Greetings, We are thrilled to announce that after months of closure, the **magic supply store** will finally be reopening its doors to customers! As restrictions begin to ease and businesses resume operations, we cannot wait to welcome all our loyal customers back and introduce newcomers to the wonders that lie within our store. The reopening of the **magic supply store** comes at a time when many people are in need of a little enchantment and escape from the realities of the world. Whether you're an aspiring magician, a seasoned performer, or simply someone fascinated by the art of magic, our store will provide you with everything you need to bring a touch of magic and wonder into your life. In preparation for the reopening, we have been busy restocking our shelves with an extensive range of **magical supplies and accessories**. From classic card tricks and mind-bending illusions to spell books and magical artifacts, our store offers a vast selection that is sure to cater to all your mystical needs. To ensure the safety and well-being of our staff and customers, we will be implementing strict hygiene protocols and social distancing measures.
This is old news to those of us who frequent Disneyland (I've known it since at least early summer), but for some reason they wanted it kept quiet. I take it that they announced it during their annual "letter" video?
Josh and Andy are go-getters, and they obviously have a significant amount of business experience, but surely the business of operating a brick and mortar magic shop presents challenges that are different from an online business. The sort of people you want in other words skilled salespeople will want high numeration but the sort of people that magic shops often end up with are minimum wage types or starving magicians.
To ensure the safety and well-being of our staff and customers, we will be implementing strict hygiene protocols and social distancing measures. Hand sanitizing stations will be available throughout the store, and we kindly ask all customers to wear face masks during their visit. Our staff will also be on hand to provide any assistance or guidance you may require while shopping.
The Genii Forum
Josh and Andy just announced they purchased Houdini's Magic Pier39 shop (San Francisco) and the magic shop on Disneyland Main St.
erdnasephile Posts: 4720 Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pmRe: Vanishing Inc buys Houdini's Magic Shop
Post by erdnasephile » December 30th, 2022, 5:38 pm
Thanks for posting! I'm glad the deal is confirmed.
Dustin Stinett Posts: 7159 Joined: July 22nd, 2001, 12:00 pm Favorite Magician: Sometimes Location: Southern California Contact:
Re: Vanishing Inc buys Houdini's Magic Shop
Post by Dustin Stinett » December 30th, 2022, 5:38 pm
This is old news to those of us who frequent Disneyland (I've known it since at least early summer), but for some reason they wanted it kept quiet. I take it that they announced it during their annual "letter" video?
Richard Kaufman Posts: 26917 Joined: July 18th, 2001, 12:00 pm Favorite Magician: Theodore DeLand Location: Washington DC Contact:
Re: Vanishing Inc buys Houdini's Magic Shop
Post by Richard Kaufman » December 30th, 2022, 5:41 pm
Written in an email. Subscribe today to Genii MagazineDustin Stinett Posts: 7159 Joined: July 22nd, 2001, 12:00 pm Favorite Magician: Sometimes Location: Southern California Contact:
Re: Vanishing Inc buys Houdini's Magic Shop
Post by Dustin Stinett » December 30th, 2022, 5:57 pm
Just in time for the 2022 recap . Tarotist Posts: 1255 Joined: July 29th, 2021, 7:16 am Favorite Magician: David NixonRe: Vanishing Inc buys Houdini's Magic Shop
Post by Tarotist » December 30th, 2022, 7:12 pm
I wish them luck with it. Opening a magic shop nowadays is asking for trouble. They are closing down all over the place left, right and centre.
Of course this is a tourist location so they might be in with a chance. The secret is to get GREAT demonstrators. That is the entire key. And it is not easy to do. The other thing is to be very selective on the merchandise for sale. Catering for magicians will lead to disaster. And the other major problem is for the owners to be absentee landlords. If they are not there at least 70% of the time I predict failure. When the cat is away the mice will play.
Re: Vanishing Inc buys Houdini's Magic Shop
Post by Mac Stone » December 30th, 2022, 7:42 pm
Tarotist wrote: I wish them luck with it. Opening a magic shop nowadays is asking for trouble. They are closing down all over the place left, right and centre.
Of course this is a tourist location so they might be in with a chance. The secret is to get GREAT demonstrators. That is the entire key. And it is not easy to do. The other thing is to be very selective on the merchandise for sale. Catering for magicians will lead to disaster. And the other major problem is for the owners to be absentee landlords. If they are not there at least 70% of the time I predict failure. When the cat is away the mice will play.
They haven't opened a magic shop, they acquired an existing one that has been operating successfully for decades. I predict you are wrong.
Tarotist Posts: 1255 Joined: July 29th, 2021, 7:16 am Favorite Magician: David NixonRe: Vanishing Inc buys Houdini's Magic Shop
Post by Tarotist » December 30th, 2022, 9:16 pm
Mac Stone wrote:Tarotist wrote: I wish them luck with it. Opening a magic shop nowadays is asking for trouble. They are closing down all over the place left, right and centre.
Of course this is a tourist location so they might be in with a chance. The secret is to get GREAT demonstrators. That is the entire key. And it is not easy to do. The other thing is to be very selective on the merchandise for sale. Catering for magicians will lead to disaster. And the other major problem is for the owners to be absentee landlords. If they are not there at least 70% of the time I predict failure. When the cat is away the mice will play.
They haven't opened a magic shop, they acquired an existing one that has been operating successfully for decades. I predict you are wrong.
I predict that I am right. After all, I AM psychic you know.
Anyway, I will tell you what I will do. In one years time, providing I am still alive, I shall bring this post back and we will see if they are still in business. I have been selling magic all my life and not just as a pitchman. I know what I am doing. I think they are out of their area of expertise. Still, we shall see in one years time.
MagicbyAlfred Posts: 2387 Joined: June 7th, 2015, 12:48 pm Favorite Magician: Bill Malone Location: Myrtle Beach, SC
Re: Vanishing Inc buys Houdini's Magic Shop
Post by MagicbyAlfred » December 31st, 2022, 9:13 am
I wish them good luck and success. Succeeding in business is no easy feat. Especially the business of operating a magic shop -- and now more than ever in view of the prevalence of online vendors. Among other things, it takes very hard work, planning, resourcefulness, and skillful and reliable personnel. And yes, location, location, location. Josh and Andy are go-getters, and they obviously have a significant amount of business experience, but surely the business of operating a brick and mortar magic shop presents challenges that are different from an online business.
As to the personnel aspect, I agree with Mark. A great demonstrator(s) is key. What sells a trick is blowing the customer's mind. This, in turn, requires smooth, clean, skillful presentation of the trick. When a demonstrator accomplishes this, especially up close and in person (as opposed to an online video), it immediately instills in the customer a fervent desire to be able to astonish other people the way they just were. They believe that by buying the trick, they too will be able to accomplish the little miracle they've just witnessed. That's what makes them reach for their wallets. They will, of course, find out that there is far more involved than just learning the secret..
Diego Posts: 501 Joined: June 16th, 2008, 11:29 amRe: Vanishing Inc buys Houdini's Magic Shop
Post by Diego » December 31st, 2022, 10:51 am
True: with Josh & Andy investing their ability and experience, it won't fail for lack of trying. Pro-active demonstrators are the key. Those who worked for the prior owner were always demonstrating, engaging customers in and out of the store to get them inside, knowing they were being watched via video as well as in house mgt.
I have seen demonstrators at the Disneyland store who were good and sometimes the store had clueless staff that must have been brought over from another area of the park, that day, knowing nothing of the merchandise or their purpose for being there.
Wizardz in Universal City had a passive demonstrator and sometimes other non-demoing staff that acted only as store clerks, but when Ray Pierce took over for a time, he brought the excitement that brought passer-by into the store, excited that they too could do magic, and buy things because they were told what to ask and pay for.
Tarotist Posts: 1255 Joined: July 29th, 2021, 7:16 am Favorite Magician: David NixonRe: Vanishing Inc buys Houdini's Magic Shop
Post by Tarotist » December 31st, 2022, 11:01 am
The problem with most demonstrators is that they like magic too much. Think about it.BarryAllen Posts: 185 Joined: November 15th, 2009, 6:33 am Favorite Magician: Joe Riding & Chan Cansta. Location: Nuneaton England
Re: Vanishing Inc buys Houdini's Magic Shop
Post by BarryAllen » December 31st, 2022, 1:51 pm
I wish them every success in their quest to keep two bricks and mortar outlets in business.
However, as Mark correctly points out, the type of Magic tricks that the average (non-magician) punter buys is far removed from what a more experienced Magician would be interested in.
I'm sure that they've got the business acumen to look at the books and identify what sells.
I may have only been a schoolkid back in 1978-80, but I quickly learnt that I could sell Svengali packs, plastic Cups & Balls the Dutch Looper and Dynamic Coins all day long - to tourists.
After these tricks, there was some (albeit less) interest in the Professor's Nightmare, Stripper pack and Spot Paddles. When it came to the rest of the Paul Daniels Dubreq Magic range; and the few Tenyo items that we stocked (Sandwich Platter, Wandering Hole and Squeeze Play) - forget it. They more or less sat on the shelves gathering dust for most of the time.
As also alluded to above, the key element of any future success will be the demmers. These ideally need to be Salesmen, not Magicians - who will often use every opportunity to showboat their finger-flinging skills. In fact, if I opened a Magic Shop, I think I'd rather recruit experienced sales people - who knew diddly-squat about Magic from the outset.
Running a Magic Shop for Tourists is all about a quick dem (not overly complicated) then getting the MONEY whilst they're still a captive audience. As anyone will know who has sold (relatively) low cost items, it's about shifting the numbers to an interested crowd - BEFORE they have a chance to walk away and spend their money elsewhere. The mindset needs to be "you've got a wallet in your pocket - and I want some of the contents" - not "here's another Magic Show for free folks".
Just my experience anyway. Having sold countless very high-value holidays and cruises as a travel agent over many years, nothing compares to cutting my teeth demming jokes and Magic tricks as a teenager. Oh such happy, happy days!
Tarotist Posts: 1255 Joined: July 29th, 2021, 7:16 am Favorite Magician: David NixonRe: Vanishing Inc buys Houdini's Magic Shop
Post by Tarotist » December 31st, 2022, 2:34 pm
There could also be a high turnover of demonstrators. Who the hell wants to work with videos watching them all the time? And there is a catch 22 situation regarding salaries. The sort of people you want (in other words skilled salespeople) will want high numeration but the sort of people that magic shops often end up with are minimum wage types or starving magicians. Easier on the overheads that way but the downside is that the sales go down. And they don't last long anyway.
The best chance of success would be for Josh to work one location and Andy to work the other but of course that ain't gonna happen for obvious reasons. Which means delegation to other people. And that is where the trouble starts.
Incidentally Barry has the right mentality where this kind of thing is concerned.
AJM Posts: 1491 Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm Location: ScotlandRe: Vanishing Inc buys Houdini's Magic Shop
Post by AJM » December 31st, 2022, 2:52 pm
All the very best to Andi and Joshua with their new acquisition. Tarotist Posts: 1255 Joined: July 29th, 2021, 7:16 am Favorite Magician: David NixonRe: Vanishing Inc buys Houdini's Magic Shop
Post by Tarotist » January 1st, 2023, 4:57 pm
I suppose I should mention another obstacle with regard to staff. I could easily not mention it of course but then I would be doing a disservice to the new owners. New staff suffer from a disease known as "mushroomitis" in the business. Of course none of you especially the new owners will know what "mushroomitis" is. You have to be in the grafting business to understand and experience it. It applies in the situation under discussion too. Still, if I just tell you all what it is it will be ignored and not filed away in the memory for future use. However, if you, especially the new owners, make the effort to find out what it is then of course it will stick in the mind far better.
I haven't looked it up on google yet but I will be surprised if it is there. It is part of our secret language. Still, seek and ye shall find.
Richard Kaufman Posts: 26917 Joined: July 18th, 2001, 12:00 pm Favorite Magician: Theodore DeLand Location: Washington DC Contact:
As a token of our appreciation for your support during these challenging times, we will be offering special discounts and promotions during the reopening period. This is our way of saying thank you and providing a little extra magic to brighten your day! We understand that some of our valued customers may still feel more comfortable shopping from the comfort of their own homes. Rest assured, our online store will continue to operate, offering the same range of products with the convenience of delivery to your doorstep. In conclusion, we cannot express how excited we are to welcome you back to the **magic supply store**. Our team has been eagerly awaiting this day, and we are ready to serve you with the same passion and dedication as before. Let us bring a sprinkle of enchantment into your life once again and remind you that magic truly exists. Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to seeing you soon. Sincerely, The Magic Supply Store Team.
Reviews for "A World of Wizardry Awaits: The Magic Supply Store Reopens its Mystical Realm"
1. John - 2 stars - I was really excited to visit the reopening of the magic supply store, but I left feeling disappointed. The store seemed disorganized and the staff was not very helpful. The selection of items was also quite limited, and the prices were higher than what I expected. Overall, it was a letdown and I probably won't be returning.
2. Sarah - 1 star - I was expecting a whimsical and enchanting experience at the reopened magic supply store, but it fell short of my expectations. The store was cramped and cluttered, making it difficult to navigate. The staff seemed uninterested and unhelpful, and it felt like they were just going through the motions. The lack of a wide variety of magical items was also disappointing. I left feeling underwhelmed and unimpressed.
3. David - 2.5 stars - While the reopening of the magic supply store had some potential, it didn't quite live up to the hype. The store lacked atmosphere and felt more like a generic gift shop than a magical wonderland. The prices were also exorbitant for what they offered. However, I will give credit to the staff for being friendly and knowledgeable about the products they did have. Overall, it was an average experience that left me wanting more.
4. Emily - 2 stars - I had high hopes for the reopening of the magic supply store, but unfortunately, it fell short. The store was poorly organized and it was hard to find what I was looking for. The staff seemed overwhelmed and uninterested in assisting customers. Additionally, the prices were much higher than I anticipated. It's a shame because I was really looking forward to a magical experience, but I left feeling let down.