Black Friday and Cyber Monday are coming up rather soon and that can only mean one thing:
I know that some vendors, like Vanishing Inc., have already started some discounts, but the big sales don't start until later this week or next week (including VInc's). Personally, I miss the days when it was just a one-day sale and things were super discounted or incredible bundles, etc. This whole "it's all of November" but only certain days for certain things business is a bit much.
That said, I do have a lot of things on my list to keep an eye out for. There are a lot of books, of course, but also some videos -- and videos tend to get the steepest discounts around this time of year.
I made the mistake, when I first started getting into magic, of just buying things whenever I saw them. Then, they'd end up sitting on the shelf for months before I'd ever get to them because I over-bought. I realized that I can still buy them all, but for much cheaper, if I just wait until the big sale in November! As I did last year, I'll happily share here what bounties I plundered from the many sources online!
Speaking of things for sale, when I was searching for books that weren't yet on my "wishlist", I came across Inside Out (by Ben Earl) -- it came out back in 2021 if I recall correctly, but I didn't get a copy of it myself. It sold out everywhere really quickly.
From what I gathered, the purpose or focus of the book is to have you better understand the tricks from the spectator's perspective. If that alone isn't intriguing enough, it might just be extra-worth it that the book comes with 12 tricks / effects, and 2 techniques. You can check out a full description from Mr. Earl himself at Studio52, or, and this is why I'm writing about it, grab a reprint pre-order on Ellusionist (estimated shipping on December 1st):
If you use the code GBABBITS at checkout, you'll also get 10% off your entire order... so that's a plus!
I wanted to write about the "Basecamp" offering for the upcoming Magifest Convention by Vanishing Inc. It was announced at the end of July and I took a break shortly after, but not before I slammed that "sign me up" button.
Basecamp is designed to be a "haven" for newcomers and those looking to make new connections, ideally targeting that overwhelming feeling that's associated with attending large gatherings. I, for one, had this last year when I attended Magifest for the first time. It was not only my first ever magic convention, but there were just so many people. I spoke to plenty of folks, and I also got to see and show off some magic, but I felt like I missed out on a lot too.
To be a "basecamper", you'll need to register with that option selected -- or go to your existing registration in your account and click the Include me in Basecamp checkbox (like I did). At the convention itself, us basecampers will get to attend a welcome event where we'll get to meet Josh and Andi, and they'll have special "basecamp tables" setup. These tables will have hosts to help folks get to know each other, encourage everyone to show tricks or moves, and overall just a fun experience.
As far as I know, this is the very first time they've put on something like this at Magifest so I'll definitely understand if there are any hiccups -- but honestly, even if it just works out nicely the very first day, that may just be enough of an ice breaker to get the rest of the convention going!
Anywho, I'll be there and wearing my "Basecamp" pin. Come and say hello!
