Magic Inc.

A good few years back before I was married, Wife, girlfriend at the time, drove from pa to rice lake for i had training to do. on our trip we stopped at the famous Magic inc. in chic ago.
All I can say is as soon as you walk in and see the giant Buddha hovering overhead you know you were in a real magic shop for magicians.
The mystical feeling was amazing. This store had it all. And  I'm not sure if they still let you but in the back there is a massive drawer systems with tricks Marshall came up with or booklets, etc. This store is right up there with a must see store. very friendly too.
The day we were there, a gentlemen came over from fun inc. you know the geek that stabs his eyeball or drinks other peoples spit. ( if you ever wholesaled with fun inc, you'll get that one).
Another truly great store to visit.

Denny and Lees Magic studio

Lets talk about.....Magic......Stores.....
If you live even remotely close to Maryland this store is so worth the trip. HOWEVER!!, when you go, prepare to be there a while as you never know who will show up and what stories will be told.
Dennys store is one of the true greats on the east side. Yes it smells of cigarettes, but that just adds to the atmosphere. This man has so much stuff that hes lost point of where things are. If you're looking for something unique, hes got it probably. And the information you'll get is always a treat.
I remember the first store, going there and Neil P Harris, being there. most know him from how i met your mother, but i grew up knowing him in two ways: as a magician and as doogy howser md. So it was a treat to hang out with him for a while.
The new store has an amazing stage in the back. Denny should be proud of that.
 So if you're ever in the area look up Denny and Lees magic studio.
And Babe you are missed all the time.

2 card tricks I have come up with in the 90s

One spectator is with the performer facing the audience. You have them spread through a deck of cards and find one that really stands out to them. this deck lets say is a red backed deck.
These are put back into there case.
The audience per say, is given the opposite color deck. You explain to the spectator that there card that they have chosen is no longer in there pack of cards.
They spread through with a shocked look on there face and see there card is no longer in the deck.
When the audience goes through there cards, they find an opposite color card in their deck and it happens to be the card the spectator merely looked at.

Simple trick right?
Wrong.....you see its the aftermath of the trick thats the kicker. Because when the audience talks to the spectator, they find that the spectator could only see one card..as if they were hypnotized.
Both decks are handed out for them to keep or examine. .......................


The other is a spectator selects a card from the deck and only they look at it. This is placed back into the deck. next you show the top card to the audience. they are to remember that card. you turn to the spectator and before you show them the card, you "hypnotise them" when they look at the card they look puzzled. You ask the spectators what card they saw, and it is the same card the person selected.
But when they talk to each other, the spectator could see anything on the card that was just shown to the audience who clearly saw a playing card. .............................................................................

Brick and mortar stores.

There's a lot to be said about brick and mortar stores. Magic store wise. Sure,  you can watch videos online and purchase a trick cheaper. But what is that doing for you? What is that doing for the originator of that trick? What is it doing to the local magic stores, that are now far and few between?
I worked at a Magic shop for a few years for basically nothing, totally wiping out any cash I had. Why? Because it was my dream job. I was able to meat so many magicians, jugglers, clowns and many other different entertainers. I had a chance to be taught by magicians from a who's who in magic.
I was taught tricks that may never be published. You see when you go to a magic store, you're not just getting a trick. You're getting an experience like you would never get just by buying a trick through the internet.
All to often i meet magicians that just buy tricks and never use them. They just want to sit in front of a mirror and do the trick in the mirror all day. We have a name for this...Magical Masturbation.
These are the same guys that look for cheap knockoffs from china because they know they will never use them in everyday life.
But for those who really want to learn, who really want the hone there skills, for those who love having jam sessions with other magicians, for those who want to learn more then the trick itself then get off your butts and go to a magic shop.
And there are treasures not found on dvds at magic shops. In New Jersey, there's a little magic shop in a plaza, whose owner was a talent agent for Jerry Lewis, and many other stars. In his shop he has a portfolio of the stars he was an agent for.
In Maryland, there is a magic shop whose owner is known through out the world. And sometimes actors that are magicians stop by and hang out.
In New York, magicians abound and the libraries, stores, and teachers are everywhere. You do know what libraries are don't you? No pdf files here, and no books will turn into any to preserve the secrets within.
So get out and go to one. I dont care if its 50- 60 -100 miles away. It is always worth going to one.