Magic Shops Online vs Local Magic Shops

Magic shop Online vs Local Magic Shops
Local magic shops vs Online magic shops

The Enchantment of local magic shops

I remember a time not long ago – before the Internet and online magic videos, before websites that taught magic tricks or gave away secrets for free – sneaking away to a magic shop on weekend afternoons. I was a little boy growing up in my home town of Bogotá, Colombia. At the time, in the early 1980s, there was a lot of turmoil in my city and country, but I didn’t even notice. For me going to the magic shop was an adventure and a vivid experience!

I could stay at that magical place all day watching magic tricks:  Close-up magic with cards, coins, sponges, stage magic, magic props, illusions, etc. It was a small one-room shop located just off the busy streets and traffic in north Bogotá. There were always people coming and going, to and from the shop, all the time. Some were regular customers – amateur or professional magicians. Others were just curious people, walking by and stopping to be entertained and amazed for a few minutes by the owner Jaimer, the magician, who never seemed to tire of performing for us. He would show people tricks for free – offering to demonstrate a trick’s secret only to those who were going to buy it.
As much as I enjoyed watching the magician performing magic tricks, I loved seeing the reaction of the customers even more. It was a time when people were amazed by magic tricks done right there in front of them on a table or shop countertop – no cameras or smart phones to record or post and share the experience. It was just that moment to be lived right there, and then retained in one’s memory. It was real magic!

Not only local magic shops are losing

Society today is all about instant gratification. When we decide we want something, we want it immediately, and it’s got to be fast, convenient and high-quality. But does this type of immediate delivery really satisfy customers in all industries, especially the magic industry? Retailers in almost every industry have started closing up their physical shops and opening up online worlds where customers can shop, make decisions, and be entertained on the Internet instead of in person. But for local magic shops, which for generations have been able to enthrall potential customers with the allure of the unknown, the move to online sales has been a blow – hitting brick and mortar storefronts across America. But it’s not just the local magic shops that lose something in this arrangement. So do the customers.

Be amazed by the moment! 

Magic products and tricks are a thrilling purchase, and a purchase that’s best made when you can see, touch and try the products before you buy them. The value of in-person entertainment is something that can’t be replicated online. A few decades ago, it seemed that magic shops were in every city, with a huge appeal to customers of all ages who wanted to be entertained, amazed and to experience the thrill that magic tricks bring. So what happened?!!

The Magic of the Internet, software-created Illusions 


The Internet age might have had something to do with it. With today’s Photoshop tricks, YouTube videos, and Internet sensations, people can find and watch magic and illusions at their fingertips at any time – threatening to make local magic shops obsolete. And, with the ever-rising cost of living for many families, magic products and tricks are likely not considered priorities. Instead of seeking out local magic stores and shows to provide entertainment on the weekends for the kids, people can simply turn to the online world and order products with free shipping, revealing magic tricks, or watch videos at no cost at all, without leaving their homes. 

But the truth is that local magic shops offer something tangible and real that an online video doesn’t have.

You might watch an online video with an air of disbelief and skepticism; you’ll enjoy it, but you won’t walk away feeling like you’ve really witnessed something magical and real. When you’re in person in a local magic shop or at a live magic show, watching something disappear before your eyes without the trick of a camera angle or editing, that feeling cannot be reproduced. When you’re testing out a trick in a local magic store, touching the products and experiencing person-to-person contact and you can feel yourself making the illusion happen – that’s not a feeling of satisfaction that you can get anywhere else.


So although online videos might gather hundreds of views and draw customers away from the real deal, the truth is, they can’t make it happen like local magic shops can. In-person entertainment will always provide a better experience than an online one, because of the ability to touch, smell, and witness with your own eyes magic that can’t be edited or Photo-shopped to be what it is.


The good news is that some local magic shops are working hard to continue offering that personal magical touch that can’t be replaced by a click of a computer mouse.

I encourage you to visit and support your local magic shops near your city





Some of the local Magic shops in Florida are: 

  • The Magic Emporium - Tampa, FL.
    4429 Gunn Hwy, Tampa, FL 33618. 
  • Merlin’s Magic Shop - New Port Richey
    7150 Congress Street, New Port Richey, FL. 
  • Daytona Magic - Daytona, FL.
    136 S Beach St, Daytona Beach, FL 32114. 
  • Cigam, House of Magic - Bradenton, FL.
    1834 TAMIAMI TRAIL (14th St W), Bradenton, FL 34205. 
  • Theatre Magic Shop - St. Augustine, FL.
    106 St George St Suite M, St Augustine, FL 32084. 
  • Magic Dove Magic Shop - Cocoa, FL.
    604 Brevard Ave, Cocoa, FL 32922. 

Some of the local Magic shops in Massachusetts are: 

  • RP Magic Shop. Ludlow, MA
    69 East St. Ludlow, MA. 

Some of the local Magic shops in Las Vegas are: 

  • Las Vegas Magic Shop - Las Vegas, VN
    2000 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89104. 
  • Houdini's Magic Shop - Las Vegas, NV
    3377 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109.

Some of the local Magic shops in California are: 

  • Hocus Pocus Magic Shop - Fresno, CA.
    1492 N Clark St #104, Fresno, CA 93703
  • Houdini's Magic Shop - San Francisco, CA.
    Pier 39, San Francisco, CA 94133
  • Misdirections Magic Shop - San Francisco, CA.
    1236 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122
  • Main Street Magic Shop - Anaheim, CA.
    102 Main Street, Anaheim, CA 92802
  • White Rabbit Magic Shop - Santa Paula, CA.
    15500 W Telegraph Rd B15, Santa Paula, CA 93060
  • Magic Shop San Diego - San Diego, CA.
    827 Fourth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101


If you would to add other local magic shops please feel free to leave the name of the local magic shop and location in the comments section.

Let’s help to keep the local magic shops vibrant and prevent our personal contact with magic – and each other – from disappearing.

Magic Shops Online vs Local Magic Shops


3 comments:

  1. There is a shop in Ludlow Massachusetts, run by a friend of mine, Rich Pinsonnault, called RP Magic. It is a great little shop and Saturdays are usually busy. I could give you his website, though I think it would be better to visit his place.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for sharing the information. Yes, this is RP Magic located in 69 East St.
      Ludlow, MA. And the website is: www.rpmagicshop.com.

      Delete
  2. it's magic & Jokes
    124 south business 65
    Branson, MO. 65616
    (417)332-1559

    ReplyDelete