The first we visited was Fantasma magic.  The initial challenge was finding it – neither shop have any frontage on the street – so you need to find the right number, then go inside and take a lift (sorry, elevator) up to the appropriate floor. Fantasma is a newer shop/manufacturer (who started out making watches for Disney!) who do their own range of children’s magic (available in several UK magic shops) as well as stocking a wide range of conventional magic. Couldn’t resist a picture of their beautiful cups and balls cabinet, given my current interests.

It is a fascinating magic shop to visit since it also houses an impressive museum of Houdini memorabilia. There are some interesting props, photos, padlocks and picks – and an entertaining ‘automaton’ (for want of a better word) in which a model of Houdini descends from a packing case in a straight-jacket and proceeds to escape.

John, whom I met, was friendly – showing my girls some tricks and talking knowledgeably about the exhibits. They had a good range of magic and a comfortable showroom and an area for teaching and I presume lectures.  I was interested to note that they had recently had a UK magician lecturing and another one coming soon.

Next we walked around the corner for about 5 minutes to get to (the current location for) the legendary Tannens Magic.  Since I started reading about magic in the 80s Tannens has been an object of mystery for me – so many famous magicians have had links with the store over the years and so to get the chance to visit was really another realisation of a childhood ambition.

The shop we visited wasn’t, of course, the original – it has moved 2 or 3 times I believe.  As with Fantasma you have to enter an unmarked building and take a lift to reach this magical mecca.  The shop was well stocked with a table for visiting magicians to chat and jam. Rather bizarrely one of the first things that catches your eye is the elephant in the room. Literally. Which does allow the staff a great line which I’m not going to spoil for you here…

They’ve got a great range as you’d expect – a particularly fine book selection and all the latest stuff tastefully arranged.  One of the two staff in view gladly did some magic for my little girls – who were particularly taken by the magic bubble which became solid.

If you’re in New York any time you’ve got to make the visit.  Soak up the atmosphere and enjoy, in different ways, the sense of history.

You can find out more at their online presence – Tannens and Fantasma.

For those of you who are really only interested in playing cards, I’ll show you my USA acquisitions in a later post…

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Fast forward about 30 years and I am watching the same trick (though now, as readers of this blog will be delighted to know, using Bicycle Cards rather than the Piatnik ones which were favoured in the 80s) at an evening of Conjuring and Canapes which my wife had taken me to as a holiday surprise. This time Roy Davenport was the performer and a couple of days later I found myself in his company once more as he took me on a proper look around Davenports Magic Kingdom – one of Norfolk’s newest visitor attractions.

Since Davenports Magic Kingdom (DMK) has a small shop (and given its relationship to Davenports Magic Shop in London – the first magic shop I ever visited) it is the subject of our latest Clicks and Mortar focus.

So a visitor attraction based on magic? How does that work? Roy explained the challenges of communicating what is, in some ways, a lost world of magic and variety to the screen-attached generation whose only interaction with magic is Dynamo or Troy. They have no real framework for it, so DMK tries to do that by first introducing you to the historical relationship between magic and witchcraft – and the very locally relevant idea of witch trials and hangings. This links you nicely to a copy of the Discoverie of Witchcraft – the first ‘magic book’ printed in the English language – and the place where the story of English conjuring really begins. It’s the first time I have ever seen a real copy of this which was in remarkably good condition for its age.

The well-designed attraction then takes you through a whirlwind tour of the history of magic with a great variety of artefacts, props, posters, and the like. Magicians all seem to be inveterate hoarders, and in this case having four generations of magicians in one family has lead to a fascinating and well-kept collection. There are too many interesting pieces to mention, but I was particularly pleased to see some Houdini memorabilia which hasn’t ended up in the States – in this case the original water torture cell (which was also used in the recent film Death Defying Acts). I was also staggered by the size of (one of – sorry can’t remember which one! ) the Davenport’s Billiard Balls – he must have had enormous hands for the kind of manipulation he did with them.

There’s a super mock up of the 1920s-30s Davenports shop in which you get to see some magic demonstrated, and a visit also includes a live stage show in their small but perfectly formed theatre. There are some great extra bits and pieces but I don’t want to spoil the surprise for you!

A cafe finished off the attraction with lots of interesting exhibits around the walls.  They’ve done a good job of converting what is essentially a warehouse building into a fascinating, characterful and interactive visitor attraction. As a magic nut for 30 years I was like the proverbial child in a candy shop. Whether it will play as well for the general paying public is a little harder to say. I really hope so – because this story deserves to be told.

There does seem to be something of a renaissance of interest in magic at the moment – with it featuring more regularly on the television than it has for years – so perhaps Davenports Magic Kingdom will be able to capitalise on this re-introduce a generation to this golden era of stage magic. So spread the word. And if you’re in the vicinity of Cromer (the nearest town you might have heard of!) pop in – it is well worth a visit.

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So let’s start at the beginning. PropDog is unusual straight away in that it is located on an industrial estate in the Hounslow/Twickenham area.  That keeps away the usual curious passers by of a high street shop and is surprisingly convenient for access to M25/M3.

When you ascend the stairs you reach a room which is half showroom (with a counter – but one you are actively encouraged to go around/behind!), half office and half (yes I know that makes more than ‘one’ – but it is a magic shop) lounge/kitchen. You can watch a magic DVD, browse through his library, or look at a prop before buying and Dave is friendly and un-pushy. The room is light and airy – decidedly unlike some of the more ‘traditional’ stores – and comes complete with a dog (called Lucy – and yes – she is the dog who inspired the shop name!) and rescue parakeet called Peeby (P.B. = PropBird of course) on a cage!

Cup of tea in hand (mine, that is) Dave explained how PropDog had started. He’s a man driven by the next challenge and had reached a point in his performing career where he was busy but felt unchallenged. At the same time, always enjoying making things on the side, he was finding an increasing demand for some of his custom items – the famous Ring Flight Revolution and popular Bonsalopes. And before he knew it he was running a magic store – the next challenge he wanted.

But what impresses me most about PropDog are the high standards Dave sets himself. From the simple but important ‘if it’s on the website it’s in stock’ rule to the 100s of prototypes he goes through to create the perfect prop. His Starbucks Chop Mugs are things of beauty and he’s still working on making the perfect chopped sugar cube to go with them.

He’s a man of clear vision and plenty of energy, and takes obvious delight in experimenting in the fully equipped workshop which is on the ground floor of his unit. As I wandered around with him I could see various props some released and some on the way in different stages of meticulous production processes. He’s an enthusiast and the results are very impressive.

So if you’re in the area I would highly recommend popping in for a chat and to pick up some great magic. Or take advantage of propdog.co.uk if you can’t pop in. I hope to be back before too long.

Oh, and I had to take this picture didn’t I?…

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I was particularly interested to visit Joker Magic since they are a manufacturer as well as a dealer.  Perhaps the most well known of their effects here in the UK is Cell Out (a very visual pack of cards to mobile phone trick).

The shop was light and airy and they had a good range of magic available.  With my UK eyes on, some of the prices on Bicycle Cards felt quite high, but they had some good deals on some of their own items.  The bag is evidence that I made a purchase (!) and I am very pleased with the quality of the work on this product.

As is so often the case with the magic community, it was great to meet a very friendly magician from Vienna who invited us to the local club that evening.  Sadly, I was flying back very soon afterwards and so was unable to attend.

But well worth a visit to the shop if you are ever passing – and first impressions of the quality of their Joker Magic range are very positive.

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You may well have used their website – and a very large part of their business is done online – but they have a small studio you can visit in Southwick and it is well worth doing so if you are passing. The studio is in a converted stable block and feels light and airy compared to many magic shops I have visited over the years.  (The counter doesn’t always look as messy as it does in my picture – but we had been looking at lots of different possible things for my nephew!)

Their website holds an enormous range, which isn’t all available in the shop (they have a warehouse elsewhere) – so it is worth ringing up in advance if you want to see a particular thing to make sure they have it in the shop. Given our own site’s focus on card related magic in particular you will be pleased to know they have an excellent selection of playing cards available in the shop.

In the photo you will see a smiling Ben Williams behind the counter.  He, and the rest of the team, are very friendly – happy to chat, share advice and demonstrate magic.  We even got given some sweets (which will be familiar to you if you have ever placed a postal order with them!).  The staff know their stuff (they have a useful blog on their website) and were very helpful in dealing with our questions and suggesting ideas.  In fact, we ended up staying almost twice as long as I had planned.  My only negative was that I wasn’t offered a cup of tea – which is always my gold standard in magic shop visits!

Definitely worth popping in if you are in the area.  You will get a helpful welcome and will enjoy browsing their great selection.  And maybe next time I go I’ll get a cup of tea!

(PS they kindly gave me a copy of the Creative Solutions Deck which we will be posting a review of shortly… UPDATED – read review here!)

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In Mike Danata, I have found another true believer. To say that he is a magic obsessive is an understatement! Since we were holidaying on the South Coast this yeara – and Bournemouth was almost closer than you can throw a Bicycle Card, I decided to pop in and have another visit…

Mike always says that his shop is the kind of place he dreamed about when he was a boy – where all things magical were available to see and touch. He has certainly done a great job of realising that. Indeed he seems to make it a personal mission to compare every version of an effect (where there are several) so that he knows which is the best. We were looking at one little close up effect of which he had 3 versions and his advice was very helpful.

Advice there is in abundance. Mike is always up for a natter (in fact, like my daughter, it is making him stop which is the challenge!) and has years of experience to bring to bear. Lots of the online shops are trying to emulate this with live chat etc. but it is just not the same. There is also a refreshing absence of ‘hard sell’. If he thinks a trick is rubbish he will tell you so.

Back to the shop. This is like a magical retail version of a sliding block puzzle. There is far too much stuff in too small a place – so it is wonderful. He does seem to know where most things are, and you just occasionally have to hold one pile so that another can be moved to access a third!

His opening hours are a little quirky – but do mean that whether you are holidaying or wokring in the area you should be able to find a time to pop in. And of course, he does operate an online and telephone service if you really can’t pop in.

Well worth a visit if you are in the area. But do set aside enough time to browse and natter…

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[And if you don’t want to read all about the shop, then do jump to the bottom to read about a bargain they are currently offering!]

So first stop is Merlins of Wakefield, which unsurprisingly can be found in Wakefield (West Yorkshire).

Like many magic shops these days, you have to pass through a small section of party/fancy dress items first. But don’t let that put you off – there is a world of magic waiting beyond.

Phil or Mark will give you a warm welcome and I have been offered a cup of tea on both my visits. They have a wide variety of magic of all kinds – stocking all the more common suppliers as well as having a large range of Tora Magic and Outlaw Effects – neither of which are widely stocked in the UK.

Readers of this site will be pleased to know they have a good range of the standard Bicycle cards and gaff decks, and produce a number of their own exclusive effects in Bicycle stock as well (we will be reviewing one of those shortly…).

I don’t want to keep using the phrase “aladdin’s cave” in these shop reviews – because to some extent it will always be true. But Merlins certainly have plenty to keep you browsing, and Phil or Mark will usually be pleased to demonstrate things, or to give you advice. They are both knowledgeable magicians and are worth listening to.

So definitely worth popping in if you are in the area – we must keep supporting our local magic shops.

And I mentioned a bargain.

In addition to their usual weekly web feature – which is a special reduction on a different item each Friday (see Friday Special on the Merlins site) – they have a special offer for May. They are offering bundles of 5 DVDs worth over £90 for the magical price of just £30. The bundles are mixed, so you might want to ring up or pop in if you have a specific requirement. Otherwise take pot luck and see what you get…

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