It seems that the ark building rain we’ve been having has finally subsided and summer is finally taking hold. The weather here in Buffalo has been beautiful the last few days.  I’m looking forward to the Father’s Day weekend, so I’m getting my Pick’s up now and getting ready to enjoy the Fatherly Festivities!

• Deliver the Impossible T-Shirt: I could give you lots of reasons to buy this shirt. Getting $25 bucks would be one of them....but this review says it best.
• Truth: I'm not sure if it's kosher to list my own trick in Paul's Picks but I'm doing it anyway. I've been using this idea for a long time and I can't tell you how much fun I've had with it. It plays great close up or stand up, yet I can roll it up and place it easily in a pocket. You can involve one person or an entire group, and the presentation is one that connects with all audiences. The routine can be performed as is or you can get creative and use different objects or different style bags. The DVD covers ideas using the gimmick with many types of coins, bills, even pieces of paper with words written on them. If I didn't feel strongly about this routine, I wouldn't have released it. I think you're getting great value here as well, especially if you saw what went into making each gimmick! Give it a try; I think you'll be very pleased.
• Double Deckers: If you like effects like Phil and Trilogy, then you're going to love the new Double Deckers from Phoenix. With a little thought you'll be coming up with endless effects using these diabolical decks. In short, when you pull this deck out of the box you'll be holding 2 COMPLETE DECKS of cards...even though it looks like just one. And did I mention, the cards are marked too! You can do effects never before possible with this ingenious product. These are also a perfect match for the standard Phoenix decks, so if you're using those now you can bring these into play at any point in your favorite card tricks! Pick up a deck or two and put on your "thinking cap"...you'll be amazed at what you'll come up with.
• Gotcha: I'm a big Bob Sheets fan. He's funny, clever, a real thinker, and he knows how to squeeze every drop of magic out of his routines. His new effect Gotcha is more of a routine than just a single magic moment. The routine is well thought out, super easy to do, and very strong. I love the moment when a SPECTATOR finds the selected card under the fairest possible conditions...really priceless. It also resets in a second or two so walk around guys can easily add this to their repertoire.
• Oddballs: What's with all the cool sponge ball stuff lately? I really liked Diminishing Sponge Balls from Ian Garrison and Bizarro's Color Changing Sponge Ball has rightly sold through the roof. Now comes Oddballs from Scott Strange. This is not a single trick but an instructional DVD on new ideas with sponge balls. It's packed with great ideas and offers a surprisingly fresh look at sponge ball magic. Some of this will take some practice but the results are worth it. If you do any sponge ball stuff now, then this is a MUST HAVE.
• Intertwine: Chastain Criswell is a clever guy. His Tag effect is one of my personal favorites from his list of creations. But his latest release called Intertwine is fast taking the lead. This DVD features a new approach to the Professor’s Nightmare that will fool you….and it will fool you BADLY. I was hooked like a fish on a line! It comes with a detailed instructional DVD and all the rope you’ll need. There are no gimmicks here, just a clever handling that will make you do a double take. You can easily use this for “real” people but if you love frying your magic buddies, then add this to your cart NOW.
• Sanitized For Your Deception: This was performed by Jonathan Levit on FoxTV’s Masters of Illusion. If you’re in the market for a routine that plays big, packs small, and ties in to one the most popular television genres in recent history…this is worth your consideration. It’s not terribly difficult to do but will involve a bit of prep work on your part. It comes complete with full routine, presentation, and a performance DVD. If you want to add some laughs, time, and magic to your stand up show then this might be the perfect fit.