October 28, 2008
Here's what's in this edition of
Jheff's Marketplace of the Mind Newsletter
*** THE TOMMY PAD - Thom Bleasdale
*** RECIPE - Hiro Sakai
*** MAGIC FROM THE OVERGROUND - Paul Hallas
*** OICUFESP & MINDESPA - Howard Adams
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 the website. All of the recent past newsletters are
archived there.
*********
Okay, I really don't want too sound political and I don't
want this newsletter to come out sounding like I'm endorsing
one candidate over another, but the political season brings
out some very creative videos.
My favorite of this election season though is the one that
Ron Howard made. I'll warn you. This is a pro-Obama video
and, as I said, just because I mention this video doesn't
necessarily mean I'm endorsing him. However, Ron's video is
great in a nostalgic and humorous way. If you're a fan of
Richie Cunningham, the Fonz, Andy Taylor, and Opie, you'll
be grinning for quite some time after watching this as Ron
Howard, Andy Griffith, and Henry Winkler revisit characters
they haven't played in decades. Please note that this video
relates to the U.S. election and viewers outside the U.S.
may have difficulty viewing it.
Here's the link:
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/cc65ed650d
Okay, now back to mentalism . . .
**** IMPORTANT CHANGE FOR INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS
I've had to change the shipping charge policy for
international orders. Since the price increases earlier
this year, I've allowed international customers to make
choices. Unfortunately, this has proved disastrous. For
example, I've had several customers order using the Flat
Rate Envelope Priority Mail option, however the items would
not fit into that envelope. Several orders have been lost
or seriously delayed with the standard air mail option.
So, from now on, international customers will automatically
get the priority mail option. I can certainly accomodate
cheaper shipping methods, but you'll have to e-mail first
before you order and I can tell you what they are so we can
work out the best and most inexpensive way to mail the
stuff. If you think an order can fit into a flat rate
envelope, write to me and I'll let you know if that
option can be used. Just contact me first.
Hopefully, this will work out, but things may change.
**** PASSAGES: TED LESLEY & NICK TROST
For those who haven't heard, we've lost two great talents
recently. Ted Lesley, author of Paranormal and creator of
many distinguished effects, as well as a great entertainer,
passed away. Also, Nick Trost, known for his packet effects
and some really great ESP and mentalism card effects, passed
away.
**** MINDVENTION SPECIAL
For those going to Mindvention, if you'd like me to bring
you some stuff (and save on postage), I'll be more than
happy to. Here's the deal: Order anything and you'll get an
additional 15% off my price or 25% off the MSRP. The only
catch is that I must have your want list by Nov. 2 or I may
not be able to have those items for you. Simply write me
and I'll e-mail you back on how to order it and get the
special price. Some items I may suggest not getting, such
as Hilford's stuff because I know he'll be selling it at the
con cheaper than I can.
I hope to have another newsletter out later this week. But
you can always check my website as I usually update products
there first.
**** MONSTER MENTALISM SPECIAL RETURNS!
I have a few sets left of the most talked about DVD set of
the year. So, for a limited time, I'll offer that special
again. You can get an additional 15% off for a total of 25%
off the Suggested Retail Price. This offer will last until
the few that I have on my shelf are sold and then the
discount below will be deactivated again. You can save even
more if you're a subscriber to Journal of the Mind.
To take advantage, use "DOCC" (without the quotes) as the
coupon code. Make sure you see the discount before you
finalize your order or I will NOT be able to refund the
difference.
**** JE4
Yep, it's a new item of mine on the website. It'll be
officially making its debut at Mindvention. What is it?
It's my Fourth Dimensional Telepathy routine that is the
cornerstone of my club act, the one I perform regularly at
the Magic Castle (which, by the way, I'll be booked into the
first week of December). JE4 stands for Jheff's Elegant 4th
Dimensional Telepathy routine. Because I'm still performing
it, I'm limited this to only 100 copies. More details will
come soon.
**** PRODUCT UPDATES
Other new items that will be discussed in upcoming
newsletters and/or added soon to my catalog are Jay Sankey's
SANKEY'S BEST MENTALISM, Juan Tamariz' VERBAL MAGIC, Wayne
Fox's THOUGHT PROCESS and FULL HOUSE, Craig Dickson's CUT TO
THE CHASE, Tony Eye's THE WRITE STUFF, Aldo Colombini's
TRI-COLOR DIVINATION, Menny Lindenfeld's PSYCHIC CREDIT
CARD, three from Dave Powell (HAUNTED HAND, INVISIBLE CARD
PUNCH, MICROWRITER), Sean Field's EXPLICIT FOOTAGE: TOME and
EXPLICIT FOOTAGE: BENZ, John Sheets' NAILED IT, Haim
Goldenberg's INSIDE THOUGHTS and MY PRECIOUS, and a bunch of
cool stuff from Craig Browning. Some of this stuff is
already on the website with comments. Some of this stuff I
will not catalog.
**** MINDVENTION
Don't forget that November 9-11 is the 2008 Mindvention at
the Palace Station in Las Vegas. Luke Jermay, Marc
Spelmann, Docc Hilford, Christopher Taylor, Paul Vigil, Mark
Strivings, Lior Manor, Rick Maue, Paul Draper, and some guy
who uses his first, deliberately-misspelled first name to
impress people. (Yeah, that's me, of course). And Marc
Salem has just been added to the lineup and he'll be doing
a lecture entitled, "Why I Don't Lecture for Mentalists and
Magicians." It's still not to late to make reservations and
join in the fun. If you're interested, here's the link.
http://www.mindvention.com
***** JOURNAL OF THE MIND 2008 SUBSCRIPTION AVAILABLE NOW!
The new issue of Jheff's Journal of the Mind spotlights
BRYN REYNOLDS, a highly regarded part-time pro who's
produced some very fine material. To get this issue, you
need to subscribe to the Journal of the Mind.
For $47 you get a subscription to the 2008 issues of Jheff's
Journal of the Mind, an all-new e-zine for mentalists.
Plus, you get an additional 5% discount off merchandise from
the Marketplace of the Mind, and many other very cool
features. If you want a taste of what you get, 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.
Recent additions include:
Alain Nu's WORD WORK, VOLUME 2 - Alain's legendary work on
book tests using an unprepared or borrowed book!
http://www.marketplaceofthemind.com/Word_Work2.html
Greg Arce's HANDS OF TIME - Three brilliant new effects
from one of the most creative minds in mentalism today.
http://www.marketplaceofthemind.com/Hands_of_time.html
Bob Cassidy's 21ST CENTURY Q&A - A brilliant Q&A routine
combining classic ideas and principles in mentalism.
http://www.marketplaceofthemind.com/21st_Century_QA.html
Bob Cassidy's THE MAG-EYE MOVE - Bob's brilliant take on
a classic peek move.
http://www.marketplaceofthemind.com/Mag_Eye_Move.html
Ron Martin's PALM READER'S NOTEBOOK - The classic is back
and updated with plenty of impressive extras.
http://www.marketplaceofthemind.com/Palm_Readers_Notebook.html
Dr. Bill's FOURCE - A clever new updating of a classic
force!
http://www.marketplaceofthemind.com/Fource.html
Kenton Knepper's THE GUIDE - Anyone can hypnotize their
audiences with this new tool from the creator of Wonder
Words!
http://www.marketplaceofthemind.com/Guide.html
Jerome Finley's THOUGHT CHANNEL - An incredible new version
of a classic effect that uses no gimmicks and appears like
real minding!
http://www.marketplaceofthemind.com/Thought_Channel.html
Jerome Finley's THOUGHT CHANNEL 2.0
The sequel to one of the most incredible routines to come
out in decades, this manuscript has a no-gimmick version of
pseudo-psychometry that is a must-have for serious
mentalists.
http://www.marketplaceofthemind.com/Thought_Channel_2.html
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
*********
THOM BLEASDALE
TOMMY PAD
JMOM Price: $35
Suggested Retail Price: $38
THE BLURB:
The Tommy Pad is without question one of the most innocent
looking impression pads available for the close up and
cabaret performer.
By innocent we simply mean there is virtually nothing to
see. The DVD runs for over an hour with Thom Bleasdale, Marc
Spelmann and Peter Nardi dissecting every element of The
Tommy Pad.
With a reset that takes less than two seconds, a reliable
impression every time and a what we believe to be the most
innocent looking impression pad this has to be in your
pocket, whether you are a close up performer or a stage
performer. Words, drawings, designs and numbers are easily
seen.
Various peek techniques and routines are performed and
explained. The custom supplied pad has been designed to the
specifications of Thom Bleasdale and Marc Spelmann. Refills
are available and Thom even describes how you can use pads
from your local office supply store.
So the question is... What will you see?
Comes complete with DVD and Tommy Pad
MY COMMENTS:
This is a very nice, thoughtful, and functional peek device,
until I discovered one drawback. You must use notepads with
clear plastic covers. After going to numerous office supply
stores and corner drugstores, I couldn't find them anywhere.
I certainly could use the one provided and I could also
obtain the refills which are for sale. However, if I really
use it I'd want to replace the paper in the pad myself (and
the one included is not the standard 3"x5" pad; it's a bit
smaller). Now, this may not be a problem outside the U.S.
or maybe in other parts of the U.S. It's a problem here, at
least for me, in Southern California, and, at least, for
now, until I find, or someone points me to, a source.
Assuming this is not a problem for you, I will agree that
this is a very easy-to-perform and diabolical impression
pad. The blurb is quite accurate. The pad delivers the
information to you almost automatically and it appears to be
easy to use. Admittedly, I haven't used it, nor have I used
it in various lighting conditions so I'm merely speculating.
I've been told by some who use it that it is quite easy to
use and works very well.
The pad does need some preparation. The one included in the
package is not prepared and you must go through the steps to
transform it into a Tommy Pad. The process involves an
inexpensive, consumable item that's available from art
stores and a glue stick. One sample of that "inexpensive
item" is included in the package to get you started, though
you'll need to get more if you plan on using this regularly.
The DVD instructions discuss the basic preparation and
operation of the Tommy Pad. If you're looking for a good
impression pad and my aforementioned concern is not an issue
with you, then this is something you definitely want to
check out.
*********
HIRO SAKAI
RECIPE
JMOM Price: $18
Suggested Retail Price: $19.50
THE BLURB:
Using this envelope, you can perform the effect of change.
For example, a white paper change into a bill. The greatest
merit of this is that the audience can put something in the
envelope by themselves and pull it out by themselves.
MY COMMENTS:
For those familiar with Ray Piatt's Piatt Envelope, then you
know what this is. Basically, it's a switching envelope.
Honestly, I'm not sure whether Ray actually gets credit for
the idea or not, but I'm fairly certain he gets credited for
marketing this type of envelope first. I could be wrong.
In any case, the basic idea itself is not new.
The difference with these envelopes, which are imported from
Japan, is that there is an adhesive on the end of the flaps
and it's made for sealing. Also, the ends of the envelope
are perforated so you can easily tear it and, more
importantly, let a participant tear it open. This, of
course, means that these envelopes are consumable since you
will be using one up each performance. The package does
come with 20 envelopes. The instructions comprise one side
of a glossy sheet and a magic transposition effect is
included.
Ideally, a mentalist should make his own envelopes so that
you don't have to rely on locating a supply of someone
else's. However, if you're unable or unwilling to do this
(let's face it, I'd prefer to let someone else make my
envelopes, too), then this is a perfectly good utility prop
that you'll find a myriad of uses for. And the price is
fair if you want to stock up on these.
*********
PAUL HALLAS
MAGIC FROM THE OVERGROUND
JMOM Price: $36
Suggested Retail Price: $40
THE BLURB:
Paul Hallas, the best-selling author of Small But Deadly and
the Mindful Mentalism series is back with his best book yet.
His new book is a compilation of his favorite effects from
the past 25 years. Some have appeared in print in limited
edition booklets and magazines (some obscure), some are
previously unpublished and others were released as marketed
effects. Of those that have appeared before, some have
evolved over the years and additional thoughts are included.
You'll find a combination both close-up and mentalism
routines, with over 50 routines in all. The close-up magic
focuses primarily on cards with a few coin tricks thrown in.
Includes an enlightening essay on strolling magic along with
a comprehensive list of the best effects to use for
strolling magic.
Pages 227 - Hardbound with Dust Jacket
MY COMMENTS:
Paul Hallas performs both mentalism and magic and has
published many books and booklets over the years. This
presents 60 of his favorites. There is an approximately
even mix of mentalism and magic in this book and the solid
mentalism in this book is quite practical and entertaining.
Also, a majority of the mentalism effects feature playing
cards, which I must point out is neither a strength nor a
flaw for this book. It's mentioned merely for information
as some will base their decision to buy this knowing that.
Most of the routines are Paul's handling of classic effects.
It's obvious these effects have served Paul very well.
*********
HOWARD ADAMS
OICUFESP and MINDESPA
JMOM Price: $32
Suggested Retail Price: $35 each
THE BLURB:
Howard Adams, the well known author of our recent book
666Mentalism, has been known in the field of self working
magic and mentalism for years. Often published in Genii, and
by the likes of Karl Funlves, Howard is known for off-beat,
self working mentalism effects. In 666 Mentalism, he
presented you with a workshop of ideas many of which needed
you to breath life into them with a presentation.
Well, over 30 years ago, Howard's lecture series features a
self published set of manuscripts entitled OICUFESP. 10
volumes or chapters, if you will- each with 20 or so pages.
During our deal with Howard to publish his new works, we
also were pleased to secure the re-print rights to these
long out of print manuscripts. So, here, in a single, 200+
page volume, we offer you access to these historic routines.
Mentalism, psychic entertainment and mental magic- these
routines are clever and thought provoking and all have the
same criterea- they are FREE of all sleights!
Leaping Lizards Magic is pleased to be offering this reprint
of OICUFESP to be followed shortly my MINDESPA as part of
the magical preservation project!
HISTORY OF OICUFESP AND MINDESPA
OICUFESP and MINDESPA were all original effects and not
based on any columns or other books. Both were published so
Howard Adams could have material to sell at the lectures he
gave mostly in the Hollywood, California area (self
published in the 70's and 80's). His magician friend Bob
Wagner (now deceased) also used his books for his lectures.
Mr. Wagner took Howards material over to Japan where he gave
many lecture. There are only 200 copies of OICUFESP of each
of the 10 volumes. Another series Howard wanted to start was
to be called OGICUFESP but he never had time to do so.
Howard's column in Genii Magazine purposely ran for 27
issued (2+7=9) 9 is Howards lucky number. The MINDESPA
series ran for 12 issues and there were only 100 copies of
each self printed for his lectures.
Howard Adams was born in 1931 in Buffalo, New York. He
started magic around age 12. He answered an ad that Burling
Hall ran in (he thinks) the Conjurers Magazine asking for
writers to condense all the card effects ever published to
be put in many volumes. He condensed about 60 effects for
him but Mr. Hall stopped the project for unknown reasons.
Howard spent all his Saturday mornings in Gene Gordon"s
Magic Shop in downtown Buffalo and his afternoons watching
the serials at the Rialto and Victoria Theaters in Buffalo.
This led him in his later life to write the 12 volumes of
MINDESPA (a mental serial of 12 chapters). His effects have
appeared in many magazines including Genii, Conjurers,
Pentagram, Hugards Magic Monthly, The Phoenix, The New
Phoenix, Don Tanners The Mentalist and many different
magazines that Karl Fulves has published. Currently he and
his wife are retired from work and live in Laguna Niguel,
California near the Pacific Ocean. Howard is currently
spending most of his time going through his notes (thousands
and thousands of pages) and continues writing new series of
books called 888 Mentalism (88 tricks with 8 cards), 999
Mentalism (99 tricks with 9 cards), 101010 Mentalism (100
tricks with 10 cards) and their sequels, More 666 Mentalism,
More 888 Mentalism, More 999 Mentalism and More 101010
Mentalism.
MY COMMENTS:
Like 666 Mentalism, this is a collection of mostly playing
card and ESP card routines, most of them mathematically
based and not requiring any sleights. Of the two, I enjoyed
OICUFESP more, since it mostly centers around ESP cards.
MINDESPA is 160 pages (9" x 11") and OICUFESP is 200+ pages
(there are no pages numbers; 8.5" x 11"). I wouldn't say
these books are must-have mentalism, but there are a lot of
fun and practical ideas within these pages and if you don't
mind using cards of any kind in mentalism, there are
hundreds of ideas to get your creative juices flowing.
*********
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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