I am really into magic, but there is not a magic shop anywhere near where I live. The next one is in another city about an hour and a half away. What should I do?

Make the pilgrimage (90 minutes away is nothing)... It’s a rite of passage. I can remember taking bus rides to NY from Southern NJ to visit Tannen’s when I was a young teen.

Good luck to you,
Bruce

Be glad you live that close to one.


A few other things...

Brick and mortar shops are nice, but there are advantages to shopping online too. One advantage is that you can often see a video of the effect you are looking to purchase (if you are looking for an effect). Now, some videos are just a bunch of edited scenes put together in a montage with special effects. The videos I like are the ones that just show a straight up performance (preferably in front of a live audience).

Keep in mind that a video montage does not mean it is a bad effect. Sometimes this is done to keep others from stealing the effect by watching the video over and over. However, sometimes this is done to make an effect look better than it is. Also, just because it looks good on video does not mean it will play well before a live audience.

When shopping online, it is good to lean heavily on the members of the Café for reviews. You can find reviews of just about any product out there.

You should also know that not all brick and mortar magic shops are the same. Try to find one that sales to professional magicians. Unless it is part of another business (like for example Frankel Costume shop in Houston), magic shops are not huge money making ventures. Many carry selected effects geared toward tourists and a small inventory. The ones that sale to the professional have to carry such a large inventory that it becomes difficult to turn a profit.

I would recommend doing you leg work online before you make the trip. Read the reviews, watch videos, ask around and know what you want before you make the trip. You can still let the dealer demo what he wants to, but you won't be limited to what he can demo. (Some effects can't be demonstrated, and some, the dealers simply have not learned to be able to demo.)

On the other side of the coin (assuming you have one with two sides), I purchased almost everything online. But I've learned the most by actually being in the store and talking with the people behind the counter. I drove 5 hours once to visit one of the two B&M magic shops in my state, and 3 hours to visit the other one.

These people are often real-world performers, or former performers, and you can very well run into other performers while in their shop. I was having problems with a trick I'd learned by video and was in a magic store in another state when in walks the magician who invented the routine and made the video! He graciously took the time to show me the "missing move" - even though I knew what he was doing and when I stillcouldn't catch him at it!!

There's just something about being in an atmosphere of other magicians talking shop, showing off, and helping out that does something for you no DVD or printed page ever will. Hopefully, your "local" magic shop will be one of these. If so, it is well worth the trip - and plan to stay there for a while.

Oh, and come with some specifics in mind. What are you stuck on? Where do you need help? What type of effect is missing from your show? Don't ask, "What's a cool trick?" Tell them who you are, what type of magic you perform, and where you're trying to go, and then ask what they have to recommend from their own experiences.

Ed

There is another thread on this subject (sorta) HERE

As far as the 90 minute drive to the magic shop goes - call them up and ask them when the magicians usually hang out there and then, as Ed said, plan to spend the day there just talking to people, watching magic done by other amateurs, and looking at all the fun stuff to buy and plan for the future!

Thank you so much. It helped me tons.

Nothing beats a brick and mortar shop. I've made a couple online purchases before I ever entered a magic shop, and although I was happy with my purchases I didn't know what I was missing until I entered Presto Magic in Long Beach. I was blown away and I now understand the saying "like a kid in a candy store". I only had a $50 budget but I spent about three hours in the little shop asking questions, and watching demo's by the store owner. It was well worth the hour drive.

If anyone knows any other great shops in the Los Angeles Area please PM or Email Me. Thanks
Justin

I'm with everyone else, make the trek at some point. It's well worth it...

Try http://www.magiclegacy.net out.

Brick and mortars are great if they are run properly and the pricing is decent.

If you have a local club, you can often have access to a wealth of information to make buying online easy and save a good deal of money.

I run my shop online and via conferences, lectures, and meeting attendance. People know they can email me what they want and I will get it to them... usually in person at one of the meetings. My area is unique in that we meet almost weekly to session.

The rest of my business is via online sales and I always offer to answer any questions via email or if needed, a phone chat.

If you do not have a club locally, and no other exposure to magic, then I agree - make the trip to a magic shop.

Yes. I agree. Make the pilgrimage. I am going to travel 4 hours next week, mainly to visit the Pike Street magic shop in Seattle. I have also gone to Vegas just for a magic Odyssey. That is a 2.5 hour flight. I shop online a lot, but you can't beat the atmosphere of the real deal.

What is the best magic store in los angeles?

I'm going to be there for a few days. close up, stage, etc...

Hi Bill-

I know of two:

Hollywood Magic Inc
6614 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
(323) 464-5610‎

Magic Apple
11390 Ventura Blvd # 2, Studio City, CA
(818) 508-9921‎

I've only been to the Magic Apple and think it's terrific. But many folks at the Magic Castle go to Hollywood Magic because, I presume, the proximity.

Will you be performing at the Castle? Or planning to visit the Castle?

-Larry

G'day Mindfreak

I find that visiting the real world shop is something I always enjoy and yes it is a good idea to let them know that you are coming and intending to make some specific purchases so that there will be some one there for you to meet with.

I live in Australia and it is a 5 hour drive north or south to my closest shops.

Last year I did a huge road trip in the USA and went to every magic shop I could find on the trip. Justin - I spent the whole morning at the Presto Magic shop in Long Beach and it was a highlight of the trip.

Enjoy your shopping along with the magic interaction.

Bob Latta (aka Troppo Bob)

I am lucky to have a b&m shop "close" to home. The drive is about 30-40 minutes, but well worth it. I meet a bunch of really great magicians there and have learned a lot, more than I could ever learn online.

What you did NOT say was where you are located. There may be additional help available that you are not aware of.

Two suggestions:

1. Try the sponsors here on The Magic Café first. They are investing in you!

2. Go to magic conventions. The dealers in the dealer room typically pay for the convention. They are investing in you!

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

Well one actually. Hollywood Magic is closed indefinitely at the moment

Look what I found-
It's a long list of brick and mortar shops around the country. Don't know if it's comprehensive and up to date, but it's a start.

http://www.williamsmagic.com/magicshops.htm

Description:
Welcome to the Williams Magic (williamsmagic.com) USA magic shop listing.

We present this listing of magic shops, dealers, resources and web sites throughout the US for the benefit of our customers. Whether you are traveling and hope to visit other "brick & mortar" shops, or you're just surfing the net trying to locate a particular item we don't carry, we hope this list will be of service to you.

At this time the list is sorted alphabetically, not by city or state. We're sorry for any inconvenience this may cause and hope to add a city/state sorted list in the future. And the list is by no means complete. There may well be errors so please help us keep it accurate. Report listing errors to us at wmsmagic@aol.com.

Before simply "dropping in" on one of the listed businesses, we highly recommend you call ahead to verify the accuracy of the listing and confirm they are open to the public.

Enjoy!

Everybody goes to Hollywood Magic. There also is a major manufacture of stage and close up. Owen Magic Supreme is in Azusa about 20 miles from LA.
http://www.owenmagic.com/
It is a little tricky to get to, it is in an industrial area, call ahead. Also
John Kennedy is near Pasadena, have not had time to visit but he also is a creator of magic.

That list is really out of date. It has a couple businesses in my area that have been closed for years. Anyone using this definitely should call ahead!