Toronto: Browser's Bash update *More tickets are now available!*

From the Browser's Den of Magic newsletter:

Dear Magic Friend,  

Thank you very much for your patience regarding the Browser's Magic Bash. 

*More tickets are now available!*  

The wonderful news is that to accommodate everyone we have switched to a bigger and better venue, the Montecassino Hotel and Banquet Hall(3710 Chesswood Dr. Toronto, On. M3J 2P6).  

The Montecassino is:

• - 5 minutes off the 401 highway.

• - Has loads of Free Parking (if you're driving).

• - 5 minute bus ride (15 minute walk) from the Downsview Subway station.

• -Connected to a hotel in the event you want to stay overnight.

Buy A Ticket To The BROWSER'S MAGIC BASH 2015

(click here) 

We hope that you still plan on attending. 

Sincerely,
Jeff Pinsky
(Your faithful magic shop owner) 

ps. As always, if you have any questions about the BASH, just ask. I'm right here with the answers!

Read more and buy your ticket.

[Guest post] Magic Magazine: January 2015

The following is a guest post from an author who wishes to be known as The Magic Demon.

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Magic Magazine always makes good reading but the current issue contains noteworthy Canadian content.

First and foremost, a feature profile of the award winning Canadian photographer, cinematographer, magician and Ellusionist production manager Peter McKinnon. It is eloquently penned by the multi-talented Vancouver magician Jamie D. Grant.

Peter McKinnon's inventive photographic work is well known within the magic community. Magic Magazine's September 2014 cover was his; and if you've ever seen any special deck of playing cards advertised in an unusual or attention-grabbing way in the last decade or so, chances are it was also one of Peter's photos or videos.

It was just about ten years ago that Peter McKinnon was cutting college classes and hanging out at the Browser's Den of Magic in Toronto. Today he bases his internationally acclaimed photographic work out of both Toronto and San Francisco. He usually manages to combine his love for magic with his awesome creativity in the visual arts. It's an inspiring story.

Secondly: Prominent within the article is a whimsical photo of Jeff Pinsky, owner of The Browser's Den of Magic in Toronto. It was originally part of Peter McKinnon's compelling and idiosyncratic "Plaid Chair" online project. It seems a fitting salute to the man behind the b&m magic store which perhaps initially helped to energize Peter's impressive career.

Editor's notes:

• Visit the Browser's Den Facebook group to see Peter Mennie's post which inspired Wilson to comment "So this is how Harry Potter looks like when he grows up"

• Read Peter's thoughts about Jeff over at The Plaid Chair (in keeping with Wilson's comment above, the photo is filed under "Hogwarts")

Thirdly (and finally) in this issue: Ian Rowland's always must-read "Loving Mentalism" column features a fun and quirky mentalism effect contributed by John Pellatt, known to readers of this blog as the founder/curator of the Johnny Giordmaine tribute site. John credits fellow Canadian Patrik Kuffs for inspiring the creation of his original mentalism effect/routine. It is called "Expresso ESP" and described as "a seemingly impromptu experiment in mindreading suitable for informal occasions."

So, not bad for Magic Magazine's first issue of 2015. In fact, it's a Canadian magical hat-trick!

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Thank you The Magic Demon for guest posting at Canada's Magic!

Jeff Pinsky on the cover of Northern Peeks

Jeff Pinsky, owner of the Browsers Den of Magic, is featured in the most recent issue of Northern Peeks (Vol 17, 1, Summer 2014), the publication of the Canadian Association of Magicians!

In it, Joan Caesar has a wonderful interview with Jeff.

From the interview, Jeff says:

However, a magic shop is a specialty retail store and as such has some unique factors that come into play.  Its most unique feature is that the person operating the shop is more central to its relations with the patrons.

Too true Jeff.  And we're lucky to have you operating Browser's!


Lee Asher agrees:

With many brick and mortar magic shops closing down and going out of business theses days, Jeff Pinsky works hard to ensure the Ontario magic community continues to thrive.  Running The Browser's Den of Magic seven days a week is a small testament to his immense dedication and passion for the art of magic.  Thank you Mr. Pinsky.  Thank you!

What Lee said!

I've said this before and feel the need to say it again.  I urge everyone to support our remaining brick and mortar magic shops. It's the first place many kids get bitten by the magic bug. It's a place they can go for encouragement and coaching, by people in the know. A nurturing community is formed in a local shop, which can't be duplicated through the internet.

Don't have brick and mortar shop in your area? Consider supporting one through their online shops. (I direct your attention to two of the wonderful sponsors of this blog, Perfect Magic and of course, The Browser's Den of Magic!)

Review: Sankey lecture, Card collectors and Bobby Motta

From the Browser's Den:

Since most of us are talking as much about the weather as we are about our latest sleight of hand moves I am pleased to report that I will make a prediction.

As popular is mentalism these days it was never of much interest to me for most of my formative years studying magic.  Though I do appreciate it more now than then...I still enjoy scarves changing colour and canes changes to candles, linking rings and coins and cups and balls, etc.etc.

That being said, I have decided that I will make a prediction regarding our weather. The cold will disappear by the time I write my next Blog!

Read more.

Jeff, about your prediction, I hope you're right!  (And write soon!)

Toronto: Bill Abbott's new lecture - "Mental 24/7"

From Bill Abbott's Twitter feed:

New lecture debuting at the Browsers Den of Magic in Toronto. Sunday May 5, 2013. twitter.com/billabbottmagi…
— Bill Abbott (@billabbottmagic) March 21, 2013

To learn more about Bill, read "A Conversation with Bill Abbott," a interview by Jeff Pinsky.

Toronto: Ben Train's Birthday Bash!!!!!!!!!!

From the Ben Train's Birthday Bash!!!!!!!!!! Facebook page:

To celebrate 28 years of life I am planing THREE amazing evenings of fun.

Friday March 29th I'm going to Dave and Busters to see Bobby Motta perform, and play some games. Details to follow.

Saturday March 30th the Browser's Den is throwing a birthday party for me. The event is free, and it includes performances by Bill Abbott, Chris Mayew, Chris Westfall, James Harrison, James Alan... and free cake! Again, details to come. And, for those who care as much about doing "good" as they do about having "good fun", there will be opportunities to help support and donate to the Toronto Humane Society!
 
Finally, Sunday March 31st, my actual birthday, I'm going to a fund raiser event to help send an underprivileged child to summer camp.
 
Read more and find out how you can spend time with spending time with the Sweater-Vest Jeff Pinsky outside of his shop.

Ball Vase: Do you see who I see?

Watch on YouTube, "The Most Inspirational Video on the Internet" (or more accurately titled by the folks at iTricks as "Highlight Reel of Kids, Adults, Professionals & Amateurs Performing the Same Dang Plastic Ball Vase Trick") and let me know if you recognize anybody at the 50 second mark:




Interestingly, the Browser's Den footage above looks like it was specifically edited to remove reference to the The Den's website after being taken from this Ball Vase video (about 7 sec in) from the Browser's YouTube channel:




[via: iTricks]

Toronto: Free One Hour Adult Classes

From the Browser's Den:

Free One Hour Adult Classes With Jeff Pinsky

I have decided to offer a SERIES of FREE one hour classes come the new year. I believe that one hour is a good length. Over the years I have found that once a class of instruction goes over one hour in length people tend to forget what they have learned by the time they get home.

Below is a list of the dates and topics. I sincerely hope that they will be of interest to you.   Should I find that attendance is good I will put together another series for your consideration.

Read more.
 

Topics include:

• Okito coin box
• Sponge balls
• Signed card to pocket and
• Coins through table 

Jeff Pinsky and Matt DiSero remember Ron Leonard

In response to the earlier post Remembering Ron Leonard, the following comments from Matt DiSero and Jeff Pinsky have been added to the original post.

From Matt DiSero:

Ron was so nice to me as a kid at the magic club...when I got to be on a show with him for the first time it was one of the biggest thrills of my career at that time. He was so nice, and generous.... I miss him.

[Copied with permission from Facebook.]

From Jeff Pinsky:

I have fond memories of Ron Leonard. I was born in 1966. Thus I really only have my childhood memories during the decade of the 1970s.
 
Of course for those of us who were bitten by the wonderful magic 'bug' in Ontario Ron Leonard was an important figure.
 
How exciting it was to learn at the beginning of the Uncle Bobby Show that magic guest Ron Leonard was on. If memory serves me right he was not on all of the shows. That I learned many years later was due to his strong business acumen; busy with many professional performances and a gifted commercial painter.
 
In an era when there were about 12 television stations - one being in French - anything to do with magic appearing on television was exciting. Can you imagine the first Henning special? Or seeing for the first time Slydini on the Dick Cavett Show?
 
What was for me particularly wonderful about seeing Mr. Leonard perform on the Uncle Bobby Show was that he was using at times props which I might be able to afford if I saved my money. I could not dream of buying something I saw Doug Henning perform. And of course until I studied 'Magic of Slydini' I had no idea how Slydini's effects were done.
 
It was sort of a video catalogue for a magic shop well before there was any video! Watch Ron Leonard... then decide if I like the trick... then look it up in the (printed) magic catalogue and find out the price.
  
Years later after I took over Browser's Den of Magic I would have the pleasure of meeting Mr. Leonard. He was quite different than his TV personality. And why wouldn't he? On the show he was performing for little children at home.
 
But he was always pleasant when he would visit even with his poor hearing and health beginning to fail. One could tell it was affecting his enjoyment of life but at least he still had some 'magic' in him.
 
Jeff Pinsky
Browser's Den of Magic
Toronto, Canada
February 16, 2012


[With thanks to The Magic Demon for passing this along.]

Jeff Pinsky interviews Mark Lewis

Jeff Pinsky just posted his interview with Mark Lewis under the "Conversations" section of The Browser’s Den of Magic website.  Mark discusses “The Lives of a Showman” and more! 
 
To watch, visit BrowsersDen.ca or view the first part on YouTube below:

Book launch: "The Lives of a Showman"

Last Friday I had the pleasure of attending a book launch party for “The Lives of a Showman” by Mark Lewis. (I live tweeted the event with the tag #TLOAS though I missed tagging a few tweets here and there.)

Upon entering Browser’s Den of Magic, I was instructed to direct my attention upward. Hanging from the ceiling were more than a dozen cheerful Lee Asher sign creations containing “Markisms” such as “If they were all the nine of hearts it would look like this” and “You're quite slow, do you work for the post office?” The mood was set!

It was clear that Mark has a tremendous amount of support in the local magic community! I found myself shoulder-to-shoulder with Jeff Pinsky, Jeff Hinchliffe, Ariel Fralich, Mia Ngueyn and Adam Harmes who had all made contributions to, or were mentioned in, the book. Other notables present include*: Gordon Precious, Owen Anderson, Paul Pacific, Chris Westfall, John Pellatt, Richard Lyn, John Michalson, Shawna Ross-York, Dan McLean, Steve Shrott, Joe Schwarcz and young Daniel (one of Mark’s students).

While reading from his book, we were regaled with stories of Mark’s experiences with The Worst Audience Ever at The Blue Angel and his early days of (not so) psychic readings in Ireland with Adam Harmes. Mark also read a piece written about him by Mai Nguyen, winner of the Jerry Gladman Memorial Scholarship in Journalism.

To round out the evening we were treated to James Alan’s rendition of Mark’s “Pig Trick” and then we all laughed ourselves silly through Jeff Hinchliffe’s impersonation of Mark doing his Svengali deck hustle.

It is always a delightful experience to hear an author read his own words. If the rest of the book is even half as entertaining as the launch party, it should be a good read indeed!

To purchase “The Lives of a Showman” visit Mark's website, Browser’s Den of Magic or contact your local magic dealer.


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* If I’ve missed listing anyone who was there please send me an e-mail or leave a comment below! Thank you to John Pellatt, Ariel Fralich and James Alan for providing attendee intel on the parts of the room I didn’t make it to.