My first Magic shops were the ones at Knott's Berry Farm and Disneyland in California back int the early 70's
Every summer for 4yrs during my 6th -9th grades I would take my money from cutting the neighbor's yards and ride the bus
from Huntington Beach to Garden Grove for Knott's Berry Farm or to Aniheim for Disney, either way it was a 30min
bus ride or so, and buy a magic trick or 3. Now having kids of my own, I really wish I would have kept up with Magic,
now it's learning coin magic and buffing up my linking rings, & ring and rope tricks skillz once again.

The Magic Corner in Raleigh, NC. I used to go there with my wife when she needed face painting supplies. This past March was the first time I went there for magic supplies.

Mike

In the early 70's it was Romig Magic in Ferndale, MI (suburban Detroit), in the original hard to find upstairs location on 9 Mile Rd. I learned so much from both the employees & customers. Since then, they have changed ownership; I believe they have relocated at least 3 times and are currently known as The Wunderground in Clawson, MI.

Also during the early to mid 70's, I would frequent Roy Kissell's Fox & Fun Magic Shop on 7 Mile Rd in Detroit, and also Max Ettinger's Magic Emporium on 8 Mile Rd in Southfield, MI.

During the same period, I also remember periodically purchasing mail order catalog items from Tannens (NYC).

My first shop was called Zeezo's in a small town in Colorado. This was the early 80's and the shop was in our only/first indoor mall. I bought a Hot Rod and couldn't get anyone to be as impressed as I was. I really wanted to just hang-out in the store, but I didn't have much money and didn't want to appear desperate for magic. I really looked-up to the Demonstrators.

I think that's the story for a lot of our early careers in magic.

Wow some great shops mentioned here. For me I am not sure which was the first ...either Kanters or Chanin's in Philadelphia. My dad, who was a magician took me to both. At the time Mike Kanter had a huge store. I had never seen anything so big except for Wannamakers. It was two stories and packed with magic. (This was 1963) Jack Chanin's on the other hand was a second floor walk up packed with magic and junk. I loved that store. My dad told me if Mike Kanter did a trick I could do it, if I saw something Jack did...well. After my dad died Jack took me in and I worked for him...talk about an education. In college I hung out at Al's in DC and then in Columbus I worked for O'Neill Magic, which was a successor to UF Grant which became MAK magic. Magicland here in Dallas, had already moved from downtown when I got here and Howard Hale was the owner.

I have been to Denny and Lee's in Vegas and it is a great shop... alas a lot of the others are now long gone.

Mr.E's... Springfield, Missouri. I was such a young, arrogant, kid at the time. I could not really appreciate the knowledge being offered to me. I am sure I annoyed the owner (Rick Enloe I believe). There is not a magic store around for many miles nowadays. I think the closest is in Branson, Mo. I am not having any luck tracking down a local Ring either. I am ever looking for some older, wiser, local magic people... Thanks for posting this thread, it is nice to reminisce over the old magic shop.

I only recently went into my first magic shop which was Davenports in London. I didn't really know what I was looking for to start with and was a bit overwhelmed. However the staff, although initially a bit snooty, were very helpful and I came out with a couple of John Bannon products which I'm really happy with. I guess that most of us these days look and buy online but there's nothing like the real thing.

Does anyone happen to know what is going on with the magic shop in St James' Street in Brighton? I've been past it a couple of times during the day but it always has the closed sign up.

Mine was BBMagic in Leicester, the guy behind the counter was great, helping out a shy schoolkid. I'd go in there and he'd always ask how much I had to spend, demonstrate every trick for me. I googled it and looks like it's still going round the corner from the original shop and now run by his daughter

The Magic Shop in Sarasota, Florida, back in the 70's. It only lasted a few years but I spent all of my jr. high years there.

Magic Center in NYC. Sleazy sleazy part of town. Prolly not the best place for my dad to take a 10 year old.

Haines House of Cards and Industrial Strength Magic. Both are/were in Cincinnati.

For me it was Davenport's, in London.

You may be thinking of the magic shop run by Alan Alan.

For me it was a online shop called Alakazam I stumbled upon it by a general search and been back a few times. There is one in shefield that I am going to try though.

There were two in downtown Boston in the 70's (three actually, but I didn't know about Hank Lee's at the time. They were both of or Tremont Street, and I am no longer positive, but I think one was called Jack's and I have no idea what the second one was called. I'd take the train up from Gloucester once a month and spend most of the day between the two of them.

1948, Kemps Magic shop on San Franscisco street, El Paso, Tx. Then he was drafted and it became Mishel's magic shop. Then I got drafted. When I came back in 1960 everything was gone, the building. Now even the street. Soon I will follow.....

My very first magic shop was 'Bill's Joke and Magic Shop' on Bank Street in Ottawa, Ontario in 1960. I purchased my first TT there.

Ray

Mine was Snyders in downtown Cleveland. A classic magic shop in every sense of the word...hard to find, dark, dusty, smokey, a complete mess of cluttered and overstuffed shelves...and an absolute joy.