For a few short years in the 1960s a retired vaudeville magician named John Stone operated Capitol Magic Studio in Sacramento, California. The shop was in his garage and probably wasn't much, but it was a place of wonder to this (at the time) 12 year old. Stone had picked up pieces from several other magicians, so although his inventory was small, he had a lot of interesting used and one-of-a-kind effects. I picked up George Boston's floating skull, which rises up out of a black casket, and a number of other unique items.

Stone had been a vaudeville magician on the West Coast, and then had a fairly steady series of gigs doing "spook shows" that lasted him into the 1950s. Then he entered semi-retirement on 61st Street (I think) in Sacramento. He shut the shop and moved to Santa Cruz around 1964 or 1965. Anyone remember this interesting man or his store?

I've lived in Sacramento only about twenty years, so I don't remember Capitol Magic Studio.

But was there ever a magic store in downtown Sacramento? Seems to me one existed until sometime in the 1980s.

Hi,
You might be thinking of Frank's Magic and Novelties on J or K St. Frank was a Japanese-American gentleman, a good demonstrator, although his shop had more novelties than magic. He carried some of the U.F. Grant and P&L lines, some miscellaneous magic and props, and lots of inexpensive pocket tricks. There may have been another owner toward the end but I didn't visit the store in its later years.

John Stone lived next door to me in the 60's. he lived on 64 th Street and actually I was his assistant a few times for some shows he did.,I was very young at the time.
My father also used to make some of his magic props, like the empty birdcage and then a dove appears in the cage.

Thanks, Olgalynn, for your memories of John Stone. Glad to know it was 64th St. Stone had an ill-tempered duck that would occasionally charge into the garage/shop and nip everyone on the ankles. Kept the shopping interesting!

One of his own effects was called "Ice Screamo." It was an ingenious scoop and ice cream container that made it appear that the magician was scooping ice cream into a borrowed hat or whatever else he was using. He used it in conjunction with a milk pitcher. Into the hat went the ice cream and milk, and then he tossed the "milk shake" out on the audience--all pink confetti. Perhaps your dad helped make those? I still have mine.