personal style
* Bring out your creativity
* And more...
"Lincoln produces one of the finest boon style writers,
ever. Now, he has produced a DVD to match with plenty of
ideas and discussions with some of his very creative friends
on the subject of mentalism. If you are a mentalist and
don't do nailwriting now--you should, and starting with
Lincoln's excellent boonwriter and this DVD is a great place
to be. If you use nailwriting, you should definitely check
both out!"
-Allen Zingg Mentalist and Creator of Allen Zingg's Master
Course in Billets (four volume DVD set)
"I have always been a fan of Lincoln's Best Boon writer. It
really is the best I have ever seen. Lincoln knows the
importance of making a personal connection with spectators,
and the routine by Greg Arce alone is worth the price."
- Kenton Knepper
"I can recommend "Shh... The Sneaky Handwriting Handbook
vol.1" without reservation. And this is true whether or not
you have or ever plan to use a NW as I'll explain in a
moment.
Lincoln takes to the streets and shows you performances of
10 effects with his LBB. You get to see some seriously
strong spontaneous reactions from a variety of people. One
of my favorite NW effects is here; Greg Arce's Adams
Prediction.
Lincoln is a very enjoyable performer to watch in action and
he demonstrates a wide range of effects possible with a NW.
But these 10 effects are the small tip of a large iceberg.
With a NW and the info shared on these DVDs, the number of
effects possible is truly infinite.
The explanation section on "Shh.." is thorough and full of
great ideas to inspire your own creativity. Lincoln shows
the nuts and bolts of the LBB and how to get the most out of
it. The majority of this section, though, is applicable to
any NW.
Lincoln shares a ton of subtleties about everything from how
to display the card after writing to how to effectively
personalize each performance. Using a NW with a variety of
envelopes and wallets is explored. He gives solid
information on how to manage participants in different
circumstances, including some interesting ideas about what
to do if they insist, "show me yours first!" All this on the
first disk.
As good as this all is, and it is very good, it is disk 2
that I'm most excited about. And this disk is why I
mentioned above that everyone will want "Shh…"
Disk 2 is comprised of four interviews. Lincoln "stalks"
four mentalists; Andy Nyman, Greg Arce, Francis Menotti and
Jon Stetson and talks with them extensively about anything
and everything to do with mentalism.
The interviews are casual and wonderful. There is so much
good information shared I wouldn't know where to start. It
is pure pleasure to see and hear these gentlemen talk about
what they know and love best. And for that we have to thank
Lincoln. Profusely."
-Bill Cushman
MY COMMENTS:
With the resources that Lincoln has available to him, this
disc could have been so much more than it turned out to be.
On the one hand, it is a disappointment. On the other,
there is valuable information here so that I can recommend
this to any mentalist, but not for the reasons that it
should be recommended.
There are two discs and the biggest problem is that the two
discs seem to be different DVD titles. The blurb proclaims
that "All you need to know about the SWAMI is on this 2 Disc
DVD set" and the cover clearly states that it is "the
greatest collection of SWAMI information on one disc." If
one is going to make claims like that, then one better
produce it. And this is hardly the "greatest collection" or
an encyclopedia of Swami info.
Lincoln is certainly a charismatic and charming performer.
It's certainly fun to see him work. And Lincoln's Best Boon
is, indeed, a superbly designed gimmick. The information on
the Swami on this DVD, though, is pretty basic. This is
certainly a good primer for those who've never used a Swami
gimmick (or similar device). For instance, Lincoln
discusses how to use a boon writer, but fails to display and
discuss the swami or thumb tip writer and their differences.
The effects are certainly strong, but basic. Anyone with a
Swami can come up with these routines. Also, most of these
routines seem suited to walkaround or close-up. Lincoln
does provide some good presentational tips, but doesn't
offer more creatively advanced uses for the Swami. For
examples of this, check out Barrie Richardson's A Boon for
All Seasons, which is still the best single book on the
subject (and not mentioned on the DVD, by the way).
Finally, the whole thing feels more like a sales promo, or
instruction manual, for Lincoln's Best Boon, than a general
DVD on Swami work.
It is the second disc that is what I'd recommend purchasing
this for. It's interviews with four mentalists who, with
the exception of Andy Nyman, haven't given in-depth
interviews like this on a widely distributed product.
Lincoln certainly know what questions to asks and the
conversations are extremely enjoyable and incredibly
enlightening and useful. Unfortunately, very little of it
has to do with Swami work. It would have been very easy to
begin with the topic of Swamis and then move into other
areas. It is all too obvious that Lincoln included these
interviews, wonderful as they are, to ensure sales of this
product, because purchasers will know the other names while
Lincoln is an unknown.
Lincoln is a good guy and very talented and it really
saddens me that he put out a product which could have lived
up its incredible potential, yet fails to do what is
promised to buyers. Still, for experienced mentalists, it
is certainly worth it for the interviews and, for those who
aren't experienced with swamis, it's worth it for the basic
info on swami writing, too.
*********
To make a purchase of any item in the JMOM newsletter,
please go to http://www.MarketplaceoftheMind.com
and use the shopping cart. If you're unable to do
this, you may respond to this e-mail.
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