ARTICLES
THE CHANGING MAGIC BUSINESS
I sit here at my computer this morning trying to digest the news about my industry that I just heard and confirmed. Hank Lee is closing his store and is only going to be doing business through mail order and on the internet. Hank and I have played hardball with one another for I believe more than three decades. He has been a worthy opponent and competitor in the past. He still will be a force to deal with in the future as much of our business is mail order and internet. I remember seeing Hank at a convention shortly after the internet got started checking his computer every few minutes to see if he had an order. He told me that this will be the wave of the future. I told my partner Harry that if Hank is doing it we better do it too. I started investigating the internet and within a few months started daytonamagic.com - my web site. Hank was a visionary but soon his store will be no more!
I think back at the changing face of my industry and remember fondly the past competitors that I have had to deal with. Where are they now and what are they doing?
The Humble One – Paul Diamond – When I first moved to Florida in 1976, I really wanted to move to South Florida, either in the West Palm or Boca area but after great investigation figured that I had to be crazy to go head to head with this giant in the industry. Paul’s shop in Ft. Lauderdale was known world wide and I thought that I would be nuts to go up against him. Paul, Andy his wife, Harry my partner, and I became very good friends at the many conventions we attended together. We both knew that we would do less money at the convention if the other was there. Paul has long sold his shop and it evolved into Diamond’s Magic, which is a New England mail order business. Paul is still doing business on the internet and I understand still doing a few conventions as a lecturer or MC, but his store is no more.
Tony Spina - Tannen’s. Remember Tannen’s when they were a real force in the magic industry. Lou and Irv and then Tony running the best convention, and a downtown Manhattan magic shop with a new catalog every year, publications like Tarbell and Stars of Magic, magic camp with graduates like Jeff McBride and Criss Angel. Of all the conventions we ever went to Tannen’s was the most enjoyable to attend - the eating three meals a day together, the Saturday Close-up Show, the dress-up cocktail party, the “Louie Award,” the chain he gave out with a pendant every year. There will never be another convention like Tannen’s. Today Tony is a working as a cashier part time just to keep busy. The shop, although still in downtown Manhattan is only a shadow of what it once was. I here the camp is still pretty good. I only wish that this once great company somehow gets back to its glory days, but time will tell. The Convention is no more.
Bob Little – the funniest man in magic. Bob and I have been good friends since the early sixties. He is the original home dealer! Unlike the home dealers of today who just copy Murphy’s and other web sites, Bob is at a different convention almost every week. He does not even own a computer and uses a non electrical adding machine. Bob is ten years older than me, which makes him 76. Every time I talk to him he says, “I wonder if I’m on my last ten” (years). I truly hope not just because he is such a character. He agrees with me that our business has changed and not necessarily for the better.
Al Cohen – If you were a magician and you were near Washington DC, you stopped in to pay homage to Al Cohen. For years he had a lively store on Pennsylvania Av and later moved to Vermont Av. He sold to past Presidents, Congressmen, Diplomats and us regular guys. What a wonderful funny man to bring new innovative close-up magic to any convention. If you went to a convention and were in the dealer’s room, you always had to walk around the crowd at Al’s booth. The rent in downtown Washington got too expensive for any magic business and Al Cohen’s magic shop is no more.
The mid western giants such as Ireland’s and Abbotts are technically still around. The convention in Colin is still a great convention. We would love to go there someday, but just like Hank’s Conclave understand that we are too much competition for them at their convention. After all they don’t have my partner Harry Allen demonstrating for them. Everyone knows that’s why we can’t get into their conventions. It’s OK, I understand. What I don’t understand is why we are kept out of the SAM convention by a few dealers who are afraid of us. Where is the leadership of this organization?
Hollywood Magic as far as I know is still around and is a traditional brick and mortar store. There are some local guys and a lot of costume shops that carry magic, but the “Ole Gray Mere, ain’t what she used to be.” I’m getting tired too now being in business for 41 years, but not yet! I don’t know what I would do with myself if I didn’t come in every day. I do take Sundays off so I guess I am semi retired! Any body want to buy one of the few truly brick and mortar magic shops???
