Changes: Blog will now be posted weekly.

Hello friends,

Time is short and it is extremely difficult to think of things to tell you about on a daily basis. For the time being at least, the Ronjo Blog will be posted once a week (which day is still unclear). Or if something earth shattering comes up, I'll make more than one post. So when you do visit our Blog, please make sure you didn't miss one or more postings just in case I had something of value to talk to you about.

Have a look at Joker Lam's Parasol Anywhere DVD and the Seven Parasol Box Set.

Many years ago I had the privilege of seeing Fukai do his umbrella act. It is just one of those things you can never forget. Beautiful, stunning stage work. Ronjo's was even fortunate enough to have a few mini umbrella sets available for our clients. Those lucky few who were able to get a set for themselves, probably did not fare to well because these umbrellas ere very small production items and either no instructions were supplied or they were in Japanese, I forget. Sadly, we lost contact with Fukai and Parasol Magic was lost in our neck of the woods for a couple of decades.

Joker Lam has let the cat out of the bag by tipping the real work here. Never before has this information been available outside of a select few. Now anyone can master the essential techniques, timing, props & sleights to do an amazing act that is rarely seen today.

We hope you all have a great weekend.

Talk to you soon.

Pete

Paul Harris bigger than ever

Hello friends,

Famed magician Paul Harris. Writer of so very many books, star of several fine VHS taps.

This man was huge in the magic world in the late 1970s & early 80s.

Then he vanished.

He made a small come back in the early to mid 90s and disappeared again..

His many books have been refined and combined into 3 large hard bound books.
The Art of Astonishment vols 1,2 & 3.

His videos are being re-released on DVD.

Around 2003, he released a couple of products to the magic community but we didn't hear too much from him.

In the past few months, Paul Harris is everywhere. Releasing a slew of effects. And I mean a slew. The only thing is that he did not create most of these effects. Mr. Harris has become a name brand. He is releasing his as well as other people's property, giving credit to the creator of course but plastering his name over it. As well he should, he owns them now.

Harris selects the items he deems worthwhile. And so far, I think he has done a very good job in items he is putting his name on.

But just so you know, It is Paul Harris Presents and not created by Paul Harris. And interesting side note, most of the items that he did not create he had his hand in refining them.

Many of the new Harris Line were to be aired on David Blaine's Drowned Alive Special. But because the shows producers were more interested in live coverage on Blaine in a fish bowl instead of magic lots of filmed segments were cut from the show as it was airing.

For a list of the many Harris items we carry, just search Paul Harris on our website.

Some of his company's releases may not show up under a search of his name. Things like Phoneomenon & Incredible Shrinking Finger come to mind. There be may be more.

Have a nice weekend.

Thanks for reading,

Pete

Playing Cards causing a new breed of collectors

Hello friends,

I can remember a time not so long ago where almost everybody with any magic experience, would only purchase a Card Trick if we could supply them with Bicycle Brand Playing Cards in the traditional Rider Back.

Of course we would happily give them what they wanted when we were able to.

On more than one occasion, we only had certain effects made from Aviator or Fox Lake cards.

See Karate Cards, a great effect but it is only made with Aviators at this time. (Funny story, there was a magic show several years back at The State University Of New York Staller Center. Many top names were performing that day. We were one of the vendors there. Some of the performers were in the lobby signing autographs. Jade was one of them. I was performing this effect for the local gift buyers. I was wearing the headband. Jade mistakenly thought the the Ronjo booth was a Japanese take out stand and that I was a Sushi Chef. )

But I am getting off track. Back to the cards. Magician's would say, if they weren't Bic's the spectators would think that they were using trick decks. I would say, "How do lay people know that there is such a thing as a trick deck"? Unless you as the performer would say something like, "'I have an ordinary deck of cards here."They should even consider it a possibility. I would politely explain that they are thinking like magicians and that if you were in a persons home and they knew you did magic and asked you to do something. And if you asked them for a deck of cards, if you were lucky enough to get a deck, be prepared to see a deck 5 years old, warped, wrapped in a rubber band, with black edges, in one of a wide variety of brands. Ask them if they knew what brand it was and most would be clueless to tell you. I would argue that only magician's and die hard card players would know.

Anyway, that said. To this day we still carry a ridiculous amount of brands of cards. Hoyle, Maverick, Arrco, Kem, Copag, A Plus, Hoyle Casino, Steamboat, Bee, Gemaco, Congress, Aviator, Steamboat, Streamline, Tally-Ho,Various with Back Designs & Colors, Bridge Sized, Poker Sized, Regular Index, Super Index & Lo-Vision Decks.

Many of these decks are on our website, some of them are only available in our showroom.

All are good sellers, so what gives? Why did magician's only want Bicycles? And now every card they can get there hands on?

I don't know why it happened but it happened when Ellusionist released the Black Tiger Deck. No offense to you Novelty deck lovers, but all of a sudden, the brand didn't matter anymore and while they are NOT trick decks, they sure look like one. People were soon focusing on the cool cards rather than the performer.

Black Tigers are great sellers for us. Since there release, too many crazy cards have been put on the market. Ellusionist made Black & Red Tigers, Viper Decks in assorted colors & back designs, and Ghost Decks.

We were able to obtain, Bicycle League Cards, made in the states and exported for European sales only, rampart and sold as imports.

That changed again, since all of these cards are made by the United States Playing Card Company and obviously they saw immense sales, they decided to test a few decks of their own. So one could go to any store and by their Black Deck. So I guess trick looking cards no more.

We have a handful online. But because you people are eating it up and not stopping, we are getting more, much more. Very soon. USPCC makes their own Bicycle Black Back Normal Face, Black & White Deck New Black & White Back with original faces, Black & Silver Deck, Pastel Decks with reverse image faces in Pink, Blue & Green. They Make Green backed, regular faces, they make clear plastic cards in a variety of colors. They make reproductions of western cards. They are making reproductions of their own earlier brands with different back designs and some with other face designs. We are working on getting these all on line soon, but for now you'll have to come into our store to pick them up.

Next Came The Split Spades Decks by David Blaine. Then Criss Angel Cards.

USPCC now also makes cards designed by Magic Makers. Magic Makers has their own Black Deck. As well as The Yellow Deck & The Red Deck. These are black & white, red & white and yellow and white back Bic cards boxes of the same colors. The card stock on the faces are red, yellow & black respectively. The normal red pips are black and the black pips are white (except in the yellow deck, the pips are the appropriate color). The court cards are multi colored in black, red, white & yellow. These decks are all in stock.

Actually there are even more, (Pink & Purple Bics), (Gold & Silver Backed Bic Box Sets, very rare printed for a Card Collecting Convention in 1986), (Bic Tactical Field Decks in Green Back or Black Back, U.S. Military only) & (Bicycle Elephant Decks, printed for I believe rain forest relief). Good luck finding these.

I could go on and on and on but I think that I am writing more than you care to read about and I am getting tired and aware I am rambling and incoherent by now.

Happy collecting you crazy people. Soon there will be no more colors of the rainbow left, so you'll have to find all the Budweiser, Coca Cola, Playboy, Elvis & Harley Davidson Cards.

Thanks for reading.
Pete

Last Nights Mindfreak

Hello friends,

It was great to see Mindfreak on Criss Angel's take on the Metamorphosis.

This illusion is really what I would call his signature piece.

I have seen him perform it live on a few occasions. In his early days as a working pro, Criss used Flash Powder similar to what you saw last night instead of the typical curtain. Later he used ceiling mounted Fire extinguishers. The extinguishers were shocking and noisy but they made too much fog and while the change was fast, you really couldn't tell it was as fast as it really was.

Make sure you check out Super Natural. That presentation is real performance art.

There is no question in my mind, he is the best in the world at it.

Last night on Mindfreak, we got to see an early clip circa 1980 of Criss at age 14 doing the Sub Trunk. Our friend Bob Infantino was assisting Angel him in this clip.

Bob Infantio is a working New York Magician and Juggler and Grand Prize winner of America's Funniest Home Videos for his Spinning Plate Routine. He does a great original bit while juggling 9 tennis balls that must be seen to really appreciate.

Bob worked in in our showroom for about a year but it was too much like work for him. So Bob now only occasionally performs and teaches Magic & Juggling Lessons for us.

We'll take to you tomorrow.

Thanks for reading,
Pete

Lets get some more comments up from you guys!

Hello friends,

Since we have started this blog, we have only received a couple of comments. In order for us to keep going every day, please at let us know if you are reading it.

relevant comments will be posted by my to be viewed on this blog by anyone lurking.

For this blog, if you don't have anything of interest to share with us a simple, posting of one word, Yes will suffice. Obviously, yes will not be posted on the blog but it will be enough for us to keep going daily.

I'll ask a few simple questions, maybe it will ignite a spark in you and I'll post your comments here. I'll even post my own simple answers to this little survey.

How did you get started in magic or mentalism? Got a magic set when I was 3. Can't remember if this was my first introduction to magic. But it is my first magic memory. Bob McAllister of Wonderama & Mark Wilson's Magic Circus are other early memories (They may have been my first exposes).

Are you a pro or a hobbyist? A pro entertainer, no. Hobby guy alot more than that.

What type of audiences do you mainly perform for? Adults, close up.

What type of audience do you not like performing for? Children are too noisy & crazy. There is not enough personal satisfaction for me working for youngsters. Plus they are hard to please (at least for me).

Do you prefer to learn from books, videos, lessons or props? Why? Everything. I try still after all this time to pick up any knowledge that interests me. When I started, I liked props better. The gimmicks were & still are fun. But nothing beats pure magic. Things with ordinary objects and you can just go off all day. Hands on instruction would be my personal favorite though. Who are your inspirations, in magic or mentalism? Tom Mullica, David Williamson, Chuck Fayne.

Have you crafted a character for yourself? What type? Comical, easy going.

What are a couple of your favorite effects? Why? Scotch & Soda. It was one of my first pro effects. I still use it. Special place in my heart. Hot Rod. Great pocket trick. The jewels are intriguing to women. Its fun.

What are a couple of your least favorite effects? Why? Caffeine Rush (see my past blog entitled, Ronjo's Saves). Chinese Sticks & Change Bag. When I was very young, I just saw through the methods and had a problem thinking it would fool anyone. However I have grown to like both them I appreciate what the audience gets out of them. But I was spoiled young and never saw the magic in these.

Thanks for reading!

Until tomorrow,
Pete

The Ultra Find by Ted Annemann

Hello friends,

Last night I learned an incredible self-working card effect.

Annemann's Ultra Find can be found on page 362 of The Life And Times of a Legend.

The premise is based on Charles Jordan's endless chain principle of a dove tail shuffle see page 119 of Charles Jordan's Best Card Tricks by Karl Fulves.

Basically, you give the spectator a deck of cards. They cut and shuffle it several times. They remove a card, look at it and place it back into the deck. Again they cut and shuffle. You then ribbon spread the deck face up and name the selected card. The only time you ever touch the cards, is to show them to everyone for the first time. This trick will fool anybody who is not familiar with the principle. It is that good. It can be learned during your first read through.

Other than CHaSeD there is no memory work.

Life & Times Of A Legend is an amazing book. Every published and many previously unpublished works are in this book. At 622 pages in total, that's a lot of great magic. It has been placed into chronological order. This title contains extensive commentary that clarifies many details about his effects, performance photos, publicity material, extended photos of his bullet catch & much more.

Get this book before it is too late.

Thanks for reading!

Pete

Recent number one seller

Hello friends,

Back in May David Blaine performed Jay Noblezada's Self Tying Shoe Laces on his last special, Drowned Alive.

This effect was available to the public immediately after the show aired (and that is rare).

We knew it would be a popular item but figured it would die down after a couple of weeks.

Here is two months later and it is still a best seller.

The staying power is pretty impressive.

For those who didn't see the show or aren't familiar with the effect, its real simple.

You would normally not perform this as an actual effect, like "Hey look at me.", but rather as an off beat presentation. Wait for someone to tell you your shoes are untied and shake your foot around a bit. Visibly the untied lace ties itself into a perfect bow knot.

Please note the following information:
You can not be wearing shorts.
Only one show is unlaced.
Can be used with any shoe lace type and color.
Self working can be done surrounded.
Fast & easy reset but you need to be alone.
Supplied set up with thick white sneaker laces, instruction manual & performance/instructional DVD.

Thanks for reading!

Until tomorrow,

Pete

A killer production item.

Hello friends,

If you are looking for a Pack Small plays big production item, then check out this Flag Staff Production!

Look at the picture, it will change a few times so you can see it in various states.

The fully opened staff measures 4 feet long. The image of the base of the extended handle has been cropped. The flag is a 100% silk and measures 30" H x 60" L.

The entire apparatus collapse to about 10" long. It is easily hung on the back of your leg, chair, table, assistants back, etc. And with a gentle outward motion, opens up as fast as the eye can see.

It makes a great bare handed production or you may produce it from a variety of other things such as the greatly improved version of THIS SILK TRICK, called Production From Silks or our Comedy Coils.

Our good friend Russ Merlin was working on a home style version of this a while back. I presume it was something he learned from one of the volumes in now out of print Rice's Encyclopedia of Silk Magic (Hurry, Just a few left).

Russ' production was much larger than the above mentioned factory made staff. He used one of the 6' Dragon Silks attached to a Telescopic Fishing Rod. While I didn't like the look of the "staff" from the stage it was barley recognizable. And the giant silk, looked great.

Have a nice weekend.

Thanks for reading.

Pete

Appearing & Vanishing Canes

Hello Friends,

It is difficult to keep thinking of this to write to you all about. How hard will it be in the coming months or years. Ouch.

I am suffering writer's block today. And I am reaching.

I'll tell you a couple of stories about the Appearing & Vanishing Canes.

We are going back to 1985. I was 18 years old. I really wasn't much into magic back then. I still liked it but cars, girls, booze, heavy metal & billiards, were more important at the time.

Pretty much my only magic interest back then was the Appearing Cane. I didn't want it as a stage effect but as a type of weapon not to attack people with, but to be cool and shocking I guess.

One day I was in a friends car and let the cane open. The tip of the cane hit the windshield and cracked it. It was at the moment I realized it could be a dangerous prop.

I some how bent and torn the steel in the middle. The cane still worked but I was bummed.

I decided to spray paint it black. I wanted it to look like a real cane up close and not sort of black. It did, and it surprisingly still opened but not the same way and the paint job quickly got lots of scratches.

It was time to buy a new one.

The new cane was a about a foot longer than the original (or maybe it was the paint keeping it from opening all the way up) I just can't remember.

I kept this cane greased up for the fastest biggest appearance I could. It opened much longer. Almost the length of a pool cue and that is exactly what I used it for. (Or at least tried to). I remember lining up my shot, without a stick, then bam, the cue would appear in my hands. I would secretly try to extend it a bit more as I chalked up the tip. I was never really good at pool anyway so my terrible shots using the cane really didn't look so bad. If only I were smart enough to try to attach a real pool tip to the cane.

In one of my very first performances. I used the cane as an opening effect. It had so much grease on it (I didn't wipe it down) stupid me and I was so excited to be doing a show that I threw it up instead of (open, release and grasp) into the air as it appeared that it uncoiled from both ends. No one knew what it was and it did look cool but it didn't look like a cane. But rather like a Throw Streamer.

Years later, much wiser and more respectful to everything and everyone, I got a metal Vanishing Cane. One day as it "vanished" I sliced my palm opened from the base of my thumb to my wrist. We haven't had a metal vanishing cane in here since. Stick the Fantasio brand of Vanishing Canes. They look just as nice, if not nicer because they really are black. They vanish just as fast. And you don't have thin razor sharp steel flying at you at 100 feet per second.

Come to think of it, the Fantasio Appearing Canes are the way to go instead of the metal. You never need to oil them. They always stay black. I've never had one tear on me. Bend or crease a bit sure but tear no. And a bend will be smaller then in the metal ones. It won't break a windshield. And it can't put somebody's eye out. And they cost less.

Until tomorrow.
Thanks for reading.
Pete

Is A&E out of their Freaking Mindfreak?

Hello friends,

I tuned into Mindfreak last night. And I am accustomed to the back to back episodes.

yesterday was different. There were four Mindfreak shows on in a row (that I know of).

While I like the show and I know it is great exposure for Criss Angel, I fear A&E is flooding it by the marathon sessions.

There are just simply not enough episodes of the show yet to be doing this.

If A&E keeps it up, they may burn out the public with Angel far too soon. This may hurt Criss' career and A&E may loose the only show keeping them in business.

Honestly with the exception of Mindfreak, I never watch A&E. I have no idea what airs on that station. The last time I watched A&E on a regular basis was Bud Freedman's An Evening At The Improv and that was years ago. A&E started airing Improv in heavy rotation. Then it was gone. I hope history does not repeat itself here.

Lasts night's new episode was focused on Hypnosis. As a hypnotist myself, I can say with near certainty that what aired last probably doesn't work that way. There may have been several real instances of hypnosis on the show. In fact, I am sure you saw lots of hypnotized people. What you may have not seen was a the preconditioned subjects. And that is another story.

I doubt Angel's abilities here because the waitress coming from the kitchen fell over with a tray of food instantly. She would not be focused on him in that way, if at all. But there could be be another explanation. The falling waitress could have been a subliminal trigger. She could be a stunt woman and when she falls (and the few others who fell hard), everyone falls.

because in this day and age, I can't see letting innocent people falling down without the fear of lawsuits. But I won't rule anything out. Because I have seen Derren Brown do similar things and I refuse to believe he is trying to pull one over on the viewers.

For more on hypnosis, that you can learn see Practical Hypnotism by Ed Wolff (This title is how I first started). & Street Hypnosis Deck by Igor Ledochowski. We also have a few Hypnosis books we import from Canada.

We are currently out of the Canadian books, but we'll have more fairly soon. So if hypnosis interests you, please check back for more information.
Until tomorrow.

Thanks for reading,

Pete

Vanishing Bandana with CD PLUS

Hello friends,

There is some confusion with the origins of the Bandana Banana, so we'll set the record straight.

This was rumored to have been created by Tom Ogden and used on Television by David Copperfield without Mr. Ogden's permission.

While it is true that Copperfield did perform this on TV and it is also true that Ogden did come up with the first presentation of a pre-recorded audio track for the effect, Ogden did not create the effect.

Earlier accounts of a very similar banana effect can be found in Richard "Snowflake" Snowberg's Clown Skits booklet as well as Bonzo Presents: The World's Funniest Clown Skits by Barry Dechant.

The first commercially available version entitled The Vanishing Bandana was released by The FAB Magic Company about 10 years ago. It originally came with a cassette recording of a man's voice. This recoding was okay but the routine was pretty lame compared to the new recording. This version had an ACME sticker on the box.

A later variation was on CD with a woman's voice. The new recording had a better vibe. The ACME label was later changed to Atlas Magic, presumably due to legal reasons.

Today's version The Vanishing Bandana With CD Plus is the best yet. The CD is show ready and professionally recorded. The new Trick Of The Month Club label is in color. The new Neon Devil's Hank is spacious & soft and covered in glitter. And the best part yet, for the first time the box itself allows for the reappearance of the banana at the end. This reappearance is based on U.F. Grant's Rabbit Production from his book Victory Carton illusions.

This is a wonderful routine overflowing with comedy. It gets one of my highest recommendations. If you do any type of platform, stage or comedy work, this effect should be considered. It greats a great reaction and is fairly simple to operate.

Until tomorrow. Thanks for reading!

Pete

Derren Brown is astonishing

Folks,

I've seen a lot of magic over the years. I've seen things that are too big too over the top to be believable.

I've seen magician's come and go and try to out do one another.

I've seen the latest and greatest astonishing illusions.

But nothing you have ever seen can prepare you for witnessing Derren Brown.

This guy is huge in the UK but unfortunately no one really knows him in the US.

If you are in America, and you do know of his work, you are privy to his out of print books Absolute Magic & Pure Effect (still have a few) and his newest Lecture DVD by International Magic and that's great but you are missing his incredible show Inside Your Mind.

We are very lucky to have Criss Angel here in the US. The equivalent to Mr. Angel in the UK, would be I guess Simon Drake. Simon Drake is fun, evil & dark but is nothing compared to Criss Angel. No offense to Simon Drake (I am a fan).

With Banachek & Luke Jermay behind him, Criss Angel does do some great mentalism but it is unlike like Derren's show. Criss mixes his show up with magic, illusion, slights, other performers & mentalism. Derren's mentalism is mixed with psychology, hypnosis and in a very real sense believable.

We just don't have the US equivalent to Derren Brown (performing on TV anyway). He really is astonishing.

After viewing each of his shows, I am left with a feeling of pure helplessness. I am left with more questions than answers from everything I have seen him do. Derren frequently shows the viewer what he is doing, this makes it twice as exciting.

Last night, some friends and I watched Derren's Special The Heist. This is not a magic show nor is it a mentalism show. To tell you the truth once it was over, I am not exactly sure what I saw. In a nut shell, 13 pre screened people with squeaky clean criminal records signed on to learn some of Derren's more simple secrets. As they were learning from Brown, he was secretly programming them for committing armed robbery in Derren's controlled situations. After several demonstrations and experimentations in torture, humiliation, psychology, hypnosis, subliminal advertising and who knows what else the group was cut to four people. Unprompted 3 of the 4 followed with hidden cameras individually robbed a security guard at gunpoint and stole suitcases of cash being transported to an armored car. The fourth was tempted and just barley fought it off. The four were brought back to normal and returned to the real world.

When it was over, I was left with one question. What the @*#^?

As soon as it ended, we popped in a second special Derren Brown Messiah. This show was in a way like Penn & Tellers Bull Sh*$ but with a twist. Derren comes to the US and visits different people and places. In each instance he assumes a false identity. He is looking for endorsements as an expert in the field of what ever it is he takes on for that day. He states each time, if anyone just asks him is this a trick or is this real, he will fess up instantly. No body does, everybody believes him right away.

He proceeded to fool a (real?) psychic instructor with a very convincing remote viewing demonstration.

He assembles a group of atheists with the help of a reverend to talk about spirituality. He gets these non believers to feel the power of God pass through their bodies. All believe in minutes.

He confronts UFO researchers and says he was abducted by aliens and left with a gift to know people's medical history just by them touching his back. They touch him and he tells them their medical history. They are believers.

He gets a group of people who have lost loved ones and then speaks to their lost relatives more accurately than John Edward does.

He invents a "Dream Machine". Just wear it and your dreams are recoded in an electronic box. He lets New Age guru sleep on the "special pillow case"wired to the box for a week. Her dreams are trapped in the box. He puts these electrodes on his head and tells the woman her dreams with startling accuracy. The woman is eager to buy these boxes and put them on the market. The box has one battery a switch that lights a bulb and wires attached to nothing.

Once again, wow. You just have to see him perform. He can manipulate people in ways no other can.

It really is something to see.

Until tomorrow,

Thanks for reading!

Pete

Save money on magic. View our sale category.

Hello Friends,

Here at Ronjo.com we have many fine products on a rotating sale.

For those already familiar with our sale category, you may have been a bit disappointed with the small selection that has been there for a long time.

The truth is we just haven't found the time to update this category in quite a while.

That's about to change.

In the coming days, we will be adding loads of great Magic Tricks, Books, Silks, DVDs, Mentalism Effects, CD's and CD-Roms.

So please save us in your favorites and check back.

Take advantage of us by saving anywhere from 10%-60% off of our already low prices on many fine quality products.

The sale offer is valid for selected "In Stock" items only.

Supplies are limited and will be available on a first come first serve basis only.

For the first time, this sale offer is also valid to our local walk in clients but please note a minimum of $6.00 will be added to your purchase to help absorb shipping fees.

Until tomorrow.

Thanks for reading,
Pete

Last chance for Ronjo's Magic Camp

Hello friends,

Magic Camp starts this Monday July 10th at 10:00 AM.

If you want to register your child for our group sessions, come into the shop or call us at 631-928-5005 ext. "0" before 5-PM today (Sat 7/8/06).

We'll be closed tomorrow.

You last minute people will have one last shot to register Monday morning just before we get started at 10:00 AM.

The camp runs 10 Am - 12 Noon all next week from Monday through Friday.

Magic Camp is opened to new magicians ages 6-12.

Fees are only $249.99. Includes magic kit, snacks & drinks. Fun times and intense learning.

Happy summer!

Will post again on Monday.

Thanks for reading,

Pete

Local performer on national television

Hello friends,

Our good friend Mr. Jim Mauer who works under the name of Jester Jim was just hired by TLC The Learning Channel to be part of the program Honey We're Killing The Kids.

No he is not one of the kids who are being killed.

His job on the show will be teaching two siblings how to juggle in the hopes they will keep active in one of many attempts to try to get them fit.

Jim is excited to get the chance to be seen on national television and hopes it will fuel his career and we are excited for him.

Jim is a Jack nine suited (inside joke) of all trades.

At just 22 years old he has mastered the Art Of Juggling, Magic, Fire Eating & Comedy.

He has entertained audiences of both young and old throughout the Tri-State in area for several years.

Jester Jim is the number one entertainer for the NY Library Association for two years running.

Would you like to have Jester Jim perform live at your next event?

Then call us at 631-928-5353 ext 14 and we'll give you more details.

Until tomorrow.

Thanks for reading,

Pete

Last Nights Mindfreak

Hello Friends,

In Mindfreak's theme song Criss sings, "There's no reality."

But the program Mindfreak is in part a reality show.

We got to see Criss in the pet store and supermarket.

Working in the kitchen and behind the counter in a diner in his hometown.

We got to see Criss give a break to an up and coming magic star who has some very hard times with health & family issues.

We got to see Criss in a very personal segment remembering his father.

This is reality programming.

But in combination with the reality are illusions. So we are not just watching a magic show, we are getting to know the real life people in the show and the characters they play when working for the audience.

This my friends makes for great TV.

Of course all these segments segue into magic. In the pet store he made a bird vanish. In the supermarket he performed his take on the Orange, Lemon, Egg & Canary where the bird from the pet shop reappeared.

In the diner, a borrowed ring vanishes in a style typical to Ring Flite and an egg appears from a shredded napkin, see The Egg by Keith Lack. Finally the egg is cracked opened and the borrowed ring is inside along with the yoke & egg whites. See the Eggsactly Egg. Please note: These are not the props used by Criss to create the above effect. Please also note that the routine described above is not your intellectual property to recreate.

During one illusion where Criss was to escape from handcuffs and a packing crate hoisted by a crane in the streets of NYC. He escaped from the cuffs and he pulled his arms into the crate. Then the crate fell off the crane, breaking apart into a million pieces. Criss should have been dead. But the kicker was that Criss vanished from the crate. Criss later reappeared drinking a beer from behind a beer truck.

One audience member was interviewed about what he just saw. This audience member was not a stooge. But it was a friend of Criss Angel. We know this because he is one of our friends too. This is just another example of how Criss gives his friends opportunities (a great seat, air time) and more much more. Recently Criss gave our friend, Chris a full time job working for Mindfreak. So the segment aired last night but was filmed quite a while ago, and the other Chris starts working on the show just before his interview airs.

You'll soon start to see more of Chris on the program. If you saw when Angel was on Letterman a few weeks back, Chris was one of the guys helping out on the woodchipper illsuion.

So when you see his face, remember not a stooge but a friend of Criss Angel who got a break from the daily grind.

That's enough for today.

Thanks for reading.

Pete

We are your source for multiple quantity discounts

Hello friends,

If you are a professional entertainer or magic instructor and need to resell items for additional profits , we'll be happy to help you get the things you need at special pricing.

We do not wholesale to the public but we can save you money on multiple quantities.

Even if you DO NOT see the items you need on our website, chances are we have them in stock or can get them for you in a day or two.

Items such as The Rabbit Paddle, Mini Drawer Box, Jiffy Coin Trick, Ball & Vase, Plastic Cups & Balls, Plastic Chop Cup, Sponge Balls, Magic Coloring Book, Nickels To Dimes, Thumb Tip, or for Kids Finger Tips, Silks, Magician's Rope, Decks of Cards, Magical Block, Color Vision, Close-Up Mats and many more make great Goody Bags for children's birthdays or Magic Kits for students.

Just let us know what you are looking for, how many of each that you need and how often you think you might be needing merchandise and we'll get you insider pricing so you can turn an extra profit.

If you have a magic shop or are an online magic retailer, there are many fine items that we can wholesale to you direct. Contact us for additional information.

Just call us at 631-928-5353 ext 4 or email Pete@ronjo.com.

We'll talk to you later.

Thanks for reading,

Pete

Razor Blade Illusion

Hello to all our friends,

We here at Ronjo Magic carry a variety of a classic effect.

Nearly every stage performer at one time or another since Houdini's day has performed a version of the Razor Blades Illusion.

You start by showing several double edge razor blades and you prove are real as you cut up some paper.

You proceed to stack them up and put them in your mouth, swallow them and show your mouth to be empty.

Next you take a length of thread and swallow it as well.

You may begin to gasp for breath, punch you chest, start coughing, moving your closed mouth while making unusual expressions.

Your empty hand reaches towards your mouth and you pull out one end of the thread.

As you keep pulling one blade comes from your lips tied to the thread, then another and another and another until all the blades are tied on the thread.

It looks scary and dangerous. You can make it very dark and heartpounding. Bloody too if you desire.

The Razor Blade Illusion was an off shoot on the Needles From The Mouth. The blades version is a bit safer and they are bigger and can be seen easier from a distance. A diabolical method of the Needles trick can be found in Jim Steinmeyer's Device & Illusion. The switch is nothing short of genius. This version is intense and hard to watch for many audiences.

One method that I am not familiar with for Razor Blades can be found in the book Swami Mantra by Sam Dalal.

A great book we carry about the Razor Blades is called Helter Shelter. It gives you all the important details. Even if you already perform Razor Blades, this book is worth a look.

For the safest way to do it, see Andrew Mayne's Mad Mojo. He explains how to do this type of effect using candy with a hole in it and thread.

The other three types we carry that are physical props. I will quickly run down the list of the pros & cons of each for you.

Automatic Razor Blades by Blackman
This version has the blades visible on display by magnets glued to the clear posts. These little circle magnets are hand glued to the posts and are often spaced disproportionately from one another. Combine that with the fact they are glued to a curved pole and they are not always level either. This aspect doesn't bother so much when the blades are in place. What does bother me personally is that these magnets are covered in spotted prismatic tape and when the blades are removed from the posts and placed into the center stand, these circles look toys and the fact that they are not spaced equally really stands out. I would cover these circles with a solid color adhesive tape.

The center display (where you stand up each blade after you proven them real) is the BEST, fastest and easiest switching gimmick I have ever seen. I have personally toyed with about 8 different "automatic" styles and I prefer this one. However this device is best used for audiences several feet away, or at least seated below your platform.

The acrylic poles come off the stand for flat transport. The base is heavy acrylic. Imported from Italy.

Uses 8 blades that the audience is aware of.

Dave Powell's Automatic Razor Blades
There was a time where this model was not available so we got in the Blackman version as an alternative choice. Powell's version is deceptive, well made & affordable. The blades are held in place in the back as pictured or on the front of the black plastic. The unit is classy and modern looking. But visually in my opinion it appears suspect. It just looks trick to me. Will it FOOL them? Yes of course! After each blade is removed from the diamond frame, they are placed in the black box behind the spool of thread. (The thread is on a spindle and if it is removed a screw will bee seen sticking out of the base). I do which the spool were placed somewhere else as it sort of obscures the view of the blade box. But the blades are always in view sticking out of the box. The box is a device and the switch is relatively easy to make but takes some effort (no slights, just mechanics and knowing where to place them).

This unit is made of thinner plastic and is somewhat fragile. Minor assembly is required. Just a few screws nothing more.

Can be done at close distances.

Uses 6 blades (not supplied) that the audience is aware of.

Vest Pocket Razor Blades Deluxe
If you have ever seen a version that looks like this you probably saw the vinyl pouch one. With that other style you know that when you remove or insert the blades you would slice through the pouch if you weren't exceptionally careful. For this deluxe version, the entire apparatus is covered with thick fabric. Cutting through the pouch is no longer a problem. There is enough play in the material that you just won't cut it by accident.

This style can be done in any situation. Up close or on stage. The "wallet" is relatively easy to manipulate. It would be best if you walk to the audience to give them a spool of thread and walk back to your table to do your dirty work with the pouch.

Uses 5 blades that the audience is aware of.

With each variation of this effect, there is a possibility of getting cut. After all you are handling real loose blades. Although you never place sharp blades in your mouth you are still putting very thin metal in your mouth and an accidental cut can still occur. If you are not careful, there is also the potential of a choking hazard, even for Mayne's version.

If you decide this is an effect you wish to learn, remember you are responsible for your actions. These effects are meant for professionals only and Ronjo.com Inc can not responsible for the use of misuse of these products. No one under 18 years of age is permitted to purchase these effects.

Have a fun, safe & Happy 4th Of July.

We'll talk to you again on Wednesday.

Pete

New blogs under old dates

Hello friends,

On 6/28/06. I made one blog.

That same day, I wrote two more blogs and saved them as drafts.

My intentions were to get a head start so material would be up and running already and publish them on 6/29 & 6/30 for new entries on those dates.

While I did publish them on 6/29 & 6/30, I was unaware that they would be posted under the date I created them as a draft.

So please do check the June 28th 2006. There are two extra posting .

Now I know for the future.

Have a great weekend.

Pete